how old was simeon when he saw jesus how old was simeon when he saw jesus

Simeon, a right living and very devout man of faith, was frequently in the Temple meditating, and in a constant state of anticipation of the most significant foretold event in the Jewish faith the arrival of the Jewish Messiah. It was God the Fathers and Holy Spirits job to prepare Jesus until he was ready to start His ministry. Consolation meets us in our. And while there they met an old man called Simeon who, upon seeing Jesus, was very moved and filled with joy and gratitude. The redemptive offerings, the Day of Atonement, the Passover, all spoke to them of the coming Christ. The event occurred when Joseph and Mary brought the Child to the Temple to present him to the Lord, according to the law of Moses. Anna begins to preach: She came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. Both are quicker than Mary to comprehend who Jesus is. They have much to speak into our context. Simeon must have understood that Israels conversion would be realized only after the enlightenment of the heathen and the calling out of the Church. The nunc dimittis of Simeon emphasizes the end of a long vigil of waiting. Before this baby was born an angel named Gabriel told Mary what to name Him. GOD THE FATHER, HOLY SPIRIT, JESUS AND MARY AT THE TEMPLE At the Temple scene, Mary definatly shows she knows this by how she address him after looking for him for three days. At the Temple, the family is approached by a man named Simeon, who has been told by the Holy Spirit that he will not die until he has seen the messiah. 26 The Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. He saw that the fall of Israel would be the riches of the Gentiles and that Israels restoration will be comparable to a resurrection from the dead for the whole of humanity. It was this little child who creates the means by which people separated by their sins can come back to their God. The women are not only more receptive to the message, they are more willing to act upon it, with Elizabeth realizing that her cousin is carrying the messiah and praising God for this blessing and Anna spreading the good news. So we know from this that Jesus was 7 + 33 = 40 days old at the time of this ceremony. I am surprised no one else caught this prior to publication. They were given a sign a baby swaddled, laying in a manger. If (as some scholars claim) this band of shepherds were those caring for the temple flocks, they would recognize this treatment. Simeon had long searched the Scriptures and prayed and waited for the coming of the Messiah in fulfillment of prophecy. Jesus is the one that they have been longing and looking for. The glorious hope of the Saviours first advent powerfully influenced Simeons life, and the blessed hope of the Lords return should be a powerful incentive to us for holy living and sacrificial service - look up Titus 2:11-13. As Christians, we should be known for our absolute honesty, our truthfulness, our dependability and our moral integrity. Biblical Archaeology Society, [] Witherington IIIs full essay Mary, Simeon or Anna: Who First Recognized Jesus as Messiah? is accessible online for free. She spread the Mary was the first to have the good news announced to her, but Anna is the first woman to understand fully and proclaim the good news. how old was simeon when he saw jesus. Simeon is so satisfied in the beauty God's ability to keep His word. In verse 32 he stated that the Lord Jesus was to be, first, a light for revelation to the Gentiles; and second, for glory to your people Israel. When Simeon saw the Lords Christ, he took him up in his arms and blessed God, saying, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word. This taking Jesus into his arms was an act of the will by Simeon. Verse 26 tells us that God had revealed to him that he would not see death until he had seen the Lord's Christ. A tour to the pyramids of Giza will reveal some fascinating facts Simeon understood the treasure of a godly life. Seven Signs Changing water into wine at Cana in John 2:1-11 the first of the signs Healing the royal officials son in Capernaum in John 4:46-54. It shows that Simeon had received a gracious dealing from God in response to his own searching for divine guidance. The Holy Spirit allowed Simeon to recognize Jesus as the Messiah. 2010-07-06 11:03:12. Healing the paralytic at Bethesda in John 5:1-15. we can know when Jesus was born. And she wont for several years. Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace. Blessedness and peace were his portion. 