
“Simeon and Anna’s Story”

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Christmas Stories: Christmas Sermon Series
Simeon’s and Anna’s Story
Luke 2:22-38
Introduction
Back in the 1970’s a research team of psychologists from Stanford University performed an experiment on a group of 4-year-olds that they called, “the marshmallow test.” The kids would be placed in a room—one at a time—with a psychologist who had a bag of marshmallows. The psychologist would ask the child a series of questions or give him certain tasks to do. If the child answered the question or performed the task well, they would get a marshmallow as a reward.
But the real test came with a pre-arranged knock on the door of the room about a half hour later. The researcher would get up and stick his head out of the door, and then he would come back to the table and say to the child, “I’ve got to go run an errand. I’m going to leave a marshmallow here on the table in front of you. If you don’t eat the marshmallow while I’m gone, then when I get back you will get two. But if you eat the marshmallow, it’s the only one you’re going to get.”
Well, the moments that followed were tough for these kids. I’m sure they were, to put it in Thomas Paine’s words, “…the times that try children’s souls.” I mean the marshmallow test is the ultimate soul test for any 4-year-old in that it embodies the constant battle they wage between impulse and restraint, desire and control, gratification and delay. These kids would develop all kinds of strategies to help enable them to wait. They’d sing songs. They’d tell themselves stories. They’d sit on their hands. One little guy actually licked the table around the marshmallow, thinking that perhaps the flavor had somehow spilled over onto the surrounding wood.
But the amazing thing about this marshmallow test is what it revealed about the direction these kids would take later on in life. You see, the research team tracked these kids into adolescence and then into adulthood. They found that those who were able to wait as 4-year-olds grew up to be more socially competent, better able to cope with stress, and less likely to give up under pressure than those who could not wait. The non-waiters—the “marshmallow-grabbers” —grew up to be more stubborn and indecisive, more easily upset by frustration, and more resentful about not getting enough. Most amazingly, the “marshmallow wait-ers” had higher SAT scores that averaged 210 points higher than the group of marshmallow-grabbers. Moreover, years later the study showed the marshmallow-grabbers were still unable to delay gratification. Their poor impulse control was much more likely to lead to delinquency, substance abuse, and divorce.
Well, the truth is all of us struggle with waiting. In fact our inability to control our impulses—our refusal to wait and trust—lies close to the core of human sinfulness. I mean it’s been that way since Genesis 3, when Adam and Eve first took that bite from the forbidden “marshmallow” in the Garden of Eden.
“Simeon and Anna are representatives of real piety in this time of spiritual death and deadness.”[1]
And they had been waiting for a very long time.
Prayer
A Humble Couple Present (vv. 22-24)
And 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”) 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.”[2]
Our first introduction to Mary, Joseph and Jesus as a family is their carrying out the law. “Jesus came from a family that sought to honor God.”[3] All that Joseph and Mary are doing with regard to the law indicate how seriously Judaism took approaching God in worship and how prepared a heart and soul should have as they address God.[4]
“The law of Moses regarded the woman who had given birth to a child as ceremonially unclean, in the case of a son, for forty days; after which certain purification rites, involving sacrifice, were to be perform, before she could be regarded as ritually clean.”[5]
There was also another ceremony appointed for a first-born son on such an occasion, both mother and child are meant when it says, “their purification,” and these must take place publicly in the temple. We see something similar to this in 1 Sam. 1:24-28 where instead of redeeming her first born son back, Hannah gives up her son Samuel to the Lord, and he serves in the temple with Eli. Mary and Joseph don’t give the redeeming offering, “for the child was not redeemed but rather consecrated to the service of God.”[6]
(v. 24) ““a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” The law required a lamb, but of your were poor and could not afford this, then you could offer “a pair of turtledoves or two pigeons.” Christianity begins with a couple who were living in poverty. Jesus would have grown up in a family who were poor.
