In Luke chapter two, you have
Simeon's Song of Praise. That's the title of my message,
Simeon's Song. And what a sweet song it is. We would like to look at it verse
by verse, this record of Simeon's encounter with the Lord Jesus
Christ, beginning at verse 25. This is the only place in Scripture,
here in Luke chapter 2, that any mention is made of this man.
We never read of anything about Simeon before this. We don't
read of anything after this. This is the only place in Scripture. But we learn, looking at verse
25, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. Even in those dark days, they
were religious days, but they were dark days. There were the
400 silent years between the Old Testament and the New, between
the time when The Lord spoke by the last prophet Malachi and
the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ into this world to save
his people from their sins and religion had flourished. The
true worship of God all had diminished. There was a Simeon here and an
Anna there, but the true worship of God had truly diminished,
but religion flourished in those dark times. But we read in verse
25, behold. Behold, there was a man in Jerusalem,
and we learn from that. We're reminded by that, that
God always And this is encouraging. God always has his people in
this world. Always. Turn if you will for
a moment and then we'll come back to Luke 2. The Romans chapter
11. In Romans chapter 11, We read
of Elijah. He thought he was all alone.
He thought he was the last prophet of God, the last man of God,
that all the others had been killed, slaughtered. Chapter
11, verse 1, I say then, had God cast away his people, his
people that he foreknew, his people that he foreloved, his
people that he ordained to everlasting life, would God cast away his
people? Paul goes on and says, God forbid. That can't happen. It'll never
happen. For I also am an Israelite of the seed of Abraham of the
tribe of Benjamin. God hath not, God hath not, not
in Elijah's day, not in Paul's day, not in our day. God hath
not cast away his people which he foreknew. Want ye not what
the scriptures sayeth of Elias or Elijah? how he maketh intercession
to God against Israel, saying, Lord, they have killed thy prophets,
and dig down thine altars, and I am left alone, and they seek
my life. But, But it wasn't so. It wasn't so. But what sayeth
the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself 7,000
men who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. And Paul
says what was true in Elijah's day was true in his own day. Look at verse 5. Paul writes,
even so at this present time. in Paul's time. Even so at this
present time also there is a remnant. There is a remnant according
to what? According to the election of
grace. And what was true in Paul's day
is also true in our day. This is the reason Christ hasn't
returned. Remember what Peter wrote in
his 2nd epistle, chapter 3. He says, in the last days scoffers
and mockers will come and they'll taunt God's people. and say,
why do you wait for his coming? We've heard that all of our lives. And Peter says, don't be troubled
by that. Don't be bothered by that. He goes on down in verse 9 of
chapter 3 and says, God is not slack concerning his promises
some men consider or count slackness. The reason he hasn't returned,
Peter says, is this. He's long-suffering to usward. Usward, these same ones Paul
spoke of in his day and in our day, his elect, his chosen. He's long-suffering to usward,
not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Paul wrote, at this present time
also, there is a remnant according to what? The election of grace. That's the only reason, and that
makes it certain. It's not of works. Oh no, it's
based upon God's grace. And that makes it sure. That
makes it rest upon a sure and certain foundation that cannot
change because whom God foreknew He also did predestinate. Paul
in Romans 8 tells us, and whom He did predestinate, He also
called. And whom He called, He ordained
to everlasting life, to bring all the way to glory. Not of
works, but of grace. The hymn writer put it this way,
it was grace that wrote my name. in God's eternal book. T'was
grace that gave me to the Lamb who all my sorrows took. Isn't that comforting? Turn back,
if you will, to John's Gospel, or rather, to John's Gospel chapter
6. Our Lord spoke of this often, many times, and usually people
didn't like it. But he spoke of it nonetheless
in John chapter 6. Very familiar verses of Scripture,
but so encouraging. And he's talking to people that
had followed him, whom just a few days before he had fed with a
few fishes and loaves of bread, and he crossed the sea and they
followed him. And they find him and he says
in verse 35 of John 6, I am the bread of life. He that cometh
to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall
never thirst. But I said unto you that ye also
have seen me and believe not. You believe not. You follow me
for the wrong reasons. Oh, but look what he says in
verse 37. All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me. They'll come. All that the Father
gave me before the foundation of the world, all that God the
Father entrusted into the hands of God the Son will come to Him
in time. Every one of them. He'll lose
none. It'll be the boast and the claim
to the glory of King Jesus in that day when He brings us all
around the throne of God. It will be His boast forever
of all that you gave me. All that you entrusted to me,
all that I became a surety for, all that I promised that I would
do for them, I bring back to you now, and every one of them's
here, I've lost none. This is what our Lord speaks
of. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him
that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. And he says, because
I came down from heaven for this very reason, verse 38. For I
came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will
of Him that sent me. And this is the Father's will
which is sent me, that of all which He has given me, I should
lose nothing. Nothing. It sounds like our preservation
Our eternal salvation rests not in our own doings, but in the
hand of the great shepherd of the sheep. He's responsible for
the sheep. Isn't that comforting? No wonder
David said, the Lord's my shepherd. I don't like anything. I'm in
His hand, and none can pluck me out. I should lose nothing,
but should raise it up again at the last day. Look in chapter
10 of John's Gospel, our Lord speaks of it again. In John chapter
10, verse 16. And He speaks so matter-of-factly.
