“Simeon’s Warning” (Luke 2:34-35)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 4/13/2026 8:36 AM

My Worship Time                                                                             Focus:  “Simeon’s Warning”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                 Reference:  Luke 2:34-35

            Message of the verses:  “And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed—and a sword will pierce even your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

            We have been looking at a hymn of praise from Simeon earlier and not he turns to this young couple and blesses them.  But the euphoria Joseph and Mary were experience was very quickly was tempered by a shocking warning given by Simeon—the first negative found in Luke’s gospel.  It foreshadows the opposition Jesus would face, culminating in His rejection by the nation and crucifixion.

            We see that Simeon’s address was to Mary.  As we read in all of the gospels that Joseph was not around when Jesus was crucified, only Mary was there and so this is perhaps why he was speaking to Mary.  Now after the incident at Passover when Jesus was twelve seen in Luke 2:41-51, Joseph disappears from the Gospel’s account of Jesus’ life and ministry.  Whenever Mary appears (e.g., John 2:1-11), she is without Joseph.  Further, when Jesus was rejected by the people of His hometown of Nazareth, they mentioned His mother, brothers, and sisters, but not his father.  (Matthew 13:55-56).  The presumption, then, is that Joseph had died before Jesus’ public ministry had begun.

            MacArthur writes “Simeon spoke first of separation, declaring that this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel.”  Now this statement was not only true during the earthly ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ, but has been true ever since, as this still goes on in Jewish homes even today, and accepting Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord can split a Jewish home perhaps faster than any other thing that could happen in a Jewish home.  Now back to MacArthur’s quote: “He is destined to be the determiner of people’s destiny (cf. John 1:9-13).”

(cf. John 1:9-13)

“9  The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10  He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11  He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12  But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13  who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

“As He solemnly warned, ‘Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth?  I tell you, no, but rather division’ (Luke 12:51; cf. John 3:36; 8:24; 14:6; Acts 4:12; 1 Cor. 3:11; 1 Tim. 2:5:11-12). Not only would some Gentiles be saved, but also some Jews would stumble over Him and fall into judgment and perdition, thus fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy:

“13  But the LORD of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. 14  And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15  And many shall stumble on it. They shall fall and be broken; they shall be snared and taken.’” (Isa. 8:13-15; cf. Matt. 21:42-44; Rom. 9:32-33; 1 Peter 2:7-8)

“Only the believing remnant would rise to eternal life in heaven:

6  [God] raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7  so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8  For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,” (Eph. 2:6-8).

“Not only would Jesus bring separation, but He would also be a sign to be opposed.  As in Matthew 25:31, the sign is the Son of Man—signaling the arrival of kingdom presence, power, and person.  Opposed translates a form of the verb antilego, which means ‘to speak against,’ ‘to reject,’ ‘to deny,’ or ‘to contradict’—all of which aptly describe the insults, abuse, mockery, and hatred, culminating in His crucifixion, that Jesus faced from unbelieving Israel.  Israel’s rejection of Jesus Christ is an important theme of Luke’s gospel (4:28-30; 13:31-35; 19:47; 20:14-20).

            “The nation’s violent rejection of her Son would cause Mary to suffer.  Simeon graphically pictured the pain and grief she would endure when he said to her, ‘a sword will pierce even your own soul.’  Mary’s suffering began when her Son began to distance Himself rom her.  When His worried parents finally found Him after three days of searching, Jesus ‘said to them, ‘Why is it that your were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?’’’(Luke 2:49).  At the wedding in Cana, He did not address her as ‘mother,’ but with the polite but formal term ‘woman’ (John 2:4).  When told that Mary and His brothers wanted to see Him, Jesus replied, ‘Who is My mother and who are My brothers?’  And stretching out His hand toward His disciples He said, ‘Behold My mother and My brothers!  For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother.’’’ (Matthew 12:48-50).  Mary’s suffering culminated at the cross, as she watched her Son suffer and die (John 19:25).

