Luke 2:25-26 25And behold, there was in Jerusalem a man whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, as he waited for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
As Mary and Joseph were in the temple precincts offering the baby Jesus to the Lord, a man named Simeon came up to them in a surprising way. The temple was a crowded area, with many people coming and going with sacrifices. Mary and Joseph were likely not the only ones dedicating a son on that day. To have a stranger focus upon them must have been quite a shock, but also affirming of all that had happened up to this point. Luke provides four descriptions of Simeon in verse 25. First, he was righteous, which implies that he faithfully obeyed God’s laws. Second, he was devout, which adds further weight and description to his devotion to God’s laws (see Acts 22:12).
All Jews should have been living by these first two descriptions. The third description is more surprising and less common with his expectation that God would intervene in Israel’s situation. The word often translated as consolation (paraklēsin) can mean encouragement, comfort, or lifting up someone’s spirit. It is related to the word used to describe the ministry of the Holy Spirit in John 15:26. Simeon was looking for God to change Israel’s situation, and as the story goes on, he saw that hope fulfilled in the eight-day-old infant Jesus. Jesus came in fulfillment of Isaiah 49:13, 52:9, and 66:13, which speak of the hope of God’s intervening comfort in Israel’s dire situation.
The last description indicates the special relationship with God that Simeon had with being filled with the Holy Spirit. The implication of these verses is that this was a special occasion and filling and not a continual filling that would come later on the day of Pentecost. In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit came upon people in special ways and situations resulting in prophetic action or words. The Holy Spirit has been significant in the stories thus far in Luke, with each of the major characters being filled with the Spirit in some way.
The rest of the story shows how Simeon was guided and inspired by the Holy Spirit. Luke notes several results of the Holy Spirit’s presence in his life. Verse 26 mentions first that he had received guidance and conviction from the Holy Spirit about his own future. Prophets in the Old Testament received oracles, visions, dreams, or strong senses about certain future events that would happen. One of the primary activities of a prophet is to speak forth future events in a predictive way. The Holy Spirit gave Simeon the strong conviction that he would die until he saw the Messiah. There is no indication in the story of Simeon’s age, but the reference to his death in this verse has led interpreters to view him as already old. His age is not a factor in the interpretation of this verse. Luke emphasizes more Simeon’s devotion and God’s response by giving the Holy Spirit to be the guide and inspiration. Simeon was open and prepared for God’s promise. He faithfully looked for the Messiah, developed a strong conviction through the presence of the Holy Spirit in his life, and he did not lose this hope but believed God would answer his prayer. He serves as a model of one who faithfully seeks God and acts on that faith.
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