"First Wise Man". My favorite true Christmas story!

Along with the stories of Shepherds and wise men this year I look forward to recounting the story of Simeon to my little ones.

It is my favorite Christmas story but is often forgotten in the recounting of that Saviors birth and took place after the shepherds but before the other three wise men.

Simeon was not in the field with the shepherds who possibly, before that moment, had never contemplated a Savior. He was not with the wise men who traveled from the East, who beheld the star and came in a great journey. His heart, however, was prepared beforehand and he was in the right place at the right time as he anticipated the coming of his Lord.

I believe he was actually the first "wise man". He was not in company with the other three but like them he looked for the coming of his Lord and was led to the baby Jesus.

Artwork by Greg Olsen 

Simeon was an old man. We know nothing about him other than he was just, devote and that the Holy Ghost was upon him. He is the perfect example of how great things can be manifest to us through personal revelation if our hearts are ready and if we are listening. We don't need to be a prophet, or a world leader or anyone of great consequence, but if our hearts are in the right place then we can see and behold incredible things.

It had been revealed to Simeon by the spirit that he would not die before he had beheld the face of the Savior. Luke tells us that he came into the temple that day "by the Spirit" just as Mary and Joseph brought 8 day old Jesus in order to offer sacrifice as was custom. Are we prepared for the clues all around us? Are we seeking our Redeemer out and using our energy to find him in our lives? Do we do the primary answers of read our scriptures daily and pray? Those will be the most powerful seeking tools that we have.

There must have been several righteous people in the temple that day but only Simeon and Anna (another who recognized the blessing of the moment) seemed to be prepared to behold the face of their Savior and declared him to others. Do we miss the Savior in our lives and recognize his face or hand when either is right before us?

Simeon took the Christ child in his arms. Wow! What a holy and precious moment. He not only got to behold his face but he took him in his arms!!! See why this is my favorite Christmas story! This was a moment he had been waiting for a very long time. In this story he looks toward heaven or at least addresses God while holding the child, and says "Now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word." in other words "I'm ready to die now. I have seen my Savior."

He then prophesies to Mary and Joseph! I don't recall anything written about the other wise men doing this. Can you imagine?! We already know he was right about his own personal revelation of beholding his Lord but now he is prophesying to the mother of God and guiding the earthly father of the Savior of the World.

He tells them that Jesus will be "A light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of the people of Israel." We see this prophesy come to pass much later, years down the road when the gospel is taken to the gentiles and they embrace the Savior as their Redeemer and later as many of us who were considered gentiles were adopted into the house of Israel and now bring the gospel to all nations! It was another way of saying that this child's impact would affect the entire world.

A piece of this story that touches me personally is when he turns to Mary and prophesies to her specifically and tells her "Yea a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."

We believe that Simeon could be referring to the moment after Christ dies on the cross and Mary is watching nearby. They will pierce his side with a spear or a sword. This was the test of the soldiers to see if he was truly dead. At that moment she would realize that he was really dead and perhaps her world would shatter in a way that few of us understand. Only a few days later after his resurrection perhaps she would fully understand the purpose of the birth and death of her child.

Then Anna an older woman who spent all of her time in the temple came in that instant and also gave thanks and beheld the child "and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem." I am not sure if that meant she told others around her in that moment or if she stayed in the temple as she was there all the time and told others who came to temple after about him. Either way she recognized perhaps who he was and his important role in redemption!

I guess I love this story because Simeon gives me hope. He did not have an angel appear to him (that we know of) as the shepherds did. Neither did a choir of angels lead him to Christ's birthplace. He did not follow the signs of the skies or the star as the other wisemen did. But he followed his heart and was led to his Savior.

In my own way I feel like I know the gospel with my heart. I really know and feel that it is true. I anxiously await the day that I will meet my Savior. In the process I really do feel guidance and that I am lead in my heart. I could be crazy, yes but so much good comes from it that I see almost daily. Matthew 7 tells us that by their fruits ye shall know them. This fruit is sweet. This fruit brings peace, joy, excitement and light. So much peace. There could be really no greater gift! This Christ child and the story of his birth brings me, over 2000 years later, peace in the midst of a very troubled world! What an incredible gift!