            “The end result of Israel’s rejection of Jesus was that the evil thoughts from many hearts would be revealed.  ‘This is the judgment,’ Jesus said to Nicodemus, ‘that Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil (John 3:19). Jesus was the light shining in the darkness (cf. John 1:5), who exposed the evil of men’s hearts.

            “In contrast to those who rejected Jesus when they saw His works, Simeon knew, when He had done none of them, that He was the Messiah and testified to that glorious truth.”

            Spiritual Meaning for my Life Today:  If not for the grace of God when He invaded my life on the 26^th of January 1974, I too would be one of those who were lost and going to a Christless eternity.

            My Steps of Faith for Today:  I am trusting the Lord for guidance in order to find different doctors to help with my wife’s cancer.

4/13/2026 9:22 AM

“Simeon’s Proclamation” (Luke 2:28-33)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 4/12/2026 7:49 AM

My Worship Time                                                                      Focus:  “Simeon’s Proclamation”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                 Reference:  Luke 2:28-33

            Message of the verses:  “then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said, “Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light of revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.”  And His father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him.”

            Having meet Joseph, Mary, and Jesus, Simeon then took the baby Jesus into his arms.  It is really hard to imagine how thrilled Simeon must have been as he realized that the promise that God had given him came true.  Salvation had come to Israel, and he was holding the consolation of Israel, the Messiah, in his arms which certainly was overwhelming with joy and gratitude, that Simeon then blessed God.

            MacArthur writes that “His song of praise (cf. 1:41-45; 46-55, 67-79; 2:13-14, 38) is known as the Nunc Dimittis (Now Lord), from the first two words of the hymn in Latin.  God was releasing His bond-servant to depart (die) in peace, according to His word of promise revealed to Simeon by the Holy Spirit.  His hope fulfilled, his joy complete, his heart at peace, Simeon was content to die.  With his own eyes he had seen God’s salvation, personified in the infant Jesus (cf. 1:69; 2:11).  He understood that salvation for Israel involved much more than the national deliverance promised by the Abrahamic and Davidic covenants, whose blessings will not be fully realized until the millennial kingdom.  In the incarnation, Jesus came not to save His people from their enemies, but from their sins (Matt. 1:21; cf. Acts 4:12).”

(Matt. 1:21; cf. Acts 4:12)

“21  She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’”

“12  And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.’”

            Now the next statement that Simeon would give would shock Jewish sensibilities.  Fiercely proud of their status as God’s chosen, covenant people, the Jews believed Messiah was their deliverer.  The problem was that they assumed He would establish their kingdom, which would then rule over the infidel Gentiles.  However the truth that God had prepared salvation in the presence of all peoples, and that Messiah would be a light of revelation to the Gentiles (Acts 26:24), as well as the glory of God’s people Israel (cf. Isa. 46:13; 45:25), ran counter to all their preconceptions.  Even after the resurrection, the apostles still did not truly understand this.  It was shortly before the Lord ascended to heaven that “they were asking Him, saying, ‘Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6).

(Acts 26:24)

“23  that the Christ must suffer and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles.’”

(cf. Isa. 46:13; 45:25)

“13  I bring near my righteousness; it is not far off, and my salvation will not delay; I will put salvation in Zion, for Israel my glory."

25  In the LORD all the offspring of Israel shall be justified and shall glory."

            John MacArthur writes that “Centuries of animosity toward the idolatrous Gentiles, whose corrupting influence had contributed to Israel’s downfall, was not easily set aside.  The Jewish believers in Jerusalem were horrified that Peter ‘went to uncircumcised men and ate with them’ (Acts 11:3) because, as Peter reminded the Gentiles gathered in Cornelius’s house, ‘You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a man who is a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit him’ (Acts 10:28).  But salvation is offered to all people, Jews and Gentiles alike, since Christ ‘made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of dividing wall’ (Eph. 2:14) and ‘there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for [believers] are all one in Christ Jesus’ (Gal. 3:28).  Thus the Lord directed that ‘repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem (Luke 24:47; cf. Matt. 28:19-20).

