“And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed…to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” ~ Luke 2:34-35
We discover from Luke’s gospel that the old man Simeon had been waiting for a special day. As a righteous and devout man, God had revealed to him that He would not die until he had seen the coming Messiah. He must have been quite old, because when he sees Jesus and His parents, his first words expressed thankfulness to be able to die in peace!
He must have been waiting and watching daily, praying that the Lord would make it clear which of the many children coming to be dedicated was the true Messiah.
On that special day, however, Simeon entered the temple, found Jesus and His parents, and blessed God for the coming of the Messiah as he held the baby in his arms.
Interestingly, his words about the birth of Jesus Christ are as true today as they were that special day so many years ago.
The birth of Christ reveals the thoughts of the heart.
How we respond to the birth of the Son of God is perhaps the single greatest test of the thoughts of our hearts.
The one who knows and loves God will rejoice at the glory of the coming of the Son of God. Christmas becomes a season of joy, not for presents or for family or for other blessings primarily, but for the glory and wonder of the Gospel. We love the truth that our Savior has come—our Immanuel!
To others, however, the birth of Jesus Christ is something that is either unimportant or, even worse, repugnant.
God’s glory in the coming of the Messiah still pierces into the hearts of men and women. Jesus reveals who we really are. How we respond to Him, both in His life and His death, tells us all we need to know about ourselves.
