A Gift Worth Receiving

“then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said, ‘Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples...’” Luke 2:28-31

We are looking at five truths that Simeon teaches us -
I. Those who look for Jesus will find Him
II. The assurance comes before the answer
III. He came to the right place to find Him

IV. He personally received Jesus (John 2:28)
Note the progression of events. He was looking for his messiah, he saw Him, then He took him in His arms, he believed, and he received. No one comes to Christ who doesn’t believe. But it’s not enough to believe - you must receive. Isn’t that the heart of Christmas? It doesn’t matter how many gifts you have under the tree. They’re not yours until you personally take them and receive them as yours. People say all the time, “I believe in God!” - well, amen! So does the devil, but he’s not going to heaven.

Psalm 14:1 says, “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” While Proverbs 13:23 says, “The one who despises the word will be in debt to it...” The Word of God teaches us that Christ has come with the offer of eternal life. It is truly a gift worth receiving. How, you ask, do you receive it? First of all, you agree with God that you’re a sinner and need a Savior. Second, you repent of your sin and ask God to forgive you and for Christ to come into your life. Romans 10:13 says, “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

And then like Simeon...
V. He was ready to dieHe didn’t have to die, but...He was ready. Do you know that you’re going to heaven when you die? The good news is - you can. Right now, receive Christ into your heart and know the true joy of Christmas.