            “Speaking prophetically of Messiah’s ministry Isaiah wrote:

But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish; in earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He shall make it glorious by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles.  The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them. (Isa. 9:1-2; cf. Matt. 4:12-16)

“According to Isaiah 42:6, Messiah would be ‘a light to the nations,’ while in 49:6, the Lord said to Him, ‘it is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations so that My salvation my reach to the end of the earth.’ In Isaiah 51:4-5, God declared, ‘A law will go forth from Me, and I will set My justice for a light of the peoples My righteousness in ear, My salvation has gone forth, and My arms will judge the peoples; the coastlands will wait for Me, and My arm they will wait expectantly.’ Isaiah 52:10 notes that ‘the Lord has bared His holy arm in the sight of all the nations, that all the ends of the earth may see the salvation of our God.’  In Isaiah 60, God once again addressed His Servant, the Messiah;

‘Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.  For behold, darkness will cover the earth and deep darkness the peoples; but the Lord will rise upon you and His glory will appear upon you.  Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. (60:1-2)

            “With each confirmation of their Son’s true identity, Joseph and Mary’s astonishment grew.  After hearing Simeon’s song of praise they were amazed at the things which were being said about Him.  Their son, in every sense a normal human baby, was the Divine Savior of the world, the Messiah who would fulfill as the Old Testament promises of salvation and blessing.”

4/12/2026 8:45 AM

 

“Simeon’s Anointing” (Luke 2:25c-27)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 4/11/2026 8:03 PM

My Worship Time                                                                             Focus: “Simeon’s Anointing”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                 Reference: Luke 2:25c-27

            Message of the verse: “and the Holy Spirit was upon Him.  And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.  And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law,

            MacArthur brings out a great point as he begins this SD:  “A common misconception about the Holy Spirit is that His ministry in the lives of God’s people began on the day of Pentecost.  That is not the case, however.  All those who were saved before the cross and Pentecost were saved in the same way as those who were saved afterward-by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8-9).  And no sinner, ‘dead in…trespasses and sins’ (Eph. 2:1), can come to repentance and faith apart from the work of the Holy Spirit.  ‘The heart is more deceitful than all else, ‘ wrote Jeremiah, ‘and is desperately sick; who can understand it?(Jer. 17:9)’”  That is a wonderful question to ask yourself, for as mentioned in earlier SD’s a person has to realize that they are lost before they can come to Christ for salvation, realize you, as Jeremiah states “desperately sick.”  “Sinners can no more change their hearts by their own efforts than people can change their skin color, or animals the pattern of their fur (Jer. 12:23).  ‘Who can say, ‘I have cleansed my heart, I am pure from my son?’ Solomon asked rhetorically (Prov. 20:9).  The obvious answer is no one, since ‘there is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; all have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one’ (Rom. 3:10-12; cf. Job 15:14; 1 Kings 8:46; Ecc. 7:20; Rom. 3:23).

            “The Holy Spirit convicted people in the Old Testament of their sin, prompted repentance, gave life, elicited faith, and drew them to God.  Apart from His work, no person in any age can ever be justified, sanctified, empowered for service and witness, understand Scripture, or pray in the will of God.  There is, however, a new dimension to the Spirit’s work in the lives of believers after Pentecost.  As Jesus told the disciples in John 14:17 concerning the increased degree of the Spirit’s ministry to them, ‘He abides with you and will be in you.’  Under the old covenant, the Spirit was present in power and person with believers.  But under the New Covenant, His presence with in those who believed and expressed in an unprecedented way (cf. Ezek. 36:26-27).  There was to come for believers a giving of the Spirit which unique power would be provided for ministry and evangelism.  That happened on the day of Pentecost, when the Spirit was given to believers in a new fullness that became normative for all believers since (Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 12:13).”

(Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 12:13)

“9  You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.”

“13  For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.”

