Nunc Dimittis is a brief hymn of praise sung by the aged Simeon, who had been promised by the Holy Spirit that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah. Simeon was at the Temple in Jerusalem when Mary and Joseph came to present the infant Jesus for the rite of purification according to Jewish law and custom. Simeon recognized the baby as the promised Savior, took Him in his arms, and raised his hymn of praise. Found in Luke 2:29-32, it is called the Nunc Dimittis for its first words in the Vulgate (Latin) Bible: Nunc dimittis servum tuum, Domine, secundum verbum tuum, in pace (“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace”). Because of its implications of fulfillment, peace, and rest, the early church viewed it as appropriate for the ending of the day. Since the 4th century it has been traditionally used in evening worship services.
“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
For my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the sight of all nations . . . (Luke 2:29-31)
Simeon saw Baby Jesus with his own eyes, and had held Him in his own arms. God had come to earth—in the flesh.
Luke tells us that Simeon had been waiting “for the consolation of Israel.” The beautiful word consolation is paraklesis in Greek, and it means “comfort” or “encouragement.” In its other forms, in the New Testament, paraklesis is used to refer to the Holy Spirit or Jesus. The comfort that Jesus brings is His presence. He did not need to take on flesh in order to better understand us. But, maybe we needed Him to take on flesh so that WE might know that He knows? (See Philippians 2:5-8 and Hebrews 4:15).
This is what separates Christianity from all the rest. While so many others attempt to reach their gods and appease them, our God decided to reach us in the most tangible way possible. He “took on flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood” (John 1:14, The Message).
Jesus’ coming to earth was the fulfillment of everything that Simeon had been waiting for. Israel had been given the law, the prophets had spoken, and now the Messiah had come to rescue His people. Simeon’s quiet waiting was His great act of faith. Yes, now Simeon could depart in peace.
For Reflection:
- How is Jesus’ presence a consolation in your life?
- How are you waiting for God to act in your life? What helps you to keep believing, as Simeon did, while you wait?
by Laure Herlinger
Week 6 Family Talk
Before you begin reading this devotional with your family, set a timer for 5 minutes and tell them if they don’t move or talk until the timer goes off, they’ll get a prize. You can decide to make the prize something spectacular (a special treat or toy) or something disappointing (an onion, a sock) depending on what reaction you want to elicit.
You waited months and months for Christmas to come … now it’s over. The gifts are all unwrapped, the decorations come down and the parties are over. It feels sad! Maybe you opened a gift that was just placed on a shelf, maybe you ate it and now it’s gone. After months of hoping and waiting and thinking, “once I get _______ I’ll be happy!”, you don’t feel happy, just disappointed and let down. Perhaps your Christmas was like that.
But, maybe, just maybe you received a gift that was worth the wait! One that you look forward to playing with or telling your friends about. One that won’t sit on the shelf but will be used all the time. Something spectacular!
In our Gospel lesson, there were some people who had waited a very long time for something to happen. Anna and Simeon were people who worked in the temple. Both of them were pretty old and they had waited their entire lives for the Messiah. They knew God had promised to send a Savior who would lead and rescue the people. Simeon was a priest, and God had told Simeon that he would get to see the chosen Messiah before he died.
Mary and Joseph took baby Jesus to the temple after He was born. They had special ceremonies to do for Him. God told Simeon that the time had come for him to see Jesus, and he knew just what baby it was. Simeon was so excited to meet Jesus! He gave thanks to God for letting him witness the Messiah. He even said that he was satisfied and could die in peace, because he had laid eyes on the promised one. Another old temple worker was there, Anna. She also blessed God and gave thanks for this newborn Savior. Both Simeon and Anna had waited for years and years. Do you think they felt disappointed? No! They were so joyful and thankful that they had seen Jesus. He was worth waiting for.
And that’s what we need to remember. As we finish one year and enter another, and as we say goodbye to Christmas, we want to recall what it is we celebrate. We are not only happy that Christmas has come, but that CHRIST has come. Jesus reminds us that God never forgets His promises. Sometimes it seems He is slow to answer our prayers or act on His word, but He always will. Jesus is the best gift of Christmas, and He will never disappoint. We don’t just celebrate His coming one day a year. We should give thanks for it every day! He was born, lived, died, and rose again for us, to give us blessings and salvation. Let’s thank God for that now, and always.
For Discussion:
- What would it look like for us to celebrate Christmas EVERY Day of the year?
- In what ways is Jesus the best gift ever, one worth waiting for?
by Mary Ann Caler
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