Your Kingdom Come

Luke 2:25-35

 Introduction

As John has said previously, the Lord has given us what we call “The Lord’s prayer” to help us to learn what to pray for. Because God is our Father and we don’t by nature think much of God, we ask Him to make Himself glorious in our sight, that we might hallow His name. Because God wants His name to be made much of, He is going to bring about His kingdom. The Lord prayer is a progression with one petition flowing from another. In looking at the next petition in the Lord’s prayer, “Your Kingdom Come”, hopefully we will be helped in understanding what we are praying for when we ask for God’s kingdom to come. Today, we are going to look at a passage in Luke that describes a man whose has been praying this prayer.

Prayer

The story in Luke 2 actually starts back at Luke 1, verse 5 so we are jumping in the middle of this story. Therefore, let me summarize for us what has been happening. Luke chapters 1 and 2 lay out the circumstances surrounding the foretelling of the birth of two boys, John and Jesus. The circumstances surrounding the birth of both of these boys can be described as nothing short of supernatural. Specifically, the birth of John is announced to his elderly father Zechariah as his father serves in the temple of God in Jerusalem. This announcement does not come through a prophet, but from an angel who appears visibly to Zechariah. And this announcement is not just about a baby, but about the work that John will perform. The angel says, in chapter 1, verse 16, that this child, whose name shall be called John, “will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God” and, in verse 17, “make ready for the Lord a people prepared.” Similarly, the announcement of the birth of Jesus comes to Mary, the mother of Jesus, by an angel who appears to her. However, this announcement is even more startling because unlike Zechariah who has a wife, although she is elderly and barren, Mary is a virgin and not yet married. The angel declares that the baby will be conceived supernaturally in her womb, without marital relations, and the child will be “called holy – the Son of God” (verse 35). As was the case with John, the angel also declares what this child, that is Jesus, will do. In verses 32 and 33, the angel says that Jesus will rule “over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” What the angel is talking about here are the promises given hundreds of years earlier to the people God chose that there would come a ruler over not just Israel but the whole world. This ruler would be like King David, who ruled over the nation of Israel, but he would be perfectly just and never do wrong. Luke continues on by describing the birth of John and Jesus and, in particular, the praise given to God at each birth, whether by Zechariah in the case of John or by angels at the birth of Jesus. It is evident from these praises that God is keeping His promise that He would visit His people for the purpose of saving them from their enemies and making them fit to serve Him forever without sin. This summary brings us up to Luke chapter 2, verse 21, where we find that Mary and Joseph, who is the man pledged to be married to her, are continuing to follow the regulations of God’s law given to Israel through Moses. In verse 21, we learn that Jesus is circumcised on the 8 th day, according to the law, and, in verses 22 through 24, we see that Joseph and Mary travel to Jerusalem with the one month old Jesus to perform offerings consistent with the law. Jesus is the first born son and so, as we learned in Exodus 13 recently, he must be bought back (“redeemed”) by his parents from the Lord. And Mary, who gave birth, brings two sacrifices to the Lord so that she can be pronounced clean, allowing her to participate in the worship life of Israel.

And so, in verse 25, we find in Jerusalem, a baby named Jesus and a man named Simeon. Note that in this verse we learn that Simeon is “righteous and devout” and is “waiting for the consolation of Israel”. The word righteous found here is used in numerous places in the New Testament and refers to men and women who are in a right relationship with God. This right relationship only comes about “by hearing with faith”, as Paul tells the churches in Galatia, and not because of works one performs when following the law. The word devout denotes someone who is godly in his or her behavior. In Acts, chapter 10, we read of Cornelius who is a “a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God.” Therefore, we should understand that Simeon lives by faith in the promises of God and practices the spiritual discipline of prayer, among others. In fact, we understand that faith and prayer go together so much so, that Jesus, in Luke 18, warns us that the existence of our faith is shown in the persistence of our praying. When we are told that Simeon is waiting for the consolation of Israel (Verse 25), which is promised by God, we should understand that Simeon is waiting for God’s promise to come to pass and praying that God’s promise would come to pass. Having faith in the promise of God necessarily means that we are praying according to the promise of God.

