GLORY TO ISRAEL 

GLORY TO ISRAEL 

Luke 2:32 NET.

“a light, for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”

When Mary and Joseph took the baby Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem to dedicate him, they encountered two prophets: a man named Simeon and a woman named Anna. Today we are going to focus on the prophetic statement that Simeon made that day. Simeon is described in this chapter as “righteous and devout.” Those two words say a lot. They speak of Simeon’s outward character and his inward loyalty to God. He was a man who did the right thing toward others and also stayed faithful to God and cultivated a close relationship with God. We would all do well to focus on those two things.

This chapter also says that Simeon had an expectation – a hope. It says that he was “looking for the restoration of Israel.” It did not elaborate on that statement, so we don’t know in what sense Simeon expected Israel to be restored. We know from history (including the history in the Gospels themselves) that Israel was a nation in captivity. Rome ruled an empire that expanded to include the known world at that time. All of Israel was engulfed in that empire. Caesar ruled over the whole empire and all the rulers of the various regions had their rulers who were subservient to Rome. When Joseph and Mary traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem, they moved from one region to the next. Nazareth was part of the Roman Provence of Galilee. Bethlehem and Jerusalem were parts of the Roman Provence of Judea. Israel wanted to be free from Rome’s power. They had gained their freedom from Greece for a time under the Maccabees. But that freedom was short-lived. Perhaps Simeon was praying for and hoping for his nation to be restored to independence.

But since Simeon was a devout prophet of God, he hoped for more than that. His aspirations for his homeland were more than political. He wanted a spiritual restoration for Israel. Like the Old Testament prophets, Simeon longed for a day when his nation would truly be the people of God and foremost in proclaiming and living the word of God. Simeon was not just a player in the drama of the temple. He was tuned in to the power that the temple represented: the presence of God among human beings. This chapter says that the Holy Spirit was upon him. That was the best that any believer could expect before Pentecost. The Holy Spirit of God used him to declare the word of God to the people of God.

The Holy Spirit had also given a particular message to Simeon about his own life and ministry. He had told Simeon that he would not die until he saw with his own eyes the Anointed Messiah of Israel: the Christ. Simeon had a calling to a particular ministry. That calling would continue until he fulfilled it. He would know when his ministry was complete by the sign that one day when he entered the temple, the Messiah would be there. Perhaps Simeon imagined a triumphant Messiah coming into the temple to take over and lead his people to glory. We don’t know.

We only know that Simeon was watching for the moment when he would see his savior face to face. That moment arrived, and Simeon did not miss it. Joseph and Mary came into the temple with a little bundle of joy. Jesus was 40 days old. Because Jesus was the firstborn male of Joseph and Mary’s family, he was to be formally presented to the Lord and redeemed according to this law. The ritual celebrated God’s deliverance of all the firstborn males from the destroying angel in Egypt. When the destroying angel saw the blood of the lamb on the doorposts of the Hebrew slaves, he did not enter those houses and take the lives of the firstborn males within them. The ritual celebrated that deliverance.

What Mary and Joseph did that day was to redeem the Redeemer ritually. They paid the price for their son, who would one day pay the price for everyone’s sons and daughters. The angels in heaven were watching.

Simeon was watching too. The moment he saw that child, Simeon knew that his life’s work had been completed. This chapter says that “Simeon, directed by the Spirit, came into the temple courts, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what was customary according to the law, Simeon took him in his arms and blessed God, saying, “Now, according to your word, Sovereign Lord, permit your servant to depart in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples.” It is in that context that we read the verse that is today’s text.

Simeon said that Jesus is a light shining from heaven to earth.

When all creation was in darkness, seen only by the creator, he said four words (actually two words in Hebrew): “Let there be light.” From that time on, God has been the one to bring light to the darkness.

One of the plagues in Egypt was a plague of darkness. Exodus 10 says, “The LORD said to Moses, “Extend your hand toward heaven so that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness so thick it can be felt.” So Moses extended his hand toward heaven, and there was absolute darkness throughout the land of Egypt for three days. No one could see another person, and no one could rise from his place for three days. But the Israelites had light in the places where they lived.”

The theme of God bringing light to his people amid the darkness of unbelief runs throughout the Old Testament. When the Israelites traveled by night in the wilderness, God provided a fiery light to direct them all night long. Psalm 78:14 says, “He led them with a cloud by day, and with the light of a fire all night long.” Psalm 97:11 says. “The godly bask in the light.” Psalm 112:4 says, “In the darkness, a light shines for the godly, for each one who is merciful, compassionate, and just.”

Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah would come and appear first in a particular region. He said, “The gloom will be dispelled for those who were anxious. In earlier times, he humiliated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but now he brings honor to the way of the sea, the region beyond the Jordan, and Galilee of the nations. The people walking in darkness see a bright light; the light shines on those who live in a land of deep darkness” (Isaiah 9:1-2).

