MICROSOFT is 39, its new CEO was only seven when the company was founded.

Listening to the radio report this morning about the appointment of Satya Nadella as Microsoft’s third CEO I was struck by his comment that he had only three words to express his feelings about being chosen.

Honoured, humbled, excited.

Nadella’s biography states that he joined the company 22 years ago because he believed ‘Microsoft empowers people to do magical things and ultimately make the world a better place’.

Last weekend marked 40 days from Christmas and the day on which many Churches remember Joseph and Mary taking the baby Jesus to the temple ‘as required by the Law of the Lord’.

In the temple was an old man, Simeon, who took the baby in his arms and praised God that he had lived to see the Messiah.

Simeon’s great prayer ‘Lord ... you may now dismiss your servant in peace … for I have seen your salvation … a light for revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of your people Israel’ - now called the Nunc Dimittis - is used week by week in many Churches across the land towards the end of services.

That prayer - or song - firmly indicates that Simeon felt honoured that he was the one chosen to hold the baby designated to be ‘the glory of your people’.

It demonstrates he was humbled by the fact that God would allow him to be the one to proclaim Jesus’ destiny in such a public way whilst Jesus was still a babe in arms.

Above all, to my mind, I can almost feel Simeon trembling with excitement both about his meeting with God in human form but also about what that baby would do as an adult in his, albeit short, time of ministry here on earth.

Around 2,000 years ago Jesus empowered his followers to do magical things - if I can use that term - and, ultimately to make the world a better place.

He still does.

I for one am honoured, humbled and excited by that prospect.