Come and Coming“But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” Matthew 13:16-17
I ran across this verse today and it struck me. Not that I am a prophet, or of my own accord righteous, but I could empathize with this thought of how much these people living under the old covenant longed to see the fulfillment of prophesy—God’s Messiah. With the apostles and so many other brothers and sisters through history, I, too, desire and anticipate the fulfillment of scripture in Jesus’ return—as he comes on the clouds with power and glory. Word of God, riding on his white horse. The Lord of Lords and King of Kings. Sometimes, when the clouds are especially billowy and beautiful with sunlight streaming through, my heart leaps in my chest with excitement, thinking, “This could be it!”
In this passage from Matthew, Jesus was pointing out the tremendous blessing these people were being given. They were in the presence of the Messiah! The one who had been anticipated for so long, and that so many had desired to see and hear. The wait was over. When drawing the parallels with our own wait, we can almost feel the excitement—the“hallelujah”on our lips! The time had finally come.
This brought me to the story of Simeon. He desired only a glimpse of the Christ. He could die satisfied if he just knew the ancient prophesies had begun to be set in motion.
“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.” Luke 2:25-32
Oh, that we might project our own anticipation into the excitement felt that first Christmas! The desires of the prophets and righteous men of long ago were realized in the coming of a little baby. Simeon knew exactly what that meant—God’s salvation come. His promises fulfilled.
Christmas is a remembrance of that incredible blessing. Whether we see Jesus’ return this side of heaven or not, we have assurance in knowing that God keeps His promises.
“You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For, ‘In just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay.’” Hebrews 10:36-37
by Siara Borning