Great Joy: Now I Can Die Happy

 

Great Joy

Introduction:

Merry Christmas brothers and sisters. My name is Stuart Davidson and I am the pastor here at Eastern Shore Baptist Church. I am so thankful that you are worshipping with us this morning. What a blessing it is to see you all here. 

Over the last several weeks, we have enjoyed a fresh Christmas series entitled “Great Joy”. I have said many times that I love the Christmas season. I even love the seasons working up to Christmas simply because they are working towards Christmas. Halloween is a doorway to Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving is just a doorway to Christmas. I love pretty much everything about Christmas. 

The trees are tremendous. 

The gifts and gatherings are great. 

The lights…well…the lights are lovely. 

The food…come on folks…the food is fantastic. 

I could go on and on. I just love me some Christmas. 

However, there’s something that I don’t like about Christmas. This thing that I don’t like dates all the way back to my childhood. I don’t like waiting. I’m the sort of person that when June rolls around I get excited because we finally half way through the year and in just a few short 5 months, Christmas will finally be here. I’m the sort of person that when the first college football game kicks off, we are just a few short weeks away from Christmas. 

When I was a kid it was like I was counting down the months, days, hours and seconds until Christmas morning. Now I would love to tell you that I had spiritual motives in mind but hey…I was pumped about getting those presents. 

No one likes to wait! I didn’t like waiting then and frankly, I don’t like waiting now. 

Be honest, how many of you get especially psyched about waiting at the good ole Department of Motor Vehicles? 

How many of you get pumped about that hankering for that Chick-Fil-A sandwich only to realize that it is a Sunday and you’re going to have to wait for Monday to roll around?

Waiting stinks! 

Now folks, what I am about to tell you is really going to make you think. 

Do you know that you wait for about a year of your life sitting at red lights? Well you do!

You and I will spend about 3 months of our lives waiting for food at a drive up line. 

Did you know that you spend about 2 months of your life standing at the microwave waiting for those numbers to tick down? Well you do?

You spend about a month of your life in elevators. 

Over the course of our lives, we spend a lot of time in the bathroom. 

Curious, how many of you think that men spend more time in the bathroom than women? A show of hands. Ok.

Now, how many of you think that women spend more time in the bathroom? Ok.

Well…here’s the truth. 

Men spend on average 30 to 45 minutes a day in the restroom which adds up to roughly 1.5 years in the bathroom. That’s a long time fellas. 

Women, you take the cake. Over the course of their lives, women will spend roughly 3 years in the bathroom. That’s double the amount of time of men. Im sure they have their reasons.

No one likes to wait…even though we all do a lot of waiting. 

Which brings me to the main character of today’s message. His name is Simeon. Simeon is mentioned only once in Scripture. Simeon was not a king, a priest, or a prophet with a platform, he was simply a faithful man who waited on God. Simeon was righteous and devout. He believed that God would keep His promise to send a Savior…a Messiah. He was so deeply in touch with God that Scripture says that the Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would not die before seeing the Messiah. 

Day after day, year after year, Simeon showed up at the temple trusting God’s Word, treasuring God’s will, and believing that God was still at work. Simeon did a ton of waiting. Imagine being promised something earth shattering was coming your way but day after day, that earth shattering, life altering event never seemed to come. How frustrating. 

Finally, in God’s perfect timing, on one ordinary day, Simeon was at the right place at the right time, Mary and Joseph placed the infant Jesus into Simeon’s arms, and turned a lifetime of waiting into a moment of fulfillment. As Simeon held the Savior of the world, he said in essence, “Lord, now I can rest, now I can let go, now I can die happy.” 

That brings us to the title of today’s message, Now I Can Die Happy.

Today’s Message: 

“Now I Can Die Happy”

In today’s passage, we see so much revealed about this character Simeon. We see his motivations and his goals. Do me a favor this morning and fill in the blanks under “Today’s Thought”. 

Our goal, live like Simeon! Trust God’s Word, treasure His will, and anticipate God’s work! 

Today’s Thought:

Our Goal…Live Like Simeon! Trust God’s Word, Treasure His Will, And Anticipate God’s Work!

Michael Card was a prolific singer and songwriter in the 1980’s and 1990’s. Today he spends much of his time writing and teaching. He wrote a short, small Christmas book entitled “The Promise”. I highly recommend it to you if you are looking for something to get your mind into the Christmas season. Listen to what he says about Simeon. 

