NOTE: For this Advent season, my blog posts have taken a different turn. For the five weeks beginning December 4, i am posting five short stories surrounding the incarnational birth of Jesus. These stories are a gift to you — as faithful readers of this blog. If you are new to my blog and missed the first three posts, i invite you to go back and read them. Though each story stands alone, it is helpful to have the context of the full series. i have endeavored to keep each story factual as to the details conveyed through the Gospels, but please bear in mind that by their nature these stories are fictional first person accounts involving both historical and fictional characters, as well as fictional details that have been woven into each story. My prayer is that, through the telling, we witness anew the glorious arrival of the One who had been promised. To that end, join these “eyewitnesses” as they tell their stories:
Joseph – A humble carpenter (December 4)
Achim – Joseph’s cousin (December 11)
Moshe – A Bethlehem shepherd (December 18)
Simeon – An expectant prophet (This week – December 25)
Balthazar – A Babylonian scholar (January 1)
My name is Simeon. I have lived a long and full life. On my last birthday, I turned one hundred thirteen years of age. I know that you’re going to tell me that I don’t look a day over one hundred – so I will tell you my secret to looking so youthful. It’s figs! Most every day of my life I have eaten a fig. I recommend them to you!
But – in all seriousness – I will tell you the secret as to how I have lived to such an old age. When I was young the Spirit of God gave me a promise. He told me that I would not see death before I had seen the Promised Messiah. Each day thereafter I have lived expectantly – awaiting the fulfillment of God’s promise to me – knowing that He is not a man that He would lie. That which God has promised will come to pass! Therefore I have also lived assuredly – knowing that I was immortal until the day of the blessed event. Today is that very day! But before I tell you about the events of this day, allow me to go back to the day that God gave me His promise.
When I was a lad, the Emperor of Rome did not rule over us. About fifty years before I was born, a priest by the name of Judas Maccabeus led our people in a revolt against the Syrian ruler Antiochus who had attempted to eradicate our religious practices and destroy our faith in Jehovah God. Though our people had endured foreign pagan rule over us for over five hundred years leading up to that moment, the desecrations committed by Antiochus catalyzed our people in a revolt that led to independence. The Temple here in Jerusalem was recovered from the control of our enemies and was reconsecrated for its one true purpose.
A new altar was built to replace the one that had been desecrated, and new holy vessels were made. The fire upon the altar was kindled anew and the lamps of the candlesticks were lit. However, unadulterated, undefiled, pure olive oil with the seal of the high priest was needed for the lampstand, and it was required to burn throughout the night every night. But they could only locate one flask of oil, which was sufficient for only one day.
It took eight days to prepare a fresh supply of pure oil for the lampstand. And, yet, that one day’s supply of oil kept the lampstand burning for eight days until the new oil was ready. As the lampstand continued to burn, the dedication of the altar was celebrated for eight days with sacrifices and song. Every year since, we remember those eight days of reconsecration of the Temple and the miracle of the oil through an eight-day Festival of Lights, also often called Hanukkah.
In the years that followed, our people struggled to maintain independence under the rule of our two leadership bodies – the Sadducees and the Pharisees. Attempts were made to enter into a peaceful alliance with the Roman Republic in an effort to discourage other potential despots seeking to lay siege. Ultimately though, when I was about fifty years of age, we became a protectorate of Rome under the administration of a client government. King Herod the Tetrarch was installed as the “King of the Jews” by the Roman senate about forty years ago. Herod may be our “king”, but Rome has the last say over all of our lives.
I was born during that brief period of independence. Our home was in Jerusalem – and I have continued to live in this city every day of my life. I have always worshipped here in the Temple. I have participated in every one of our feasts and festivals since I was old enough to do so. I have sought to honor God in all that I do.
My father was a Pharisee. He was considered by most to be a righteous man. Many would have also considered him to be a patriot. I knew him as a man of deep conviction who sought after God with all of his heart. He knew that we were God’s chosen people – set apart for His divine purpose. My father always gave praise to God for our freedom from Syrian rule, but he knew our freedom was precarious. He often told me, “Simeon, we will not have lasting peace until the day the Messiah comes to rule over us. On that day the enemies of God will be defeated forever and we will have peace for all eternity!”
