How Can A Man Be Ready To Die

Q: What does the Bible say about being ready to die?

The Bible indicates that being ready to die involves having seen and embraced Jesus Christ as our salvation. In Luke 2:25-32, Simeon exemplifies what it means to be ready to depart this life in peace. He declares that he can depart because his eyes have seen God's salvation, embodied in the person of Jesus Christ. This readiness is rooted in faith and assurance of reconciliation with God through Christ. The Scriptures affirm that true peace comes from being justified by faith, having a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, as stated in Romans 5:1, which declares that through Him we have peace with God.

Q: How do we know Jesus is our salvation?

We know Jesus is our salvation through faith and the revelation of Scripture that identifies Him as the promised Messiah. Simeon in Luke 2:30 states, 'Mine eyes have seen thy salvation.' This reflects the belief that Jesus is the culmination of God's promises—He is not just a teacher or prophet, but the very Savior who fulfills the prophecies foretold in the Old Testament. The assurance of His role as our salvation is reinforced through various Scriptures that depict Him as the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). Moreover, 2 Corinthians 5:21 explains that God made Christ to be sin for us, so we can be made righteous through Him. Therefore, our faith in Christ as our Savior aligns with the promises of Scripture.

Q: Why is peace with God important for Christians?

Peace with God is essential for Christians as it signifies being reconciled, removing the enmity caused by sin. Peace with God is foundational for Christians, as highlighted in Romans 5:1, which states that being justified by faith results in peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. This peace is crucial because it denotes that the believer no longer stands under God's wrath but is now in a state of grace and favor. It allows the believer to approach God boldly, without fear of judgment. Simeon’s proclamation of peace at the end of his life illustrates that true peace comes from knowing one's sins have been forgiven and that salvation is secure in Christ.

Q: What does it mean to seek the Lord?

To seek the Lord means to earnestly desire and wait for His presence and fulfillment of His promises. Simeon is described as a man who was just and devout, eagerly waiting for the Lord's consolation (Luke 2:25). Seeking the Lord involves an active pursuit characterized by expectation and faith in His promises, as demonstrated by Simeon’s readiness to recognize Jesus. Scriptures like Isaiah 55:6 encourage believers to seek the Lord while He may be found, emphasizing urgency and heartfelt desire. Seeking is not passive; it requires a commitment to spiritual disciplines such as prayer, meditation on Scripture, and a heart oriented towards God.

Q: How does God's Spirit lead us to Christ?

God's Spirit leads us to Christ through inspiration, conviction, and guidance, prompting us to seek and recognize Him as our Savior. Simeon’s encounter with Jesus in the temple was orchestrated by the Holy Spirit, which reveals that divine guidance plays a crucial role in our relationship with Christ. The Holy Spirit reveals our need for a Savior, convicts us of our sin, and compels us to seek the Lord (John 16:8). Moreover, the Spirit can lead believers to specific moments and places of divine encounter, as it did for Simeon, highlighting the importance of being attuned to His leading. This divine prompting is a grace-filled activity that leads us to embrace Christ as our salvation.

Back to Luke chapter 2. Luke chapter 2. We begin in verse 25. Nearly 15 years ago, I preached a message, and I believe it was first or second time I'd ever stood before a group of people, and it was here. It was here in this congregation. And the title of the message was this. How? How can a man be ready to die? That's a sobering question, isn't it? How can a man be ready to die?

Luke 2, beginning with verse 25. There was a man in Jerusalem, his name was Simeon. The same man was just and devout, waiting, waiting for the consolation of Israel. And the Holy Ghost was upon him and it was revealed to him by the Holy Ghost that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came by the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him after the custom of the law, then took him up in his arms, and he blessed God.

And he said this, he said, Lord, now let us thy servant depart in peace according to thy word, For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all the people, a light to the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people, Israel.

