Bible Stories for the Young
Green triangles are narrated and fully illustrated and will have simple animation added along the way. Yellow triangles have narration, but the illustrations aren't done yet. Videos with red triangles are planned. New and updated videos will be added very often.
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Simeon was an older man who lived in Jerusalem. He loved and obeyed God. God had made a special promise to Simeon, and Simeon could hardly wait!
Have you ever been waiting for something special? Like if someone tells you, “Tomorrow we are going to the zoo.” Or, “We are going to get ice cream after dinner.” Or, “I have a surprise for you, if you obey.” Well, do you know what special thing God promised Simeon?
God had promised long ago that He would send Someone to rescue His People. And God told Simeon that he wouldn’t die until he got to see the Rescuer with his own eyes!
What a wonderful promise!
Days passed after God made His promise, weeks passed, months passed, maybe even YEARS! Whoa! That is a long time to wait patiently for a promise. But Simeon waited, waited, waited. God had made him a promise and He knew it would come true. God’s promises always come true!
One day, God’s Spirit helped Simeon know that he should go into the Temple courts. Just then, Mary and Joseph walked around the corner, holding their baby boy, Jesus. Simeon knew right away — this was Him! This baby was going to be the Rescuer, the Savior of the whole world!
Simeon walked over to Joseph and Mary and looked at Jesus as Mary was holding Him. Mary could see that Simeon was very excited.
“Would you like to hold Him?” Mary asked Simeon.
Happy tears began to fill Simeon’s eyes. “It’s enough for me to just see Him with my own eyes, but to get to hold Him? Oh yes!”
So Mary handed baby Jesus to him, and Simeon held Jesus tightly in his arms. Simeon was smiling, smiling, smiling. He looked up at the sky and worshipped God as tears rolled down his cheeks.
Simeon said to God, “King of Heaven and earth, I am Your servant. Just like You promised, please let me leave this earth happily and come be with You forever in Heaven. My own eyes have seen how You will save people! And now the whole world will see it too. Your strong power will show new things to people all over the world who haven’t known You. And for the people who already knew about Your power, this baby will bring glory and honor to them!”
Mary and Joseph were so surprised at all the amazing things Simeon was saying about their little baby!
But then Simeon turned to Mary and said, “Listen carefully… When this baby grows up, He will show people that they will either go down, down, down to sad darkness, OR they can go up, up, up into happy brightness and be God’s friend. Many people won’t listen to Him, but some will. It will be hard for people to listen because He will show people what needs to change in their hearts. It will even be hard for you, Mary! But, it is good because Jesus will help people really see why they need Rescued, so that there are no more secrets.”
Simeon carefully handed baby Jesus back to Mary. He looked at Jesus one last time with a sparkle in his eyes and left the Temple to go back home.
He smiled all the way. Jesus, God’s Rescuer, had come for Simeon, for Israel, for the world... and for me and for you!