Jessica Robinson

It’s been an unusual year, and I’m not talking about unusual because of wildfires, hurricanes and elections. I could say my year has been unusual because I wanted to start decorating for Christmas before Thanksgiving. In previous years, I have proudly chided that it was blasphemy to pull out the manger scene before we even cut the turkey. I would cling onto fall as long as I could. 

Yet I found myself at Hobby Lobby buying decorations at 50% off at the beginning of November. Afterwards, it was all I could do to resist the temptations to pull said decorations from the box. 

I feel like I am stuck in fall waiting for Christmas. Christmas is the time we set out to celebrate the birth of our lord and savior Jesus Christ. It’s the holiday I’ve begun to enjoy more each year of my Christian walk. 

It is so easy to turn the last page of the Old Testament to the New Testament thinking that the events of the birth of Jesus in Matthew chapter 1 unfolded in a blink of an eye. Yet, what we don’t realize was there was a span of 400 years that had passed. It was a time of silence during those years. The Israelites were waiting for their Messiah to come and deliver them. 

One person who I am reminded of during that time was Simeon. We actually don’t meet him until after Jesus is born in Luke 2. It says in verses 25-26, “At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.” 

This man was living with a promise that he would not die until he saw the Messiah. What was it like for Simeon as he waited? Did he wake up every day with anticipation? Was there a time that he doubted if the promise would be fulfilled? How would he know that he was seeing the Messiah?

There are many questions we can ask, but what we do know is that Simeon waited. Then, as it says in verses 27-32, “That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying, ‘Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised. I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!’” 

When the day had come, Simeon was led by the spirit to the temple in order for God’s promise to be fulfilled. Simeon knew at that moment that he could peacefully pass on because he had seen the long awaited Messiah. 

There are some people who feel stuck today. Some people are seeking a savior through various avenues, except through Jesus. Some people are just in a period of waiting and wondering when the breakthrough will come. What we can take comfort in is how Simeon described Jesus. Jesus is our savior. He is our light. We can give him all the glory. 

May Jesus be revealed to you more as we go from Thanksgiving to Christmas. 

(Jessica Robinson is the youth pastor at Glad Tidings Assembly of God.)