At the end of Jesus’ time on earth, while hanging from the cross, He is concerned for his mother’s care, and turns to the disciple John and says, “Woman, behold, your son!” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to ahis own home” (John 19:26-27).
In Luke 1:46-48 Mary says, “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.” She was not being self-depreciating; their family was genuinely of humble estate. The gifts offered from the Magi of “gold and frankincense and myrrh” had not yet arrived (Matt. 2:11).
So Mary and Joseph are following the law (purifying themselves), to prepare themselves to be the parents of the Savior, they are presenting Him to the God at the temple, and God Prepares two of His representatives to be the hands that receive the Savior.
A Faithful Man of God Receives the Savior (vv. 25-35)
25 Now 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. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.[7] 27 And 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,
Simeon is described to us as being “righteous and devout,” and that the Holy Spirit was upon him, and led him to the temple that day, because we are to believe what he says about Jesus. The focus is not on Simeon, but what Simeon would say about Jesus. This man was told by God that he would not die, until he had seen the “Lord’s Christ.”
Paul expresses a similar attitude in Philippians 1:21-23 “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.” Here is a servant who only wishes to do what God has called him to do.
28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, 29 “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; 30 for my eyes have seen your salvation 31that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” 33 And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 And 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.”
(v. 28) “he took him up in his arms and blessed God,” and then in v. 34 “And Simeon blessed them” The word used here refers to an arm being bent to receive something. Simeon is physically receiving Jesus, doing something with his hands toward God, and then toward Mary and Joseph – while he is praying and blessing.
Notice Simeon’s words, because he understands two things about this Messiah that Mary and Joseph are hearing for the second time, “a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” (one) The salvation that He would bring would be for everyone, Jew and Gentile. This treasure to the Jewish people would be a gift for all of mankind.
(v. 29) “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word;” – The word used here for Lord in the original language is not the one normally used. Instead, this word focuses on the relationship between Lord to the servant – a master freeing his slave. Simeon’s release is beginning. “Now” after so long, the servant is freed. Death for Simeon is near, and it is welcomed, like sleep for a laboring man.
(v. 30) “for my eyes have seen your salvation 31that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,” – What does a person want to see before they die? Today we call it a “bucket list.” A person may want to see their name remembered on a plaque or building, they may want to see their family prosperous, but for Simeon, who was righteous and devout wanted to see the unfolding of God’s promise for His people. He wanted to look upon the face of the Savior of the world.
“Simeon does not say, however, that he has seen the Messiah but rather that his eyes have seen God’s salvation (v.30). To see Jesus is to see salvation embodied in him. . .”[8]
(v. 34) “this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel,” – (two) Jesus would preach and people would fall in repentance and bow down before God because of their sin, then they would rise up in praise, excitement, because of their pardon from sin, their being justified before God, and adopted as His children.
In another sense, “the fall” “was to happen to the worldly, proud, self-righteous – like the Scribes and Pharisees. While those who were lowly, prayerful, those who sought God, Jesus would rise them up to true dignity, happiness, and glory.
“The falling of some and the rising of others is what is meant. He will be a stumbling block to some who love darkness more than light, he will cause the rising of others.”[9] Judas despairs, Peter repents: one robber blasphemes, the other confesses.” (Plummer). Like a magnet Jesus attracts and repels.
“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” – Simeon is telling Mary that when people encounter the Savior their hearts will be revealed. The word used for sword here is the same word used of Goliath’s sword (1 Sam. 17:51).[10]
Jesus will strike or pierce people’s hearts – with a Goliath size sword. Matthew 9:4 “And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” 4 But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts?”
(35a) is a parenthesis because it is an aside comment made specifically to Mary. Simeon is telling Mary that Jesus’ ministry is also going to cause her pain. That Goliath sized sword will go through her heart.
It won’t be very long before they make their pilgrimage to the temple where Jesus stays and they return home, (Luke 2:41 ff.), Jesus would be rejected and even hated by the religious leaders of his day, people will try to stone him, throw him off a cliff, and even the family itself will fear for Jesus’ mental state (Mark 3:21).
