Daily Bible Reading 31st March 2026 // Luke 2:21-40
21 And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
22 And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtle-doves, or two young pigeons”. 25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,
29 “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
according to your word;
30 for my eyes have seen your salvation
31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and for glory to your people Israel.”
33 And his father and his mother marvelled at what was said about him. 34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed 35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”
36 And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, 37 and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshipping with fasting and prayer night and day. 38 And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.
39 And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favour of God was upon him.
The second way in which we can take Simeon's words is in relation, not to life, but to death. This is in fact connected with what has already been underlined, for it is only when we have found Christ to be the answer of God to the human soul that we can say, 'to die is gain', that we can die in peace. Otherwise, death is a grim and frightening enemy. Having seen Christ, and taken Him, Simeon felt he could safely die, and die in peace. This is the most practical and compelling of all questions - the business of dying. The plain truth is there are many people who are not ready to die; they are afraid to die, because they are not right with God. It is in Christ alone that dying in peace is possible, but in Him it is blessedly possible, and this is the heritage of all who truly believe in Him. But more: these words have an even wider application. Reduced to its essentials, the message of the Nunc Dimittis is this: Now that Christ is come, all the future, in life and death, is secure. It is the assurance given in Romans 8:39, 'Neither life, nor death... nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord'. This is why in face of all possible crises and every dark and sinister development of evil and lawlessness and violence that may come upon the earth we need not fear, but on the contrary be possessed by a true and wholesome optimism. The best is yet to be, for the Christian, and it will be, for sure. 'Till He come' is a glorious hope for those who name the name of Christ, and Christmas is the pledge that they do not hope in vain.