Now I’m Ready to Die
Luke 2:22-40
December 29, 2019 anno Domini – Redeemer
Now I’m ready to die. Simeon said it more eloquently, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples.” This was the Lord’s doing and He was doing it in Jesus. Jesus is the salvation the Lord has prepared for all people – to save Simeon’s life, to show him his savior, so that he could depart (die) in peace.
Today is the fifth day of Christmas and God still has gifts for Simeon and Anna and you to open. Simeon knew what he was getting for Christmas, but it didn’t spoil the surprise. His Father in heaven through His Spirit had promised that before Simeon died he would behold with his own eyes his Savior. Simeon studied the Scriptures like a little child shaking a present, feeling its weight and wondering what is inside. He knew the prophesies. It would be a boy, born of a Virgin. He would be a descendent of David and born in David’s hometown of Bethlehem. He would be in danger from the moment of conception. This child would cause great division. Many would fall because of him and many would be raised to life by Him. The world would oppose Him. Simeon knew what to expect, but he didn’t know whom he would see – a teenage boy, a man in in his twenties, or a toddler?
The Spirit directed Simeon to his Savior, just as the Spirit brings you to faith in Jesus by God’s Word with the water of your Baptism. The Spirit spoke to Simeon, “Simeon, Simeon, wake up old man! See that poor couple over there. The ones that look like they’re from the northern backwater of Galilee. Yeh, those two with the little baby, offering their sacrifice of purification. That little guy is your salvation Simeon.” Simeon went over, held the 40 day old Jesus, a 7 lb., 9 oz. and 23 inches long Savior and said, “I’m ready to die.”
There are a lot of people ready to die. Older Christians often say, “I’m ready to be with my Savior,” but sometimes that is said with selfishness and as an escape.
Consider Anna, Simeon’s friend in the temple. She had only been married seven years when her husband died. It doesn’t sound like they had any children. If she didn’t have a son then her life would have been one of begging for her meals and relying on strangers for her existence. In some eastern countries like India, not that long ago, women were encouraged to commit suicide when their husbands died so as not to be a burden on society (practice of suttee). Anna might have wished she was dead to escape widowhood, poverty, and loneliness. Some people say, “I’m ready to die” with no thought of Jesus. A teenager confused about his identity, a veteran who recently served in Afghanistan, an 85 year old widower crippled with arthritis, blinded by glaucoma, and all alone. We live in a country where the government is saying, “If you’re ready to die we’ll help you.” Someday it will become, “Even if you’re not ready we’ll help you.”
Your Savior has been born that you may die to your selfishness. Your selfishness flows from wanting to be your own Savior. You want to be in control of how you live and how you die. You want to have your life go your way. Live in great health past retirement, save enough money to do what I couldn’t do while I was working, live into my nineties and see all my children and grandchildren succeed and then fall asleep after the best day of my life and end up in heaven. Yet, you’ve already learned life isn’t going your way. Life is going the way of death. Your husband died too soon. Your grandson got in trouble with the law. Your job isn’t rewarding. You are not God or your own Savior, neither is your life your life. Those false beliefs need to die.
And in Jesus they can die because He is your Savior. His work of salvation wasn’t personally fulfilling. The Son of God left the riches of heaven to be born in the stench of a barn. He grew up poor in Galilee, the Wadena County of the Promised Land. He was well liked until people started to understand His sermons. His disciples were loyal until He headed for the cross. His own people rejected Him. He suffered unjustly and was wrongly convicted of pretending to be God. But worse, in a way, was the treatment the only-begotten Son received from His Father. His Father blamed and punished Him for all his brothers’ and sisters’ sins – for all your sin. His Father sacrificed Him in your place. Do you know what Jesus gained by all that? The desire of His Father’s heart – you. He was selfless for you. He set aside His glory for you. He fulfilled His vocation and obeyed His Father for you. He died to save you. He died so you could live with Him and the Father for all eternity.
You don’t need to save yourself – Jesus did. If your life isn’t peaceful be comforted by the peace that passes understanding. If you’re suffering, know that Christ suffered once for all, and because of that a better day is coming for you. If your calling isn’t personally rewarding, consider how you serve others in your calling, providing for your family, serving the clients of your business, and remember Jesus didn’t get a lot personally out of being Savior. He served for you. In Jesus, you can die to yourself and that is pleasing to God.
Living in Christ’s salvation is dying now to your selfishness. Living in Christ’s salvation is also readiness for death whenever it comes. Ready not because we are tired of living, or suffering too much, or don’t have quality of life, but ready because we are not afraid of death, ready because death has been defeated. The goal of the Christian is not to be in control of death. The goal of the Christian is to live and die in Christ who is our salvation. We don’t know when we will die, but Simeon tells us how we will die well. “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation.” (Luke 2:29–30, ESV) We die well when we repent of our selfishness and receive the salvation revealed in God’s Word in the name of Jesus. Amen.