There is no buts. hope so's maybes no not in the
covenant of god's everlasting grace in chapter ten verse sixteen
and other sheep I have which are not of this fold them also
I must bring I must bring and there they shall hear my voice
and there shall be one fold and one shepherd look Jesus answered them, I told you
and you believe not. The works that I do in my father's
name, they bear witness of me, but you believe not, because
you're not of my sheep as I said unto you, my sheep. Well, hear
my voice, and I know them, and they follow me, and I give them
eternal life. and they shall never perish,
neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." No wonder back
in Luke 2 concerning Simeon, we're introduced to him with
the word, behold. Behold. That merits a behold,
doesn't it? Behold, there was a man in Jerusalem
named Simeon. But let's bring it closer to
home, children of God. Behold this wonder of God's grace. Simeon was a trophy of grace. He was one chosen by God before
the world began, and certainly that deserves a behold when we're
introduced to him. But behold this also as a wonder
of God's same mighty grace. Behold, there are a people here
this morning In Fairmont Grace Church, the world goes by. They drive by. They don't even
look over. They don't pay any attention
to us. To the world, we're nothing.
All but to God. To God. Behold this wonder of
grace. There's a people there in Fairmont
Grace Church in Silicon Alabama that were given to Christ before
the world was ever created. Oh my soul, behold. What amazing love. Behold, they've
been loved by God from everlasting. Behold, they were given to Christ
to redeem, and in time they were called to Himself by His mighty
grace. And behold this, further, He
said, Father, I will, that they also whom You gave Me, whom I
came to this world for, whom I'm about to lay down My life
for, whom I will redeem with an everlasting salvation, I will
this as well. This is my will, as well as the
Father's will, that of all those whom you have given me, be with
me where I am, that they may behold my glory. Indeed, behold this. And now look at verse 26. And
it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost that he should not
see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. and so it
must be. All God's Simeons will be brought
to see Christ before they die by a blessed revelation of mercy. Turn to chapter 10 in Luke's
gospel. This is what our Lord says here.
He had sent 70 out to preach the gospel, to cast out devils,
to heal the sick, and they come back rejoicing. And our Lord
speaks to them when they return in verse 20 of Luke 10, our Lord
says this to them. Notwithstanding in this, rejoice
not, that the spirits are subject unto you, but rather rejoice,
because your names are written in heaven, the Lamb's book of
life. In that hour, Jesus rejoiced
in spirit and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and
earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and the
prudent, and has revealed them unto babes. Even so, father,
for so it seemed good in thy sight. All things are delivered
to me of my father, and no man knoweth who the son is. You see
that? No man knoweth who the son is
but the father, and who the father is but the son, and he to whom
the son will reveal him. And he turned him to his disciples
and said privately, Blessed are your eyes. Blessed are the eyes
which see the things that you see. For I tell you that many
prophets and kings have desired to see those things that you
see and have not seen them, and to hear those things which you
hear and have not heard them. You are indeed blessed. Election
notwithstanding, there must be a revealing of Christ to the
soul, just as there was for Simeon that day in the temple. God must,
by his mighty grace, The same God that calls the light to shine
in the darkness must shine in our hearts to give us the knowledge
of God in the face of Jesus Christ. No man is saved. Election notwithstanding,
no man is saved until he sees by faith the Lord Jesus Christ. Look now at verse 27 back in
Luke 2. And he came by the Spirit into
the temple. He came by this spirit into the
temple. Remember in Luke eighteen, our
lord talked about some other men that went to the temple one
day. The one a Pharisee who came to the temple and he stood and
prayed thus with himself and he left just as he came. Oh,
what a sad picture. He left the temple just as he securing his own self-righteousness. Because as our Lord said, no
man can truly come to me except the Father which has sent me
draw him. And we have an example of that
here in the case of Simeon. He was brought, led to the temple
by the Spirit of God just at that very moment. Our Lord spoke
those words, no man can come to me except the Father draw
him, to people, we read about it in John 6 a moment ago. He
spoke those words to people who had followed Him physically,
who had literally followed Him, but not spiritually. Not spiritually. When they came to Him, when they
found Him, He said, You really not come to Me? No man can come
to Me except God Almighty, God the Father drawing. He said,
It's the Spirit that quickeneth. It's the Spirit that gives life.
