Luke 2:22-24 ( ESV )
22And when the time came for their purification according to the Law
of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord
23(as it is written in the Law of the Lord,£“Every
male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”)
24and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of
the Lord, £“a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.”
·
This purification was for the woman after
childbirth. According to the Law of Moses in Lev. 12:3 a mother was declared
unclean after birth, she would remain that way for a period of 33 days. She
would then have to present a burnt offering and sin offering for herself. It
was a reminder to them that the sin nature was transmitted. (Yet, this one was
perfect.)
·
Only a blood sacrifice could take away the
defilement. We also see how poor Mary and Joseph were in that Lev. 12:8 stated
that smaller pigeons could be used by the poor instead of a lamb. (The pigeons
were numerous and would pair for life; they became a symbol for purity.)
Luke 2:25-26 ( ESV )
25Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this
man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the
Holy Spirit was upon him.
26And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would
not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
·
We are now introduced to Simeon. His name means
the Harkening one which seems to fit him well.
He was a man who was known to be right in his judgments, a pious man who
was devoted to the cause of expecting the coming Messiah. His heart longed for
the day in which he would see the comforting one who would be the Messiah. One
other mark of this godly man was that the Holy Spirit was upon his life.
·
He was told by the Spirit of God that he would
not see death until he would see the Lord’s Christ face to face. (Tradition
tells us he was at least 110 or more at this time.) Do we long to see His
return and to see him face to face?
Luke 2:27-32 ( ESV )
27And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents
brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law,
·
Note how often the Spirit worked in Simeon’s
life in just these few verses. (2:25, 2:26 and 2:27) He was devoted to His
coming but also devoted to the Spirit of God.
·
Can you imagine the peace in his heart as his
arms bent to take the Messiah into his hands. His first reaction was that of
praising and blessing. (Think about it, he was holding the creator of the
universe in his arms.) He had been like a watchman who now welcomes his hour of
dismissal as it had been worth it all too just see the promised one of Abraham
and the Fathers now in his very sight.
·
He calls Him Salvation. He would be the one who
would be God’s perfect plan for fallen man.
Even though he sees Christ as a child yet he saw Him as Lord. He not
only sees Him as the one who would bring glory to Israel, the promised one of
the tribe of Judah. He also saw Him as the salvation for all peoples. This
light would even shine upon the Gentiles and offer them hope.
Luke 2:33-35 ( ESV )
34And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this
child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign
that is opposed
35(and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that
thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”
·
When Mary and Joseph heard these words they were
awestruck by the reaction and the words of Simeon. Yet, Simeon was not yet done
as he also brings up some other things that would happen to their son and Mary.
·
Many because of Christ would be brought down to
ruin but there would also be those who would be able to rise up or be blessed.
This one who would bring salvation though would also be opposed in doing so.
There would be those who would have nothing to do with him. Inward thoughts of
a person would be laid bare. They would be exposed for who they really were as
the Light would shine upon them.
·
Heart break would also come to His mother. It
would feel like the piercing of her very soul. Mary would suffer great anguish
as she would watch Jesus be put to death before her very eyes. (The word for
sword here is like that of a large one almost like a javelin.
Luke 2:36-38 ( ESV )
36And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the
tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven
years from when she was a virgin,
37and then as a widow until she was eighty-four.£ She did
not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day.
38And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God
and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.
·
Now enter into our scene a woman who had served
her Father faithfully as a prophetess or one to whom future events may have
been revealed to. Her name was Anna or Grace and she would be shown that now as
an older woman who would look into the very face of God.
·
She had been so devoted to God that she did not
depart from the temple . She worshiped or ministered in the house and had been
known for her life of service. She was a
woman who prayed continually. It was at that very moment she began to give
thanks to God and speak of the one who would bring redemption to Israel. Both
her and Simeon’s service were honored by being those who would see the Hope of
their salvation. (One day as believers we also will see the Hope of our
salvation not through a mirror darkly but face to face.)
Luke 2:39-40 ( ESV )
39And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the
Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.
·
Mary and Joseph just like Simeon and Anna had
honored the Lord by performing what the Lord had required of them to do and
this is the house that Jesus would grow up in and God’s mighty grace would be
thus shown forth as the Savior would grow up in a world in which He would soon
give His life for.
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