Joy In The Waiting

As the Christmas season fades and a new year begins, we’re tempted to move on from Jesus, tucking Him back into a short holiday celebration rather than living with Him at the center of everyday life. This sermon invites us to do the opposite: to move deeper into the meaning of Christ’s coming and to live with joyful expectation.

In Luke 2:25–35, we meet Simeon, a righteous and devout man who waited faithfully for God’s promise. When he finally held the infant Jesus, his joy was complete—not because his circumstances had changed, but because God had proven faithful. Simeon teaches us that lasting joy is rooted not in experiences or achievements, but in trusting God’s promises.

From Simeon’s encounter with Jesus, we see four dimensions of enduring joy:

• Joy in Salvation – True joy is found in the reality that God has come to save us. Nothing in this life can compare to the satisfaction and hope found in Christ alone.

• Joy in Truth – The gospel brings both comfort and confrontation, calling us to humility and surrender. Though God’s truth can be difficult, it leads us into freedom and life.

• Joy in Trials – Following Jesus means facing opposition, yet even in discomfort or rejection, we are called to live boldly and shine as lights in the world.

• Joy in What Awaits – Like Simeon, we are a waiting people—but we wait for Christ’s return, when sin, sorrow, and death will be no more.

As we enter a new year, the call is not to make Jesus a part of our plans, but to give Him our whole lives. Until our waiting ends and faith becomes sight, we live with joyful expectation, anchored in a Savior who came, who is with us, and who is coming again.