Theme: See His Face Before You Leave
Text: Luke 2:25-35 And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.
26 And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.
27 And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,
28 Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,
29 Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:
30 For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
31 Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;
32 A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.
33 And Joseph and his mother marvelled 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.
You have been to family gatherings and sometimes before leaving you would make it your business to see the host or hostess before leaving.
When I served as an Evangelist, I had the great honor of ministering to over 300 congregations around the world. Many times, after preaching and conducting the Altar Service, the Pastor of the church would come to me and say, “don’t leave before you see me.”
Many people in this world have sought to see famous faces. I lined at the Louvre Museum in Paris France to see the face of the famous Mona Lisa.
There are many Famous faces that people throughout the ages have made every effort to see.
Pope Francis
Vladimir Putin
Xi Jinping
Kim Jong-un
Bill Clinton
Barack Obama
Donald Trump
Joseph Biden
Michael Jackson
Elvis Presley
Martin Luther King junior
Shaquille O'Neal
Michael Jordan
Mohandas Gandhi
Nelson Mandela
George Washington
Abraham Lincoln
Benjamin Franklin
Queen Elizabeth II
Princess Diana
Beyoncé Knowles
Aunt Jemima
Uncle Ben
Uncle Sam
Colonel Sanders
Ronald McDonald
Mickey Mouse and Kermit, the Frog.
But today I have come by to tell you, that of all the faces you have seen or will ever see, the most important face you must see, before you leave this earth, is the face of Jesus.
SIMEON
Our text today tells us of a Senior Citizen, named Simeon.
This was not Simeon the second son of Jacob and Leah (Genesis 29:33).
This was not Simeon, one of Abraham's descendants (Luke 3:30.)
This was not Symeon, surnamed Niger, one of the teachers of the church at Antioch: (Acts 13:1).
This was not Symeon better known as Peter the apostle: (Acts 15:14).
But this was that devout Simeon whose name means “God has heard.”
This was that Simeon who took the infant Jesus in his arms in the temple. This was that Simeon who determined he was not going to leave this earth until he saw Jesus Luke 2:25, Luke 2:34.
This was that Simeon who had made up in his in mind that he would seek God until he saw the face of God.
This was that Simeon who decided that he was going to be devout and remain faithful to his word that he was going to seek the face of God. Simeon was living in Israel and Israel was living in misery. The Romans had invaded their beloved country in 63 BC and were occupying their beloved capital city, Jerusalem. Their troops marched into Jerusalem, that holy city, dedicated to the worship of Yaweh, with banners that had paintings of their gods and goddesses. This was one of the most sacrilegious desecrations of the holiest city on earth. The Romans were oppressive and cruel. Sometimes crimes were punished with the brutal execution of crucifixion. Half of the population of Israel were enslaved by the Romans. Taxation was extreme and tax-collectors were corrupt. Some resistance movements and revolts occurred but the powerful Roman Legions swiftly put down all insurrections. Hopelessness lined the horizons and the Jews continued to cry for the advent of the Messiah. Simeon was one such person and he stayed in the temple praying day and night, seeking the face of God not just for the deliverance of Israel but for the revelation of Jehovah Himself in the person of the Redeemer. Simeon wanted to see His face. Like Moses, Simeon prayed, “Lord show me your glory. Let me see your face.” Simeon sought the face of God.
Not the face of fame, but the face of God.
Not the face of fortune, but the face of God.
Not the face of fanfare, but the face of God.
Not the face of popularity, but the face of God.
Not the face of power, but the face of God.
He sought and sought and sought the face of God. Then one day, somebody help me, one day, one day, one day He heard from the Holy Ghost. It makes a difference when you hear from the Holy Ghost:
Moses heard from the Holy Ghost, and he told Pharaoh, “let my people go.”
Joshua heard from the Holy Ghost, and he said, “as for me and my house we will serve the Lord.”
Esther heard from the Holy Ghost, and she said, “If I perish, I perish But I’m going to see the Lord.” Mary heard from the Holy Ghost, and she said, “My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.” Luke 1:46, 46).
Make it your business to hear from the Holy Ghost.
Simeon heard from the Holy Ghost, and the Holy Ghost revealed to him that he would not die until he saw the face of the Messiah.
Indulge me for a moment as I recount this narrative my way:
Simeon looked up in the temple that day,
As he left the place where he did pray.
A young woman about 16 years old,
With Joseph her husband, came out of the cold.
They looked so different to others who had come,
To the holy temple to dedicate their son.
Many had come to that temple before.
And Simeon saw them all , but he was looking for more.
More than riches, or wealth or great name,
More than popularity, more than status or fame.
He was patiently waiting, all those years to see,
The One who the consolation of Israel would be.
Simeon waited and waited to see God’s Son,
For he knew he won’t die till Messiah had come.
He came to the temple as a very young man,
Many years were gone, since his journey began.
“You would not die,” the Holy Ghost said,
“Christ surely would come, before you are dead.”
Now he was old, his eyesight was dim,
His hearing was leaving, he had grown thin.
He walked up to Mary and Joseph with halting gait,
It was in the evening, soon it would be late.
But Simeon insisted, the baby he’d see,
He knew this was the Maker, of eternity.
Just one quick look, please, “Let my eyes behold,
Please give him to me, this baby I must hold.”
For decades he’d waited, this child to see,
Now he was holding the Savior of humanity.
When Simeon looked into the eyes of the Babe.
He saw the One Who would die, humanity to save.
He saw the Healer, the Master, the King,
He saw the One of whom all the heavens sing.
Simeon looked and saw more than tongue could tell,
He saw the One who would make things well.
He saw grace and forgiveness and faith for the hour.
He saw deliverance, and salvation, by God’s great power.
He saw the one Who would die on the cross,
The only One that could save the lost.
He saw the face of the One, Who in a tomb would be laid.
But on the third day would rise up again.
So, this Christmas season,
Don’t make the mistake,
To continue your living
Without His face seeing.
See Him now as Savior with face smiling.
Or see Him later as Judge with face frowning.
Like Simeon of old, be courageous and bold.
Vow to leave this place, only after seeing His face.