3 Ang lahat ay pumunta upang makapagpatala, bawat isa sa kaniyang sariling lungsod. What a gift that God had given him! According to the Biblical account, Simeon had been visited by the Holy Spirit and told that he would not die until he had seen the Lords Christ. Simeon went to the temple and held the Christ Child, and Get the best from CT editors, delivered straight to your inbox! Simon is one Latinised version of the name, the others being Simeon or Symeon. Additionally he was not a direct descendant of David. Even better, Mary understood that she had indeed been greatly blessed, and that all generations would call [her] Blessed. Anna wasnt there to tell Mary something she didnt already know. If it starts, you get to keep the vehicle." The darkness of nineteen centuries has not been able to overcome that light, nor can the darkness of evil forces today extinguish the light of hope, faith, and love kindled by the coming of Jesus Christ. Mary, Simeon or Anna: Who First Recognized Jesus as Messiah? Both are quicker than Mary to comprehend who Jesus is This statement seems rather presumptive to me. Apparently sacrificial lambs were wrapped (swaddled) at birth The house of Abijahs servicetime was the number 8, thus the second half of the 4th month of the jewish year which was about June. Elizabeth proclaims How is it that the mother of our Lord should come to me? My bet is even if Mary, as you infer, had no idea who Jesus was, then Elizabeth was the first to notify her of the significance of Jesus. The Book of Luke records just two narratives about Jesus childhood: His dedication (Luke 2:21- 40) and His time at the temple when He was 12 years old (Luke 2:41-52). Verse 25 tells us this, and it means that while he was honest and upright in the sight of men, he was holy (as the word really means) in the sight of God. Let us know if corrections need to be made. Simeon had been 40, then 50, then 60 years old. So Simeon was known for his godly conduct toward others. No doubt they related to the officiating priest some of the things that had happened in connection with the birth of the Child, and Simeon, an old man who was awaiting the advent of the Messiah, overheard them. He loved God. bringing peace to earth and rebuilding the temple. The Bible does not tell us his age, but one thing is very clear he was a very, very old man.But he was the man who recognized Jesus was the savior even with his dim eyes. He was a faithful temple goer which means that he regularly met with God. Furthermore, Joseph seems to be Marys equal regarding getting it. Lets not forget that God spoke to Joseph in dreams and he obeyed each time. He also saw Mary standing by that cross, pierced in heart at the suffering of her child. It's interesting to compare Mary's 40 days of . How old was Simeon when he introduced Jesus? A little Child who was conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of a virgin was to be the means of the deliverance of Gods people. Fear God, love God and honor God for the multitude of things he has done in our behalf, the love He has given us and the graciousness He has shown us through His Son and the Holy Spirit! The angel had said, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased." Now Simeon, a man of great faith in God's consolation, sees Jesus and is ready to die in peace. Deuteronomy 19:15 stresses the importance of having two witnesses to validate an event. If Mary were first to know, then surely Elizabeth was second, or if Mary did not realize, then Eizabeth was first to know. wish to examine some-more about his analysis? Luke says of Anna: And there was Anna she was of great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; And she was a widow fourscore and four years, You give Anna the age of 84however considering girls were approximately 15 when wed, she lived with her husband 7 years and had been a widow 84 years. To unlock this article for your friends, use any of the social share buttons on our site, or simply copy the link below. This is clear. The Holy Spirit led Simeon to the Temple on the day Joseph, Mary and Jesus were there. The Holy Spirit revealed to him that he would die before he saw the Simeon described the Child as a light to lighten the Gentiles. The Gentiles refers to the nations other than Israel. The text states that Simeon was eventually subdued by Manasseh, and imprisoned. In addition to his many interviews on radio networks across the country, Professor Witherington has been featured on the History Channel, NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, The Discovery Channel, A&E, and the PAX Network. On the next day we who were Pauls companions departed and came to Caesarea, and entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. Dig into more than 9,000 articles in the Biblical Archaeology Societys vast library plus much morewith an All-Access pass. (The same Spirit told him to go to the Temple that day, too.) August 22,2014 2:02 am. Simeon knows that God's target is not just Israel but all people. Now, as Simeon lived just prior to the first advent and anticipated the first coming of the Lord Jesus, so you and I today live just prior to His second advent and should be anticipating His return. According to Luke, Mary treasures the angels message, but does not fully understand it. And when the parents brought in the child Jesus to . He kept the law inwardly and outwardly, looked for the Messiah, and the very presence of God was in his life. Youre on the money. He knew Jesus was the Son of God. Simeon got it and he saw it! By this time Simeon was a very old man. An old man called Simeon lived in Jerusalem. Hebrew Sukkot is the plural from Suka booth, tent, tabernacle. Anna then approaches the Holy Family. So you are saying that when the Shepards and the wise men came Mary had no idea Jesus was Messiah? disciple. Luke portrays the rise of a form of Judaism that would rely on the testimony of women as well as men, and that would empower them once again to fulfill roles like Miriam of old. So, I'd like to call you to be like Simeon - a man supremely satisfied with a costly gospel. Your email address will not be published. I really didn't care about $15,000 at that moment. This. The scene that Luke wants to highlight is more than just historical fulfillment. Adding to what David said, Two important points, to say the least: 1. He had been told by God, as a much younger man, that he would definitely see the Jewish Messiah before he died. 8:14). I love the balance that Simeon has - the kind balanced spiritual eyesight that we all need. Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety. Jesus responds, Did you not know that I must be in my Fathers house? But, Luke reports, they did not understand what he said to them [but] his mother treasured all these things in her heart (Luke 2:4851). 11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 2021 Calvary Chapel Augusta - WordPress Theme : by, Who was with jesus on the mount of transfiguration, Jesus came to seek and save those who were lost, What happened after jesus rose on the third day, What was jesus wrapped in when he was born, Why did jesus go to the desert for 40 days, What is church of jesus christ of latter day saints. There are many speculations as to who this Simeon was although there is no record of his genealogy. Simeon's righteous faith qualified him to see something incredibly special. OK, so I have a slightly different interpretation when it comes to Joseph and Mary finding Jesus after hes been missing for three days. Wiki User. Seems to me, she was there to let the rest of us know. (We know that the eighth day after birth is the first of the following 33 days because the account also says that after the birth of a daughter a mother waits twice as long, specifically 14 + 66 = 80 days.) For these people, whether in Jerusalem or in other cities of the Holy Land, the sacrificial system of the Old Testament and the spiritual teachings of the prophets were adequate preparation for the coming of Christ. Four characteristics are given here: From an Old Testament perspective, Simeon was a model of godliness. news about the Christ Child to everyone in Jerusalem looking for Perhaps she was part of some sort of order of widows (Luke tells us her husband died after only seven years of marriage) who had specific religious functions in the Temple. Jesus was approximately 40/41 days old at the time His mother, He has mercy upon those who fear him, from generation to generation; he has done valiantly with the strength of his arm, driving the proud astray in the conceit of their hearts; he has put down the mighty from their seat, and exalted the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty-handed. What is are the functions of diverse organisms? After Pushing for UMC Unity, Former Bishop Joins New Denomination, I Was the Proverbial, Drug-Fueled Rock and Roller, Jesus Revolution Director: Were at the Forefront of a Return to God, Christian Conservationists Sue to Protect Ghana Forest, Complete access to articles on ChristianityToday.com, Over 120 years of magazine archives plus full access to all of CTs online archives. See Alfred Plummer, Luke, International Critical Commentary (Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1905), p. 71. must be consecrated to the Lord. She may have been able to undertake this role in the Temple because she was no longer in periodic states of ritual impurity caused by menstruation. Combine a one-year tablet and print subscription to BAR with membership in the BAS Library to start your journey into the ancient past today! Oh to have people know that there is something different about us because of how satisfied we are in Christ. Nicely done Ben. Simeon was a righteous and devout man who lived in Jerusalem. It is sign that reveals the attitude of human hearts. 13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Luke wants to show that both of these people have been patiently waiting for the Messiah. Nice job Susanna! May we be as ready to welcome the Lord Jesus when He comes the second time as Simeon was to welcome Him when He came the first time - look up Revelation 22:20! This apparatus was prepared by God for the salvation of all people. But Mary is also puzzled by the divine message; she is perplexed when the angel greets her and must ponder the meaning of his words (Luke 1:29; see also 2:19). Where was he really bornBethlehem or Nazareth? Simeon takes Jesus in his arms and praises God: "Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel" (Luke 2:28-32). (Apparently) this was how new lambs were inspected for defects and kept unmarred for eventual sacrifice for forgiveness of sins. According to Luke, Anna never left the Temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day (Luke 2:37). When Simeon saw Jesus he took Him in his arms and praised God. degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. from the University of Durham in England. Barbara Simeon Expand search. Not everyone can be a prophet, however. Keeping them wrapped prevented them from becoming blemished later on. Thus - Simeon was ready to welcome the Lord Jesus when He came. In Lukes birth narrative, Mary is the first to be told that Jesus will be the messiah. He was a good man. This season of uncleanness was terminated by the offering of a sacrifice (a lamb for a burnt offering and a pigeon or turtledove for a sin offering). Does not detract from the subject matter, but some would doubt your research