Author: Wade McRoberts

I'm a follower of Jesus Christ. I graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 1976 and served in the Air Force for 29 years. I flew the A-7D, the A-10A, the F-117A, and the F-16C. After retirement in 2005, I worked as a defense contractor. I was diagnosed with ALS in April, 2018. I received my tracheostomy in December, 2019, and have been breathing with the aid of a ventilator since. I have lost total use of my limbs, and write using a tablet with eye-gaze technology. I want to share my journey with you and share the hope that I have in the Lord Jesus!
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Truth

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”   (John 8:31-32, NASB)

As I write, I look out my window and see a fresh blanket of snow from God’s storehouse (Job 38:22).  It’s beautiful.  Our neighbor’s grandsons shoveled our driveway, so that’s one less thing Sue has to worry about.  I thank God for those young men.  Shoveling snow is yet another item I’m unable to do for her. 

Sue and I used to be involved in party politics in our county.  It always amazed me that even though the people on our committee agreed on 99% of the issues, there were still arguments.  More than once during these disputes, I heard one party say to the other, “The truth shall set you free.”  What that person was really implying was that the other was lying (Another phrase I heard a lot was, “I’ll pray for you.”  I knew that person wouldn’t pray for the other, but I always thought I would respond by saying, “Really?  And how will you pray for me?”  Or give them a list of my prayer requests!). 

Once while reading this passage I realized that there is a lot more to this than just an accusation or a retort while arguing.  There is a progression that leads one to finding the truth before he is set free.  There is also the aspect of truth being found in a Person. 

According to the Apostle John’s account, Jesus is speaking with some Jews who believe in what He has been saying.  He begins this “If . . . then” progression with “If you continue in My word,” meaning they believe in Jesus, and love Him, and follow His commandments.  The result of this condition?  ” . . . then you are truly disciples of Mine.”  

free
John 8:31-32 image. Found at Simply Thankful https://simplythankful.blog/2016/06/27/scripture-of-the-week-then-you-will-know-the-truth-and-the-truth-will-set-you-free-john-832/

So in order to become a disciple of Jesus, you must believe in Him, love Him, and listen to His words.  Jesus goes on to say that once that condition is met “you will know the truth.”  Once one knows the truth, then “the truth will make you free.”  So in order to be freed, you must know the truth.  To know the truth you have to be a disciple of Jesus.  And to be His disciple, you must believe in Him, love Him, and follow His commandments.  

Simply put (I’m all for simplicity, as I’m very simple!), in order for the truth to make you free, you have to know Jesus.  After all, truth is a person, He has a name, and His name is Jesus. 

Worship: “The Truth Will Set You Free” by Dion DiMucci
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Control

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.”  Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow.  You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.  Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.”  But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil.  (James 4:13-16, NASB)

ALS is all about control–specifically, LOSING it.  Every ALS patient is different as far as how the disease manifests itself, and the order of capability loss.  For me, the progression was like so:  First went the legs (and running, driving, going upstairs, walking, then standing); then my arms (lifting, pushing, feeding myself, picking up a book, turning the pages); then the ability to breathe on my own (which led to a tracheostomy, and for me, loss of my ability to speak); and loss of the ability to eat.  I can’t do anything without someone’s assistance.  I have lost total control.  And yet the Bible passage from James reminds us that ultimately God is in control of everything that goes on in our lives. 

It’s taken me a long time to understand that God is in control.  He has and does orchestrate everything that happens in my life.  It’s up to me to acknowledge that, and to live my life accordingly.  That means He had a hand in my attending the Air Force Academy; in what cadet squadron I was in, and who were the people I was with; the wonderful woman He gave me for my wife; my assignments in the Air Force; who our children would be; and my post-retirement employment.  Nothing is an accident or a coincidence.  All through life God puts us together with specific people for a reason.  These are divine appointments.  Each day we are acts that are part of God’s plan. 

James was one of the half-brothers of Jesus.  The Gospel accounts give evidence that during Jesus’ public ministry, His family may not have understood Who He was, and may have thought He was crazy.  James may have gone from that mindset to become one of the leaders of the early Church in Jerusalem, and the author of this book in the New Testament. 