“Simeon teaches us not only how to wait but how to hope and how to look with eyes of faith. His life reminds us that God’s promises are worth every moment of patient expectation. Simeon shows us that when we set our hearts on the coming of Jesus, our longings are not misplaced. He waited his whole life for the Messiah, and the moment he held Jesus in his arms, every hope was fulfilled and every promise proved true.”

Today’s Quote:

“Simeon teaches us not only how to wait but how to hope and how to look with eyes of faith. His life reminds us that God’s promises are worth every moment of patient expectation. Simeon shows us that when we set our hearts on the coming of Jesus, our longings are not misplaced. He waited his whole life for the Messiah, and the moment he held Jesus in his arms, every hope was fulfilled and every promise proved true.”

-Michael Card’s “The Promise”

Introduction of Scripture:

So, here we are again at our focal passage of Scripture. Turn in your Bibles to Luke 2:29-32. Again, let me set the scene for you. It is 40 days after the manger. The shepherds are gone. The angels have retreated. Normal life has taken hold. Mary and Joseph have made their way from Bethlehem, a name which means “House of Bread”, to Jerusalem. This was not a terribly long trip for them but it was a significant trip. We see Joseph’s spiritual leadership and Mary’s submission to God. The three of them: Mary, Joseph, and the newborn Jesus are driven to Jerusalem by their desire to follow all that is stated in the law. 

Two commands to focus on here. The law of purification and the law of presentation.

If you go to Leviticus 12 you will see a specific law of purification. This law was observed after the birth of a son, a mother was considered to be ceremonially unclean for 40 days. At the end of that time, she was to present a sacrifice to the Lord. Luke’s Gospel tells us that Joseph and Mary brought two doves or two young pigeons to be sacrificed. This is a modest offering which reminds us how poor the newly weds were at the time. 

The second law that Jesus’ parents were adhering to was the law of presentation. Exodus 13 teaches us that the firstborn male belongs to the Lord and that he must be presented, or redeemed. Jesus is the firstborn, and though He is the ultimate fulfillment of the Redeemer, Mary and Joseph presented Him as the Law requires. 

Like all parents, Mary and Joseph would have no idea what lay before them but they choose to walk in complete obedience to the teachings of Scripture. 

So, Mary and Joseph are in the temple counts. It is an extremely busy day, lots of people. Sacrifices are being made by the priests. The blood of so many sacrifices fills the streets. You can smell the incense in the air. The incense so thick it creates a fog that hangs over the people. Animals are making all sorts of racket, sheep are bleeding. Mary and Joseph are in the mix, a normal couple carrying a baby. 

They may be a normal couple but something out of the ordinary is about to take place. 

Luke’s Gospel introduces Simeon to the reader. This is the only time we will see his name in Scripture. Briefly Luke tells us that Simeon is a man who was “waiting for the consolation of Israel”. He was waiting for God to keep His promise to bring forth a Messiah, a Savior, a Good Shepherd, and a King. The Holy Spirit is upon Simeon. Speaking to him. Guiding him. 

Mary and Joseph are doing what they are doing, being obedient to Scripture. Simeon is doing what Simeon is doing, awaiting the Promise of God. Finally, in the middle of all the chaos, the new parents and Simeon bump into one another. 

That’s when Simeon takes the Christ child in his arms. 

What follows in verses 28-32 is not just a blessing or a baby dedication. It is a declaration. A proclamation. A Spirit filled confession that this child, Jesus, is the living embodiment of salvation itself. 

A salvation prepared by God. 

Delivered by Mary. 

Protected by Joseph. 

Foretold by the prophets. 

Given for all people, people from every nation, tribe, and tongue. 

That sets the scene for us in Luke 2:28-32. 

Before we read this passage, I want to remind you that…

Statement of Belief:

“We are opening the living and powerful Word of God…truth without error, breathed out by Him, and fully sufficient for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness. It is our authority, our guide, and our hope. In honor of the God who gave us His perfect Word, I invite you to stand with me as we read it together.”

Today’s Scripture:

Luke 2:28-32 NLT

Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying, [29] "Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised. [30] I have seen your salvation, [31] which you have prepared for all people. [32] He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!"

Pastor: “This is the Word of the Lord.”

Congregation: “Praise His name, praise His Holy name. 

Simeon’s Song, A Life That Was Ready To…

I. Trust God’s Word vs. 29

So this morning, let’s look briefly at three points. Simeon’s son, a life that was ready to…first and foremost, trust God’s Word. 