The flesh does what? The flesh profits nothing. It's not coming to the front
of a church, to some so-called altar that gives a sinner life.
It's coming to Jesus Christ, who alone is the resurrection
and the life. It's coming to Him. And look
again now at verse 27, and when the parents, that is Joseph,
Mary, But in the child Jesus, this 40-day-year-old baby, to
do for him after the custom of the law, then took him up in
his arms and blessed God. Took him up in his arms. Oh,
he thanked God for Christ, for that salvation, for that consolation
that he looked for, his hope of leaving this world in peace.
His Redeemer was that babe that he held in his arms and he praised
and thanked God for him. As Paul said in Ephesians chapter
1, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who
had blessed us with all spiritual blessings. That deserves a behold
too, doesn't it? All spiritual blessings. This
is what David looked at, just as Simeon did. David on his dying
bed said, God is made with me. Although I look back on my life
and I have many regrets, I have many sorrows, and even at this
present time, my family, my children are not what I would want. He
said, yet this is still sure. This is still certain. God has
made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things insure.
And David said, this is all my salvation. This is all of my
hope. And that's exactly what Simeon
said here. Blessed be the God and Father,
Paul wrote. that have blessed us with all
spiritual blessings, all that I need today, tomorrow, all that
I need in time, all that I need in eternity, all that's required
to present me faultless, without a spot, without blemish, before
the throne of the all-knowing, all-seeing God, with no fault
at all. All the grace required to do
that, God's given us in Christ Jesus. Simeon, we're told, then
took he him up in his arms. That's a picture of faith. That's
a picture of that faith by which a sinner lays hold of the Savior. Faith, the eyes of the soul,
like Barnabas. Turn, if you will, to Luke 18.
You remember? this familiar passage. Our Lord
is on His way to Jerusalem. He's just told His disciples,
we go up to Jerusalem and all things that are written in the
prophets concerning the Son of Man, verse 31, shall be accomplished. He's on His way to Jerusalem.
He said, I've got a baptism to be baptized with and how am I
straightened till it be accomplished? Not something attempted. Not
something He was taking a stab at. Oh no. No, don't rob the
Lord of His glory with such talk as that. Oh no, something that
He came to do. He came to obtain eternal redemption. He came to bring in an everlasting
righteousness. He came to be made sin and bless
His holy name. He accomplished His mission.
And every time He spoke about it, He didn't speak about it
like preachers do, like it was a mere attempt that He made something
possible that He only supplied a part salvation. and left it
up to the so-called free will of man to make it effectual.
Oh no, he accomplished the eternal redemption of his people and
he told his disciples, the time is at hand. That's why we're
going up to Jerusalem. Everything that's written about
me, all the prophets, they talked about me. And I'm going to accomplish
that. And nothing shall stop him. Nothing
could deter him. He said, they shall scourge him,
they shall put him to death, but the third day, the third
day, he shall rise again. The third day, he'll walk out
of the tomb victorious, a successful redeemer of all of his people. And while he's doing that, can
you picture that? Can you visualize that? The great
shepherd of the sheep, going up to Jerusalem, ascending up
to Jerusalem to do what only he could do. To do what all the
sacrifices were only a picture of. He's going to lay down his
life. He's going to be made sin, that
we might be made the righteousness of God in him. He's going to
trod the winepress alone. And as he's going, I never get
tired of thinking of this. As he's going to do that, there
sits a blind beggar named Bartimaeus by the wayside. There he sits. And he hears the noise. What's
all that about, he asked. Jesus. Jesus of Nazareth is passing
by. He's passing by. Aren't you thankful,
child of God, that one day, while you sat in your darkness and
your spiritual poverty, bankrupt, with nothing to pay, that Jesus
of Nazareth, the light of the world, came where you were and
said, let there be light, and opened your blinded eyes, and
you could then sing, oh, I once was blind, but now I see, and
Bartimaeus began to cry out. Oh, Jesus, he'd heard of him.
