Author: Bill Hall

Luke 2:27 “And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,”

   The Lord orchestrated the meeting with Simeon. This would be something Jesus’ parents would remember for a long time. Every visit to the temple in Jesus’ life was action-packed. And that is only appropriate since it was the Lord’s house.

Heavenly Father, thank You for putting everything in our life together. You know Your plans for us. You understand every aspect of who we are. Thank You for making us. Thank you for redeeming us by the blood of Christ! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 2:26 “And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.”

   We do not know exactly how this was revealed to Simeon, whether in a vision or dream. Though it is more likely it was done directly as the Holy Spirit was ‘upon’ him according to the previous verse. This would indicate that Simeon had a very healthy relationship with the Lord. Unique knowledge and unique obedience often go together.

Heavenly Father, thank You for giving to each of us the knowledge we need for our lives. We can live so much differently because we know You. Your grace changes everything! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 2:25 “And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.”

   The consolation of Israel was a touchy subject. Simeon likely understood all that was involved in the coming of the Messiah. But many saw the Messiah as their ticket to freedom from the Romans. This is an easy trap to fall into. We tend to project the events of our current moment onto the template of Scripture. Though being aware of prophecy is a very good thing, paranoia is never a good assistant to the understanding.
   For example, every event of this time is not a sign of the Second Coming. Many may be, but we must use care when we begin making everything prophetic.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the imminent return of Christ! We look so much forward to it. We will praise You for ever for Your plan and Your timing. You know just exactly what should happen and when. We can trust Your every intention. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 2:24 “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 includes a lot of detail that others would miss. This particular detail helps us understand better the socioeconomic status of the family of Jesus. Joseph and Mary must not have been very wealthy. Though many would remind us of the gifts of the magi, all very valuable, the magi would not have yet arrived. Even then, Joseph and Mary were hardly set for life financially speaking.
   This is only appropriate as Jesus spent most of His earthly ministry caring for the spiritual needs of the common man, rather than the social elite.

Heavenly Father, thank You for caring for each and every one of us, no matter our social station. You do not judge by the outward things, but by our hearts. We will praise You forever for making Your gospel available to the masses rather than just a select group. You are worthy! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 2:23 “(As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;)”

   We often hear people ask these days why God has made differences in how He treats men and women. Yet, we hear nobody asking why He made anatomical differences. This verse doesn’t mean women can’t be holy. This was a law of Moses, and it reminded the Jewish nation that sin must be accounted for. Every male belonged to the Lord from birth. This ceremony, which Joseph and Mary studiously observed, was a worshipful process in which the child was ‘bought back’ from the Lord. It reminded them that He has delivered us from so much.

Heavenly Father, may we never destroy meaning with pettiness. We will praise You for all of the things that You have put in place to govern our lives. You know what is best for us. We cannot possibly praise You enough for the truth that You have given us for our lives. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 2:22 “Now when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord.”

   Joseph and Mary went through all of the lawful things regarding the raising of Jesus. One has to wonder if they felt differently about this Child, knowing He was so very different. Surely they realized as we must that every child is a gift from God. They are ours only in the sense that He has put them with us, and nothing more. They all belong to Almighty God. Even though Jesus was to be so very different, from His parent’s standpoint the responsibility was the same. Whether caring for the Son of God, or any of God’s little babies, we have the same duty. Every individual belongs to Him.

Heavenly Father, thank You for allowing us to be involved in the raising of Your babies. We love them so much! We will take our duty as seriously as did Mary and Joseph. We will praise You for leading and guiding them in their young lives. We will glorify You as we watch them grow to be what You want. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 2:21 “And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called JESUS, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.”

   The name Jesus means Jehovah is salvation. We think today of it as being unique to Him, but it was quite a common name in that time, and before. Joshua is the same name. Why then is it not Joshua rather than Jesus? Jesus more closely parallels the Greek spelling of the name. It was a translation choice, made apparently to differentiate the name of Christ from that of others.
   Would we feel differently about Christ if His name was Joshua? No, I don’t think so. But, we might tend to understand a little better the nature of Christ. His name didn’t make Him what He is. He was that already. God could have chosen a different name for His Son, and He still would be all that He is.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Son! Thank You for His Name! His Name is the sum total of Who He is not just the appellation You chose for Him. May we never cease to praise Him! You are worthy of the glory for ever and ever! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 2:20 “Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.”

   What does this ‘glorifying and praising’ entail? Well, the shepherds not only spoke directly to the Lord, telling Him how wonderful He is, but also, they spoke to one another and their own soul of the wonderful greatness of Almighty God.

Heavenly Father, we will praise and glorify You all of our days! You are worthy of it all. Others will hear and know that You are great. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 2:19 “But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.”

   Mary knew the truth, but it was hard to process the reality of it all. She believed, but it was not all clear to her just yet.

Heavenly Father, thank You for helping us understand things that happen to us in our lives. Sometimes even good things confuse us at first. But we know we can always trust You. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 2:18 “And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.”

   Sometimes people will marvel, and yet not truly care. People can be easy to impress, but hard to convince. Political figures know the truth of this. They can be popular one minute and hated the next. But, many did truly believe because of the shepherd’s testimony.

Heavenly Father, You have impressed us over and over with Your power. But we are also convinced by Your glorious truth. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.