Tag: Simeon

Posted in mathematics, Through the Bible Devotions

Just do the math

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Antoine Dautry on Unsplash

Some “through the bible” thoughts from Luke 2.

In his gospel, Luke mentions a man name Simeon who is waiting to see the Messiah. “It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ” (Luke 2:26). In faith, he knows he’s immortal until he puts eyes on the Savior. Imagine what you could do with a promise like that!

I’m a math guy, but I never considered that Simeon did the math when he went to the temple on the very same day when Joseph and Mary showed up with Jesus.

The shepherds who saw and heard the angelic announcement and praises about the Christ’s birth had told everyone what they had experienced (Luke 2:17). News like that spreads quickly.

Simeon was righteous and devout (2:25). He knew the Old Testament statute that after circumcision, a woman would come to the temple with her son in thirty-three days for purification (Leviticus 12). The Spirit of God, working through the Word, gave Simeon a good idea of when the Messiah would show up at the temple. This was not an accidental encounter. God had arranged for this meet-up a long time ago.

I’m smiling as I write this. My undergraduate degree was liberal arts, but I majored in math. Years later, God led me to the seminary to prepare for pastoral ministry. To some, math and ministry appear to be thousands of miles apart. For me, they are next door neighbors!

I cut my math teeth on algebra in eighth grade. I helped all my friends get through ninth grade geometry. Functions, trigonometry, and calculus all made sense to me in high school. From statistics to topology, God prepared me for graduate study in theology. By God’s grace, I love numbers almost as much as I love him!

I know enough about math to know that you can’t calculate when Jesus will return. I also can’t assume that the little bit you have won’t go a long way, as it did with the feeding of the five thousand. My age may be a finite number, but nothing about God is. The concept of infinity simply leads me to worship the eternal God and look forward to eternal life.

Math got me some awards and college scholarships in high school. Math prepared me to help my daughter excel in high school calculus. Math gives me the chance to tutor my home-schooled grandsons. Math gives me perspective when people try to use statistics to their advantage. Math reveals a creator who numbers my days, knows the how many hairs I have on my head, and constantly gives more than I ask for or imagine.

Posted in Advent devotions

Catching a glimpse of Jesus

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Julia Андрэй on Unsplash

I always smile when I hear the sound of a baby in church. Whether it’s happy noises or demanding cries, I love the sound of infants in worship. When I was preaching, I knew I’d have to turn up the volume. Sitting behind a little one meant I would have a hard time concentrating on the pastor’s message. Vibrations from down below let me know I better speed up the baptism and hand that one back to mom. A loud burp from the back row announced a good meal was finished and a nap would soon follow.

Simeon was in the temple when Joseph and Mary brought the one-month old Jesus for presentation. The Holy Spirit promised Simeon he would not die until he saw the Christ (Luke 2:26). Where would he see the Messiah? Would he see a baby or a grown-up?

He had no idea until Jesus’s parents brought him into the temple that day. And then knew. Simeon took the baby in his arms, blessed God and said, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation” (Luke 2:29,30).

It’s a powerful moment. Suddenly, Simeon is no longer immortal. He has seen the Christ, and one day would see death. On the other hand, having seen the one who defeated death, Simeon would not perish but have everlasting life.

The baby Jesus was fully human, and he would one day die. He was also fully divine, and he would be raised to life on the third day. Because of all he came to be and do, believers embrace both mortality and resurrection, too.

We are reminded of that truth whenever we catch a sight of Jesus. Sometimes our Lord looks like someone we can help with food or shelter. Other times, he looks like one who brings healing to our lives. His glory might peek out from behind the clouds. Sometimes it fills a dark starry night. It might be a bite of bread and sip of wine. Or a friend who wipes away a tear on his behalf.

Simeon gets an ornament on the Jesse Tree. He faithfully waited for, saw the light, and boldly proclaimed Christ’s arrival.

Posted in advent, Advent devotions, Devotions

2020 Advent devotion: Simeon sees the Christ!

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

“Live and in person” Advent devotion for December 21, 2020. Read Luke 2:22-33 and Psalm 24.

“And [Simeon] came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God.” (Luke 2:27-28)

Simeon is one of those fascinating people in the bible that we know little about. We never hear of him before this and never hear about him again. But he was definitely an Advent kind of guy, watching and waiting for the Christ. Simeon had the unique promise from God that he wouldn’t die until he had seen his Savior. So this day must have been bittersweet. Imagine the joy of seeing the Christ, live and in person! And imagine how it felt to know you can now plan your funeral.

Each year on All Saints Day, I talk about all the members of our church who have died over the last year. That’s a bittersweet moment. Each one had been sitting in the congregation, worshiping with us just months before. I had officiated at their funerals. And now they see their Lord face to face, live and in person. So we both mourn and rejoice, comforted by the truth that our Lord always takes his lambs in his arms and brings them home.

Whenever we gather for worship, there is always the possibility that someone there will get to know Jesus for the very first time. That’s why we never fail to proclaim the gospel which brings us face to face with Jesus the Christ. There is also the possibility that it will be someone’s last time in church, for it will be their time to encounter Jesus face to face. That’s why we never fail to proclaim the gospel, because it affirms that amazing truth.

I guess we all come to church because we want to catch a glimpse of Jesus. We want to see him through the eyewitness accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke or John. We want to see him in the sacrament. We long to see his body, the church. And yes, we even long for that day when he takes us from this valley of sorrows to himself in heaven.

Jesus’ death had been planned a long time ago, before the creation of the world. He would breathe his last on the cross and others would take him in their arms, eyes filled with tears. In just a few days, though, they would see him again, live and in person, the resurrected Christ. From that moment on, the reality of their death would not be something to fear, but something to look forward to. That day when they would see him again, face to face, live and in person.

Thank you, Lord, for holding my life in your hands. What a day that will be, when I get to see you face to face! Amen.