Praying “Your kingdom come” requires that we know that God has promised that His kingdom will come.

Knowing that God has promised that His kingdom will come means that

• We know that God is not asking us to pray for something that He has not already promised to do and
• We know the God who cannot lie has made this promise.

Looking at verses 25 and 26, we can see that Simeon knows each of these truths. Notice that Simeon is waiting for the consolation of Israel and that the Holy Spirit is upon him. We are told in verse 26 that Simeon is promised that he will not die before He sees the Christ, who, as we are told in back in verse 11, is Jesus. However, we are not told how long Simeon has had to wait but we can surmise that he is near the end of his life because of his words in verse 29 (“you are letting your servant depart”). So the question that I have is, how has Simeon patiently waited for this day? Why has Simeon not given up, but, instead, devoted himself to God such that he is described as righteous and devout? The answer is found in understanding what he knows and whom he knows.

What Simeon knows

First, we are told that Simeon is waiting for the consolation of Israel. This phrase comes from language of the promises found in the prophet Isaiah, which were spoken 700 years before the days of Simeon. For example, Isaiah 40:1-5 reads:

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins. A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be filled up, and every mountain and hill be made low, the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

And in Isaiah 57:14-19:

And it shall be said, “Build up, build up, prepare the way, remove every obstacle from my people’s way.” For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite. For I will not contend forever, nor will I always be angry; for the spirit would grow faint before me, and the breath of life that I made. Because of the iniquity of his unjust gain I was angry, I struck him; I hid my face and was angry, but he went on backsliding in the way of his own heart. I have seen his ways, but I will heal him and restore comfort to him and his mourners, creating the fruit of the lips. Peace, peace, to the far and to the near,” says the LORD, “and I will heal him.”

God has promised that His glory will be revealed, that His people’s sins will be forgiven and that His people will see an end to their suffering. However, God’s people, including Simeon, had not seen the fulfillment of God’s promise and so they waited for it to come. Simeon prays that God would come and visit His people to save them, conquering sin and ruling in peace and righteousness We can know that this is what Simeon is praying and waiting for because God’s word is clear that these are in view when God consoles Israel. Simeon knows that God has promised this to His people and so he knows that he isn’t just praying for something that he wants, but that he is praying for something that God wants.

Who Simeon knows

However, persistence in this prayer will not happen if the God who has promised this is not able to make it come to pass. If Simeon serves an impotent God then his waiting is in vain. However, Simeon knows that the God who has made this promise is the same God who created all the heavens and the earth and who has faithfully brought to pass many other promises that He has made. He knows that God promises to be near and blot out the transgressions of His people, and because God does not lie and is all powerful, Simeon is confident in his praying. Hear some of the passages that Simeon knows. Isaiah 45:18-19 says:

For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens (he is God!), who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it empty, he formed it to be inhabited!): “I am the LORD, and there is no other. I did not speak in secret, in a land of darkness; I did not say to the offspring of Jacob, ‘Seek me in vain.’ I the LORD speak the truth; I declare what is right.”

And again in Isaiah 46:8-13:

“Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish my purpose,’ calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country, I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it. Listen to me, you stubborn of heart, you who are far from righteousness: I bring near my righteousness; it is not far off, and my salvation will not delay; I will put salvation in Zion, for Israel my glory.”

Simeon persists in praying and waiting for the consolation of Israel because he understands that God intends to comfort Israel and he knows that God can & will do it. We should take note of the fact that the Holy Spirit of God is upon Simeon. I am not going to discuss in detail the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of Simeon but it must be stated that the Holy Spirit is leading and guiding Simeon throughout this passage. Nothing that Simeon is doing is possible without the work of the Holy Spirit in his life. Simeon cannot be righteous, which means being in a right relationship with the God who made these promises, without the work of the Holy Spirit. Simeon cannot rightly understand God’s word, wait and pray for the consolation of Israel, praise God at the sight of Jesus or prophesy about the future without the Holy Spirit moving and guiding him. We should be careful to never minimize the work of the Spirit of Christ in the life of a Christian.

