Luke 2:34-35
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.”
He was in the temple in Jerusalem, waiting to see the Messiah come. It was the Holy Spirit who told Simeon that this baby was the One when Joseph and Mary brought Jesus to them. Simeon spoke like a prophet when he said that Jesus was a light for all the people. It was written 700 years ago and was from the Suffering Servant Songs of Isaiah. It was about the Messiah who would come (Isaiah 42:6; 49:6).
Simeon then said that Jesus was going to be the one who brought many Israelites to their knees and raised them up again. That was true, but not in the way most people would have thought. God wasn’t talking about government rising and falling; he was talking about spiritual rising and falling. Most of the people who saw and heard Jesus and then believed were regular people. A lot of them were even looked down upon, like tax collectors and lepers. They were saved and made better in spirit. But those in power and church leaders were not only looked down upon by many, but they were also shown what was really in their hearts when they fought against Jesus’ goodness.
When Mary saw her Son hung from the cross, she must have felt like she was being slain. All of Jesus’ followers’ faith was put to the test when it looked like everything was lost. Mary must have had doubts about what the angel said when he told her that Jesus was born (Luke 1:32). God told Mary through Simeon that her son’s life would not be what she thought it would be.
Thought: Life doesn’t always go the way we plan. Will we trust the One who knows everything and has all power when life doesn’t go as planned and life cuts us deep? Will we accept what God told the people who wrote the Bible when they said that everything is in God’s hands? We may not always understand what God is doing, but we can believe that He will see us through in a way that is good for us in the long run. Trials show us how strong our faith really is.