That is your first point this morning. You can fill in those blanks for me. 

Trust God’s Word. 

Go back and look at verse 29. 

"Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised.

You can see that I have added a brief explanation of the point there for you on your outline. 

“Simeon fully trusted that God always keeps His promises exactly as He has spoken them.”

Friends, over the last couple of years, especially here in the South, we have seen story after story after story about all sorts of dangerous weather. Reports of flooding. Reports of hurricanes, lighting storms, even tornados. 

When the weather finally passes, the news crews interviews the people, the families that were affected. You see people who have lost their homes, their livelihood, some even have lost their loved ones. It is heartbreaking. 

Some people interviewed say “We heard the warning, we saw the alert on our phone, and we went straight to the shelter.” Others say, “We didn’t think it would be that bad. We’ve heard those sirens before.”

The difference is not intelligence. The difference is trust.

The warning is the same. The information is the same. But the outcome changes based on whether people trusted the word they were given enough to act on it.

Meteorologists are not guessing. They are reading data, patterns, pressure, radar, things most of us cannot see. When they say, “Take cover now,” they are asking people to trust what they know, even when the sky still looks calm.

That is Simeon! God told Simeon through the Holy Spirit, that he would not die before he saw the Messiah. For years, nothing. Nothing changed. Rome was still in charge. Caesar still ruled. Israel was still subjugated. The people continued to suffer. Nothing changed the temple. Business as usual. People died everyday and babies continued to be born. 

Simeon though…oh that Simeon would not give up hope. He continued to look, to wait, to keep a sharp eye. He continued to show up day after day. Imagine how tempting it must have been to grow frustrated or even angry. 

Not Simeon. Simeon trusted God’s Word more than what his eyes could see. 

So Simeon woke that fateful morning probably thinking, “Welp, here I am again…let’s see if today’s the day”! The Holy Spirit quietly nudged him to the temple that day. No need for fireworks, no need for angels, no need for a star. He trusted God’s Word. He trusted the promise made in Scripture centuries earlier. 

Friends, I want to give you a passage of Scripture for you to hold on to this morning. It comes from Numbers 23:19. Read it with me. It is there on your outline. 

Numbers 23:19 CSB

“God is not a man who lies, or a son of man who changes his mind. Does he speak and not act, or promise and not fulfill?”

I don’t know what season you’ve found yourself in today. Maybe it is a season like Simeon…a season of waiting. A season where God is growing your patience. A season where you cannot see far down the road, all you can see is what’s right in front of you. If that’s you this morning, you understand Simeon’s position. 

Here is the good news, God has not forgotten His promises. He is sure to deliver. Sure to save. Sure to never abandon you in your time of need. 

God keeps the promises that He has made. Just as a course of study, I went back in Scripture and looked for some promises that were made in Scripture and where God kept them. Here is the short list that I came up with:

God promised a Savior

Genesis 3:15, a bruised heel, a crushed serpent

Luke 2:11, “For unto you is born this day a Savior”

What God promised in the garden, He delivered in a manger.

God promised a nation

Genesis 12:2–3, “I will make of you a great nation”

Exodus 1:7, Israel multiplied just as God said

God is never slowed by barrenness, old age, or impossible odds.

God promised a land

Genesis 15:18

Joshua 21:43–45, “Not one word failed of all the good promises”

God does not forget geography, boundaries, or details.

God promised a virgin birth

Isaiah 7:14

Matthew 1:22–23

God fulfilled a sign no human could manipulate.

God promised a suffering servant

Isaiah 53

Luke 23, the cross

The promise did not skip pain, it passed straight through it.

God promised resurrection

Psalm 16:10

Luke 24:6

Death did not cancel the promise, it confirmed it.

Friends, that is just 5. 5 promises made and kept by the Almighty. Theologians say that there are roughly 7487 promises in Scripture. Going through every one of them would be one long sermon. However, you can trust God’s promises because you can trust His Word. 

Amen?

Amen!

Simeon’s Song, A Life That Was Ready To…

I. Trust God’s Word vs. 29

II. Treasure God’s Will vs. 30–31

Let’s go to our second point this morning. Simeon’s song, a life that was ready to treasure God’s will. Go back to verses 30 and 31 this morning. 

“I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people.”

Look there to the explanation of our second point. 