I want us to consider just for a few minutes here this morning, how is it, how is it that this man Simeon was ready to die. How is it that he was ready to depart this world? He says, Lord, Lord, let thy servant depart in peace according to thy work, for mine eyes, mine eyes have seen thy salvation. How? How can a man be ready to die. How can a man be ready to depart this world?

You know, that's completely contrary to our sinful nature. Man by nature is taken up with this world, with the things of this world. Back in the book of Job, we're described as people who drink, we drink iniquity like rainwater. By nature, we go about grabbing all of this world that we can get our hands on, taking all that we can.

Over in Mark chapter 10, there was a man who appeared. He approached our Lord and he kneeled down and he said, this is what he said, good master, what shall I do? What shall I do to inherit eternal life? And the Lord spoke to him. He said, you know the commandments. Don't commit adultery. Don't kill. Don't steal. Don't bear false witness. Don't defraud others. Honor thy father and thy mother.

And the young man replied. And he said, I've done all these things. I've done all these things from my youth up. I've done all these things since I was a child." And then the Lord hit him where it hurt, didn't he? He said this, he said, you go and sell everything you have and you give it to the poor.

Remember that man's reaction? He suddenly lost interest, didn't he? That man, he went away grieved. He was sad. For this reason, he had great possessions, great possessions on this earth. He wasn't ready to depart this world. He had a lot of things, including, based on his answer, he must have had a great deal of self-righteousness in him. All these things I've done since I was a youth, obviously he was attached to the things of this world. He went away, he went away grieved. Sell all you have. But he refused, refused to let go of it. Why is it we have such a death grip on the things of this world? What's our attraction to it?

I believe the answer to that question is found in 1 John 2. Turn there with me, 1 John 2. Look at verse 16. Actually, look at verse 15, beginning with verse 15. He says this, he says, love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, what's in this world? the lust of the flesh, the carnal and sensual desires of this flesh, our lack of moderation in every aspect of this world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, those things that we can see with our eyes.

You know, before Adam, before he took that first fruit in the garden, What happened? He looked. It started with a look, didn't it? He looked upon it. Before David took Bathsheba, he was on that rooftop. She was out there bathing. And the first thing we read this is that he saw her. He saw her. The lust of the eyes.

We read of the pride of life, ambition, the desire to be seen of men and to be recognized of men. And he says these things, these things that, again, the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, the pride of life, these things are not of the Father, but they are of this world. And because of our sinful nature, we will not turn loose of them. Because of what we are, we will not let go.

I've read this, I've read that you can catch a monkey with just a hollow log and a banana. And so that monkey will reach down in that log, that hole, just big enough to fit his hand in, and he'll grab that banana. And when he makes a fist, it won't come out. But here's the problem. He won't let go of it. He won't let go of it. You know we're not much different. Our nature, we grab ahold of this world, and then we're caught because we will not turn loose of it. That monkey's problem's that banana. His nature is to love a banana. Our problem is our sinful nature.

And it's not just what we do, it's who and what we are. Sin. Now back to our text. I mentioned this earlier. I want to look at this. How is it that Simeon, how is it this man was ready to die, ready to depart this world? Just a few things here. The first is this. Simeon is a sinner led by the Spirit of God to seek the Lord.

He came to the temple. Behold, there was a man in Jerusalem. One of the old writers said the population of Jerusalem at the time of Christ's birth was around 50,000 people. Of all those people there, and yet we read of one, a particular man, and we know his name. This is one of God's elect. One of God's sheep, one of those ones that he calls, scripture says he calls by name.

And although we read that Simeon was just and devout, we know that he carries around the same weight that all of us carry. He's a sinner. God's word says all. In case somebody wanted to debate that, all. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. And this man Simeon, his name, if you look at it, it means to hearken. His word, his name, Simeon, it means the same as the word to hearken. And he's waiting. Look at verse 25, Simeon, he's waiting for the consolation, waiting for the comfort of Israel.