Simeon is warning Mary that the salvation of mankind and the part that she will play will cost her something. Salvation through Christ is free, but if you want to be apart of the Great Commission to see others saved, then know that you can count on a giant Goliath sized spear going through your heart – you will not escape pain.
Who Simeon was is not known; all that we know about this man is what is mentioned here in these few sentences. There is an inscription on a tombstone, in a soldier’s graveyard in Virginia that reads, “who they were no man knows, what they were all men know.” “Simeon was a God-fearing Old Testament believer, an earnest believer in the Messianic hope, and fervently desiring its fulfillment.”[11]
Simeon is the representative of all the genuine true God-fearing believers who prayed and worshipped, studied God’s Word, and sought to be faithful to Him – and now he is able to see God’s faithfulness and the fulfilment of the Scriptures. Two worlds coming together.
A Devoted Woman of God Praises the Savior (vv. 36-38)
36 And there was a prophetess, Anna[12], 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, 37 and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. 38 And 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.”
Anna is presented to us by telling us who her father was, her tribe (which makes Simeon stand out even more), and that she had lived most of her life a widow after being married for seven years. There is a good chance that she is over 100, and is known for her ministry of intercession. She is constantly in the temple praying, fasting, and worshipping the Lord.
(v. 37 b) “She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day.” Women were not allowed to spend the night at the temple, so another way to understand this is, “Anna was always at the temple.”
The word for prophetess is used only here and in Rev. 2:20, and in Old Greek it means one who interprets oracles.[13] “Anna possessed divine insight into things normally hidden from ordinary people, and hence was able to recognize who the child in the temple was and then to proclaim his significance to those who were interested.”[14]
Notice that Simeon, was waiting “for the consolation of Israel” (v. 25), and Anna was “waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem” (v. 38). Comfort from the pains of sin, and deliverance from the shackles of sin. They had waited so long to be free, experience true peace, and have that pain soothed by a Savior.
______________________
[1] Archibald Thomas Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, Volume 2 (Nashville, Tennessee; Broadman Press, 1932) 27.
[2] Leviticus 12
[3] Darell Bock, The NIV Application Commentary, Luke (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Zondervan Publishing, 1996) 92.
[4] John 4:24 “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
[5] George R. Bliss, Mark and Luke, An American Commentary on the New Testament (Valley Forge, Pennsylvania; Judson Press, 1950) 50.
[6] Howard Marshall, The Gospel of Luke, A Commentary on the Greek Text (Grand Rapids, Michigan; William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1978) 117.
[7] Nunc Dimittis
[8] Frank E. Gaebelein, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 8 (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Zondervan Publishing House, 1984) 849.
[9] Robertson, 29. Isa. 8:14; Matt. 21:42,44; Romans 9:33; 1 Pet. 2:16; John 3:19; Rom. 6:4, 9; Eph. 2:6.
[10] Robertson, 29.
[11] Marcus Dods, The Expositor’s Greek Testament, Volume One (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Grand Rapids Book Manufacturing, 1967) 475.
[12] The Hebrew equivalent would be Hannah. (Marshall, 123).
[13] Robertson, 30.
[14] Marshall, 123.
Christmas Stories: Christmas Sermon Series
Mary’s Story
Luke 1:26-45
Introduction
God’s Plan For Mary (vv. 26-33)
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!”3 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
The sixth month refers to Elizabeth’s sixth month of pregnancy, not the sixth month of the year. God’s plan for Elizabeth, Zachariah, and John the Baptist have already been in place for six months. God had already began the process of birthing the one who would run ahead of Jesus in the desert.
Gabriel was sent to a virgin named Mary who was engaged to a man named Joseph. Their marriage process was slightly different than our own today. A father would seek to find a wife for his son. Once a girl was found the son’s approval was sought and then a dowry was paid to the father of the bride since he was losing a daughter and a valuable helper.