            “Luke’s note that the Holy Spirit was upon Simeon reflects the Spirit’s pre-Pentecost empowering of people to serve and speak for God (cf. Ex. 31:2-3; Num. 11:25; 27:18; Judg. 3:9-10; 11:29; 13:24-25; 14:6, 19; 15:14; 1 Sam. 16:13; 2 Chron. 15:1;  20:14-17; 24:20; Mic. 3:8; Zech. 7:12).  He has already recorded the Holy Spirit’s filling of John the Baptist (1:15), Elizabeth 1:41), and Zacharias (1:67).  As a result of the Spirit’s coming upon Simeon it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ (i.e., the Messiah).  A revelation from God had granted a very unusual privilege to this noble saint.  That revelation must have heightened Simeon’s messianic hope to a fever pitch, since he knew that it would be realized in his lifetime. He must have lived in a constant state of joyous expectation, knowing that each new day might bring the Messiah he longed to see.  The knowledge must also have had a sobering effect on him, motivating him to lead a godly life.

            “On the divinely appointed day, forty days after Jesus’ birth, Simeon came in the Spirit (that is, under the Spirit’s leading; cf. Rev. 1:10; 4:2; 17:3; 21:10) into the temple.  Unlike naos, which refers to the inner sanctuary, the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies (cf. its use in 1:9, 21, 22), hieron (temple) refers to the temple complex as a whole.  It was there, most likely in the Court of the women, that Simeon met Joseph and Mary when they brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law (cf. the exposition of 2:22-24 in the previous chapter of this volume).  Luke does not give the details of how they met, since neither party was looking for or knew the other. The temple, where God met with His people, was a fitting location for Him to providentially arrange for Simeon to meet the God-man, Jesus Christ.”

4/11/2026 8:39 PM

 

 

“Simeon’s Theology” (Luke 2:25b)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 4/11/2026 9:10 AM

My Worship Time                                                                             Focus: “Simeon’s Theology”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                      Reference: Luke 2:25b

            Message of the verse: “looking for the consolation of Israel;”

            He was like the rest of the believing remnant, as Simeon eagerly was awaiting the coming of Messiah, who would bring the consolation of Israel.  Paraklesis (consolation) has in this context the connotation of “comfort,” “encouragement,” or “solace.”  Simeon was both looking for the personal consolation of salvation for himself, and also for the national deliverance that was promised in the Davidic and also Abrahamic covenants.

            Simeon was a man who cared deeply about his people, and that was a great attribute.  He was like the apostle Paul, who was so passionately concerned about the salvation of his fellow Israelites that he would write in Romans 9:3 “I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh.”  Simeon’s concern for his people was heightened by the distressing circumstances in which the nation found itself, chafing under the occupation of the hated Romans.  Such trying times intensified the believing remnant’s longing for their Messiah to come and to deliver them from under the hand of Rome, as they wanted their national sovereignty, and the national blessing that was promised in both the Davidic and Abrahamic covenants. But most of all they eagerly awaited the realization of the New Covenant, with its promise of forgiveness of sin, a new, cleansed heart, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and this is seen in what Jeremiah wrote in Jeremiah 31:31-34: “31  "Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32  not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD. 33  For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34  And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.’”

            MacArthur writes “The Messiah was the embodiment of the nation’s hope of consolation; the only one who could bring consolation to Israel was the Consoler.  Thus the rabbis sometimes referred to the Messiah as Menachem, which means ‘Comforter’ or ‘Consoler.’  Isaiah in particular emphasized Messiah’s role as a comforter.  In Isaiah 40:1, he wrote “Comfort, O comfort My people’, says your God.’  In verse 10, the prophet identified the comforter. ‘Behold, the Lord God will come with might, with His arm ruling for Him.  Behold, the Lord God will come with might, with His arm ruling for Him.  Behold, His reward is with Him and His recompense before Him.’  Several other passages in Isaiah also emphasize that God will comfort His people:

“8  Thus says the LORD: "In a time of favor I have answered you; in a day of salvation I have helped you; I will keep you and give you as a covenant to the people, to establish the land, to apportion the desolate heritages, 9  saying to the prisoners, ‘Come out,’ to those who are in darkness, ‘Appear.’ They shall feed along the ways; on all bare heights shall be their pasture; 10  they shall not hunger or thirst, neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them, for he who has pity on them will lead them, and by springs of water will guide them. 11  And I will make all my mountains a road, and my highways shall be raised up. 12  Behold, these shall come from afar, and behold, these from the north and from the west, and these from the land of Syene." 13 Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing! For the LORD has comforted his people and will have compassion on his afflicted.” (49:8-13)

“3  For the LORD comforts Zion; he comforts all her waste places and makes her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song.  12  "I, I am he who comforts you; who are you that you are afraid of man who dies, of the son of man who is made like grass.” (51:3, 12)

“11 ¶  "O afflicted one, storm-tossed and not comforted, behold, I will set your stones in antimony, and lay your foundations with sapphires.” (54:11)

18  I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will lead him and restore comfort to him and his mourners,” (57:18).

“1 ¶  The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 2  to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn;” (61:1-2).

“10  "Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice with her in joy, all you who mourn over her; 11  that you may nurse and be satisfied from her consoling breast; that you may drink deeply with delight from her glorious abundance." 12  For thus says the LORD: "Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream; and you shall nurse, you shall be carried upon her hip, and bounced upon her knees. 13  As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.” (66:10-13)

“Jeremiah (Jer. 31:13), Ezekiel (Ezek. 14:22-23), and Zechariah (Zech. 1:17) also speak of God’s comforting of His people.  Simeon’s theology was consistent with the Old Testament promises that God would console His people through the coming Messiah.”

Spiritual meaning for my life today:  The comfort that the Lord gives me through what His Son, My Lord and Savior is the best kind of comfort I can have.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  I trust the Lord to help my wife to get through the problem of pain that she his having in her side, that God will show her what it is all about.

4/11/2026 9:59 AM

"Siemon" (Luke 25a)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 4/10/2026 9:34 PM

My Worship Time                                                                         Focus:  “Simeon 2:25-35”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                 Reference:  Luke 2:25-35

            Message of the verses:  “²⁵ And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. ²⁶ And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. ²⁷ And he came ^[b]by the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law, ²⁸ then he took Him in his arms, and blessed God, and said, ²⁹ “Now, Lord, You are letting Your bond-servant depart in peace, According to Your word;³⁰ For my eyes have seen Your salvation,³¹ Which You have prepared in the presence of all the peoples:³² A light for revelation for the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.”³³ And His father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him. ³⁴ And Simeon blessed them and said to His mother Mary, “Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and ^[e]rise of many in Israel, and as a sign to be ^[opposed— ³⁵ and a sword will pierce your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

This SD will be a bit different than my regular SD’s as John MacArthur writes the following to show us where He is going here:  “Luke’s account of his testimony to Jesus reveals five things about Simeon: his character, theology, anointing, proclamation, and warning.”

            Now in this evening’s SD we will look at “Simeon’s Character” which are seen in Luke 2:25a “And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout,”

            “Simeon, who appears only here in Scripture, evidently lived in Jerusalem and was most likely an old man (cf. vv. 26, 29).”

(cf. vv. 26, 29)

“ ²⁶ And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.”

“²⁹ “Now, Lord, You are letting Your bond-servant depart in peace, According to Your word;”

“His name, which means, “God has heard” (cf. Gen. 29:33), was a common name, one he shared with one of the twelve sons of Jacob (Gen. 34:25)) and the tribe name after him (Num. 1:23), an ancestor of Jesus (Luke 3:30), one of the teachers in the church at Antioch (Acts 13:1), and Peter, whose Hebrew name was Simeon (Acts 15:14).”  Now we want to look at the Simeon who Luke writes about in this section.

