John Calvin Commentary Luke 2:30

"For mine eyes have seen thy salvation," — Luke 2:30 (ASV)

For my eyes have seen. This way of speaking is very common in Scripture. However, Simeon seems to refer specifically to the physical appearance of Christ, as if he had said that he now has the Son of God present in the flesh, on whom the eyes of his mind had previously been fixed.

By saving,¹⁹⁷ I understand the substance of salvation, for in Christ are hidden all the components of salvation and of a blessed life.

Now, if the sight of Christ, while He was still a child, had such a powerful effect on Simeon that he approached death with cheerfulness and composure; how much more abundant are the resources for lasting peace now provided to us, who have the opportunity to behold our salvation fully completed in Christ?

It is true, Christ no longer dwells on earth, nor do we carry Him in our arms. However, His divine majesty shines openly and brightly in the gospel, and there, as Paul says, we all behold as in a glass the glory of the Lord—not as formerly amid the weakness of the flesh, but in the glorious power of the Spirit, which He displayed in His miracles, in the sacrifice of His death, and in His resurrection.

In short, His absence from us in body is such that we are permitted to behold Him sitting at the right hand of the Father. If such a sight does not bring peace to our minds and enable us to approach death cheerfully, we are deeply ungrateful to God and hold the honor He has bestowed upon us in low esteem.

¹⁹⁷ “La ou nous avons rendu Ton salut, qui voudroit suivre le mot Grec de pres, il faudroit dire, Ton Salutaire.” —— “Where we have translated Where we have translated Thy Salvation, were we to follow closely the Greek word, we must say, were we to follow closely the Greek word, we must say, Thy Saving.”——It is evident that Calvin viewed σωτήριον, not with most of our lexicographers, as a noun of the same import with σωτηρία, is evident that Calvin viewed σωτήριον, not with most of our lexicographers, as a noun of the same import with σωτηρία, salvation, but as the neuter of the adjective σωτήριος, which occurs in a memorable phrase, ἡ χάρις τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡ σωτήριος, (but as the neuter of the adjective σωτήριος, which occurs in a memorable phrase, ἡ χάρις τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡ σωτήριος, (Titus 2:11,) rendered in the English version, ,) rendered in the English version, the grace of God that bringeth salvation. — . — Ed.