And who was that child? He was the Word become flesh, of whom it is written, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the WORD WAS GOD” (John 1:11In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1)). He was “the image of the invisible God, the Firstborn of every creature: for by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him and for Him: and He is before all things, and by [“in”] Him all things consist.” (There are three prepositions used here, the force of which may be given in the words of one competent to speak upon this subject. He says, “En, in the power of whose Person, He was the One whose intrinsic power characterized the creation. It exists as His creature; dia, the instrumental power, eis, ‘for.’ Thus en, dia, eis, the characteristic power, active instrument, and end.”) He was the One in whom “all the fullness was pleased to dwell” (Col. 1:15-1915Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 16For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. 18And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. 19For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; (Colossians 1:15‑19) JND); He was the “Son, whom [God] hath appointed Heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds.... the brightness of [the] glory, and the express image of His Person, and upholding all things by the word of His power” (Heb. 1:2-32Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; 3Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; (Hebrews 1:2‑3)). On the other hand, as born into this world, He was the Seed of the woman, the Seed of Abraham, and the Son of David. All these glories and many more, for He was a divine Person who had deigned to become flesh, circle around and shine out from that holy Babe whom Mary put into the arms of Simeon. Let us gaze to the full, and reverently, upon this divine mystery for the more we gaze, the more will our hearts be bowed with adoration in the presence of God’s unspeakable gift, before such unfathomable grace and such knowledge—surpassing love.
Simeon stood before God with THIS CHILD in his arms, and with an overflowing heart he blessed God, and said, “Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word: for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel.” All his desires were satisfied; every link with earth was broken as soon as he possessed God’s salvation, and he was ready to depart in peace. Like Moses also, yea, beyond the experience of Moses when he stood on Pisgah and saw the land which God had provided for His people, Simeon, with the holy child in his arms, was at the center of God’s counsels, and thence he looked onward to the time when the Gentiles would be brought into the light, and when Christ would be the glory of His people Israel.