CONSOLATION OF ISRAEL
So we are nearly there. Christmas is but days away. And how precious it has been to keep Jesus at the centre of out thoughts in the Advent period. His birth meant so much, at the time of His coming, certainly, but to so many more since. He came to make things right, once and for all between man and God. In this last advent thought of the year, we look at how He came to be, and is for eternity, our consolation.
CONSOLATION OF ISRAEL
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,
Luke 2:25
There is a little story in Luke’s gospel that introduces us to Simeon. Simeon was an old man, a devout lover of God who had waited for years for the promised Messiah. He was led to be in the Temple by the Holy Spirit at just the moment that Jesus’ parents arrived with the infant Christ, and got to hold his Messiah in his arms and to prophesy over Him (Luke 2:25-35).
COMFORT, HELP, AND ENCOURAGEMENT
Luke tells us that Simeon was waiting expectantly for the ‘Consolation of Israel’. Now the word ‘consolation’ can be translated as ‘comfort’, ‘help’ or ‘encouragement’ and that is great. At the time of Jesus’ birth, Israel was in dire need of comfort, help and encouragement and it was no wonder that Christ was longed for. He is the bringer of comfort. Elsewhere in scripture we are promised the comfort of His Holy Spirit (Acts 9:31), the comfort of the Scriptures (Psalm 119:50) and the comfort of God Himself (Romans 15:5).
But a more exact translation of the word ‘consolation’ is ‘advocate’: it has legal implication. It speaks of one ready to stand by your side before the judge and to give evidence on your behalf. Applying this meaning of consolation to the person of Jesus makes much more sense. Yes, He would be the bringer of comfort, but He was also coming as an advocate.
OUR ADVOCATE
He stands today as our advocate before the Great Judge, His Father. He is our great High Priest (Hebrews 4:14 -16). What a comfort it is to picture Him standing beside us before God. When we know we need someone to speak on our behalf, because we mess up so easily. What a consolation to our troubled spirits, when guilt and shame threaten, to know that He gave His life, so that we can be free of those once and for all. He is our great encourager, our consolation, our advocate.
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Ask Yourself: Am I slow to take things to Jesus when I feel guilty or ashamed? Is that what God wants – for me to carry guilt or shame?
Ask God: Show me, Jesus, where I have held on to guilt and shame and not come to You for forgiveness. Or when I have been slow to accept that forgiveness, or to forgive myself.
Pray: Thank You Jesus, that You are my consolation. Thank You for the comfort that Your Word brings Me, and that Your presence brings me. Thank You that You are my advocate in heaven. Thank You that I can bring my mistakes to You and ask for forgiveness, and that You defend me, because Your blood covers all my sin.
Help me to be quick to repent when I have failed You, and quick to let go of the guilt and shame you died to free me from.
Thank you that we no longer have to wait expectantly for You to come, but that You have come, and now live in our hearts. Thank You that we can look with expectancy for Your second coming, knowing that You will come to make all things new.
Amen.
Further Reading: Luke 2:21-40
This devotional thought is an extract from:
Christ Illuminated: Seeing Jesus for who He is, an Advent Devotional
Purchase a copy direct from the author here
Or in paperback or ebook, from the publisher here