            What is known about this Simeon reals he to have a spiritually qualified to testify about the Messiah.  Luke’s description of him as he writes he was righteous and devout is really loaded with meaning.  Now to say that Simeon was righteous means that he, like Abraham in Genesis 15:6, had righteousness imputed to him by faith. “6  And he (Abraham) believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness.” In MacArthur’s commentary he gives a fairly long list of verses that talk about having imputed righteousness given by faith (Cf. 1:6; 14:14 Matt. 13:49; 25:46; Acts 10:22; 24:15; Rom. 1:17; Gal. 3:11; Heb. 12:23).  He goes on to write “Eulabes (devout) has the meaning of ‘cautious’ in classical Greek.  It appears in the New Testament only in Luke’s writings (cf. Acts 2:5; 8:2; 22:12), where it describes those who are ‘reverent toward God,’ ‘God fearing,’ or ‘pious.’  It conveys the idea of being careful to obey and honor God so as to lead an exemplary life before others.  Those two terms indicate that Simeon not only was justified, but also sanctified.  The two are inseparably linked since, as John Calvin put it, ‘Christ…justifies no man without also sanctifying him’ (Institutes, ILL, 16, 1).  In the words of the apostle Paul, Simeon was ‘not a Jew who is only outwardly…[but]a Jew who is one inwardly’ (Rom. 2:28-29).  Simeon had received the salvation benefits promised in the prophet Isaiah 55:6-7: ‘Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near.  Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the Lord, and He will have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon’ (cf. Mic. 7:18-19).”

(cf. Mic. 7:18-19)

“18  Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love. 19  He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.”

4/10/2026 10:01 PM

 

“Intro to Luke 2:25-38” (Luke 2:25-38)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 4/10/2026 7:47 AM

My Worship Time                                                                         Focus:  “Intro to Luke 2:25-38”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                Reference:  Luke 2:25-38

            Message of the verses:  “²⁵ And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. ²⁶ And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. ²⁷ And he came ^[b]by the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law, ²⁸ then he took Him in his arms, and blessed God, and said, ²⁹ “Now, Lord, You are letting Your bond-servant depart in peace, According to Your word;³⁰ For my eyes have seen Your salvation,³¹ Which You have prepared in the presence of all the peoples:³² A light for revelation for the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.”³³ And His father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him. ³⁴ And Simeon blessed them and said to His mother Mary, “Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and ^[e]rise of many in Israel, and as a sign to be ^[opposed— ³⁵ and a sword will pierce your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” ³⁶ And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years and had lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage, ³⁷ and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She did not leave the temple grounds, serving night and day with fasts and prayers. ³⁸ And at that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak about Him to all those who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.”

            I will now quote this introduction to these verses from John MacArthur’s commentary.

            “All the promises in Scripture will certainly be fulfilled, because God is ‘the faithful God’ (Deut. 7:9; cf. Hosea 11:12), the ‘God of faithfulness’ (Deut. 32:4) whose every ‘work is done in faithfulness’ (Ps. 91:4).  ‘His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark’ to His people (Ps. 91:4), causing them to exclaim, ‘Great is Your faithfulness’ (Lam. 3:23).  Such passages as Psalms 36:5; 40:10; 89:8; 100:5; 119:90; Romans 3:3; 1 Corinthians 1:9; 10:13; 2 Corinthians 1:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:24; 2 Thessalonians 3:3; Hebrews 10:23; 1 Peter 4:19; and 1 John 1:9 also attest to God’s faithfulness.

            “God promised Abraham and Sarah that they would have a son despite their advanced age (Gen 17:15-19; 18:10, 14; cf. Rom. 9:9), and she bore Isaac (Gen. 12:7; 13:14-17; 15:7, 18; 17:8; 26:3; 28:13, 35:12; 50:24; Ex. 12:25; 33:1; Num. 32:11; Deut. 1:8; 6:10; Josh. 23:5; cf. Heb. 11:9), and ‘not one of the good promises which the Lord had made to the house of Israel failed; and came to pass’ (Josh. 21:45; cf. 1 Kings 8:56).  The Lord promised David, ‘Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever’ (2 Sam. 7:16; cf. v. 28; 1 Kings 2:4; 8:24-25; 9:5).  The promise will ultimately be fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ, who will sit ‘on the throne of David and [reign] over his kingdom, to establish it to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore’ (Isa. 9:7; cf. Luke 1:32-33).