Did you catch that? Isaiah predicted the exact region where the Messiah would begin his earthly ministry. It would be in the land where the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali were apportioned property. It would be the land that the Gentiles called Galilee. 700 years later, who shows up in the tiny village of Nazareth in Galilee? A carpenter’s son named Jesus. Simeon said that Jesus would be a light shining from heaven to earth. It would first start shining in Galilee.

Simeon also said that Jesus revealed God’s will to the Gentiles.

The prophet Simeon predicted that Jesus would have a ministry among the Gentiles. That, itself, was not unheard of. Many of Israel’s great heroes had a profound influence on the Gentiles and Gentile rulers. But Simeon predicted that God would reveal himself to the Gentiles through Jesus. You and I are in this place right now, declaring our love for God because Jesus did just that. He was the door for the sheep allowing sheep from other pastures into the fold. As Gentiles, we did not have a way to the Father. But Jesus came and proclaimed that he is the Way, the Truth, and the Life and that everyone and anyone can come to the Father through him.

Jesus revealed God’s love to the Gentiles. He said, “For this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through him” (John 3:16-17). The Old Testament revealed that God loved Israel and rescued it from Egypt. Jesus revealed to the Gentiles that God loved us too. He loved us and provided for our rescue by sending his Son – not just to Israel, but to the planet, and anyone – Jew or Gentile – who believes in Jesus will not have to perish in hell but can be rescued and have eternal life.

Jesus revealed God’s truth to the Gentiles. He spoke that truth to anyone who had ears to hear – whether those ears were Jewish or Gentile – it didn’t matter. He commissioned his apostles to launch their mission work starting from Jerusalem, but to expand into all of Judea, then into Samaria, and to keep going until they reach the farthest parts of the earth (Acts 1:8). The gospel message was to go to all the nations. The word “nations” in Matthew 28 is the same word in today’s text that is translated as “Gentiles.” You and I are in Christ because Jesus’ message and ministry were designed to reach us. It was not a cosmic accident. Jesus was never meant to be the exclusive property of one ethnic group. He is King of all kings and Lord of all lords. We are to send the proclamation over vale and hill that whosoever will may come to Jesus.

But Simeon also said that Jesus brought eternal glory to Israel.

In light of what we know about the universal nature of Christ’s gospel message and the universal scope of his deliverance, what did Simeon mean when he said that Jesus was for glory to Israel?

Paul addresses this question in his epistle to the Romans. He makes it quite clear that everyone is a sinner and needs salvation, and everyone can get saved only by repenting of their sins and putting their faith in Christ. So, salvation is not a particular gift to Jews. It is for everyone. So, Paul asks what advantage does the Jew have. Being a Jew himself, Paul could answer his question. He said that the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God (Romans 3:2). Before it was our Old Testament, it was their Hebrew Bible. It’s possible to become a Christian without the Old Testament, but those 39 books explain much of what appears in the latter 27 books.

Jesus himself said that “salvation is from the Jews” (John 4:22). The gospel message was first proclaimed in that cultural context, which makes the Jew more likely to understand its basic principles, provided those ideas are believed. Of course, many Jews rejected the gospel, and they are not going to be saved. God does not have two kingdoms. He is not going to save anyone just because of their ethnic heritage. He responds to one thing: faith in his Son.

So, why did Simeon say that Jesus would bring glory to Israel? Remember, when we defined the word glory, we noted that its opposite is shame. Jesus brought glory to Israel because theirs was the nation and culture into which God sent his Son. If he was to be born a man, he had to be born into a nation and live with a particular culture. Israel has the distinction of being the nation to which God sent his prophets. God sent salvation to the Jewish patriarchs. He sent his precious promises through the Old Testament authors by his Holy Spirit. “When the appropriate time had come, God sent out his Son, born of a woman, born under the (Jewish) law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we may be adopted as sons with full rights” (Galatians 4:4-5).

God took this shameful culture, steeped in sin, and sent us his only begotten Son through them. His human ancestry was Jewish. God’s eternal kingdom is laid upon the foundations of the New Testament apostles (who were all Jewish) and the Old Testament prophets (who were all Jewish). Even though many things were shameful and wrong about Israel, God, in his grace, chose to glorify that nation by sending us our Redeemer from that nation. They had been longing for a Messiah who would come and ransom captive Israel. He came, and because God is not a respecter of persons, he offered redemption not just for Israel but for all nations.

So, Simeon was right on both counts. The baby boy that he blessed that day would grow up to be a revelation from God to the Gentiles and bring glory to Israel. All across this planet today, people from all nations and ethnic backgrounds are worshipping him and praying in his name. But there is a land which we call the holy land. It is a unique land because God sent us a savior and he walked and lived and preached and died and rose again in that land.

LORD GOD, thank you for your Son, Jesus Christ. Thank you for that nation through whom you have given us this great gift. Thank you that anyone can receive this gift, regardless of our ancestry. He is our gift from your grace. Amen.