James 4:16 image.  Found at https://ponderinglife.blog/2020/02/28/if-the-lord-wills-james-416/

The point of this paragraph by James is that when we make plans, we need to remember that God is in control.  Instead of deciding we’re going to do this or that, we need to remember that ultimately it’s up to God.  “If the Lord wills . . . ”  We’ve all heard another form of this expression:  “Lord willing and the creek don’t rise.”  James goes further when he says that failure to recognize God’s sovereignty in the events of our lives is “arrogance,” and that is “evil.”

God willing, I’ll be around for awhile.  But if not, it’s His plan, and that’s fine with me.  His will be done! 

“You Drive, I’ll Ride,” by FFH
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Crucified

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.  (Galatians 2:20, NASB)

The verse above is one of my favorites.  I “say” it several times each day.  It helps me to remember Whose I am, and that love should be the basis of my actions.  Do I still mess things up?  Oh yes!  God is still working on me, and will be until He calls me home.  In the meantime, I’m grateful to Him for this verse. 

Apostle Paul writes this letter to Christ’s church in Galatia.  He gets into a discussion about faith vs. works.  His point is that we’re justified (made just before a holy God) by our faith, not by trying to comply with the Law of Moses (which is impossible to do).  This verse fits into his argument, in that once we’re saved, we live by faith in Jesus, and that’s what sustains us. 

What does it mean to be “crucified with Christ”?  To me, it means that I identify with His crucifixion, death, and resurrection.  It means my old self is gone and dead.  My old sin nature and my sins have been nailed to the cross. 

Galatians 2:20 image.  Found at Knowing Jesus, https://devotion.knowing-jesus.com/crucified-with-christ

I no longer live, “but Christ lives in me.”  The Holy Spirit, Christ in me, dwells in me.  I’m a tabernacle, a temple of the living God.  He’s here as Helper, as Teacher. 
I live my life now by faith in Jesus Christ.  It’s what sustains me.  I could no longer live without Him. 

He “loved me and gave Himself up for me.”  I read recently about how much Jesus loves me (paraphrasing):  I asked Jesus how much He loves me.  With His arms stretched out wide, He answered, “I love you this much!”  And then His hands were nailed to the cross.  
Jesus went to the cross willingly, and He did it for me and for you.  He took the punishment we deserve, not because of anything we did to earn it, but because God loves us so much, He sent Jesus as our Substitute.  Do you love Him? 

“Lead Me to the Cross,” sung by Francesca Battistelli
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Idols

At the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, today let it be known that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and I have done all these things at Your word.  Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that You, O Lord, are God, and that You have turned their heart back again.”  Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.  When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God.”  (1 Kings 18:36-39, NASB)

Elijah was a great prophet to the ancient northern kingdom of Israel during the time of wicked King Ahab.  One day Elijah encountered Ahab and chastised him for not following the God of Israel, but instead throwing his allegiance to idol gods, the Baals.  He then challenged Ahab to gather 450 prophets of Baal and meet him on Mount Carmel for a contest. 

Elijah then met with the people, and asked them to choose between the Baals and the one true God.  The people didn’t respond, and Elijah told them about the impending contest.  The people responded and thought it was a great idea. 

The contest would be like so:  It would pit Elijah vs. the 450 prophets of Baal.  Each team would get an ox, and prepare it for sacrifice.  Then they would call on their god/God to send fire to light their respective sacrifice. 

The Baal team went first.  They cut up the ox and laid it on the wood, then called on their god to light it.  They chanted; they raved; they cried out louder and cut themselves.  But there was no response from Baal.  

Then it was Elijah’s turn.  He repaired an altar to the Lord which had been torn down.  He prepared his ox for sacrifice, and drenched it with water so much that it filled a trench he had dug around the altar.  That’s where the passage above begins. 

