12/14/2023 – Christ is your Consolation
Luke 2: 25 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.
When the Messiah was born, most people were no longer ready for Him. People had resigned to life without Christ. That is the condition of many in the world today- they are struggling to make do without Christ. But there were a few people waiting for the Messiah. Among them Simeon.
The word Consolation is capitalized in my bible. This means that is a name, an official title of the Lord Jesus. In Greek this is the word paraklēsin. We are familiar with this title because the Lord Jesus reveals that this is the constant function of the Holy Spirit. He promised His disciples not to leave them orphans but to send another comforter. While there are different works performed by Christ and the Holy Spirit in our salvation, there is a work in which both Christ and the Spirit participate- our consolation.
There can be no healing, no peace without consolation. People are left with scars. Every emotional wound, every betrayal, every failure cause injuries that are impossible to heal. We try to comfort ourselves by calling to get over it. Revenge will not heal them. Time will not heal them. We are told to get over them, and we try, but we really cannot. Simeon says: I can now depart in peace! Consolation is essential to peace. There can be no peace if wounds remain if what was taken is not restored… but Christ is our perfect consolation. He restores, He heals, He comforts perfectly!