You ever waited on someone kind of knowing, knowing they're not going to show up? Waited on something that you knew was not going to happen? If you look up this word, wait, here in the scripture, it means this. It means waiting, but it's just a little bit different. It means waiting and expecting. expecting the fulfillment of a promise.

Simeon's waiting. And there is, I don't believe there's any question in his mind that the Lord's coming. This one that has been promised, he's coming. He's expecting the fulfillment of that promise. He's seeking the Lord, he's waiting for the consolation of Israel, the comfort of Israel. What does God's word say about those who wait? What does it say? You can turn with me to this scripture, you can just listen, but Isaiah 55, Isaiah 55. Look at verse six. What's the command?

Seek ye the Lord. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found. Call on him. Call on him while he is near. Proverbs 8 verse 17 says this, I love them that love me and those that seek me early. What will happen? Those that seek me early, they'll find. They shall find me. Matthew 7 verse 7 to 8 says, ask and it shall be given you. Seek. and you shall find, knock, and it shall be opened to you. For everyone that asketh receiveth, he that seeketh findeth. To him that knocketh it shall be opened. And why don't men, why don't men seek him?

Remember that publican? The publican cried out, he said, God, he asked, didn't he? He asked for mercy, he said, This was his cry, God be merciful to me, the sinner. And the Lord said, that man, that man who cried out, that man who asked for mercy, he went down to his house justified.

No explanation after that, there's none needed, is there? That man went down to his house justified. The thief on the cross. He spoke just those few words. He asked this, he said, Lord, remember me. Remember me when you come into your kingdom. What was our Lord's response? He didn't fire a bunch of questions back at him, did he? No, he said today. This very day, you're going to be with me in paradise. The woman with the issue of blood, she didn't say a word. She said within her heart, if I could just touch his garment. What happened? She touched him and she was made whole.

This particular man on this particular day, Simeon, he is led by the spirit Spirit knows the exact time when this is going to happen. Spirit rules over and leads and overrules. And Simeon's brought to this particular place at this particular time, expecting, expecting to see the Lord. And he does. He does.

That Spirit reveals Christ. The Spirit of God reveals Christ, reveals the Redeemer, reveals Christ as the Son of God, as who He is, reveals Him as the Savior, and leads Simeon to the temple on this day. So first, we have Simeon. We have a man, a sinner, led by the Spirit of God to seek the Lord. Second, Simeon sees the Savior. The Savior is revealed to him. There he is in the temple, and our Lord is brought to the temple, and Simeon sees him.

We see that throughout the Word of God. See them in the Old Testament. They're at Adam's fall. Remember that? Adam and Eve, they tried to cover up their sin. They tried to knit those aprons together, put some leaves together to cover their sin. That won't do, will it? Our works will not do. Our works will not cover anything. But God slew an animal. and he made coats of skin, and he covered their nakedness." The Ark. These are all familiar, aren't they? These are stories our young ones hear back in the Bible class. That Ark of Noah.

God pours out His wrath and judgment on man. Judgment. All the judgment of God, all the wrath of God poured out in those waves. beat on that ship and it's surrounded by death and destruction. But inside, inside is peace. Inside that ark is safety. Inside that ark is deliverance. That ark pictures none other than our Lord Jesus Christ, the brazen serpent. Remember that?

The people had spoke against God and Moses, and God sent those fiery serpents to bite the people. And it's a bite of death. It's a sting of death. The Lord said to Moses, make this fiery serpent, lift it up on a pole, and you tell the people, look and live.

That message has not changed today. Christ is exalted with the command, look, look to Him, look and live. Simeon, what did he do? He took him up in his arms. Can you kind of picture that? He takes the Lord Jesus Christ up in his heart. He received Him. He embraced Him. An embrace of faith. This is all my hope. This is all He is. All my hope. All my salvation.

He knew who He was. Just like Paul said, I know whom I have believed. I'm persuaded that he's able to keep that which I've committed unto him against that day. Simeon took him up with tenderness and he held him. This is all my hope. He is all my salvation.

