Consolation in Christ

It has been four hundred years since there had been a prophet in Israel. The nation was now under the rule of King Herod and under the thumb of the mighty Roman Empire. They were a long way from King David and the glories of Solomon’s reign. The ruling class in the priesthood preached a doctrine of legalism and had gone far from the truth of God’s revealed word of grace and faith found in the law and the prophets. Simeon, who was now an old man, was sorrowful. He sorrowed over the condition of his people. He sorrowed over the condition of the nation. He sorrowed over the condition of his own soul. There was no solace in possible political reform or military upheaval against Rome. There was no comfort in King Herod’s reign or the temple he built. As the Pharisees, scribes and Sadducees jockeyed for position and power and as the politicians maneuvered back and forth for power, Simeon a devout man of God sorrowed and waited. Yet he was not as those who had no hope.

Simeon, being just and devout, knew the promises of Scripture. He knew that the seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpent. He knew that all the nations of earth would be blessed through the seed of Abraham. He knew that the Seed of David would sit on the throne in Jerusalem and have an everlasting kingdom. He knew that the servant of Jehovah would be wounded for our transgressions and be acquainted with our grief. Simeon had hope and comfort from his sorrows in the consolation of Israel. Simeon knew and looked for what we know and see by faith. Our consolation, our comfort, our hope is found in Christ Jesus the Lord. He forgives the sinner of His sins. He clothes the sinner in His righteousness. Our comfort and consolation is that by grace, through faith, we are in Christ. By the death of Christ and His resurrection from the tomb, we stand in Christ clean, forgiven, and justified. That is consolation.