Friends, the promises that Simeon is waiting for and the God whom he is waiting on is the same God who speaks to you now from the bible. The Holy Spirit who was upon Simeon is the same Holy Spirit who is now at work convicting of sin, glorifying Jesus to us and helping us to pray. We can have the same assurance that our waiting on God is not in vain because we serve the same God who rules over all things and has faithfully fulfilled His promises throughout the ages. This same God has sent His Holy Spirit to dwell in every believer so that we can live righteous, devout and patient lives.

John mentioned previously that the survey on prayer we participated in a few weeks ago showed that many of us feel like our prayers are ineffective. I often feel like my prayers are most ineffective when I am praying for something that I have no clear direction regarding what God intends to do. However, I feel most confident that my prayers are effective when I am praying for something that God clearly states He wants for His people. This should be of no surprised to us because we are told in 1 John 5:14-15: “And this is the confidence that we have toward [God], that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.” We will persist in our praying, whether it is for God’s kingdom to come or for something else, when we know that what we are praying for is God’s will. The bible is the only place that we will find the revealed will of God and so we must, each of us, be reading, studying, memorizing, meditating on, praying and discussing passages of the bible. These are the means that God has given to help us persist in our life of faith. And God has put His Holy Spirit in believers so that this work will have its intended effect in our lives, for it is only by the Spirit of God that anything good comes of our work. We should pray for God’s kingdom to come because God has promised that His kingdom will come.

Praying “Your Kingdom come” requires that we know that …

• God has promised that His kingdom will come.

Praying “Your kingdom come” requires that we know that God’s kingdom has come.

Mary and Joseph have brought Jesus to Jerusalem to be presented to the Lord and to offer the required sacrifices for Mary (verse 22). They know of the events covered in Luke chapter 1 and the beginning of chapter 2. It is not told to us, however, whether Simeon knows of any of these events. It would seem a reasonable conclusion, however, that he does not know of the supernatural work of God in the specific births of John and Jesus and the amazing things stated about them at their birth. Rather, all we are told is that Simeon, moved by the Holy Spirit, enters the temple and, in verse 28, immediately knows that the baby Jesus is the promised Christ. It is interesting to note that, other than Anna, no other person recognizes the Christ when He is brought into the temple as a baby. Though Jesus is the salvation of God “prepared in the presence of all peoples” (verse 31), no one notices. However, because of the work of the Holy Spirit, Simeon sees rightly that the Christ has come as a baby, born under the law, to save God’s people.

In recognizing the Christ, Simeon sees that God’s kingdom has come and that seeing produces a response in Simeon. Out of his delight in God and His Christ, he can do nothing but adore Jesus and praise His Father. Don’t miss the fact that Simeon doesn’t stand there and pronounce facts to Mary and Joseph about the Christ, though he knows many facts. Rather, Simeon’s heart overflows as he gladly receives the long awaited Christ into his own arms. True worship comes from a heart that is delighted in the object of its worship. Simeon’s delight in the Christ before he ever sees the Christ causes him to overflow in worship of God when Christ is revealed to him.

The Christ, whom Simeon has been waiting for, has now come and, in verse 29, Simeon praises God for being faithful to the specific promise given to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die until the Christ came (“according to your word”; verse 26). Simeon worships God even though it is now time to die. Don’t miss this. Although death is an enemy, Simeon is ready to die. Death enter the world through sin (Romans 5:12) and is an enemy because it brings our life here to an end and then we face judgment before God (Hebrews 9:27). So what does Simeon know that so many in this world do not know? Why is he ready to die when it means judgment before God? The reason why Simeon is not afraid of death is given in his praise to God in verses 29 and 30. Specifically, Simeon knows that he is going to die in “peace”. The peace that Simeon is a speaking of here is the same peace that Zechariah speaks of in Luke chapter 1. There, in verse 78, Zechariah says that God is giving “knowledge of salvation to His people in the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God”. God does not have to forgive anyone’s sin. It would be right of God to subject every sinner, who includes you and I, to unbearable torment forever at the judgment. But God does not do this to His people, as we read elsewhere, “because of His great love for us”. Zechariah says, in verses 78 and 79, that because of God’s “tender mercy”, we will no longer “sit in darkness and in the shadow of death” and instead God will give us light “to guide our feet into the way of peace.” The contrast is between those who have received God’s salvation (verse 30), the forgiveness of their sins, and those who have not. Everyone whose sins have been forgiven are now at peace with God and have nothing to fear from death. God’s terrifying judgment is placed on the Christ and we are reconciled to God. Simeon is not frightened by death because, by the working of the Holy Spirit, he has seen the Lord’s salvation that brings the forgiveness of sins. At his death, Simeon will not face God in his sins. Rather, his sins have been blotted out and he is at peace with God. He will be welcomed into heaven because of the mercy of God brought to us through the Christ.

