I love how so many times in scripture, we’re given a promise God will fulfill (either within the pages of scripture, in history, or at a time still to come). There’s always a sense of seeking out the fulfillment of the promise and living a life marked by waiting. People looked ahead to what was coming. I think about this as Christmas nears. The long-awaited Savior comes! Can you imagine what that must have felt like to the wise men? To Simeon? Consider the moment Simeon sees the baby Jesus for the first time. He proclaims this in Luke :
“Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace,
as you have promised.
I have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared for all people.
He is a light to reveal God to the nations,
and he is the glory of your people Israel!”
Simeon lived a life of eager waiting for a single moment in history. When he saw Jesus, he could now die. That’s how great this moment was to Simeon. May we eagerly wait for Jesus to come again like this.