Do you have a bucket list?
A list of things you want to do or see before you die.
Lots of people have a bucket list.
They may not have written it down, but many has given it some thought.
- Some people want to jump out of airplanes.
- Others want to climb mountains
- Everyone, it seems, wants to write a novel.
- Some of the items are huge: climb Mt Everest
- Others are more personal: get through these treatments and walk my daughter down the aisle at her wedding.
Simeon had only one thing on his bucket list.
The only thing Simeon wanted to do was to see the Messiah God had promised. After a lifetime of faithfulness and prayer, God answered and promised Simeon he wouldn’t die until he saw the promised Savior.
In Luke’s gospel, Mary and Joseph were taking Jesus to the Temple to fulfill all of the requirements in celebration of the birth of a son. There they met Simeon.
Luke tells us that Simeon had been waiting for the day when the Spirit would point out the child – the Messiah – the One Simeon had been looking for. When Simeon saw Mary, Joseph and the child, he burst into worship.
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 2:29-32]
Then Simeon declared
“This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” [vv34-35]
This child, this baby in Mary’s arms, Jesus, Emmanuel - God with us, was God’s line in time and space. The birth of Jesus marks the beginning from the end, the before from the after, from how things used to be to how things will be.
All in the birth of a child…
As we walk through these 12 days of Christmas...
what's on your bucket list?
Are we like Simeon...
do we want to see the Child.
so, we can die in peace.
so, we can live in hope.
This is the only thing that matters.
To see the Child, the salvation promised by God.
It’s the most important thing on our bucket list.
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