Simeon continues on to say that there will be many in this world that will see this salvation and rejoice, just as he has. Jesus is a light to the Gentiles and is the glory of Israel. Simeon knows that the benefits from the coming of God’s kingdom are not limited to one people in one place at one time. In the one Christ, God is saving both Jew and Gentile throughout the ages, making them into one people in God’s kingdom so that His name will be hallowed forever (Ephesians 2:17-18).

Brothers and sisters in Christ, the Christ has come and God has fulfilled His promise to blot out our transgressions by pouring out His righteous anger on Jesus. The Christ has come and it is Jesus who rules unseen from heaven over all creation and over His church. Our Father has ushered in His kingdom in the lives of His people and continues to do so around the world. The promised Holy Spirit has been given to every believer that we might recognize the Christ, repent of sin, believe on His promises, submit to His rule and see His glory in the bible and in the lives of His people. The Holy Spirit dwells in us that we might die to sin and live to God. God has circumcised our hearts and made us new, that we might delight ourselves in God instead of in the pleasures of sin. Although we may die, unless Christ returns first, we no longer need to live in darkness and the shadow of death, we are in a new kingdom with a new master. As Simeon says in verse 32, Jesus is “a light for revelation to the Gentiles [that is, you and I], and for glory to [God’s] people Israel.” By the tender mercy of God, the Holy Spirit has given us eyes to see the salvation that God has brought. By the mercy of the Father, we have been transferred from the domain of darkness into the kingdom of His beloved Son. The kingdom of God has come but it is not visible to this world. We see it in the lives of His people but the world does not. So when we pray that God’s kingdom would come, we recognize that the kingdom has come to us and so we worship Him. And, we are also praying that God would open darkened eyes to see the salvation that God has prepared that more people would know that His kingdom has come. With the coming of Jesus, we see God fulfilling His promise that His kingdom would come.

Praying “Your Kingdom come” requires that we know that …

• God has promised that His kingdom will come.
• God’s kingdom has come.

Praying “Your kingdom come” requires that we know that God’s kingdom has not yet come.

With the coming of Jesus, however, we also see that God has not yet fulfilled all of His promise regarding the coming of His kingdom. Though Christ has come, He also has gone away and will return again someday. After the death and resurrection of Jesus, Luke picks up the story of God’s kingdom in the book of Acts. There in chapter 1, after Jesus has risen up out of their presence into heaven, an angel speaks to the disciples who are still standing there with their eyes upward. The angel says (Acts 1:11):

Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw Him go into heaven.

Clearly, the kingdom of God has come. But, we also know by looking around this world, that the kingdom has not yet fully come since Jesus has left and will come again. As I noted just a moment ago, the rule of Jesus as King is not seen by this world, except by His people in their lives. After describing the amazement of Joseph and Mary over what Simeon has just said, Luke gives us these significant words from Simeon to Mary. Simeon has previously blessed God for bringing about His promised salvation in the person of Jesus the Christ. The waiting for the consolation of Israel is over because the Messiah has come. However, there are two statements in Simeon’s words to Mary that help us in understanding that God’s kingdom has not yet fully come. It is not clear if Simeon understands how long it will be before the kingdom of God comes fully, but it is clear, from his words, that he knows there is a period of opposition and suffering before the final fulfillment of God’s promises.

