Christmas Is for the Impatient

By Douglas K. Shaw
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD/CEO

Any child could confirm that Christmas is a time of great expectation. The festive decorations, the tree, and the mystery of what lies wrapped in brightly colored boxes all add to the excitement and impatience for the day when what is hidden will be revealed.

I don’t know about you, but now, as an adult, I find myself impatient about much more than simply what lies under the tree. There are many times when I wish I could step inside some special place, like a closet, a wardrobe, or a room where I could be whisked back in time and experience great moments in history. I feel exactly this way about the day when Simeon and the prophetess Anna met the newborn Jesus in Jerusalem, in the Temple Court of the Women, not that far from the manger in Bethlehem. According to the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took Jesus there to be presented to the Lord.

Simeon, if you remember, was the man whom the Holy Spirit had informed he would not die before he had seen “the Lord’s Christ.” That day, he had “been moved by the Spirit” to be there, in the Temple. Upon seeing Mary and Joseph with their newborn, he approached them and took Jesus in his arms. Now, I don’t know about you, but it makes me think of how I would have felt if someone took my baby from me. But I guess by now, Mary and Joseph were starting to get a little used to the idea that, with the whole Gabriel, virgin birth, Zechariah, Elizabeth, manger thing, theirs was not your garden-variety childbirth-parenting experience.

Thankfully, since I lack a time-whisking wardrobe, the Scriptures give us a glimpse into the goings-on that eternity-defining day. Luke remembers it like this:

“Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

With heart and hands and voices,
Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,

you now dismiss your servant in peace.
For my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel.”

Luke 2:28-32 NIV

Simeon has some other news for Joseph and Mary that was less comforting, but I’ll leave you to read that for yourself. The next thing you know, the prophetess Anna, an 84-year-old widow, who both lived and worshipped in the Temple, day and night, approached the gathering and,

“She gave thanks to God and spoke
about the child to all who were looking forward
to the redemption of Jerusalem.”
Luke 2:38 NIV

Since I wasn’t there, there’s little more I can tell you about Simeon and Anna. I do find myself wondering about Simeon’s patience, though.

We don’t know how old he was, but Luke didn’t seem to have any compunction about outing Anna, in citing her age. Although many speculate that Simeon had to be up in years, too, because it would be unlikely that a young man would look forward to being “dismiss[ed] in peace.”

But speaking of patience, generation upon generation—about 700 years—had passed since the prophet Isaiah had foretold the coming of the Messiah. So, Simeon might have had reason to be impatient. I can’t even begin to imagine his sense of absolute joy at the realization that he was holding Emmanuel! The absolute best gift ever given to the world was living and breathing in his arms, the child of Bethlehem.

As we celebrate this Christmas season, in the second millennium since Simeon held Jesus, I often find myself longing for Jesus’ touch too. I find myself wanting to hear the words:

“O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.”

Christmas brings us great joy! Christmas gives us great hope! Christmas gives us great impatience for the fulfillment of the words:

“Yes, I am coming soon.”
Revelation 22:20 NIV