I want to welcome my death in peace, praising the Lord with overwhelming gratitude as I witness the fulfillment of the promises that the Sovereign Lord made to me.

I want to welcome my death in peace,

praising the Lord with overwhelming gratitude 

as I witness the fulfillment of the promises 

that the Sovereign Lord made to me.

 

 

 

 

 

“Simeon took the child in his arms and praised God, saying: ‘Sovereign Lord, as You have promised, You now dismiss Your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the sight of all people—a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to Your people Israel’” (Luke 2:28–32).

 

 

I desire to receive grace while meditating on these words:

 

(1)   About Simeon: Simeon was a man in Jerusalem who was righteous and devout. He had received a revelation from the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. He eagerly awaited the One who would be the consolation of Israel (Lk. 2:25).  Guided by the Holy Spirit, he entered the temple just as Mary and Joseph were bringing in the baby Jesus to fulfill the purification rites (v. 27).  Taking the infant Jesus in his arms, Simeon praised God (v. 28).

 

(a)    Simeon starts his praise with the word “Sovereign Lord”, translated from the Greek word δέσποτα (despota).  This word appears 10 times in the New Testament—five times referring to God and five times to a human master, such as a slave owner or the head of a household.  In all cases, the term emphasizes absolute authority—whether divine or human—that no one can question.  In Luke 2:29, the title “Sovereign Lord” highlights God’s freedom and authority to fulfill His covenant promises.

 

(i)               Another instance of δέσποτα appears in Acts 4:24: "Sovereign Lord [δέσποτα], You made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them ...."  The context here refers to the fulfillment of God's covenant promise as spoken through David in Psalm 2:1–2: “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against His Anointed One.”

 

·        This prophecy was fulfilled as described in Acts 4:27–28: “Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed. They did what Your power and will had decided beforehand should happen.”

 

(ii)             The reason Simeon began his praise with “Sovereign Lord” in Luke 2:29 is because the Lord had promised him that he would not die before seeing the Messiah (2:26).  According to the Modern Korean Bible, the Holy Spirit had revealed to Simeon, “You will see the Christ while you are still alive.”

 

·        When he saw the baby Jesus at the temple, the promise was fulfilled, and Simeon began praising God by calling Him “Sovereign Lord” (v. 29), acknowledging God's faithfulness (v. 28).

 

(iii)           A Personal Reflection: I have usually addressed God as “Lord” (Greek: Κύριος, Kyrios) in my prayers and worship. But like the Spirit-filled Simeon, I now want to start using “Sovereign Lord” (δέσποτα) in faith.  Why? Because I believe the Sovereign Lord has already fulfilled in heaven, and is now fulfilling on earth, the promises He graciously gave me: (1) John 6:1–15 (for me personally), (2) Psalm 63:3 and 1 Peter 5:10 (for my family), (3) Matthew 16:18 (for the church).

 

·        As Jesus said, “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Mt. 6:10), I believe the Holy Spirit will continue to give me deeper conviction of this truth. 

-        Jesus is both the Giver of the Promise and the Given One (the fulfillment of the promise). As it says in Numbers 23:19: “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and then not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?”  Also, Isaiah 55:11 says: “So is My word that goes out from My mouth: It will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

 

(b)   The meaning of Simeon's words in Luke 2:29: “Sovereign Lord, now dismiss Your servant in peace, as You have promised.”  This means: “I have seen the Messiah, the Savior I have waited for all my life—now I am ready to die without regret.”

 

(i)               God had promised him (through revelation from the Holy Spirit) that he would not die before seeing the Messiah (v. 26).  Now that the promise had been fulfilled, Simeon felt his mission was complete and expressed his heartfelt desire to depart in peace.

 

·        In conclusion, this passage is a song of grateful peace, expressing Simeon's joy and satisfaction that the long-awaited promise had been fulfilled in baby Jesus, and that he could now face death in peace (Internet).

 

-        I, too, want to offer such a song of thankful peace to God and then welcome death peacefully—especially after seeing that the promises of: John 6:1–15 (personal), Psalm 63:3 and 1 Peter 5:10 (family), and Matthew 16:18 (church)___  have been fulfilled, and after feeling that I have completed the mission God has given me.

 

(c)    Simeon continues: “For my eyes have seen Your salvation” (Modern Version: “I have seen with my own eyes the salvation You prepared”).  This means: “I have finally seen with my own eyes the salvation that the Lord promised.”  In the Gospel of Luke (1:69, 71, 77), seeing Jesus is synonymous with seeing embodied salvation. Simeon foresaw the salvation for all humankind that would be fulfilled through Jesus (Hoekma).

 

·        This salvation was prepared for all people (Lk. 2:31), both: “The people of Israel” and “the Gentiles” (v. 32).  Simeon praised God with prophetic insight, foreseeing the spread of the gospel beyond the boundaries of Israel to the ends of the earth (Hoekma).

 

-        This praise of Simeon declares that baby Jesus is God’s plan for the salvation of all mankind, a light to the Gentiles and glory to Israel.  It emphasizes that God's salvation is not limited to Israel, but for all nations and peoples (Online).

 

n  Ultimately, Simeon recognized in baby Jesus the fulfillment of God’s plan of salvation, not only for Israel but for the entire world—a light to the Gentiles, a Messiah offering salvation to all, and glory to the people of Israel.

 

n  Simeon closes the Old Testament era, in which the Messiah had been prophesied but never seen.  He becomes a transitional figure ushering in the New Testament by welcoming the Messiah.  If simply seeing the infant Jesus moved him so deeply that he could face death with joy and peace, how much more joy and confidence should we—who now live in the gospel age where salvation has already been fulfilled in Christ—express in our lives! (Hoekma)

 

(ii)             Recently, during worship services, I was reminded of the hymn: " O Jesus, I Have Promised":

 

(v. 1)    O Jesus, I have promised To serve Thee to the end; Be Thou forever near me, My Master and my Friend: I shall not fear the battle If Thou art by my side, Nor wander from the pathway If Thou wilt be my Guide.

 

(v. 2)    O Jesus, while I follow According to Thy word; Fulfill each precious promise In glory as I've heard; And still I'll follow after, To serve Thee all my day, If Thou, in grace abounding But lead me in the way.

 

(v. 3)    O let me feel Thee near me, The world is ever near; I see the sights that dazzle, The tempting sounds I hear; My foes are ever near me, Around me and within; But, Jesus, draw Thou nearer, And shield my soul from sin.

 

(v. 4)    O Jesus, Thou has promised To all who follow Thee, That where Thou art in glory There shalt Thy servant be; And, Jesus, I have promised To serve Thee to the end; O, give me grace to follow, My Master and my Friend.  Amen.