Of the four gospels, Luke’s gospel famously has the longest narrative about the birth and infancy of Jesus. Mark and John do not mention Jesus’ birth and infancy, and Matthew’s gospel only contains about 800 words detailing the birth of Jesus while Luke has about 1400 words documenting the same. Many of the memorable elements of the birth of Jesus have been popularized in Christmas nativities and plays—the Gloria of the angels sung to the shepherds in the field, the star guiding the magi to Bethlehem, the magi’s three gifts, and the babe lying in a manger. But I’ve never yet seen a Christmas play that included the prophecy by Simeon when the infant Jesus was brought to the temple for purification. Despite its relative obscurity, this encounter between an old man and the six week old baby Jesus is one of the most fascinating events in the birth narrative of Jesus.

When Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to the temple for his purification, Luke tells us that “…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. 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” (Luke 2:25–26). This is nothing short of astonishing! The Jews had been awaiting the arrival of the Messiah for generations, and of all the people alive at the time this one man received a revelation that within his lifetime he would see the Messiah!

Luke continues the story: “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, he took him up in his arms and blessed God 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’” (Luke 2:27–32). Speaking to God, Simeon rightly says that Jesus is “your salvation”—not salvation for God, but salvation provided by God for sinners. Furthermore, Jesus is “a light for revelation to the Gentiles.” This salvation through Jesus is open to all people, both Jews and Gentiles. Simeon responded in worship and praise to God for the blessing of seeing the baby Jesus who would accomplish this great salvation offered to all people. We might think that Simeon’s was the greater blessing, since he got to see Jesus in person, but in fact ours is the greater blessing, because we live after Christ and have seen more of the unfolding plan of God. By faith, our eyes have seen God’s salvation too. Will we, like Simeon, lift our voice and bless God for the salvation he has given us?