David Bahn – Reflections

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Luke 2:21-35

And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

²² And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord ²³ (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) ²⁴ and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” ²⁵ Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. ²⁶ And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. ²⁷ And he 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, ²⁸ he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,

²⁹ “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
    according to your word;
³⁰ for my eyes have seen your salvation
³¹     that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
³² a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
    and for glory to your people Israel.”

³³ And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. ³⁴ And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed ³⁵ (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

Tree Fungus-2 | Charlottetown, CA | October 2023

The great salvation event of the Old Testament was the Exodus. God sent Moses to Egypt to confront Pharaoh, saying to him, “Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, ‘Let my people go, that they may serve me.’” Ultimately Israel is released from their bondage in Egypt, passing through the Red Sea on dry ground. They celebrated this deliverance every year: The Passover.

Can you imagine being there? Watching Moses lift his staff and feeling the wind, and watching the water pile up, making a path through the sea. Seeing the walls of water on both sides of them as they walked through dry shod. Watching Pharaoh’s army being drowned rather than being overtaken and slaughtered by them.

We know that was superseded by the birth of Jesus. All the promises from Adam to Abraham. From Eve to Sarah. From David to Isaiah. From Ruth to Isaiah’s virgin. From Eden to Bethlehem. From Genesis to Malachi. All this was wrapped up in an 8-day-old boy’s presentation in the temple.

Simeon is praising God for he had been told that he would see God’s salvation before he died. Now he is literally holding the baby boy – the fulfillment of all that God intended and promised – in his arms. God had fulfilled his promises and Simeon had seen it. Touched him. Held him in his arms. Simeon saw it for himself.

Thirty-three years later Jesus would be nailed to a cross, die and be buried in a borrowed tomb. Three days later that tomb would be empty. This is our great salvation event, that surpasses every Old Testament miracle, and even the miracles of Jesus (a subset of the fullness of Jesus’ work to save us).

For centuries the people of Israel remembered the Exodus and celebrated God’s salvation. We’ve had centuries to remember and rejoice in God’s salvation. We can look in our mind’s eye at the cross and the empty tomb. We can experience a foretaste of the Great Wedding Feast to come at the communion rail. We can feel the weight of sin, guilt and shame lifted when we hear Jesus’ word of forgiveness and his promise that whoever comes to him will never be turned away” (John 6:37).

An urgent prayer answered. A weight of guilt and shame lifted. A new hope when all seemed lost. The peace that passes all understanding at the communion rail. The joy of seeing your grandchild baptized. All these are pale reflections of God’s salvation. We’ve seen God’s work in our lives. We can live in peace.