CrossWiseMag
31st December 2004, 12:29 PM
As we remember Christ's first visit to the temple as a baby, we also recall Simeon's beautiful words of praise for the long-awaited Savior. In looking for a quote for today for the front page of Cross+Wise, I came across this from one of Luther's sermon:
(Old Testament prophecy) "...is signified by Simeon, who was not to die till he had seen Christ. For this reason he is called Simeon, which means "one who hears", for the prophets had only heard of Christ as of him who was as yet unborn and would come after them. Therefore, having him in their wake, as it were, they heard him. Now if we thus come into the temple with Christ and the Gospels and contemplate the Scriptures, all the sayings of the prophets are so kind to him, take him in their arms, so to speak, and declare all with great joy: This is indeed the Man of whom we have spoken, and now our utterances concerning him have come to their goal in peace and joy. And now they begin to give the most beautiful testimonies concerning him, as being Christ, the Saviour, the light, the comfort and the glory of Israel; and all this Simeon here declares and announces regarding him. -- Martin Luther, Sermon from Church Postil of 1522
It's so very Lutheran (and Christian) to see Simeon as a "key" to the Old Testament prophets. His words point us back to the words of the prophets before him, reminding us that their prophecies, too, were about Christ.
(Old Testament prophecy) "...is signified by Simeon, who was not to die till he had seen Christ. For this reason he is called Simeon, which means "one who hears", for the prophets had only heard of Christ as of him who was as yet unborn and would come after them. Therefore, having him in their wake, as it were, they heard him. Now if we thus come into the temple with Christ and the Gospels and contemplate the Scriptures, all the sayings of the prophets are so kind to him, take him in their arms, so to speak, and declare all with great joy: This is indeed the Man of whom we have spoken, and now our utterances concerning him have come to their goal in peace and joy. And now they begin to give the most beautiful testimonies concerning him, as being Christ, the Saviour, the light, the comfort and the glory of Israel; and all this Simeon here declares and announces regarding him. -- Martin Luther, Sermon from Church Postil of 1522
It's so very Lutheran (and Christian) to see Simeon as a "key" to the Old Testament prophets. His words point us back to the words of the prophets before him, reminding us that their prophecies, too, were about Christ.