And I Beheld Him

Can you imagine what it must have been like for Simeon to have actually held Messiah in his arms. This old man who had waited so long and who was well aware of all the promises associated with the Messiah actually held the incarnate God in his arms.

A few years ago I tried to convey the emotion that must have pulsated through Simeon in a Monologue I did in our church. I’m not sure now whether I wrote this from scratch or borrowed and adapted so my apologies to whomever I may have borrowed from.

Perhaps as you read it you can use your imagination to put yourself there with Simeon and feel the intense emotion of actually being one of the first to be aware that Messiah, God’s Christ, God Incarnate, had come. If you are a Pastor you may be looking for a creative way to engage your people in the Christmas story. Let this script grip your heart and then, put yourself in Simeon’s place, dress as him and present this to your church on Christmas Eve. God bless you all.
　

Conduct of Character
Simeon should speak in a very quiet, rather awestruck voice. He should move slowly about the stage as though deep in thought, deep in his remembrances. When speaking of himself he would be somewhat self-effacing. When speaking of Anna he would use a tone of deep respect, when speaking of Jesus his voice would almost choke with emotion and awe.
　

Script

Simeon quietly moves on stage and speaks:

I'd like to tell you my story. I am not a famous man, nor did I wish to be. I simply was able to play a small part in a happening a long, long time ago. In fact my story began on this very night, almost 2000 years ago. Yes, I am a very ordinary man. Even my name, Simeon, was the most common name to give a boy child in my culture. Simeon. The word means "harkening". To listen carefully. Perhaps I was well named. For it was in my harkening, in my listening carefully, in my watching attentively, that a small spot in history was reserved for me.

I was known as a just and righteous man; devout in that I was careful about my religious duties and upright in that I reverenced God. That my friends and neighbors knew me as a virtuous, upright man was not important to me, other than the fact, of course, that this meant that I was known as keeping the commands of my God. To be thought of as righteous is unfair and untrue of any mortal man. Only one in my knowledge ever was truly righteous, and it was He who was the central figure of the story which I now relate to you.
　

All Israel waited and longed for the Messiah, the anointed Saviour. Unfortunately the most intense longing seemed to always coincide with the times when we, the people of Israel, had sinned against God and had invoked His wrath against us. Israel wanted a Messiah who would come to solve their problems. All Israel had deserted God and worshiped not just the true Living God, but many other gods as well. Throughout history it was this attempt to place God in the same category as the many other gods which most angered Jehovah. The covenant made between Jehovah God and Israel was based first on the exclusive worship which God demanded. Anything less was totally unacceptable to God.

So all Israel was waiting for, even praying, for the Messiah. Waiting and praying for the comfort and solace which His coming would bring.

... I too waited and prayed. But where most in Israel waited in desperation, I waited in, . . . expectation. Expectation for the fulfillment of God's promises that He made to me. For my knowledge was grounded on personal experience. The Holy Spirit had revealed to me that sometime before I died I would see the Messiah, God's anointed son, the Lord's Christ. That being promised, I saw no reason to doubt it's validity. It was not unusual for the Holy Spirit to be with men and women of my generation, the pity was that the Holy Spirit seemed to be an infrequent visitor in their lives, not an ongoing inhabitant.

Each day I felt that special feeling of anticipation. God had not granted me the knowledge of when the Messiah would come, nor was there any reason why He should have done so. Mine was only to harken, to wait and to watch attentively.

On one particular morning as I entered the temple I paused for a moment to talk with a dear friend, Anna. Now, where I was ordinary and common, Anna was very special, she was a very godly woman and a prophetess. It is to be noted that Israel had been given no prophet for several hundred years therefore the prophetess Anna was very significant. Significant too was that Anna was one of only seven prophetess' to be mentioned in the Talmud.

Anna was very old in years and very respected for her devotion to God. She worshiped continuously in the temple. But as she worshiped she served. A prophetess, serving God as would a menial servant. Anna fasted, but not as most people did. Anna's fasting was not public but private. And her prayers were those of childlike devotion, an open heart's conversation with God.

Anna shared my expectation of the immediacy of the Messiah's coming. Prior to parting that morning, Anna and I shared a moment of prayer as we thanked God for His soon-coming Messiah. Then each of us went on to our duties in the temple.

As I walked away my eyes came upon a young couple with a baby in arms. There was something special about them. Oh, not visually special, in fact they appeared to be rather poor and lowly in dress. Likely Nazarenes I thought, from the style of their clothing. As I moved closer to them I noticed that they were very young, the girl in her very early teens, the boy not yet twenty I surmised. As they observed the custom of the law, the offering of five shekels on behalf of the child, I realized what a hardship this offering must have created in their young lives.

I moved closer and moved the swaddling that I might see the young child's face.

And then my eyes beheld Him.

And I knew it was He.

And I took Him in my arms.

And I worshiped Him.

Blessed be Thou, O Lord!

Blessed be Thou, O Lord!

Now my eyes have truly seen Your Salvation.

The Messiah is with us as You promised me!

Should it be Your will I am now content to die, for truly I have seen Him!

He who is the hope of future salvation.

He who has been sent ahead to make the way passable for all.

His salvation shall be available to all, both Israelite and Gentile.

For just a moment as I looked in the eyes of the young mother I could see the trials ahead for the Babe and for the mother as well.

But again I looked in His perfect face and rejoicing I called to Anna.

Come see the Messiah! Anna. Come see the Messiah!

Truly He is with us!

And Anna came, and she saw the child.

And she too bowed down and worshiped Him.

And she began to speak to all who were in the temple:

"Listen to me. You who have been awaiting the Saviour.

"Wait no more.

"He is with us.

"The Messiah has finally arrived.

"He has truly arrived."

Lights out.

Exit stage.