Who Is JesusSample

Good People Also Need Jesus 

There are many righteous and devout people in the world. But they might be wrestling with three possible doubts. 

One, maybe they ask, is it worth living a righteous life? And they are waiting to hear that their righteous and devout life has meaning.

Two, in the dark they have struggled to live a righteous life. This is when despite being sincere in their efforts they are always wondering if God will be satisfied with their effort. 

Three, it is possible that they ask, like most sincere people, whether their idea of a righteous life measures up to the standards of God. 

It is to people like this that Christ is welcome news! 

In today’s text God honors Simeon who was righteous, devout, and waiting because the Holy Spirit was upon him. We cannot ignore the role of the Holy Spirit here. It is clear that any sort of righteousness is possible only because of the work of the Holy Spirit. 

It is the “Sensus Divinitatis” (the sense of the divine in every soul) that inspires and enables people to tow the right line, even if they are unaware of Jesus. To them, Jesus becomes the message of hope. Christ enters the scene to inform them that their attempts at righteousness was not meaningless. 

For those who were seeking sincerely in the dark, his light shines through and supplements their efforts with his grace. And when his life is imputed in theirs he helps them fulfill the standards of God. 

This is when, with a sigh of relief, they can say, “you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation.” The righteous people of the world can also experience God’s salvation. Jesus puts their doubts to rest.