33 Jesus’ parents were amazed at what was being said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby’s mother, “This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, and many others to rise. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. 35 As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.” (Luke 2:33-35 NLT)
Jesus is not just the dividing point in the history of the world, but also in our personal lives. The enemies of Jesus who used their political power to condemn Jesus to death were not able to save their own necks. They wanted to hold onto power and places of authority. All of that was lost when the Roman conquered Jerusalem and tore down the Temple in 70 A.D.
Jesus raised up an unlikely group of men to be His Disciples. He restored health and gave new life to many people. He ate good food with "bad" people, like "tax collectors and sinners."
We cannot be neutral about Jesus. Either we have received the gift of faith, believe and follow Jesus or we don't. Either Jesus raises us up or we fall on our own. That does not mean following Jesus will be easy. Simeon predicted that a sword would pierce Mary's soul. I can't even image Mary's sorrow when she stood at the cross and saw the spear thrust into Jesus side. But Mary's sorrow did not last long because Jesus rose from the dead on Sunday. Her sorrow was replaced with joy. The sorrow and suffering we face in this life because we follow Christ don't even come close to the joy we will have with the Lord for eternity.
Jesus is not just the dividing point in the history of the world, but also in our personal lives. The enemies of Jesus who used their political power to condemn Jesus to death were not able to save their own necks. They wanted to hold onto power and places of authority. All of that was lost when the Roman conquered Jerusalem and tore down the Temple in 70 A.D.
Jesus raised up an unlikely group of men to be His Disciples. He restored health and gave new life to many people. He ate good food with "bad" people, like "tax collectors and sinners."
We cannot be neutral about Jesus. Either we have received the gift of faith, believe and follow Jesus or we don't. Either Jesus raises us up or we fall on our own. That does not mean following Jesus will be easy. Simeon predicted that a sword would pierce Mary's soul. I can't even image Mary's sorrow when she stood at the cross and saw the spear thrust into Jesus side. But Mary's sorrow did not last long because Jesus rose from the dead on Sunday. Her sorrow was replaced with joy. The sorrow and suffering we face in this life because we follow Christ don't even come close to the joy we will have with the Lord for eternity.
RSS Feed