Seeing Salvation

Scripture Readings: 

Luke 2:25-26

Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for 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. 

John 14:9

Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

Commentary: 

Seeing Salvation (Elizabeth Broome)

When thinking about salvation these days, my mind can’t help but consider my precious newborn. She could be in her crib screaming hysterically, but can almost instantly calm as soon as the door opens and a glimmer of light shines into the room. Her screams turn to soft moans, as though she’s saying “you’re finally here to deliver me from my impending doom!” Hopefully you are familiar with the dramatics of a newborn’s cry… if not, it’s okay for you to think I’m crazy. ‘Tis the season for me, anyway. 

The light of an opening door reminds my newborn that she has not been abandoned and forgotten in eternal darkness. This might be her personal salvation right now, but pales in comparison to salvation that is offered to us through Jesus. Because of Jesus, we can see salvation. The only way to see God the Father is through Jesus (John 1:18).

Reflect on the promise given to Simeon in Luke 2. The Holy Spirit had revealed to Simeon that he would not see death until he had seen Jesus. The Spirit led him to be in the temple the day that Jesus came. Simeon recognized that when he saw Jesus, he saw salvation (Luke 2:30). Simeon’s life was now at peace. The promise was fulfilled for Simeon. 

Jesus is our promise fulfilled. We spend advent preparing to see Him. Can you imagine what it was like for Simeon to see Him? How wonderful it must have been. God keeps His promises. As was the case for Simeon, in order to see salvation, we must first see Jesus. 

Salvation doesn’t stop with Simeon. After seeing Jesus, Simeon prophesied that Jesus was “a Light of revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel” (Luke 2:32). Jesus came to be salvation not only for the people of Israel, but also for the Gentiles, or everyone else. The promise at Christmas is that Jesus is coming. More importantly, Jesus is coming to be your salvation. 

In Luke 2, what stood out the most is that the Holy Spirit led Simeon to the temple that day (Luke 2:27). If Simeon had disobeyed the Holy Spirit’s leading, he would not have seen Jesus. Have we missed salvation because of our disobedience? We cannot see Jesus unless the Holy Spirit leads us and we cannot come to God the Father without Jesus. When we see Jesus, we see the Father (John 14:9). 

We might not be literally screaming in the darkness (or we may) like my newborn does, occasionally, but in the same manner that her mother or father go in to rescue her, God the Father sent Jesus to rescue us from darkness. He is a good Father Who cares for us. He didn’t leave us helplessly alone.  Reflect on seeing Salvation this Advent season.

Prayer & Reflection: 

Father, I praise you for allowing me to see salvation in Christ. You have shown me the light, that I might become a beacon of hope for others. Use me in this Advent season to proclaim the truth about how Light has come to invade, and conquer, the darkness.