“Simeon treasured God’s will above his own desires, rejoicing that salvation came God’s way, in God’s time, and through God’s Son.”

The other day, my wife and I were watching TV. NBC produced a show that was narrated by the actor Kevin Costner. The show was called “The True Story of Christmas”. 

I was intrigued. 

While I was happy that the name of Jesus was being talked about on television, it didnt take me long to start critiquing the show. Yes, they did share the nuts and bolts of the Christmas story, but like all Hollywood productions, they added all sorts of extra Biblical material. They had conversations between Mary and Joseph that are not mentioned in Scriptures. Angels were just really strong men that looked like they were ripped straight from the latest Marvel movie. 

Did you know that Mary was assisted by possibly 2, maybe even 3 midwives as she gave birth to Jesus? No. Yeah neither did I because it is not in Scripture. 

Saying that, one thing that I thought that they did get right was their portrayal of Simeon. 

I found the portrayal of Simeon meeting Jesus quite moving. The scene sets up with Simeon walking through the temple courts. It is chaotic at best. People are everywhere. It is shoulder to shoulder. It is dirty, loud and bloody. Simeon is an old man. He walks with a staff. He has more hair on his face than on his head. He is moving steadily through the craziness, his eyes darting back and forth. He is looking and looking hard. Not for anyone in particular. Simeon is a man on a mission, guided purely by the Holy Spirit. 

He has been doing this same routine not for days…rather for years. Day after day, he shows up with the same result. Nothing. The Savior never shows. His parents never materialize. 

Years earlier, the Holy Spirit told him that he would see and bless the coming Messiah. Years earlier the Spirit told him that he would not die before he saw this Savior King. The Spirit told him where to go, where to look, but did not provide a timeframe. 

So, Simeon quit everything. He dedicated his entire life to waiting and looking. Looking and waiting. He dedicated his entire life to praying and remembering the Spirit’s promise. 

We don’t know anything about Simeon’s family. Was he married? Did he have friends? Did he have a job? I can imagine that when he told his friends and family what the Spirit had told him and what he was going to do, they probably told him that he was nuts. 

God sometimes calls us to do crazy things. Things that don’t make sense. 

Our culture tells us that we need to go to school, stay in line, obey the rules. Graduate. Go to college. Go to trade school. Get a degree. Get to work. Don’t forget to save. Remember your 401k. Get married. Have babies. Raise a family. Buy a house. Go in debt. Get a car. Work until you cannot work anymore. Retire. Then the doctor’s visits come. Live until you cannot live anymore. Die. 

Now don’t get me wrong, none of this is bad or wrong. It is not evil or wicked. God can use people who do this very thing. 

However, what if God calls you to do something different? What happens when the Spirit of God calls you to do something outside the norm? 

I know people who have done just that. Do you know what we often say to people who swim upstream? Do you know what we call people who trade the desk job for the mission field? Do you know what we call people who choose less money in the pursuit of more purpose? Do you know what we call people who dedicate their lives to others instead of selfishly focusing on themselves?

We call them crazy! 

I have no doubt that Simeon was considered an odd ball. People probably whispered about him in the corners of the crowd, “here comes that crazy old cooter”. People probably steered their children away from Simeon, not wanting their kids to turn out like that guy. 

“Don’t go wasting your life like that crazy old Simeon!” They’d say. 

Now, we have the gift of hindsight. We know that Simeon didn’t waste his life. 

Go back to the TV show. Simeon is walking through the crowd, then suddenly, he locks eyes with Mary and Joseph. The Spirit speaks to Simeon! 

“It’s Him!”

Tears start streaming down the old man’s face. Simeon approaches the young couple, takes the baby in his arms, and blesses Him. 

It is at this point that I lean over to Angela and say, “imagine being there in that moment. Think about what that must have felt like for Simeon. He is holding God is his hands. Simeon is holding an infinite God, an all powerful being, a being not bound by time or space, in his human hands.”

Think about that for a second folks. 

Oh no friends. I don’t think Simeon for one second thought that he was wasting his life. I don’t think that for one second that Simeon thought that he has thrown his life away. I think that in that moment, Simeon’s life found its meaning, its purpose. 

His life could be summed up in one verse. Psalm 40:8. 

Psalm 40:8 NIV84

“I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.”

