Happy New Year everybody!
When someone experiences a long-awaited, significant event, you might hear them say,
"Now I can die in peace!"
That is a common sign held up by sports fans of a team that finally wins a championship. (An elderly NY Ranger fan did it back in 1994 at Madison Square Garden when the Rangers won the Stanley Cup after a 54 yr drought.)
The phrase was not originally uttered by a sports fan. And it was long before the great sport of hockey was ever played.
Who said it when they saw Jesus?
(Hint: It was spoken very early in Jesus' life.)
The priest at the temple when Jesus ran away as a kid!
ReplyDeleteClose.....sorta! He was not a priest (although he was "just and devout"), and he was at the temple when he said it, but Jesus never ran away.
ReplyDeleteAnother hint is that Jesus couldn't run anywhere when this was said.
Simeon
ReplyDeleteZaccharia? I think he was mute because he doubted? But when he saw Mary pregnant, he was able to speak and die happy
ReplyDeleteANSWER: Simeon. Junior got it right.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the Mosaic law a mother who had given birth was to present the child at the temple, with a suitable sacrificial offering. This was called “The Presentation”. Luke records the event (Luke 2:25-35):
"And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:
“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 before the face of all peoples,
a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of Your people Israel.”
And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him. Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother,
“Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
Simeon’s inspired, prophetic words are called “Nunc Dimittis” (Now I can be dismissed). It is one of the 4 “canticles” related to Jesus’ birth that were memorized and recited often by Christians from ancient times. They are joyous exclamations by those inspired by the Holy Spirit at the time Jesus was born. The canticles recorded by Luke in his Gospel are known as:
1. Mary’s Magnificat – (Luke 1:46-55) Mary submitting and praising God for being His maidservant.
2. Zachariah’s Benedictus – (1:67-79) Zachariah’s prophesy after he regained his speech. He was a Jewish priest – the father of John the Baptist.
3. The Gloria – (“Glory to God in the highest!”) The angels’ Gloria (2:14) announcing Jesus’ birth
4. Simeon’s Nunc Dimittis (2:29-32) - after seeing Jesus in the temple at the Presentation.
I wonder if that guy who held up the sign when the Rangers won the cup in 1994 knew he was paraphrasing Scripture.
Here's the sign:
https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fs-media-cache-
ak0.pinimg.com%2F736x%2F43%2Fb3%2F7e%2F43b37e68213461c17fbc4e4127674654.jpg&f=1&nofb=1