Luke 2:25--40
"Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him."
Today it is our privilege to celebrate the birth of Jesus, the culmination of Advent, the gift of the Christ-child, Messiah—Promised-One. We know it is better to give than to receive, but I submit to you that receiving is at the very heart of Christmas--certainly, not to the exclusion of giving to others; but in reality, we cannot give if we don’t first receive. Let’s thank our Generous God for important gifts that come to mind from this passage: The gift of eternal life—the very reason Jesus was given life was to give His life for our salvation. He is the “Reason for the Season.” With Jesus we have everything we need for this life and, by faith in Him, the promise of eternal life. This is clearly the best gift offered freely to all who will trust Jesus. If you have never specifically trusted Jesus as your own personal Savior, please do so today.
The gift of life—Psalm 127:3 declares that children are a gift from God which means that God has blessed others through the life He has given you. Sometimes our enemy tries to get us to think less of ourselves than we should. It is important to remember that our life is significant to God and to those He chose to bless through our life. We have greater value than our enemy wants us to think. The gift of influence from family and friends—we are who we are by the grace of God. Part of that grace is the love and support of those He has put in our midst who lived according to Titus 2:7. Whatever we have accomplished in this life has been accomplished by God’s enablement and the nurture of those around us. The gift of wisdom—there are many more gifts, but we will end with this. James 1:5 makes it clear that God is the source of wisdom and “gives generously” to all who ask. Scripture declares “wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare…” Proverbs 8:11
Let’s give to Jesus today by offering our praise to Him for these and so many other incredible gifts that He has graciously and generously given to us.
Have a Very Merry and Blessed Christmas!