capabilities. Oh to have the world know this about the followers of Christ. When that Child came into the world, he brought nothing but a soul. Continue Learning about Religious Studies. Mary then announced to Elizabeth (and the world): Also see the reading below from verses 29-32 and verses 34-35. Having seen the messiah, Simeon is now prepared to die. He was satisfied with the gospel. We learn (vs 25) that he lived in Jerusalem. Mary and Joseph search for him frantically for three days. To share this article with your friends, use any of the social share buttons on our site, or simply copy the link below. He expresses this so well in verse 32, "a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.". Therefore, the ages of Simeon and Anna are very important. Behold, from this day forward all generations will count me blessed; because he who is mighty, he whose name is holy, has wrought for me his wonders. "Oh," I said, "I really don't like Chevy Blazers". Doesnt it say that they thought he had gone mad? . Out of their poverty, Joseph and Mary presented a pair of turtledoves and the price of redemption. Simeon in the Bible (pronounced Sim-ee-uhn) was a devout and just man. When Simeon saw Him for whom his soul had been longing, he took Him in his arms. Plus, even before Mary was with the Apostles during Christs ressurecction, she also (quite a few years before) told Jesus friends (Apostles) to do what he tells them at the wedding in Cana! In fact, he is so satisfied that having held the Christ-child he is now ready to die! 27 The Spirit led Simeon to the Temple. Simeon . But also wanted to add two points: Nisan till the begnning of the service of the house of Abija, which gives us end June as the earliest possible conception date for John, when his father Zacharia went home after his templeservice and went to his wife. Alfred Plummer, in his classic commentary on Luke, suggested that the difference between Anna and Simeon provides a clue to Luke as a salvation historian, a chronicler of the mighty acts of God for his people through the ages. But the beauty is not limited here to Simeon's experience alone. But the story of Simeon and Anna suggests Mary had much to learn before she could enter into the Kingdom, and into the spiritual family of faith, which they already belonged to, and which is to be the primary family of Jesus in the eschatological age. In fact, she is the only woman in the New Testament explicitly described as a prophetess. She then stands in the line of figures like the judge, military leader and prophetess Deborah and the Jerusalem prophetess Huldah, who, in the days of King Josiah, was asked to verify that an ancient scroll (a form of Deuteronomy) discovered during Temple renovations was indeed the word of God (2 Kings 22). No wonder they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, (luke 2:17). One of the themes of Jesus in the Synoptic tradition seems to be the emphasis that ones own family can become a stumbling block to their walk of faith. Luke may also have seen Anna as the second witness in or around the Temple needed to validate Jesus significance. This was Simeons one opportunity to see the Lords Christ. In referring to Alfred Plummers Commentary on Luke, (along with your proposal that Lukes women were more positive examples of discipleship) you write, Yes, a messiah has arrived, as Simeon recognizes, but, as the prophetess Anna suggests, a new era, with a new and living voice of prophecy, has at the same time dawned. That is quite a leap as Luke offers only a one-line summation of her input after he quotes Simeon at length. she said. Most of parenthood is like this for me. As in Simeons day, the message needed is, Comfort ye, comfort ye my people.. You and I, who live in the light of the second coming of Christ, have the same glorious word of assurance. 2023 Words of Life Ministries - an independent evangelical Registered Charitable Trust (no.269381) Cookie Policy | Privacy Policy Website by: TEKOA Creative, Study 4 JUDAS ISCARIOT: HIS TERRIBLE BETRAYAL, Verse 26 tells us it had been revealed to him. He was a prophet and teacher. Simeon suggested to Mary, A sword shall pierce through thy own soul also. He did not leave the parents upon the mount of elevation but included a drop of bitterness through the prophecy that this helpless Baby was to be the suffering and dying Messiah. Have you bent your knee and turned to Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Feeding the 5000 in John 6:5-14. A graduate of UNC, Chapel Hill, he went on to receive the M.Div. Have something to add about this? Seems to me like they didnt get it. He was waiting for eschatological . Routing number of commercial bank of Ethiopia? "Yeah, I know you'd probably leave your husband, but I'm going to believe that God can restore our marriage." For some reason, Simeon, alone of all people, had been promised that he would not die before he saw the Lord's Anointed (Christ). The reason we assume him to be old is that when he holds Jesus in his arms, he says to God, "Now you are letting your servant depart in peace." He may have been old, but not necessarily so. Mary was required to make an offering at the temple (Leviticus The story of Simeon is a reminder that this Christmas season is essentially about the far-surpassing joy that a personal relationship with Christ brings.