Waiting for His Son from Heaven

What does the incarnation of Jesus mean? For Simeon and Anna, it was a confirmation of God’s faithfulness to act on behalf of His people. They believed that the incarnate Jesus WAS God’s plan of salvation for the world. They weren’t bothered by the fact that their hope for Israel was bound up in the helpless frame of a baby. Quite the opposite; they were overjoyed.

Simeon and Anna rejoiced to see their Savior and weren’t dissuaded by the continued division between religious and political leaders and the rest of the people in Israel. In fact, this political and religious division was a primary message of the adult Jesus during His ministry and teaching. He had very unflattering and harsh words for these leaders; words that apply today as much as they did 2000 years ago.

Just as David didn’t always appear to be a “man after God’s own heart,” so God’s Kingdom doesn’t always look like we expect. But that doesn’t mean it’s not here. God is not slow in His promises, but He’s not always particularly fast either (2 Peter 3:8-9). Jesus came “in the fulness of time” (Galatians 4:4-5).

In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus taught His disciples (and us) to pray that God’s kingdom would come and that His will would be done “on earth as it in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). But if we learn anything from Simeon and Anna, it is that Jesus Himself was incarnated proof that God was already doing this very thing. Reconciling heaven and earth isn’t merely a future hope; it was, and is, a very present reality.

The incarnation is proof that God listens to His people. The incarnation is proof that God is with us. The incarnation is proof that God follows through on His promises. The incarnation IS the consolation and redemption of Israel. Jesus is King NOW; He has the victory NOW. And if you are in Christ, it means that you have a present and victorious King NOW.

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American Vision’s mission is to Restore America to its Biblical Foundation—from Genesis to Revelation. American Vision (AV) has been at the heart of worldview study since 1978, providing resources to exhort Christian families and individuals to live by a Biblically based worldview. Visit www.AmericanVision.org for more information, content and resources