Simeon took him [Jesus] 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…” Luke 2:28-30
Lord Jesus, your humility is without comparison, and your compassion is without measure. Eight days after your birth, the aged Simeon took you in his arms. But really, who was holding whom?
Becoming fully man, you never ceased being God. Being truly dependent on Mary’s milk, you came to give us bread from heaven (Jn. 6:22-59) and living water (Jn. 7:37-39).
Being eternally righteous, you became sin for us—dying the death and taking the judgment we deserve (2 Cor. 5:21). And now, not only does God not hold us guilty for our sins (2 Cor. 5:19), he has declared us righteous in you. Hallelujah!
Simeon didn’t exaggerate. To see you is to see God’s salvation. To embrace you by faith, is to be held by the only love that will never let go of us. Jesus, your grip of grace is much tighter than any grip we can muster. This is good news—not just as we will face death one day, but as we face 2022 right now.
Owning the things we can’t undo, control, change, or guarantee—Hallelujah, you, Jesus, are our peace and joy, our righteousness and redemption, our holiness and happiness, our sanity and surety. The saints in heaven are more joyful than us, but not more loved or secure. So Very Amen.