My father would often recite the promise of the coming Messiah as foretold by the prophet Isaiah:
For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over His kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore.(1)
My father longed for that day and he placed within me a burning passion for that day as well. Then one day, God gave me a promise. It was the year of my sixteenth birthday. I was in the Temple praying during the Festival of Lights. I was praising God for His goodness and His mercy, and thanking Him for His grace. I was praying that God would send His Promised One so that our people would remain free. In celebration of the festival, light shown throughout the Temple. As I prayed there in the Temple, I heard an audible voice call out to me saying, “Simeon, you will not depart from this world until you have witnessed My promise fulfilled. You will see the Child of whom Isaiah wrote. You will see the Son whom I will send. You will see the Light that will never grow dark – not just for eight days, but for all of eternity! Watch for Him, and wait for Him!”
I’ll never forget the look on my father’s face when I told him what I had heard. “Simeon,” he said, “God has answered my prayer! He has said that though I may not see the Messiah in my lifetime, you will! The Spirit of God has spoken to you. Remember His promise. No matter what happens in the days ahead, watch for the Child. He will come!”
Much has happened since that day. My father passed away long ago. The Romans came to rule our land. The Temple was rebuilt by Herod to rival the majesty of Solomon’s Temple – and is now much grander than what it was when I was a boy. God has blessed me with many sons, grandsons and great-grandsons – all of whom He has given hearts to seek Him and honor Him. But as the years have continued to pass even my family has questioned if God would fulfill His promise to me – or if I merely dreamed that He gave me the promise.
Each day I have come to the Temple looking for the child. In recent days, my family insisted that one of my great-grandsons accompany me, so that I might hold onto him as I walk. He leads me to a seat in the outer court so I might see everyone as they enter or leave the Temple.
That brings me to today! This morning, soon after I was settled in my seat, I saw a young woman carrying an infant. I could tell that the man with her was obviously her husband. He was attentive to every need of the young mother and the baby in her arms. I saw the man as he approached one of the Temple merchants in the outer court to purchase a pair of turtledoves. He then presented the turtledoves and five shekels to the priest as an offering.
I knew that in accordance with our law the baby must be a boy. I also knew that He was forty days old. Our Law requires that a woman bring a sin offering to the temple for purification(2) when her child is forty days old – thus the two turtle doves. But our Law also requires that the firstborn son be redeemed with an offering – thus the five shekels.(3)
As I watched the family, I began to wonder – like I always had, for as long as I can remember – whether this Child was the One. But for the first time in almost one hundred years, my heart began to pound. I knew in my spirit that this was the Child! I told my great-grandson to help me walk over to the family.
As I approached the family, my actions must have seemed very curious to them. But they graciously turned their young Son so I could look into His eyes. I immediately knew this was the Child! This was the One whose coming had been promised. Tears of joy began to stream down my cheeks! With my eyes wide open I turned to the Baby’s mother and said, “Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed and for a sword that will pierce through your own soul also, so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”(4) She didn’t utter a word to me, but simply pondered all that I had said and nodded back at me. I was struck by her tenderness. I could see why Jehovah God might have chosen her to be the mother of His Son. When I then reached to pick up the Baby in my arms, she willingly handed Him to me.
As I held Him in my arms, I looked heavenward and said, “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation that You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to Your people Israel.”(5)
I returned the Child to His mother’s arms and blessed her and the father. That which I had awaited most of my life had only lasted a few moments, but the fulfillment of God’s promise would last for eternity. As the rest of the people who were gathered in the Temple went about their business, they had no idea Who was in their presence or the significance of what had just occurred. Sadly, this probably wouldn’t be the last time – even in this very place. But their unawareness doesn’t change the promise, and it doesn’t make its fulfillment any less. The sacrifice being offered up today wasn’t so much the two turtledoves that were presented by the Child’s earthly parents, the true sacrifice was the Child being given by His Heavenly Father.
Little did I know how great that sacrifice would be….
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(1)Isaiah 9:6-7 (ESV)
(2)Leviticus 12
(3)Exodus 13:1-12
(4)Luke 2:34-35 (ESV)
(5)Luke 2:29-32 (ESV)
First published on kenwinter.org. Copyright © 2019 Kenneth A. Winter All rights reserved.