December 20, 2016 (Tuesday)
When Jesus was eight days old, he was presented to the Lord in the temple at Jerusalem. Joseph and Mary brought an offering of two doves, because that’s what poor people did. In the courts of the temple there was a man, Simeon, who had been assured by the Lord that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah. He took the baby Jesus in his arms, and thanked God that the promise had come true.
As he held Jesus, he prayed, “God, you can now release your servant; release me in peace as you promised. With my own eyes I’ve seen your salvation; it’s now out in the open for everyone to see: A God-revealing light to the non-Jewish nations, and of glory for your people Israel.” *
Mary and Joseph were speechless with surprise at these words.
The birth of Jesus was no ordinary birth, for he was no ordinary person. This was attested by Anna, a prophetess who lived in the temple, waiting for the birth of Jesus. At the very time Simeon was praying, she showed up, broke into an anthem of praise to God, and talked about the child to all who were waiting expectantly for the freeing of Jerusalem.
The words of a beautiful hymn express our feelings:
“Come, thou long expected Jesus,
born to set thy people free;
from our fears and sins release us,
let us find our rest in thee. “
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* Scripture verses from “The Message,” Luke 2.
This blog repeated from Christmas 2009
Click here to hear Come Thou Long Expected Jesus