Simeon says that Jesus “is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed” (verse 34). Simeon is restating biblical language from Isaiah that the Messiah is to be despised and rejected by men (e.g., Isaiah 53:3). The ones who should recognize Him will oppose him. They should recognize Him since they have the very words of God regarding the coming of His kingdom. Therefore, for a time, though the kingdom of God has come, His kingdom will not have yet filled and subdued the earth. There is a period of time where the Christ will not rule visibly. There will be opposition to God and His rule and to His people. That is the condition we find ourselves in today. God has promised a day where “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:14) but that day has not yet come. We pray for God’s kingdom to come in the lives of people and we pray for Christ to return in power and glory to rule visibly over this earth. Opposition should not surprise us because Christ Himself was opposed. We should pray for those who oppose us, praying that God’s kingdom would come in their lives. That is, that God would rule over them and that their delight would be in this God. But we don’t want to miss that because there is opposition we are also praying that God would vindicate His name on the earth, that is, that His name would be hallowed. The promise of God that His kingdom would come in power over all the inhabitants of the earth is clear. The coming of His kingdom visibly means that His people will be saved from their sins and those who oppose Him will be judged. To pray that God’s kingdom will come is no small prayer. We are asking God to both save sinners and to vindicate His name by judging sinners. When Jesus comes visibly to establish His kingdom, all those who oppose Him will suffer forever under God’s proper anger. There is hope in praying “Your kingdom come” because God will destroy the wicked forever, bringing an end to the opposition. But our hearts should also be filled with grave concern for the billions of people in this world who do not bow to Jesus out of a delight in His being. When Christ returns, all that is left for these people to face is a terrifying judgment. Therefore, we need to pray with humility that God’s kingdom would come knowing that the only difference between them and us is the mercy of God.

The second interesting point that Simeon makes to Mary is in verse 35: “and a sword will pierce through your own soul also”. Simeon is saying that the coming of the kingdom of God will bring suffering with it. Jesus, as we know, suffered and was crucified. If the consolation of Israel does not come without suffering to the Christ, then His people should not think that they would not suffer. Mary will suffer as she watches her son be beaten and crucified. This suffering is part of what Simeon means that her soul will be pierced. But, we also know that the suffering of Christians, as we wait for the fullness of the kingdom of God, is for our good, that we might become more like Christ (Romans 8:28-29). This is the truth of God’s word and we should not neglect this word. God brings suffering to Mary, and to us, that we might be purified in our love of God. God intends to create whole-hearted, faithful worshippers and His plan in suffering is to help us find out what we truly love. We find ourselves in a continual internal struggle with sin over what and whom we love. During this time when the kingdom has not yet come, God brings suffering to us, in part, so that we might die to loving this world and live to loving God forever. Imagine for a moment living forever in a place where you won’t be made fun of, feel stupid, feel sad, get sick or suffer any more. Imagine that your favorite foods are in abundance, all your friends and family are there and get along and love you and the good times never stop. Does that sound like a place where you want to be forever? But what if I told you Jesus won’t be there? Do you still want to go? Does it still sound enjoyable? God is very clear that He is saving a people whose full delight is in Him and not in this world, a people that want to be in heaven because Jesus is there.

Finally, take note that the suffering also brings about judgment on this world: “so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” The sufferings of the Christ and of His disciples, who follow after Him, reveal the wickedness of the inhabitants of this world. The suffering that this world brings about in their opposition to the Christ proves that God’s final judgment when He comes again is right. So, as we pray for God’s kingdom to come, we need to remember that we are praying for God to rule in increasing measure over the hearts of His people now and to come again in power to destroy the wicked and set up His kingdom visibly.

Praying “Your Kingdom come” requires that we know that …

• God has promised that His kingdom will come.
• God’s kingdom has come.
• God’s kingdom has not yet come.

The Lord’s Prayer

Benediction from 2 Corinthians 13:11

Finally, brethren, rejoice, be made complete, be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.