J. Albrecht…Advent 3…Simeon’s Song – Amazing Peace…December 14^th, 2025…Luke 2:25-32

²⁵ 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. ²⁷ And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, ²⁸ he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, ²⁹ “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; ³⁰ for my eyes have seen your salvation ³¹  that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, ³² a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. Amen.

INJ Whose Advent coming brings peace to all who call upon His name in faith, DFR:

The most famous period of peace in history is the Pax Romana, or the era of Roman Peace. Beginning in 27 B.C with Octavian, or Caesar Agustus’ consolidation of the Roman Empire, this period of peace lasted 200 years. The Pax Romana brought many advancements to the ancient world – the concept of “all roads lead to Rome” was started and finished. A universal language was spoken throughout the land. And most importantly, the people dwelt securely. The Pax Romana was God’s gift to the world, for through it, the day of God’s salvation had drawn nigh and the Advent of the Messiah had begun.

Has God given you the gift of peace this Advent season? Or, has this time of year been one of exasperation, an over-packed schedule, unruly stress, or overwhelming sadness? As we continue our study of the songs of Advent, we stop…Stop our stresses, worries, and schedules, to ponder the greatest gift of God – the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ, who came as our Savior at Bethlehem, who comes to us this very morning to give us His peace and presence, and who has promised to come again as our triumphant Lord and King.

One of the gifts God gives to us this Advent is the gift of His peace. During the season of Christmas, many people talk about peace and even sing about peace. An often-favorite hymn goes, “Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!” But how many people know true peace? How many times have you wished for a peace of mind? And have we not all desired peace in our souls – that is, peace with God? Or, is that a phrase we relegate as something only said to people on their deathbeds?

This morning, we examine the song of Simeon. His song may very well be titled, Amazing Peace. The song of Simeon reminds us that we don’t “make peace.” God did and still does! How does the Lord give us that peace?

We are told very little about Simeon, only that he was a devout man, righteous before God. His righteousness was akin to that of Abraham of whom Paul said, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” That is to say, Simeon had faith in God’s promise of salvation that would come through His Son – the Messiah. His faith, confidently rooted in the sureness of God’s promise, made him a righteous man. One other thing we are told about Simeon is that the Lord promised he would not see death until he saw the Lord’s Christ. That day to see Jesus had come.

As Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple to be consecrated to the Lord, the Holy Spirit led Simeon to the baby Jesus and His parents. Simeon took little Jesus in his arms and broke into a song of praise to God.

God led Simeon to understand that the little baby he was holding was the Prince of Peace, the one chosen by God to save the world. He sings, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; ³⁰ for my eyes have seen your salvation. Simeon was led by God to know and believe that in Christ, God was making peace with humankind. That through this child, God would give to His people peace of heart, mind, and soul that could be found nowhere else. Most of all, this peace of God was now Simeon’s. He had seen with his own eyes, the promised salvation of God. Simeon’s peace rested in the fact that his sins were forgiven because of what Jesus would do.

The closer we get to Christmas, the harder it is to find people who are at peace with other people, with God, or even themselves. Though we replay the Christmas message each year and talk about “peace on earth, goodwill toward men,” it seems like that only exists in a past life and we don’t see much of it living in color. The peace that Christ brings requires us to stop and look to Him. But, we’ve become so busy that the pace of life overshadows the purpose of life, so that there is no peace in our lives.

Christmas can be a difficult time for many. There is financial strain from the extra expenses of gifts; strains within the family are made more obvious; more people die during the holiday season than at any other time during the year. Sure, there will be the day when presents are unwrapped and joy will abound, but how quickly does it wear off? How quickly does the raw reality of life set in? All that remains is a pile of bills, and the gnawing, aching hole left by someone we love dearly. Where is the peace?

In the temple with Simeon, there were, no doubt, many busy people hustling and bustling around. In doing so, they missed out on the peace that Simeon found. Are we so busy with the externals of Christmas that we miss the gift of peace? Are we trying to find peace in the perfect gifts, the right company, or financial security?