So Elijah prays to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel.  He asks God to reveal Himself so that the people would turn their hearts back to Him.  God responds with fire that consumes the altar, stones, dust, and even the water in the trench.  The people believe:  “The LORD, He is God; the LORD, He is God.”  Afterward, Elijah has the people round up all the prophets of Baal, and he kills them all. 

File:Elijah slays the prophets of Baal.jpg

“Elijah Slays the Prophets of Baal,” artist unknown, c. 1873. Found at Wikipedia, en.wikipedia. org

In ancient Israel, there was a problem with idol worship.  Men would fashion “gods” of wood, stone, or gold; gods that were deaf, dumb, and blind.  They could neither move, nor help the people when they prayed to them.  Yet the people worshiped these idols. 

We have idols today, too.  They may not be inanimate objects, but they may be things that draw too much of our attention away from God or family.  Things like hobbies, sports, or work.  God wants us to pay attention to Him.  The other things are good, and at times necessary, but there has to be balance.  The ancient Israelites didn’t pay enough attention to God, and they paid for it by losing their kingdoms.  We suffer too when we don’t spend enough time with Him.  Have you spent some time with God today?  Despite our busy lives, He really wants us to. 

The Apostle Paul on idols:  ” . . .  we know that there is no such thing as an idol in the world, and that there is no God but one.  For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords, yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.”  (1 Corinthians 8:4-6)

Worship:  “Lord God of Abraham,” by Paul Wilbur 
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Spiritually Jewish

For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh.  But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.Then what advantage has the Jew?  Or what is the benefit of circumcision?  Great in every respect.  First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God.  (Romans 2:28-3:2, NASB)

I love the book of Romans.  In it the Apostle Paul, writing to the church at Rome, describes in great detail the human condition; how we are ALL sinners, and as a consequence, fall short of God’s glory; and that the only chance of redemption is through the blood of His Son, Jesus. 

Paul was, in his previous life, a pharisee of the Pharisees.  He was so convinced of the righteousness of the Jewish cause that he was a chief persecutor of Jesus’ early church:  Present at the stoning of Stephen, and seeing to the imprisonment and torture of many other Christians.  On a mission to Damascus to round up other followers, he met Jesus, and his life was changed.  


“Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ . . .  ”  Found at Tony–Antonakis Maritis, https://tonymaritis.medium.com/the-book-of-romans-6b2c414bce0e

In the text above, we see Paul’s heart for his people, the Jews.  Elsewhere he writes that he would gladly trade places with them if only they would acknowledge Jesus as Messiah.  One of the messages of this text is that the church of Jesus, and the Jewish faith, are one.  He says that to be a Jew is to be “one inwardly”; circumcised of the heart by the Holy Spirit; and he seeks his praise from God, not from men.  I read this passage once years ago, and I thought, “I’m a spiritual Jew!”

In the next paragraph, Paul writes of the special responsibility of the Jewish people.  He says “that they were entrusted with the oracles of God.”  God established Israel with the intent that they would spread God’s laws throughout the earth.  God spoke this idea to Moses on Mount Sinai just before He gave him the Ten Commandments:  “Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”  (Exodus 19:5-6)  The Ten Commandments, as well as the 603 other commandments in the Torah, were given specifically for the Jews to send to the rest of the world. 

So if you’re a follower of Jesus, you’re also spiritually Jewish.  Why not?  The Savior was born and raised a Jew.  Jesus practiced the Laws of Moses, and observed the feasts and festivals ordained by His Heavenly Father.  Christianity is fundamentally a Jewish faith.  Gordon Robertson, President and CEO of the Christian Broadcasting Network, recently said on “The 700 Club,” “The longer I’m a Christian, the more Jewish I become.”  I  couldn’t agree more. 

