My Eyes Have Seen

"Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the gentiles and for glory to your people Israel."
Luke 2:29-32

These words were spoken by a man named Simeon. He is only mentioned once in the Bible. It was eight days after Jesus had been born. As is the Jewish tradition, Joseph and Mary named him and took him to the temple in Jerusalem to be circumcised. Simeon lived in the city and the Holy Spirit moved him to go to the temple. Unlike the Pharisees, Simeon was a devout, God fearing man. The Bible says that the Spirit of the Lord was upon him. He had waited his entire life to see the One who would bring salvation to Israel. In his last days, he did.
    Jesus literally is all things to all men. There is no one on earth that has not been affected by him. Do you know that virtually every religion that has historical writings speaks of Jesus? You see, even those who have rejected him, know in their hearts that he is the Christ. He came to save all mankind. It does not matter if we are Jews or gentile, he is our savior. We cherish him in our hearts as the One who has saved us, we should also cherish him because he is the One who has saved the entire world. Simeon praised God saying: You have prepared (him) in the sight of all people." Jesus is the source of everything good and holy in our world. He is truly the Light and Glory of all the earth.
    The most incredible part of the story of Jesus is this: You and I have seen him! He is not just a historical figure, we have experienced his presence. We know he lives because we have seen his glory. Like Simeon, our eyes have beheld the salvation of the world. He made himself known to us personally. This is cause for thanksgiving. What we may consider the most simple, the most foundational part of our Christian life, is the most important reason to give thanks. Our salvation is only the beginning of our walk with him, yet is by far the most profound. David said, "Restore to me the joy of your salvation." (Psalm 51:12). This is a word you should hear right now. There is no other joy that can compare to the joy of our salvation experience. How important it is for us to return to that place often.
    If you have not given conscious thought lately, to the day you received Christ in your life, this is the time to reflect. This is the time to return to that joy, that childlike wonder we had when we first knew him. I believe this is the reason for Christmas. It focuses on a baby, a child that saved the world. We became as children when we received him and this time of year reminds us to never lose the joy we have. We have seen Jesus! He is the light and the glory of our lives...and the whole world.