Luke 2:33-35
33 The child’s father and mother marvelled at what was said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: ‘This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.’
Simeon warns Mary and Joseph that Jesus will turn the order of things upside-down, and will be ‘a sign’ that will provoke a response, but what does he mean by ‘a sign’? A sign points towards something, or represents something, or is a foretaste of something. In this sense, Jesus is a sign of God’s Kingdom, a world where God is know and followed, the world as it was meant to be. It’s not here yet, but through Jesus we know its coming, and through Jesus we can get to know the God its centred on, and through Jesus we can see what it will be like. More than that, the wonderful news is that through Jesus we can be a part of it!
Thank you Father for Jesus, your sign for us of your Kingdom. Spirit, help us to see him and that he points towards more clearly, and help us to follow faithfully.
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