Simeon prophesies over the holy family

In my last post I looked at the faith of Simeon. As I summed up his faith, I said by faith he prophesied over the holy family. I try to make sure my posts aren’t too long, so I saved this prophecy for a separate post. That’s this one! So let’s look at it.

Luke 2:33-35

33 And Joseph and his mother marveled at those things which were spoken of him.

34 And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against;

35 (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.

Joseph and his mother marveled at the things Simeon said about their baby boy – they were probably still processing the things the angel had told them both, their son is the Messiah. And now this! Sometimes, when we read the gospels, we forget they didn’t know as much as we do. What we know, they were living through and trying to grasp and fathom. Mary just had a baby, he’s 40 days old, and they’re being told he will be a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel? This is a lot to take in.

And Simeon blessed them – Luke says blessed, I said prophesied; whichever word you choose, he spoke a word from the Lord to them. And it’s a hard word.

Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against – Adam Clarke, in his commentary, said of this:

“This child is set for the fall - This seems an allusion to Isaiah 8:14-15 : Jehovah, God of hosts, shall be – for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.

As Christ did not come as a temporal deliverer, in which character alone the Jews expected him, the consequence should be, they would reject him, and so fall by the Romans. But in the fullness of time there shall be a rising again of many in Israel. Romans 11:26-27 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.

And for a sign - A mark to shoot at - a metaphor taken from archers. Or perhaps Simeon refers to Isa 11:10-12. There shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an Ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: - intimating that the Jews would reject it, while the Gentiles should flock to it as their ensign of honor, under which they were to enjoy a glorious rest.”

a sword shall pierce through thine own soul. Why would this be? Simeon saw the pain and sorrow Jesus would endure and that this would break her heart. “This is a metaphor used by the most respectable Greek writers to express the most pungent sorrow, it may here refer to the anguish Mary must have felt when standing beside the cross of her tortured son.” (Adam Clarke)

As Isaiah had prophesied:

He was despised, shunned by men, A man of suffering, familiar with disease. As one who hid his face from us, He was despised, we held him of no account. Yet it was our sickness that he was bearing, Our suffering that he endured. We accounted him plagued, Smitten and afflicted by God; But he was wounded because of our sins, Crushed because of our iniquities. He bore the chastisement that made us whole, And by his bruises we were healed. (Isaiah 53:3-5, Tanakh)

Our salvation is not cheap. The Faith declares:

Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became man. He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried (Nicene Creed)

No wonder the Apostle Peter tells us, we were redeemed with the precious blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:19).

O sacred Head, now wounded,
with grief and shame weighed down,
now scornfully surrounded
with thorns, Thine only crown.
O sacred Head, what glory,
what bliss till now was Thine!
Yet, though despised and gory,
I joy to call Thee mine.

How pale art thou with anguish

With sore abuse and scorn

How dost thy face now languish

Which once was bright as morn

Thy grief and bitter passion

Were all for sinners’ gain

Mine, mine was the transgression

But thine the deadly pain

O Sacred Head, Now Wounded

Paul Gerhardt (1656; German); Translator: James W. Alexander (1829)

NEXT: Anna