“Gadol Adonai (Great Is the Lord),” from the Praise to our God 5 Concert, ft. Sarah Liberman
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Trust

Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.  Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.  It will be healing to your body And refreshment to your bones.  (Proverbs 3:5-8, NASB)

King Solomon, son of King David (so the book of of Proverbs begins) writes here in Chapter 3 about “trust in the Lord.”  He says you should do so “with all your heart.”  The Hebrew word for “all” there means “all!”  There’s no ambiguity in the meaning.  I’m to be whole-hearted in my trust in my God.  Further I’m not to count on my own confidence in situations.  I’ve seen where that goes.  “I’ve got this, God.”  No, I didn’t!  We’re to acknowledge Him in EVERYthing we do.  Why?  So He “will make your paths straight.” The straight path is used often in the Bible.  The shortest distance between two points.  The path of least resistance.  God wants to be involved in the minute details of our lives.  Business decisions, whether to retire, finances, moving the family.  He promises He’ll put us on the right path if we consult with Him.  Trust Him with all your heart. 

I did a Bible devotional just prior to the New Year called “Practicing The Presence Of God: Old Habits For A New Year.”  (By Dwell, found at the You Version app, or bible.com)  The study focused on the writings of a 15th century monk named Brother Lawrence.  He was a soldier before he joined the monastery, where he became a cook.  The premise of his life was that everything centered around God.  Whether cooking a meal, or cleaning pots, whatever he did, Brother Lawrence talked to the Lord about it.  His writings talk about his absolute joy in his relationship with God.  Brother Lawrence trusted in the Lord with all his heart, and God made his paths straight.  A book compiles Lawrence’s writings, and it’s called “The Practice of the Presence of God.”  I’d like to try to get it on Audible. 

Image, Proverbs 3:5-6. Found at Keith McGivern, https://medium.com/@keithmcgivern/trust-in-the-lord-with-all-thine-heart-and-lean-not-unto-thine-own-understanding-in-72c2c8ce2df1

King Solomon goes on in the text to caution the reader to be humble; and to “fear the Lord and turn away from evil.”  The result will be “healing to your body and refreshment to your bones.”  In my mind, humility, fear of the Lord, and resisting evil are indeed spiritually healing.  Those three are vital to having a personal relationship with the Father.  Solomon says that “fear of the Lord” is the prerequisite to wisdom.  

I’m still praying for physical healing from my ALS.  Since there’s no known cure, that would take a miracle from God.  But that’s the business He’s in.  Nothing is impossible with Him!  Should God decide to heal me in 2022, I have a list of things I’m going to do.  Number 2 is binge eating all the foods I’ve been missing, for a week, followed by a diet.  But the first thing I’m going to do is make Sue a cup of coffee. 

Whether He heals me or not, it all comes to trusting in the Lord.  Despite my ALS, I trust Him thoroughly.  He has made my paths straight.  He gives me hope for whatever is going to happen tomorrow.  God can do the same for you. 

Worship:  “Trust in You,” by Lauren Daigle 
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Throne of Grace

. . .  since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.  For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.  Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.  (Hebrews 4:14-16, NASB)

The author of the book of Hebrews discusses God’s throne of grace.  If you’re a believer in His Son, Jesus Christ, you have 24/7 access to the throne, and all the benefits that belong.  Among those are “that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”  I need that!  Who wouldn’t want that? 

Our writer (many Bible scholars think it’s Apostle Paul, but we don’t know for sure) tells us why we can “draw near with confidence to the throne”:  It’s because we have a “great high priest,” in the form of “Jesus the Son of God.”

File:Gottvater thronend Westfalen 15 Jh.jpg
“God the Father on a Throne, with Virgin Mary and Jesus,” anonymous painter from Westphalia, late 15th century. Found at Wikipedia Commons, commons.wikipedia.org

When Moses led God’s people through the wilderness, he received God’s commandments, including how to construct and operate His Tabernacle.  Included were instructions on the duties of the priests.  In the Tabernacle, and later in King Solomon’s Temple, the priests were to offer animal sacrifices to atone for the sins of the people.  The high priest was to enter into the presence of God once a year, into the holy-of-holies, to seek forgiveness for the people’s sins.