Jesus of Nazareth, have mercy. Jesus, thou son of David, have
mercy on me, he cried. And look what it says in verse
40. And Jesus stood. The cry of one blind beggar stopped
the Lord of glory. Stopped him in his tracks. He
heard him. He heard him. Jesus. And he told
someone around him, bring him to me. Bring him to me. And here comes that poor blind
beggar to the lord Jesus Christ. What do you want? What do you
want? And he said, lord, that I might
receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, receive
thy sight. Thy faith have saved thee and
immediately he received his sight and Hallelujah. What a savior. Faith is that hand that reaches
out and touches him like the woman we read of in Luke 8 with
that issue of blood who was dying. She was dying and she spent every
penny she had on doctors but she was none the better. She
rather grew worse and she'd heard of Jesus. and she pressed through
the crowd. Can you picture that as well?
Can you picture that poor dying woman as she presses through
the crowd? That's faith. Oh, that's faith
that enables a poor, helpless sinner to press through the crowd,
press through all the religious nonsense. I've got to get to
Christ. Preacher says, come to me. Christ
says, oh, no, no, look unto me, he said. Come to the priest,
come to the preacher, come to the water, come to the doctrine,
come to the altar. No, no, no. Come to Christ and
receive everlasting life." And she reached forth. She reached
forth that trembling hand and touched just the hem of his garment,
and you know what happened? Immediately, immediately, she
was made whole. Oh, thank God for faith to embrace
Christ, to take him into arms of faith and sing like Simeon. Oh, let me die. I've seen Christ. This old world
has nothing else for me. Let me depart in peace. Love
with an everlasting love. Led by grace that love to know. Spirit breathing from above.
Thou has taught me it is so. All this full and perfect peace.
All this transport all divine. In a love which cannot cease.
I am his and he is mine. Heaven and earth may fade and
flee. Firstborn light and gloom decline. But while God and I
shall be, I am His and He is mine." No wonder Simeon said, let me
depart. The Word has the picture of one
being chained. And Simeon says, break the chain. break the chain that binds me.
Let my soul fly unto my lord and my god. That's the faith
of God's elect. This is what Paul said when he
sat in prison, and he wrote to Timothy, and he said, I know
whom I have believed. Not what. Not what. Folks want to talk about what.
Let me tell you what I know. Let me tell you what I've learned. Let me tell you what I've experienced. All what. No, don't tell me about
what. Tell me about Who? That was Paul's
comfort. I know not what, I know who. The Lord Jesus Christ. And he
himself prayed this, didn't he? Father, this is life eternal. This is life eternal. This is
salvation. That they might know Thee, the
only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou didst send. Paul was
in prison when he wrote the epistle to the Philippians. And he said,
my desire is this, that I might know Him in chapter 3. At one time, Paul knew things. He knew a lot of things. But
now Paul's theology could be summed up in one word, Him. It's all about Him. My hope is
only in him. As we said, before Paul knew
things, he could talk to you about things, about religious
tradition, about sacrifices, about law, the ceremonial law,
but now Paul says, I want to win him. I want to know him. I want to be found in him. What about that other righteousness,
Paul? that was of the law. What about that robe that you
spent your whole life weaving, that you once wrapped yourself
in, that you thought you were secure in, that you thought was
pleasing to God? What about that robe, Paul? It's
a filthy rag, and he threw it down. What does that leave you,
Paul? What do you have now? He said,
Oh, I have this. I have this. I'm wrapped up.
I'm clothed. I'm covered in the perfect robe
of Christ's perfect righteousness. Oh, that I might know Him. Remember what the Lord told that
woman at the well? She began to talk about her religion. Oh yeah, we worship in this mountain.
And the Lord said, you don't know who you worship. You don't
know God. He said, woman, I'll tell you
what. Are you listening? If you knew the gift of God,
and who, and who, I want to know who, don't you? John, I don't
want to know what. I want to know who. Life is in
a person. Life is in God's Son. If you
knew the gift of God, and who? Who? Oh, that I might know Him. And look in verse 29 of Luke
2, Simeon in his sweet song of praise says, Lord now let us
thou thy servant depart in peace. I'm ready to leave this world,
to be absent from the body, to be present with the Lord. Now,
Simeon seems to say, it can't be too soon. He speaks as one
who doesn't fear death at all. because he knows where he's going.
