By Jameson Barker
Section 3: The Light Dawns
The glory of God is something we see woven throughout the storyline of the Bible. Reaching back to the beginning of time with creation and extending through eternity with the heavenly throne. In the Old Testament, we see the glory of God fill the tabernacle, fill the earth, and be revealed to Moses. In our reading today though, we see this glory in that the very Son of God has been born. This little boy would demonstrate God’s glory in His perfect life, sacrifice on the cross for our sins, and resurrection.
Why is this so important? It’s important because Jesus came to be “a light for revelation to the Gentiles” (Luke 2:32). God communicates through Simeon that the coming sacrifice is not meant for one people group alone, but for all nations. As Simeon was holding Jesus, God reminded him that His master plan included more than just the nation of Israel. The light was coming to shine on every people group, every tribe, and every tongue. He saw something in this little boy that would change the course of history in so many ways.
We, unlike Simeon, know the rest of the story. We know the persecution Jesus would walk through, how the Holy Spirit came to the disciples, how God established the early Church through the work of the apostles, and that Jesus is coming again to bring a new heaven and the new earth.
As we wind down our yearly Advent celebration, the question we can ask ourselves is, “Have we seen the light of God through Jesus?” We can become so busy with the tasks of the holidays, the balancing act of families, the memories that are drummed up, that we completely forget about the glory of God on display during this time. Are we able to stand back today and say, “My eyes have seen your salvation” (v.30)? Jesus brought the gift of a relationship with God to everyone. Will you continue to allow God to reveal His light to you? Will you slow down, pause, open your eyes, and see His glory today?
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