The author calls Jesus the “great high priest.”  Indeed He is!  He offered Himself as the ultimate sacrifice, the unblemished Lamb of God, to atone for our sins.  Whereas the high priest had to perform his duties annually, the Great High Priest sacrificed Himself once for all time.  This High Priest is acquainted with our trials and tribulations, having been tempted by the same things we are, but knowing no sin during His earthly sojourn.  The Bible tells us that Jesus ascended into heaven after His resurrection, where even now He sits at the right hand of the Father.  If you belong to Jesus, He is your Advocate, which is why you have access to the throne of grace. 

Do you know Him?  Would you accept God’s offer of “mercy and . . . grace to help in time of need”?  Jesus is waiting for you. 

Worship:  “Throne Room,” by Kim Walker-Smith
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New Year

“For thus says the Lord, ‘When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place.  For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.  Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.  I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.’  (Jeremiah 29:10-14, NASB)

The New Year!  A chance for new beginnings.  A reboot.  But isn’t everyday like that?  Maybe so, but on God’s cosmic calendar are dates which He established for us to remember things He has done, or to begin anew.  For example, on Rosh Hoshana our Jewish friends begin their weekly Torah study over again.  So there is usefulness in starting afresh.  In the portion above from Jeremiah, God says that He has plans for each of us–if we would seek them out through prayer. 

In this passage, God tells Jeremiah that after 70 years of exile in Babylon, He will begin the process to return His people to the land of Judah.  God says He has plans for the people–just as He does for each of us.  Those plans include “plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.”  God’s plan includes us praying to Him, and searching for Him with all our hearts.  Only then will we be in the place He wants us.  It’s a great thing to be in the exact place God wants us!

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:11 poster, found at Ark of the Rockies Church, ttps://sites.google.com/site/arkoftherockiescoloradosprings/colorado-springs/Jeremiah-29-11-Colorado-Springs

The New Year is a great time for taking inventory, for remembering what’s transpired over the past 12 months.  A year ago I was still eating some soft foods by mouth.  In March I had to give that up.  Chewing was exhausting, plus it was no longer safe due to the chances of aspirating the food into my lungs.  I could also turn my head slightly.  I’ve lost total ability of movement except for my eyeballs, eyelids, and my mouth.  My current challenges include being able to swallow all my saliva, and moving my mouth and tongue in such a way as to allow someone to read my lips.  Such is the progressive nature of my ALS, or as I like to call it, “Al’s.”  Oh, and my nose runs.  It’s the only thing on my body that does run!

But I can still manipulate my computer.  I plan in 2022 to read through the Bible at least once, and to study Apostle Paul’s letters, and Proverbs.  I want to spend more time “reading” as well, via Audible.  Does anyone know of a good title on the book of Romans? 

I got into a good discussion recently with Joe Shirey, an Air Force Academy classmate, my Sunday School teacher, and great friend.  He’s been a cancer survivor for over 20 years.  He said he is uncomfortable with the notion of “fighting” a disease.  We always talk about how someone is fighting, or isn’t going to let him/herself die.  Joe’s position is that’s fighting against God, and when we do that, we always lose.  I have to agree.  The Bible says that God has numbered our days.  There’s nothing we can do to increase that number.  I pray every day that God would give me the strength today to do what He wants me to do.  I think that’s all I can do.  Ultimately, whatever happens in 2022, God is in control.  His will be done. 

Have you sought God’s will for your life?  He wants to have a relationship with you through His Son, Jesus Christ.  Through His conversation with the prophet Jeremiah, God knows the plans He has for you and me.  He wants to talk with us about those plans.  He promises us a future and hope.  God is a promise-keeper.  You can count on Him!

Worship:  “God is in Control,” by Twila Paris
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Herod

Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the magi.  Then what had been spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:“A voice was heard in Ramah, Weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children; And she refused to be comforted, Because they were no more.”  (Matthew 2:16-18, NASB)

The great tragedy in the Christmas story is the “Massacre of the Innocents,” when Herod the king murdered all the little boys in the area of Bethlehem. 

