Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Simeon and Anna

Luke 2:21:38

Sometimes when my kids are waiting for company to arrive they keep going to the door looking for the person expectantly.  They say a watched pot never boils and I have to admit that sometimes having to wait can be hard.  We live in a culture that values NOW.  In fact, we don’t like to wait for anything.  So imagine waiting for someone for your entire life…

Simeon had been told by God that he would not die before seeing God’s Messiah.  He had waited expectantly his whole life for the moment when Messiah would come.  I imagine he was probably expecting someone a bit older.  Yet suddenly there Jesus was, and in his Spirit Simeon knew this baby was Messiah.

Anna had been a widow most of her life. Her husband had died after only seven years of marriage and yet even at eighty four years old, the bible says she never left the temple court but was dedicated to prayer and fasting.  She also knew immediately who this child was because as Simeon was talking to Mary and Joseph Anna began to tell those gathered about Jesus, even though she had never met him.

It must have been amazing for Mary and Joseph to get these two distinct confirmations that their son was indeed the Messiah, but God used the moment both to fulfill his promise to Simeon and also to reward Anna for her diligence in worship.  Their long wait was finally over and God had remained true to His word.  What a amazing moment it must have been for both Simeon and Anna to finally see Jesus after so many years of waiting and watching.


It’s clear that both Simeon and Anna were not simply passively waiting, but were actively, deliberately looking and praying for Jesus to come.  I hope you are also expectantly waiting for Jesus to come.  The question is, what does your wait look like?  


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