SIMEON & ANNA - Luke 2:25-40

SIMEON & ANNA

Luke 2:25-40

Susie: Simeon and Anna were elderly people who had awaited the appearance of the Messiah with eager, excited expectation for many years. Here are their stories.

Luke 2:25 And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.

John MacArthur Study Bible:

Consolation of Israel. A messianic title, evidently derived from verses like Is. 25:9; 40:1, 2; 66:1–11.

Isaiah 25:9 (ESV) And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.

Isaiah 40:1 Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.

Susan: Simeon means “obedient, listening” in Hebrew. 

Susie: Simeon definitely was an obedient listener, hearing the Holy Spirit. 

Susan: For us to be enabled to hear the Holy Spirit, we must be obedient listeners. We must listen intently and intentionally and be careful to obey all the Lord instructs us to do.

Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

Susie: Simeon was described as “just and devout”.

Susan: He was upright and law abiding. He believed God and was dedicated to His service.

Luke 2:26-28 And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,

Susie: Simeon heard the Spirit in his heart assuring him he would live to see the Messiah. Somehow the Spirit prompted him to go to the temple that very day and hour that Jesus was being dedicated. There he saw baby Jesus in his parents’ arms and KNEW by the Spirit’s revelation this infant was the Son of God. 

Susan: Because of the divine revelation Simeon had received, he was filled with hope, peace and comfort. Joy overwhelmed him as he took the Baby into his arms to bless him.

Luke 2:29-32 Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

Susie: Simeon’s psalm is known as the “Nunc Dimittis” (Now You dismiss) from the first two words of the Latin translation.

Susan: Simeon now can rest because he not only believed that the Lord was in control, but he had seen that the Lord was in control.  

Susie: He had been allowed to see the promised Hope, our freedom. 

Susan: The chain breaker, the One who delivers us from the prison of sin. 

Susie: He also acknowledged in his speech that Jesus was not for Israel alone. He was to make the message available to other nations, Gentiles included. Simeon referred to the Messiah as a light, and in the gospel of John, we saw that Jesus is The Light (John chapter 1). Jesus Himself said that He was The Light:

John 8:12 (ESV) Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

John 9:5 (ESV) As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

Isaiah 42:6 I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;

Daniel 2:22 He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.

Susie: Simeon was serving the Lord as a prophet while holding the Son of God.

Luke 2:33 And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.

Susan: Mary and Joseph were receiving confirmation of all the angel had told them. Everything they had experienced—the announcements from the angels, the pregnancy as a virgin, the shepherds at the stable—may have begun to make some semblance of sense.

Susie: A total stranger had just come up to them praising God that he had now seen the Messiah, their baby!

Luke 2:34-35 And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.

Susie: Jesus would have a polarizing effect on people. They would either recognize Him as the Messiah and be raised to walk with God, or they would reject Him and ultimately fall. That He would be a significant person, now seems to be a humongous understatement. Our entire western calendar revolves around Him. Granted, His life was unique, but one ordinary person can have a tremendous impact as well. 

Susan: I do not know how many days I have left, but I am determined to use my influence on behalf of God to the fullest extent of God’s ability within me. Exposing our secret thoughts is an intimidating and somewhat ominous proposition especially if we have not yet experienced God’s saving grace. 

Susie: Jesus makes our sin and failure apparent to us in order that we may see our need of Him.

Susan: And His availability to us when we surrender to Him.

Susan: Mary’s heart would be broken as she saw her innocent Son crucified. As the spear pierced His pericardium, her own heart would feel pierced as well because He was still her beloved Son even though He was the Messiah.

Susie: However, we know the rest of the story, that she would see Him raised from the dead!

Luke 2:36-37 And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.

Susan: Anna in Hebrew means “favor or grace, God has favored me”. 

Susie: God certainly favored Anna in allowing her to see the baby Savior. Anna’s husband died when they had been married only a brief time.

Susan: What sustained Anna much of the time was not physical food, but prayer. She made the food for her spirit the priority rather than her physical appetite.  She served as an intercessor in the temple and had devoted her life to her Lord.

Luke 2:38 And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

Susie: At this point Anna was at least 84 years old. She, like Simeon, immediately knew that Jesus was the Messiah. Therefore, she must have been filled with the Holy Spirit as well. Her service in the temple was not out of duty, but out of love and relationship with the Lord.  

Susan: Simeon was now ready to die and be with the Lord, but for Anna, it wasn’t time to go and rest even though she, too, was elderly. She now felt compelled to go and share the good news of this Messiah wrapped in the tender skin of a baby. At this point, she is an intercessor, prophetess, and evangelist!

Luke 2:39 And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth. And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.

Susie: After a brief sojourn in Egypt after the visit of the Magi (we will read about this in Matthew’s gospel), they returned to Nazareth where Joseph worked as a carpenter. Jesus had to grow up and get stronger just like any other child. 

Susan: He had to satiate His hunger, hydrate, and eliminate just like the rest of us. Human frailties, ugh!

Susie: He had to obey His parents (those He created). He was fully human yet fully divine.

PONDER THIS: Put yourself in the shoes of Simeon or Anna. What do you think your response would be as the Holy Spirit filled you with the knowledge that a little baby being dedicated at the temple was actually God’s own Son, the Messiah? What is your emotional response as you try to wrap your mind around the Creator of the universe humbling Himself to be a human baby?