Simeon was an old man, close to death, a righteous and devout follower of God.  You find his story in Luke 2: 25-35.  He looks for the comfort of Israel, the Messiah.  Soon after Jesus’ birth, Joseph and Mary arrive at the Temple, according to the Law of Moses, to present Jesus. Ancient Simeon is drawn to them. His looking is rewarded- here is the Lord’s Messiah in person.  

How he was looking and what he did when he saw Jesus draw a fitting illustration. Simeon was literally ‘looking toward having.’  That’s what the Greek word means.  We can look ‘for’ in many ways.  We look for a bill in the mail a whole lot differently than we look for a check. One we don’t look forward to having, the other we can’t wait to get. 

Simeon is looking toward having.  When he saw Jesus, he took Him in his arms and blessed God.

This word ‘looking’ is used one more time in the New Testament.  In Titus 2:13 believers look “for the blessed hope which is the appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us.”

 Like Simeon, looking toward having Jesus when He first came, we look toward having Jesus when He comes again.

Simeon approached the parents, took Jesus in his arms, and blessed God.  Are we ready for that?  Let’s look for Jesus, ready always to take Him in our arms and bless God.

Simeon gives a past look, Titus calls for a future look.  Hebrews 12 commends a present look.

“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us (Chapter 11 describes who those witnesses are,) let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Jesus was born to die.  He gave Himself to redeem us. He lives to bring us hope.  Every present look, every past look, every future look at Jesus brings us to the Cross. The manger lies in the shadow of a Cross.