Luke 2:25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

Christmas has come, the virgin has born a son, just as Isaiah had said:

Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

But we can’t stop there, you’ve got to read on to hear the rest of the story.

Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder, and his name will be called "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
That brings us back to the events that followed Christmas, problem is that we’ve only got 12 days to fit everything in, because on the 12th Day of Christmas, we arrive at Epiphany. So the story does not unfold in chronological manner. The Next thing that happens after the shepherds leave, and begin to tell their story happens on the 8th day, which is the day that a child is circumcised, and given his name, and indeed that is the topic for New year’s day, the circumcision and name of Jesus. And 30 days after Christmas, a first born child, which are dedicated to God (in remembrance of the Passover), must be redeemed, and so Mary and Joseph journey the 12 miles from Bethlehem to Jerusalem to present him at the temple, and to offer the prescribed sacrifice. That would put us at January 25 – but Epiphany, and the arrival of the wise men comes on January 6 – and so we take today’s story out of order, at least as far as chronology, and yet it is the next thing, for there must be a faithful Israel, who is prepared, and who is looking for the promised Messiah, someone besides the shepherds who will rejoice at the good news that the savior is born, and will continue to tell the story, and that’s what brings us to Simeon and Anna, representatives of God’s faithful people.

But the story is not about the faithful representatives, the center of the story is still, the Savior who is born. As we have already been told of the virgin birth, the next thing we need to hear is confirmation that this is the promised child, the one who is called: "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

You see, if you are looking for the consolation of Israel, you are in fact looking for the one named: Wonderful Counselor. Simeon is a witness saying, Yes, this is the one! Which one? The one that can comfort the people. But in order to comfort the people, you need to know what their problem is – and the problem is sin – how can anyone be comfortable with sin? Perhaps if you think that everything ends in death, and that one will never have to answer for the bad things we do, that we don’t have to face God, and stand before him in judgement. But if you want peace with God, you need to find something to get us out from under the burden and debt of sin.

You see, when you truly see you sins, and see what you have earned and deserved – there is nothing else to do but to mourn – for once you see the size of the debt, you know that no amount of good works can even make the interest payment – before God we are bankrupt – and there is no law which can forgive our debt.

That is why the faithful people were looking to God, for God had promised to send one who was able to redeem us – if we call the shepherds the first witness, then Simeon is the second witness, that the savior of the world is born. How important is this? Its important enough that we contue to remember his words to this day – for his words, are words to us and for us:

Luke 2:29-32
 Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.