The magi, the wise men from the east, saw the star of the King of the Jews, and traveled to Judea to honor Him.  They were granted an audience with Herod, and inquired as to where they could find the newborn King.  Herod sent them off in search of the Child, and instructed the magi to report back to him “so that I too may come and worship Him.”  (Matthew 2:8)  The magi then went to visit the Holy family, and worship the newborn King.  “And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way.”  (v. 12)

Herod was appointed king over the region of Judea by the occupational Roman government.  He was quite paranoid over any challenge to his authority, and any threat to interruption to the kingly line of his heirs.  When he realized the magi had not come back to him, Herod was “very enraged.”  He “sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the magi.”  (v. 16)

File:Rubens - Massacre of the Innocents - Art Gallery of Ontario 2.jpg
“Massacre of the Innocents,” by Peter Paul Rubens, between 1611 and 1612. Found at Wikipedia Commons, commons.wikipedia.org

Meanwhile, Joseph had been warned by God in a dream to take his family to Egypt, as Herod would try to kill the Child.  They remained in Egypt until Herod’s death. 
This was yet another attempt by Satan to thwart God’s plan of redemption.  Ever since God announced His plan in the Garden of Eden (“And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head,And you shall bruise him on the heel.”  [Genesis 3:15]), Satan had tried to interrupt the ancestral line between Adam and Christ.  This time he tried to kill God’s Son Himself before He could grow up and go to the cross. 

So Herod the king slew all the male children two years and younger in the Bethlehem area.  Despite the birth of the Christ Child, an atrocity like this still occurred.  This tragedy is a part of the Christmas story to remind us of the evil that takes place in the world still today.  Jesus told His disciples that there would always be troubles in this world.  But He gave us hope, because He said He had overcome the world.  He defeated Satan by completing His mission on earth.  He went to the cross and took the punishment I deserve so that by accepting His sacrifice, I can have eternal fellowship with God the Father! 

The “Coventry Carol” is a beautiful, but haunting piece about the “Massacre of the Innocents.”  Whenever I hear it I’m reminded of the injustices that remain in this world.  How God calls us to seek justice and love mercy.  And how we won’t see injustice done away until Jesus comes back again.  We spend Advent and the Christmas season preparing our hearts for His birth.  Let’s prepare our hearts for His return! 

“Coventry Carol,” performed by Clamavi De Profundis
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Simeon

. . . then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said,“Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, According to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation, Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, A Light of revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.”And His father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him.  And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed—and a sword will pierce even your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”  (Luke 2:28-35, NASB)

This is the story of Simeon, documented by Dr. Luke.  Simeon lived in Jerusalem.  He had been told by the Holy Spirit that he would meet the Messiah before he died.  He’s described by Luke as “righteous and devout.”  One day he went to the Temple, “in the Spirit.”  And that’s where he met Jesus! 

When Jesus was eight days old, His parents, Joseph and Mary, took Him to the Temple.  In accordance with the Law of Moses, they were to present Him to the priests for circumcision, to have Him dedicated, and to offer a sacrifice.  Joseph and Mary were devout and loved the Lord, which is probably why He chose them to raise His Son. 

Simeon saw the Baby, and knew this was the Child of Promise, the Messiah for Whom he had waited so long.  He was so excited, he took the Baby in his arms. 

File:Yegorov-Simeon the Righteous.jpg
“Simeon the Righteous,” by Alexey Yegorov, 1830-40s. Found at Wikipedia Commons, commons.wikipedia.org

Luke documents the subsequent Song of Simeon, in which he praises God; he says he can now die happily, as God’s promise to him has been fulfilled; and declares that God’s salvation would be for Gentiles and Israel alike. 

Simeon predicts to Mary that the Child would bring about the rise and downfall of many.  Indeed, Jesus would shake up the religious order of the day, and for all time to come.  Jesus said He came to call sinners, and not the self-righteous.  Simeon also tells Mary that her heart would be broken, later fulfilled at Jesus’ crucifixion.  Luke says that Joseph and Mary “were amazed” by the things Simeon was telling them.  It had been quite a week.  First, the visit from the shepherds, and the things they told the couple, and now this! 
Simeon was thrilled at his encounter with Jesus.  Have you met Him yet? 

The kids wanted to play ring toss with me.  Since I can’t toss the rings, I got to play goalie!