Behold,
there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. He came in the Spirit into the temple. When the parents brought in the child, Jesus, that they might do concerning him according to the custom of the law, then he received him into his arms, and blessed God, and said, “Now you are releasing your servant, Master, according to your word, in peace;
Luke 2:25-29
Luke 2 [22.] When the days of their purification according to the law of Moses were fulfilled, they brought him up to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”), and to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, “A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.”
Luke 2 [25.] Behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. He came in the Spirit into the temple. When the parents brought in the child, Jesus, that they might do concerning him according to the custom of the law, then he received him into his arms, and blessed God, and said,
Luke 2 [29.] “Now you are releasing your servant, Master,
according to your word, in peace;
for my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared before the face of all peoples;
a light for revelation to the nations,
and the glory of your people Israel.”
Luke 2 [33.] Joseph and his mother were marveling at the things which were spoken concerning him, and Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary, his mother, “Behold, this child is set for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which is spoken against. Yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
Meaning:
Joseph and Mary had brought the infant Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem to present him to the Lord and to offer the sacrifice required by the law (Luke 2:21-24). There God had prepared a surprise for them. An old man named Simeon, led by the Holy Spirit, came into the temple courts at that very moment, took the child in his arms and praised God. His song, often called the Nunc Dimittis from its first words in Latin, is the last of the great songs in Luke’s birth narrative.
- “there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon”
Simeon was not a priest or a famous teacher. He was an ordinary believer, described in three ways. He was “righteous,” living rightly before God and others. He was “devout,” careful and reverent in his worship. And he was “looking for the consolation of Israel.” The consolation of Israel meant the comfort God had promised through the prophets: “‘Comfort, comfort my people,’ says your God” (Isaiah 40:1). Simeon was one of a faithful few who were still waiting in hope for God to act. Joseph of Arimathea is described in a similar way as one “who also himself was looking for God’s Kingdom” (Mark 15:43).
- “the Holy Spirit was on him”
Luke mentions the Holy Spirit three times in these verses. The Spirit was on Simeon, the Spirit had revealed God’s promise to him, and the Spirit led him into the temple. After centuries in which prophecy had been rare, the Spirit was active again, filling Elizabeth, Zacharias and now Simeon (Luke 1:41; Luke 1:67). God was preparing hearts to recognise his Son.
- “he should not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ”
God had made Simeon a personal promise: he would live to see the Messiah. “The Lord’s Christ” means the Lord’s Anointed One, as the PIB footnote explains. The phrase echoes the psalm, which speaks of “Yahweh, and... his Anointed” (Psalm 2:2). We do not know how long Simeon waited, but he held on to the promise. Many of God’s people died in faith, “not having received the promises, but having seen them and embraced them from afar” (Hebrews 11:13). Simeon was given the privilege of seeing the promise fulfilled.
- “When the parents brought in the child, Jesus... he received him into his arms, and blessed God”
The temple was crowded, and many families came to present their children. Yet Simeon, led by the Spirit, recognised this poor couple’s baby as the Messiah. There was no royal sign, only an infant. Simeon took him in his arms. The long hope of Israel was now something he could hold.
- “Now you are releasing your servant, Master, according to your word, in peace”
Simeon speaks as a servant addressing his master. His watch is over and he can be released. The word was used of a slave set free or a soldier relieved from duty. Simeon was ready to die, not in despair but in peace, because God had kept his word. He had seen the salvation of God (Luke 2:30-32). Long before, the dying patriarch Jacob had said, “I have waited for your salvation, Yahweh” (Genesis 49:18). Paul expressed a similar peace about death: “having the desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better” (Philippians 1:23).
The Significance of Luke 2:25-29
- Faithful waiting
Simeon waited patiently for God’s promise, living a righteous and devout life in the meantime. God rewards those who keep looking to him, even when the wait is long.
- Led by the Spirit
Simeon was in the right place at the right time because he followed the Spirit’s prompting. Believers today can ask God to guide their steps and to open their eyes to what he is doing.
- Peace in the face of death
Those who have seen and received Christ need not fear death. Like Simeon, they can say, “according to your word, in peace.”
Cross-References:
Isaiah 40:1: "Comfort, comfort my people," the consolation of Israel Simeon awaited.
Psalm 2:2: "against Yahweh, and against his Anointed," the Lord’s Christ.
Hebrews 11:13: "These all died in faith, not having received the promises," the long wait of God’s people.
Luke 2:30: "for my eyes have seen your salvation," the rest of Simeon’s song.
Conclusion: Simeon was a righteous and devout man in Jerusalem who was waiting for the comfort God had promised Israel. The Holy Spirit had promised that he would see the Messiah before he died, and the Spirit led him into the temple when Mary and Joseph brought Jesus. Simeon took the child in his arms, blessed God and said that he could now depart in peace, because God had kept his word.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible