Reality SF

7 Days of Jesus: Dec 25th

Posted by Jason Stevens on December 24, 2011.

“Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, And this man was righteous and devote, waiting for the consolation of Israel” -Luke 2:25

Merry Christmas Brothers and Sisters. The day we have all been waiting for has arrived. We’ve decorated, bought presents and probably traveled hundreds of miles to celebrate with the ones we love. This morning as we prepare to give and receive gifts, let us be reminded of the time in which we live. This precious point between promised hope and fulfillment of hope. I remember as a child waiting anxiously for Christmas day to come. Wishing every day would pass quickly that I might behold what was in those glittering boxes wrapped in silver and gold that awaited me under the tree. When the day came, after franticly opening all of my presents, all was right and I had not a care in the world. Though my childhood experiences with Christmas hold no real gravity against that of Simeon’s. Simeon was expecting. His heart was set on the promise made to him through the Holy Spirit of beholding the Christ. He had heard the stories about Israel’s greatness. How they ruled over peoples and princes, rather than being slaves to a foreign nation. This nation, having been ripped off and destroyed several times over was in great need of comfort: a comfort that God had promised over and over again (Isa 40:1, 49:13,51:3, 57:18, 61:2); a promise of comfort that Simeon would find himself smack dab in the middle of. Indeed he would not only see his King, but would hold Him.

Though Christmas is a time of great joy and blessing, for some it can be a time of great loneliness and sorrow. Family we may have lost, friends we may not have, gifts and meals we may not enjoy. But whether in great times or bad, our consolation has made a promise: ”I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Our comfort. Our peace. Our love come down. Jesus, this man who walks with the lonely and cares for the oppressed, the Shepherd of our souls.

May we this morning cherish our promised consolation and recognize him as the gift of comfort and peace, the fountain of grace and redemptions that never runs dry. A greater gift than toys or clothes or Bluetooth meat thermometers, Jesus is the Gift that never grows old.

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