And Simeon wasn't interested in anything else in that temple. He saw Christ. He saw Him. Simeon no longer has any need for any other sacrifice, any other Sabbath, any other ceremony, any other rituals, all those things that went on in the temple, but he received Christ, received Him unto himself, and he blessed God. He praised God, the fountain of all grace. Can you imagine how thankful he was that he walked into the temple, that he was led by the Spirit into the temple on that day, that hour?

And you know, he didn't go to anyone in there and say, well, I hear these foolish statements men make. They say things like, they talk about leading men. leading men to the Lord. Simeon didn't go find the priest and say, thank you for leading me to the Lord, did he? What did he do?

He blessed God. He praised God for bringing him to Christ, to the one thing, the one thing that is meaningful, the one thing that is needful. to look to Him, to look to Christ, to rest in Him. And listen to these words of our Lord from John chapter 6. John 6 verse 40, it says, this is the will of Him that sent me, that everyone which seeth the Son and believeth on Him will have everlasting life. And I'll raise Him up. at the last day.

Men may say this, well, this was just a baby. This was just a little infant brought into the temple. Listen, this is Him of whom the Old Testament prophets wrote. This is Him of whom all those Old Testament pictures pointed to. They said, there's one coming. One coming. He's coming. The same one that Abraham saw all the way back there in the Old Testament.

How did he see Him? He wasn't even born yet. He saw Him with eyes of faith. That Lamb slain before the foundation of the world. And you notice this, that Simeon when he saw Him, He doesn't say, I'll wait for a day that's a little more convenient. I'll wait for a day that's not so busy, not so much going on. He's not ashamed of him, is he?

No, he runs over there, and he picks him up in his arms, and he holds him just like that merchant man seeking goodly pearls. that we read of in scripture. It says when he found that one pearl of great price, he sold everything he had. I must have this pearl. I must have him. Nothing else matters. Listen to the words of Simeon.

He says, mine eyes have seen thy salvation. Who was he looking at? He was looking at Christ, wasn't he? Simeon saw the Lord. Listen, again, I don't know what else was in that temple that day, but Simeon's eyes were fixed, his heart was fixed on one thing, one thing, the promised Savior, that one promised in the Scriptures, the provided Savior. That's what Abraham told Isaac. He said, God will provide Himself a lamb.

He's the perfect Savior. Absolutely perfect. He was tempted in all points, like we are, yet without sin. He's the punished Savior. He had to be punished, didn't He? It's by His stripes that we are healed. Those stripes that were due us. The wages of sin is death. Sin must be punished. He's the pleading Savior. Scripture says, if any man sin, does that describe you? Are you guilty? If any man sin, a guilty man needs an advocate. And if any man sin, we have an advocate.

What's his name? It's Jesus Christ the righteous. One to plead our case. He's the preeminent Savior. He is the Savior. Simeon says, mine eyes have seen thy salvation. He saw the Lord Jesus Christ. John 14, six, our Lord said this, I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no man cometh to the Father but by me. the Lord Jesus Christ, He that is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. Christ is all. Turn to 2 Corinthians.

Most, if not all, could quote this passage, 2 Corinthians 5.21. For He, Almighty God, hath made men, made the Lord Jesus Christ to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. What does God require? He requires absolute perfection. I can't provide that. I can't provide perfection. You can't provide that. No man, no man can provide that.

It can only be found in one person, the Lord Jesus Christ. It can only be found in Him. We look to Him, don't we? We look to Him for our righteousness. We look to Him for all things. God hath made Him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. It's all of Him. It's all in Him.

Salvation is not in a walk. It's not by walking up No, it's not by shaking hands with a preacher, it's not by anything man does. Those things might give a person temporary peace, but it'll be temporary at best. Salvation is not found in a place. Salvation, it's not found in a church building. You drove here this morning. How many buildings did you pass on the way here? It's not found in a church. It's not found in a plan. It's not found in some checklist that man's came up and says, well, if you do this, this, this, this, and this, you'll be saved. Salvation is not found in a sinner's prayer. Salvation is found in a man. in a person, and not just any person.

