Christ Has Come! Christ Will Come Again!
Preparing and waiting for Jesus' to arrive...again
Christ has Come!
I remember it as though it were yesterday. But how could I possibly forget something of this magnitude? I'll never be the same again, for on that day I held God in my hands!
By the way, my name is Simeon. I was born and raised in Jerusalem. I was well steeped in the Torah. My parents took seriously Moses' exhortation to continually impress Jehovah's commandments upon their children. My mother daily read me the stories concerning the Patriarchs and the works that Jehovah had performed among them.
During those times, I first heard about the Promised One who God would send to bring consolation to His people. For instance, Isaiah prophesied that Messiah would be virgin-born, and that He would be called "Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace." Micah announced that this Holy One would be born in Bethlehem. King David stated that He would be a "King for ever and ever," and that He would be considered priest and judge.
What a wonderful Savior He would be! I often repeated two questions in particular to Jehovah, "When will Messiah come? Will I have the opportunity to meet Him?"
A Temple Prayer
One day as I was praying in the Temple, the Holy Spirit spoke to me, "You will not die until you have seen God's anointed King face to face." Imagine my astonishment! Even recounting that glorious event sends shivers up my spine. I, a common man, would meet Messiah, the One spoken of by Moses, David, and the prophets! How I longed for that day!
From that moment onward, my life revolved around the proclamation of the Spirit. It consumed my entire being as a fire consumes wood. Every morning I would ask the Lord, "Will this be the day when Messiah comes? Will He come this morning, at noon or tonight?"
You see, the Spirit didn't say when He would come, simply that He would come. Yet, I knew He would come soon, for the Spirit explicitly stated that He would come before I died - and my days were already far spent. Therefore, I prepared myself for the King's coming. Otherwise, He might come when I least expected Him.
Another morning, I asked the Lord the same question. Again, there was no response. But something was different. There was an inner excitement. I felt that something spectacular and revolutionary was about to happen. Suddenly I felt a desire - almost a compulsion - to go to the Temple. I left immediately.
At the Temple, I looked around for anything out of the ordinary. However, everything appeared to be normal. The same old faces. Some were praying, while others were buying lambs, pigeons, and turtledoves for the daily sacrifices.
Then I spotted a man, woman and child to my far right. Based on the apparent age of the child, I figured this family was at the Temple to present the child to the Lord according to Moses' command. Admittedly, there was nothing unusual about that regular occurrence. I watched them as they walked through the gate, Beautiful, and entered the Court of Women.
The man took the baby from the mother and held Him in the crook of his left arm. In his right hand he held two turtledoves. He was about to enter the innermost court of the priests and Israelites, where the altar of burnt offering was located.
Suddenly, the thought hit me: Could this be it?
A Temple Encounter
Dashing towards the couple, I cried out, "Wait a minute!" The man turned around and stared at me. "This is the One the Holy Spirit promised me I'd see!" I exclaimed. My abnormal behavior focused attention on me. "Simeon," people asked, "why are you shouting? Have you completely lost your mind?" But I didn't care. I was consumed with this one thought and this one family.
We introduced ourselves. The lovely couple were Mary and Joseph. However, the baby needed no introduction. I knew who He was. Suddenly Mary said, "And this is Jesus." I realize it's impolite to stare, but I couldn't help gazing at the child. I realized I was looking into God's face! Words cannot adequately express what I felt at that moment. The day I had lived for had finally arrived.
"May I hold the baby?" I asked. "May these poor bony arms touch and cradle the Lord's Christ?" I began to shiver; I felt I was about to explode. Then, without hesitation, Joseph handed Jesus to me. For the first time in my life, I was speechless. I was holding the Salvation of Israel! Messiah, God's eternal promise, was now here.
Cradling the baby in my arms, I looked into His dark brown eyes. I was staring into the eyes of God! It took everything in me to restrain the tears that were welling up within my soul. I exclaimed, "Yes, Lord, yes! I can die in peace now, as You promised. These dim eyes are seeing your salvation, which You prepared for the whole world, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to Your people Israel!"
God's promise had finally come. I had seen the Savior! I was holding Him!
I looked up at Mary and Joseph. They seemed to be amazed, almost bewildered, by what I had said. This was the ultimate divine moment. History was being made.
A Promise Fulfilled
I then blessed the parents. Peering into Mary's eyes, I said, "Your baby is set like a building stone in the scheme of things. Many in Israel will fall and rise because of Him. He is a sign whom most will deny. Indeed, a sword will pierce your own soul, too. The thoughts of many people will be revealed." She was speechless. Those words were difficult to both hear and understand.
I looked at the baby again, realizing it was my last opportunity. I passed Jesus back to Mary. She held Him closer than before. The tears streaming down her face spoke louder than mere words. The day's events had confirmed everything she already knew in her heart. Who wouldn't be speechless?
Turning slowly, I began to walk home, numb from the experience. I had held God! The world would never be the same again; hope and light had finally come. What God had promised, He had provided. My last words were, "Christ has come!"
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Christ Will Come Again!
He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him.
Scripture foretells, not only of Christ's first coming in Bethlehem, but also of His second coming in the clouds of heaven. And, like Simeon, are we waiting for the arrival of God's Anointed King with keen anticipation?
Even though we have never seen Him, we will know Him - "by the print of the nails in His hand."
Simeon knew Messiah would come, but he did not know when. We too know Jesus will return, but we do not know when. "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." The key is to prepare ourselves for Christ's arrival.
Upon seeing the Christ-child, Simeon declared he could then die in peace. How important it is for people to see God's salvation before they see death.
However, not only did Simeon see Jesus, but he also welcomed Him with open hands and a open heart. Likewise, those who have welcomed Christ may also welcome death. Death loses its sting.
Are we preparing and waiting for Jesus to arrive...again?
Even so, Lord Jesus, come.
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References:
See Luke 2:25-35; Deut. 6:7; Isa. 7:14; 9:16; Micah 5:2; Ps. 10:16; 110:4; 135:14; Acts 1:11; Heb 9:28; "My Savior First of All" by Fanny J. Crosby and John R. Sweeney; Matt. 24:36; 1 Thess. 5:2 (NIV).
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