            “But the most significant of all God’s trustworthy promises is the promise that He would send His Son, the Messiah and Savior, into the world.  In 2 Corinthians 1:20, Paul wrote, ‘For as many as are the promises of God, in [Christ] they are yes.’  ‘For the testimony of Jesus, ‘ the apostle John added, ‘is the spirit of prophecy’ (Rev. 19:10). In keeping with that truth, the Old Testament is filled with hundreds of prophecies of the coming Christ, and the remainder will be fulfilled when He returns in glory.

            “Immediately after the fall, God promised to send a Redeemer (Gen. 3:15) and ‘when the fullness of time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law’ (Gal. 4:4).  The Old Testament said that the Messiah would be a descendent of Abraham (Gen 22:18) and David (2 Samuel 7:12-13; Ps. 89:3-4; Jer. 23:5), and Jesus was (Matt. 1:22-23).  According to Micah 5:2, the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, and Jesus was (Matt. 2:1).  Isaiah (40:3) and Malachi (3:1) predicted that Messiah would be preceded by a forerunner, and John the Baptist fulfilled that role for Jesus Christ (Matt. 3:1-3; Luke 1:17).  Jesus was the prophet like Moses (Deut. 18:15-18; cf. Acts 3:20-22); the ‘priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek’ (Ps. 110:4; cf. Heb. 5:5-6); the suffering Servant who bore the sins of His people (Isa. 53:4-6; cf. 1 Peter 2:24); the ruler of the nations (Ps. 2:6-9; Isa. 9:6; cf. Rev. 19:15-16); and the one exalted to the Father’s right hand (Ps. 110:1; cf. Acts 2:32-36; Heb. 1:3; 10:10-12).  Those are but a few of the numerous Old Testament prophecies the Lord Jesus fulfilled (cf. Ps. 2:7 with Heb. 1:5; Isa. 11:2; 61:1 with Matt. 3:16; Acts 10:38; Zech. 9:9 with Matt. 26:63; John 1:29; Isa. 52:14; 53:3 with Matt. 26:67; John 19:3; Isa. 50:6 with Mark 14:65; John 19:1; Ps. 22:16; with Matt. 27:35; John 20:25, 27; Ps. 22:1 with Matt. 27:46; Ps. 22:7-8 with Matt. 27:39-44; Ps. 22:18 with Luke 23:34; Isa. 53:12 with Luke 22:37; Ex. 12:46 with John 19:33, 36; Zech. 12:10 with John 19:34, 37; Isa. 53:9 with Matt. 27:57-60; Ps. 16:10 with Acts 2:25-31; 13:35; Isa. 29:18 with Matt. 11:5).

            “But despite the clear testimony to the Lord Jesus Christ in the Old Testament (cf. Luke 24:27, 44-47; John 5:39) only a small, believing remnant in Israel were prepared to recognize Him when He arrived.  Among them was an old couple, a common priest named Zacharias and his barren wife, Elizabeth, who became the parents of Messiah’s forerunner (Luke 1:5ff.)  Also a part of that small believing remnant was a young couple just beginning their life together, Joseph and Mary, Jesus’ earthly father and the virgin in whom He conceived by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:34-35).  The shepherds who received the angelic announcement of Jesus’ birth (Luke 2:8-20) were also members of the believing remnant.  All of them were humble people, far from the elite circles of Jewish thought, education, or religion.  Yet they were chosen by God for monumental service in connection with the birth of the Messiah.

            “In verses 25-38, Luke introduced two more members of the believing remnant, who further testified to the infant Jesus’ true identity and mission: Simeon and Anna.  Both were advanced in years, lived in Jerusalem, were associated with the temple and were ‘looking for the consolation of Israel’ (v. 25) along with ‘all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem’ (v. 38).  They, like John the Baptist would later be, were burning and shining lamps (John 5:35) in the spiritual darkness of a hypocritical and apostate nation.”