Paul in 2 Corinthians chapter 5 wrote, we know. We know this. If Christ is true, we know that
this is so. We know if the earthly house
of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a house not made with
hands, eternal in the heavens. Is that true or not? Depart in
peace, Simeon said. Think about that. Depart in peace. How can that be? How can any
son of Adam depart this world in peace without a fear to face
God? How can that be? Leave this world
with sweet assurance of acceptance with God, peace with God, and
the peace of God. I want that. Don't you? How can
I have that? How can I have that? When I leave
this world, when God calls me out of this world, when I draw
my last breath and I'm ushered in the presence of God Almighty,
how can I have peace? How can I rest? Simeon tells
us in verse 40. His reason of departing in peace
is because mine eyes have seen thy salvation. That's the only answer. That's
the only way. Thy salvation, which thou hast
prepared. It's God's salvation. God ordained
it. God sent His Son to accomplish
it. And it's the only one that God
accepts. Salvation is of the Lord. Who
then can be saved? Remember the disciples asked
our Lord that. A young man came to our Lord.
A religious young man. A moral young man. An upright
young man. And he bowed down to the Lord.
And he said, what must I do? to inherit eternal life. And
our Lord told him. And then he put his finger on
the sore spot. Well, let's just see how much
you love your neighbor. Let's just put that to the test.
Sell everything you've got and give it to the poor and follow
me. And the young man went away sorrowful. And you remember what
our Lord said. How hard it is for those who
have riches to enter into the kingdom of God. And the disciples
said, well then who can be saved? They were impressed by this young
man. If he can't be saved, then who can be saved? And you remember
what our Lord said? What did he say? With men it's
impossible. All around us this morning. Sad
to say, in the majority of churches, people are trying to be convinced
how easy it is. It's so easy to be saved. It's easy as just moving your
feet. It's easy as shaking my hand. It's easy as signing this
decision card. And our Lord said, it's not easy,
man, it's impossible. With man, it's impossible. It requires a miracle of God's
mighty grace. And unless God is pleased to
come to you, you remain dead in sin. It's impossible with
man, he said. But it's possible with God. And this is the one Simeon was
looking at. He held in his arms that 40-day-year-old
Messiah, Jesus Christ. He said, Oh, now I can die. Now
I can die because I've seen Him. Remember, Simeon was looking
at a person. A person. Salvation is in Christ. He's that one thing needful,
essential for forgiveness, for salvation. That one without whom
there can never be mercy and grace. Religion. is to know doctrine. Salvation is to know God. Religion
is knowing what. Salvation is knowing whom. Religion
makes converts. Christ makes us new creatures.
Religion is being in a church. Salvation is being in Christ. I don't doubt that many, many
days, mornings and evenings, Simeon had looked at the sacrifices
that were offered in the temple where he was this day. There
was a morning sacrifice, an evening sacrifice. Simeon had seen those
many times, but he had never in seeing those types said, I
see thy salvation. Not until he looked at Christ
could he say, I've seen thy salvation. What a sight. What a sight. I've seen thy salvation. Not a part of it. I see it all. When I see Christ, I see all
God's salvation. Christ is all. And if I have
him, I have all the salvation that God has. Complete. Complete. No, not half-saved,
but complete. An everlasting salvation. Uttermost. Saved to the uttermost. Oh, when
I see Him, that's salvation. Isaiah 45, God in mercy says,
why do you pray unto a God that cannot save? Look unto me. Look unto me. And be ye saved,
for I am God, and there is none else. There's life for a look
at the crucified one. Look and live. Look and live. Oh God, enable someone to look
and live. He is the only salvation. If
I'm in Christ, I have this, righteousness, wisdom, sanctification, and redemption. If I'm in Christ, I'm accepted
forever and to be loved. If I'm in Christ, I'll never
be condemned. This is what Paul said in Romans
8, didn't he? There is now, therefore, right
now. Right now as you sit, right now
at this very moment, child of God, you say, oh, but there's
sin in me. There's sin mixed with everything
I do. I cry out regularly, oh, wretched
man that I am. And all that's true. That's all
true. We don't deny it. We don't excuse
it. But this is true as well. There
is now no condemnation. and never will be justified,
not guilty. How can that be to those who
are in Christ Jesus? Let me ask you this in closing.
Have you seen him? Have you embraced him by faith?
I'll tell you this. Nothing else matters. Nothing
else matters. We're told that Simeon waited
for the consolation of Israel. Christ is our consolation, is
he not? He is our comfort. He is our
hope. He's everything. He's everything. And he's a good, good hope. A good hope through grace. May
God give us grace to behold him, the Lamb of God that taketh away
the sin of the world. Lord bless you.