The Messiah Simeon Waited For

Day 26, Destined for Sacrifice

Since the first mention of the Gospel in Genesis, called the Protoevangelium by Bible scholars, it was evident that the ‘seed’ of the woman would not conquer the serpent unscathed. The verse itself says that the serpent will ‘bruise His heel’. So while the serpent will meet his demise, the ‘seed’ that removes the curse will be wounded.

Based on his prophecy and his reaction in his praise, Simeon knew and recognized that the Messiah would have to pay a painful price. The Old Testament scriptures that he studied are replete with references about the pain that it would cost the Servant of God to remove the curse that Adam started.

For the next few posts, we will explore some of these references that Simeon must have known. He was one of the few who understood a bit of the cost. The disciples didn’t even get it while they were with Jesus!

So why was this? The Bible has so many references to the suffering servant. How did the scholars and wise of Jesus’ day not make the connection? How could they not see what needed to happen for the good of all mankind? How could they not see that when God loved the world so much that He sent His son that He was sending all of His son to pay for our guilt?

I think the biggest reason is that we humans see what we want to see. We read what we want to read. I know for myself, having read the Bible several times, that I can still come across a verse and swear I’d never read it before. At least I had no intention of applying it to my life the first five or six times I read it!

In a broad generalization, the people of Jesus’ day saw the verses of the Messiah as the conquering hero. Because they wanted that, they discounted the rest.

But as we explore the prophecies about Christ’s suffering, we will also discuss how they might have seen and interpreted the words.

And I hope the process will be a warning to us not to be too didactic about prophecy until after God brings it to fruition…

A Sixty-Day Countdown to Christmas


More Days

Introduction to The Messiah Simeon Waited For

Holding Jesus

Day 3, A Sketch of Simeon

Simeon Was a Godly Man

Day 5, Simeon's Testimony

Day 6, Prophecies for the Gentiles

Day 7, Blessing to Nations

Day 8, A Holy People

Day 9, Welcoming God's Firstborn

Day 10, The Name of Simeon

Day 11, Staying Alive

Day 12, Following the Spirit

Day 13, Taking Up Jesus

Day 14, God's Slave

Day 15, True Peace

Day 16, Seeing Reality

Day 17, The Intent of the Law

Day 18, For All Peoples

Day 19, Making Mary and Joseph Marvel

Day 20, A Blessing

Day 21, Hinting at the Rest of the Story

Day 22, Mary Will Grieve

Day 23, Making Simeon into Simeon

Day 24, Prophet to the Prophets

Day 25, A Priest Like Melchizedek

Day 26, Destined for Sacrifice

Day 27, Jesus and the Passover Lamb, part 1

Day 28, Jesus and the Passover Lamb, part 2

Day 29, Jesus and the Passover Lamb, Part 3

Day 30, Jesus as the Lamb (con.)

Day 31, Simeon as a Man of Gratitude

Day 32, Sacrificing Lambs in the Old Testament

Day 33, The Silent Lamb

Day 34, The Messiah as Light

Day 35, Jesus the Stumbling Block

Day 36, Jesus as the Rock

Day 37, The Precious Cornerstone

Day 38, The Stone in Zion

Day 39, The Cornerstone and the Gate

Day 40, The Stone of Judgment

Day 41, Into Zion First

Day 42, Restoring the Booth of David

Day 43, Forgotten Stones

Day 44, Blessed to Receive

Day 45, Crown Him with Many Crowns

Day 46, Identifying the Son of God

Day 47, The Best Storyteller Ever

Day 48, In Bethlehem, the City of David

Day 49, Born a King

Day 50, The Living Jesus

Day 51, The Mountain Tree (Part 1)

Day 52, The Mountain Tree (Part 2)

Day 53, The Root of Jesse

Day 54, David's Branch

Day 55, The Cursed Tree

Day 56, Time Fulfilled

Day 58 through 60

Day 57, Born David's King