Shooting stars are one of the many marvels visible in the night sky. They move across the sky as such a speed, that if you turn away for even a split second, you miss it entirely. If we miss the peace of Jesus Christ this Christmas, we miss more than just a piece of rock flying through space. We miss out completely on the peace of heart, soul, and mind that God gives.

Simeon didn’t look away, in fact, he looked forward. Simeon looked to when the Baby he was holding would be lifted up on the cross to bear the curse of sin. He looked to when the Son of God would be mocked, beaten, and crucified. He looked to when the innocent Prince of Peace would endure the full wrath of God and suffering of hell in your place and mine. Simeon trusted in the words of Isaiah, “The chastisement that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.”

Today, we share the same eyes of faith with Simeon. See how Jesus offered Himself up as our substitute and our Savior to bring us peace that allows us to put our lives in God’s hands.

Though we aren’t told how long Simeon had to wait before he saw Jesus, it does seem like he waited quite a while. And yet, he never gave up. He had confidence that God would make good on His word. Vs 25 tells us that Simeon was, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

In faith, do we expect the blessings of God’s presence and peace in our lives? The color purple (blue) reminds us of the Advent hope that we have in Christ. Our hope in Christ and the peace He comes to bring is more than just wishful thinking. Our hope is based on the sure promises of God. Along with Simeon, since we have seen by faith the salvation of the Lord in Christ Jesus, we can be dismissed to go out into the world in peace.

God opened Simeon’s eyes to the fulfillment of His promises in Christ. This morning, as we hear God’s Word of promise, He opens our eyes, our ears, and our hearts so that we can confidently know and expect God’s blessings.

Christ’s coming assures us that our sins are forgiven. The abundant life Christ brings is ours, so that in Him we have no need for anxious worry. Paul writes in Phil. 4:6-7: do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

When I was in grade school, we had two piranhas as class pets. Sometimes they would go through the weekend without being fed. Come Monday, when they were fed, they absolutely devoured it so there was absolutely nothing left. That is what Jesus has come to do for you. Your failures, your struggles, your feelings of inadequacy, your losses – His death and resurrection have swallowed them up and, in their place, He offers you, His peace. His grace is sufficient for all your needs. The peace of His presence enables us to live each day to the fullest, to His glory.

As Simeon holds the Christ Child and praises God in his amazing song of peace, he declares that his gift of God’s peace will be “a light for revelation to the Gentiles.” God reminds us in this song of Simeon that the peace of God in Jesus Christ is not just for a certain group of people. The mercy of God in Christ is for everyone! Forgiveness of sins, life and salvation are offered to all through the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Growing up in Minnesota, we didn’t get to see very many Green Bay Packer football games on TV. When we did, we made sure to time all bathroom breaks and food resupplies for the three-minute commercial break. We didn’t want to miss a single precious moment of the game, especially if it was an important game. When the game would come back from commercial you would hear a yell, “ITS ON!!!!!!!!!!!”

If the moments of a game can be so precious to us, how much more precious is the birth of the Savior of the world! And with how much more urgency we should declare this peace to those who are scrambling by – both those who have not yet found this peace from God, and also those who have heard, and yet might need the encouragement from their fellow Christian to stop and find peace at the manger.

The peace of Christ Jesus doesn’t simply come to us. It also goes through us! In response to the live-giving eternal peace we have in our hearts and lives, we become witnesses like Simeon. Simeon declared the light of God’s peace in Christ to all in the temple who would listen. God’s peace and presence in our lives moves us to become witnesses this Advent and Christmas season in our words and actions.

Simeon came into the temple that day long ago to worship the God who had promised to send a Savior who would give him perfect peace. He left the temple that same day having held the Promised One of God, the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. In true faith, this Advent and Christmas, we behold Christ once again as the Savior who gives us life and salvation. We worship the God who keeps His promises! But we cannot leave as we came. We come to worship – we leave to witness.

This Advent and Christmas, we will hear a lot about peace. While the world sings about peace and talks about peace, we know and trust in the peace that God came to bring us in the Christ Child. Like Simeon, may the peace of Christ fill your heart and mind. May His peace bring you the assurance and comfort of His forever presence. And may His peace move you to become a powerful witness for Him. Amen