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And [Mary and Joseph] brought [Jesus] up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord …. Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon …. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. … he [Simeon] took Him [Jesus] up in his arms and blessed God …. And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed ….” (Luke 2:22b, 25a, 26, 28a, 34)
I wonder what Mary thought when Simeon called her baby “a sign that is opposed.” Looking down at His innocent face, it must have been hard to imagine people hating Him—hurting Him—doing their best to destroy Him. And yet, Mary knew her Bible. She would have known that suffering would come to her Son the Messiah.
And of course it did—as a refugee in Egypt, during the years of His ministry, and finally when He laid down His life for us on the cross. As Isaiah says, “He was despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3a).
But that wasn’t the end of the story. For Jesus was and is a sign, the greatest sign there could ever be of God’s love. Jesus’ death and resurrection for our sake make it clear that God’s intentions toward us sinners are nothing but love and mercy and redemption. In Jesus we see the height and depth and breadth of God’s love—for us.
WE PRAY: Dear Jesus, Your love reaches even to me! Thank You! Amen.
Reflection Questions:
- When did Jesus first meet opposition?
- Signs have meaning. What does Jesus mean to you?
- How can you be a sign to people who need God’s love and mercy?
Advent Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo.
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