Simeon did not see this Child from heaven as simply a means to an end, but as the end and object of all faith. That explains the joy and satisfaction that he expressed when cradling Jesus. At Christmas we have an opportunity to be just as joyful and satisfied as Simeon was; just like him, the One that we now see in our mind’s eye we will one day embrace as well.

And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ” (Luke 2:25-26).

He might have been nicknamed “Mr. Christmas.”

In Luke 2 we are introduced to Simeon, an older Jew that Scripture says had waited for the coming Messiah. If ever there was someone who looked forward to and celebrated the arrival of Jesus Christ it was Simeon. The foremost desire of Simeon’s heart was that he would one day see and embrace his Savior.

Given how Simeon looked forward to a day that was yet to come, how might we look back at it?

Even with December 25 set aside to reflect on the incarnation, we have trouble sharing Simeon’s focus. There are a number of reasons for this. At the least, we face a buffet of distractions this time of year, a buffet of gifts, tinsel, and garland. And this leads to the “reason for the season” being lost, reduced to an annual nod to the nativity scene as we pass on by.

Conversely, it was not enough for Simeon to apprehend the Messiah in like manner, or to consider God a single item upon life’s buffet table. For Simeon, the foremost desire of his heart was to worship and adore his Maker. This is why Scripture called him “devout” because of his singular, focused devotion to God, and his trust in what God had promised.

What was it specifically about the Messiah that Simeon looked forward to? He surely longed for the fulfillment of Old Testament promises concerning his people; the term “Consolation of Israel” suggests as much. Beyond this, Simeon placed his eternal hope in the coming of the Lord’s Christ, a hope that believers of all ages would share in.

However, it is worth asking, are “fulfilled promises” and “salvation” the extent of what Christ came to provide? Is salvation (as great as it is) the end-game of our faith? Would Simeon have thought so as years went by, his aged eyes searching for the One to come?

Of course not. The object of a Christ-centered faith is Christ himself. The blessings of Christ can never be a substitute for the person of Christ.

And that may have been what set Simeon apart; he did not see this Child from heaven as simply a means to an end, but as the end and object of all faith. That explains the joy and satisfaction that he expressed when cradling Jesus (Luke 2:28).

At Christmas we have an opportunity to be just as joyful and satisfied as Simeon was; just like him, the One that we now see in our mind’s eye we will one day embrace as well.

Toby B. Holt is a Teaching Elder in the Presbyterian Church in America.