Paul speaking to Timothy, he didn't say, I know what I believe. He said, I know whom. I know whom I have believed. And I'm persuaded that he's able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. Simeon saw a person. Simeon saw the Lord and he took him up in his arms and he says, mine eyes have seen thy salvation. Simeon, he's a sinner led by the spirit of the Lord to seek Christ Simeon, he sees the Savior. Takes him up in his arms and he blesses God. And then finally we see this, we see peace. Peace. He says, let thy servant depart in peace. For mine eyes have seen thy salvation.

Now this world, this religious world, it declares peace, but the problem is it declares peace where there is no peace. Natural man cannot die in peace. God's angry with the wicked, angry with the wicked every day, and he is going to punish sin. It's appointed unto man once to die and after this, the judgment.

I don't know how that does not scare men to death. But at the same time, I know why it doesn't, because they have no fear of God. They have no recollection, they have no understanding of who God truly is. They have no understanding of how sinful they are. No understanding of God's holiness and His wrath. Know nothing of their need for a Savior.

Psalm 24 says, who shall ascend unto the heel of the Lord and who shall stand in the holy place? He that hath clean hands. He that hath a pure heart. He that hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity nor sworn deceitfully. Is that any of us? Not one of us have clean hands. Not one of us has a pure heart. Not one of us has not lifted up our soul to vanity. We're all together. That's all together vanity.

Scripture says this, then shall he say unto them on the left hand, depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. It don't sound like peace, does it? No. Peace is not a product of natural man. Back to the original question, where did Simeon find this How could Simeon say, let thy servant depart in peace?

How can this man be ready to die? Well, the sin that makes us cling to this world, the sin that is deserving of death and an eternity in hell, How can Simeon say, let me depart in peace? There's only one way. That sin has to be put away. Simeon had been reconciled to God. Simeon had found that peace that passeth all understanding and he found it Not in one place, but he found it in one person. He found it in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Turn with me to Romans chapter 5, and I'll finish here. Romans 5. Where's this peace? Romans 5 verse 1. Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God. Where? Where's that found? Through our Lord Jesus Christ. Let thy servant depart in peace.

No more wrath, no more enmity, no more sin. And not only has the believer's sin been put away, but we have a perfect righteousness. A perfect righteousness, holy, unblameable, unreprovable in his sight, Scripture says this, God's Word says this, herein is our love made perfect so that we might have boldness in the day of judgment. Because as He is, as Christ is, so are we. As He is, so are we in this world.

Well, simeon. Simeon, a sinner led by the Spirit to seek the Lord. Simeon, a sinner who sees Christ, he sees the Savior. When he sees Him, again, he runs over and he picks Him up in his arms. Like Jacob of old, don't you, I will not. I bet before the parents could go any further, they had to pry him out of old Simeon's arms. I will not let you go.

He now knows peace. He has peace. Let thy servant depart in peace according to thy word. For mine eyes have seen thy salvation. Oh, that the Lord would do the same for us. That he would open our eyes to see him, show us our need of him, cause us to run to him. That the Lord would bless his word, to seek him, to know him, to know Christ. Oh, to know Christ and be found in him. All right, Isaac, come lead us in a closing song.

How Can A Man Be Ready To Die

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about being ready to die?

How do we know Jesus is our salvation?

Why is peace with God important for Christians?

What does it mean to seek the Lord?

How does God's Spirit lead us to Christ?

Sermon Transcript

Comments

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How Can A Man Be Ready To Die

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about being ready to die?

How do we know Jesus is our salvation?

Why is peace with God important for Christians?

What does it mean to seek the Lord?

How does God's Spirit lead us to Christ?

Sermon Transcript

Comments

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