Church, here is the lesson Simeon teaches us. God may call us to release our plans, surrender our timelines, and loosen our grip on what we thought life would look like. And yes, from the outside that can look like loss, sacrifice, or even foolishness. But when you finally experience the fulfillment of God’s promise, you realize you never gave up anything of real value. Simeon traded comfort for calling, certainty for faith, and routine for obedience. And in return, he held salvation in his arms. When God’s will is treasured above our desires, His promise always proves greater than the sacrifice.

Simeon’s Song, A Life That Was Ready To…

I. Trust God’s Word vs. 29

II. Treasure God’s Will vs. 30–31

III. Testify to God’s Work vs. 32

Ok, last point this morning. Simeon’s song, a life that was ready to testify to God’s work. 

Fill that in for me this morning. 

His life was ready to trust God’s word, treasure God’s will, and testify to God’s work. 

Go back and read verse 32.

“He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!"

“Simeon could not keep silent because encountering Jesus always moves faithful hearts to proclaim God’s saving work to the nations.”

Now Simeon gave a pretty bold and powerful testimony. Do you know what it means to testify? Now we use that word a lot in Christian circles. We say it all the time but do we really know what it means to testify?

To testify means that you openly declare what God has done, based on personal experience and confirmed truth. 

At least that’s what the Google machine told me. 

Oh there were lots of people testifying in Scripture. 

The blind man in John 9 testified, “I was blind, now I see..”

The disciples testified to the resurrection because they saw the risen Christ. 

What about Simeon? He testified when he held Jesus and declared, “My eyes have seen your salvation”.

Testify is the root word of testimony. A testimony does not require you to be perfect. 

It just requires honesty. 

Your testimony is powerful. It carries power because it points people away from the witness and towards the work of God. 

Brothers and sisters we testify not because we know everything, but because we have seen enough to trust Him. 

I love what Isaiah says in chapter 46 verse 6…

Isaiah 49:6 ESV

“I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

Simeon didn’t care who was listening. He didn’t care what the norms of the day was. He was bold, loud, and firm in his desire to see the baby Jesus exalted among the nations. 

What about you friends. Sadly, some of you in this very room will go an entire year without even mentioning the name of Jesus at work or on the ball field, or in the dance studio, or out on the bay, or with your fishing buddies. You won’t testify to the name of Jesus at the hunting camp, or on the travel ball field, or in the coffee shop. You’ll go an entire year without telling your family member about Jesus and what He has done for you. 

Chuck Kelly, the former President of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary used to say in every sermon that he gave that 85% of all Southern Baptist Churches are either plateaued or declining. I doubt that the figure is that off even today. It may be worse. 

Why is that? 

A recent study found 61 percent of church attenders had not told someone how to become a Christian in the past six months, even though 80 percent agree it’s essential. 

In the same study, 90 percent of believers say they’re open to faith conversations, and many have prayed for unsaved friends, but fewer consistently share Scripture or invite someone to church.  

Friends, I want to challenge you this morning. Don’t let this year go by without sharing your testimony. Share your story. How has Christ changed you, made you different, turn you into a new creation? 

Friends, if you have met Jesus, you should desire to share Him. You should live ready to testify about Him. Perhaps you have not told anyone about Jesus because you don’t know Him, you’ve never truly met Him. You’ve never been in His presence. I want to invite you today to run to the King of Kings much in the same way the Simeon ran into Him in the temple courts. Maybe you were not expecting Jesus today. Maybe you were not looking for this encounter. Either way, Jesus has opened the door. All you have to do is step through it. 

If you do know Jesus, don’t let the year end without sharing your story, testifying to the goodness of Christ. May we be a church that does not just believe the Christmas story, but boldly proclaims the Savior it reveals. Like Simeon, may our lives be ready, ready to trust God’s Word, treasure God’s will, and testify to God’s work.

My prayer for you this morning is this closing statement on your outline.

Live Ready, Wait Faithfully, Never Take Your Eyes Off Jesus!

Closing Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the gift of Your Son, Jesus Christ, the fulfillment of every promise You have ever made. Thank You for reminding us through Simeon that waiting on You is never wasted, trusting Your Word is never foolish, and surrendering to Your will is never a loss. Teach us to trust what You have spoken, even when we cannot yet see the outcome. Shape our hearts to treasure Your will above our own plans, desires, and timelines. Give us courage and compassion to testify boldly to what You have done in our lives, not out of obligation, but out of gratitude and joy. May we leave this place living ready, waiting faithfully, and keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the light for the nations and the glory of Your people. We pray this in the strong and saving name of Jesus. Amen.