            I have to say that I have written many Spiritual Diaries since I began to write them way back in the 1990’s and I don’t think that I Have ever had as many verse references as that are in this SD, but looking at these references I have to believe that they tell the story of the Messiah in wonderful ways, so it was worth the effort to write all of these references.

Spiritual Meaning for My life today:  It is a wonderful privilege, blessing, and honor to be born-again into the family of God, something that has been the very best thing that has ever happened to me in my life.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  To continue to trust the Lord for what is going on in our life, knowing that God is in control, and that He loves us and will continue to guide us.

4/10/2026 8:49 AM

 

PT-2“The Purification and Presenting” (Luke 2:22-24)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 4/9/2026 6:35 PM

My Worship Time                                                  Focus: PT-2“The Purification and Presenting”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                Reference:  Luke 2:22-24

            Message of the verses:  “And when the days for their purification according to the Law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord: “Every firstborn male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”), and to offer a sacrifice according to what has been stated in the Law of the Lord: “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”

            I would like to finish this SD in this evenings SD. 

            Now it is not explicitly stated in the text, I think it is safe to assume that Josehp and Mary paid the five-shekel redemption fee for Jesus, since they ‘performed everything according to the Law of the Lord” as seen in verse 39.  That fee, coupled with the expense of traveling to Bethlehem and staying there for an extended period of time, was a significant financial burden for this very young couple. We can surely tell according to what we will be looking at later that Joseph and Mary were not a wealthy couple, but we know that God will provide, and it seems to me that sometime soon after the birth of Jesus that there were some men who had come from the middle east would bring them gifts, but I think that would be a bit later.  “11  And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.”  Now I know that after this gift that Mary and Joseph were instructed in a dream that Joseph had to take Jesus to Egypt, and this could have been a fairly long time after the birth of Jesus, and so they would have used the funds the wise men gave them to take care of that trip to Egypt.  The point is that we know that God was taking care of the birth of His Son and the family He was born into.

            MacArthur writes “After his parenthetical statement in verse 23, Luke returned to the other reason Joseph, Mary, and Jesus went to the temple.  After her forty days of uncleanness following the birth of her Son, Mary had to enter a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord.  This again reveals her righteous character and commitment to obeying the law of God.

            “Just as her ceremonial uncleanness pictured sin, so Mary’s sacrifice symbolized the ultimate sacrifice for sin that her own Son would make on the cross.  That sacrifice granted direct to God (symbolized by the tearing of the temple veil [Matt. 27:51]) by fully satisfying His  wrath and atoning for the sins of all who put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

            “The normal sacrifice was ‘a one pigeon or turtledove for a sin offering ‘ (Lev. 12:6).  For those whose means were not sufficient for such and offering an alternative was provided: ‘But if she cannot afford a lamb, then she shall take two turtledoves or two young pigeons, the on for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering; and the priest shall make atonement for her, and she shall be clean’ (v. 8).  Having made her offering, Mary was once again ceremonially clean.  That she offered the alternative offering, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons, showed that she and Joseph were poor.  It also indicates that they had not yet seen the wise men (Matt. 2:11), since the valuable gifts they brought would have allowed Joseph and Mary to afford a lamb for the sacrifice.  That Mary offered a sin offering is consistent with the reality that she was a sinner in need of a Savior (cf. 1:47).” “47  and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”  “The Catholic dogma that Mary was immaculately conceived and lived a sinless life finds no support in Scripture.

            “Joseph and Mary’s obedience to the law of God shines forth throughout the narrative of Christ’s birth.  Giving Him the name Jesus in obedience to the angel’s command (Matt. 1:21), presenting Him in the temple, paying the fee required for a firstborn son, and Mary’s scrupulous observance of the law of purification demonstrate that they, like Zacharias and Elizabeth, ‘were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord’ (Luke 1:6).  That righteousness validates their confirming testimony to their Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.”

4/9/2026 7:00 PM