A written agreement was drawn up and the couple were considered to be married; but there was no sexual contact during this “engagement” time. The engagement could not be broken except in instances of adultery. But if this were the case then there would be great shame on the part of the offender.
Time would pass and there would be a religious ceremony and then the couple would consummate the marriage. It was between the engagement and the ceremony that Gabriel appears before Mary.
“Greetings, O favored one,” – Luke is careful to let us know that this favor is not because Mary had any kind of special holiness in her life. There was nothing about her life that would have earned this type of privileged responsibility. God in His grace and mercy just chose her.
God in his grace and mercy has a very special plan for each of our lives as well. God desires to use us to do great things for His name. Mary is an example to us of a person who was called by God to do something wonderful and she did it faithfully. Let’s look to see how Mary sought to carry out her calling.
She Knew God Was With Her
“the Lord is with you!” – This is not a wish that God would be with her, but a statement of fact – The Lord is with you. kurios meaning supreme in authority, the controller. The God who was with her was supreme, He was in control, He who has all authority would be with her. Not just in the beginning – but all the way through.
She would need to know that the Lord is with when she was to approach Joseph and tell him that she is pregnant. She would need to know that God is with her when she would have to travel from Nazareth to Jerusalem while she would be “great with child.” She would need to know that God is with her when she has to deliver this child in a filthy stable.
She would need to know the Lord was with her when she learns that Herod desired to kill her child – and as she escaped to Egypt. She would have to know that the Lord was with her when the child would become a man – she would watch as he would lay down his tool belt and leave for a public ministry. She would have to let him go.
She would have to know that the Lord was with her as she watched as he would be rejected, spit upon, cursed, ripped to pieces by a Roman cat-of-nine-tails. Mary would have clung to these precious words “the Lord is with you!” as she watched her precious Son hang on an old rugged cross for the sins of the world.
As she heard him cry out, “IT IS FINISHED!” and sink into death. She would have to know that the Lord was with her as she looked into the face of her dead son, beaten beyond recognition, wiping his face and body of blood, wrapping his body in cloth and lying his limp body into a tomb. She would need these words from Gabriel.
Notice that Mary is not afraid at Gabriel’s presence, but it his words that cause her to be afraid. These words should cause us to cry out in joy “The Lord is with you!” These words should also drive us to our knees in prayer because if God has called us to accomplish great things for Him, things that can be accomplished only by “The Lord being with us” – then there will be great heartache and circumstances that require us to call out to Him and to cling to His Word.
Matthew 1:22-23 “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel.”
Not only would The Lord be with Mary but “God is with us.” Just as Mary would have clung to the words “The Lord is with you,” We can rejoice that God is with us. The Son of the Most High Stepped out of heaven and would come to be among us – to be with us.
John 1:1, 14 “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, . . .”
She Knew God Called Her To Do Something Great
Gabriel gives several things that describe the son she was to name Jesus. “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.” Whereas John would be known as a great man, the difference between John and Jesus is that His greatness would be related to His being the Son of God. Jesus was God in the flesh, who came from heaven to dwell with us.
This child that she would give birth to, would be a king; But he would be different than Saul, David, Solomon, or any other earthly king – “And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end,” Not only would he be a king, but His reign will be for all of eternity.
Responses To Christ
Matthew 27:27-31 “Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. 28 And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. 31 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him.”
Revelation 19:11-16 “Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.”
Here are the two responses that people would have to the Son of God. One of mockery, and falsely following the King; or one of standing in awe and reverent fear of the Son of God.
The shepherds ran and told their town about what they had seen and heard, they later returned to worship and praise the Christ child. The Magi from the west came over long distances and brought gifts fit for a king. What is your response to Christ; a mocking bow or reverential following?
God’s Plan For Mary Was Impossible – for her (vv. 34-38)
34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.”
Where Zechariah in the previous verses had wanted more proof from Gabriel that his message was going to come true, Mary asks about how this would come about (since she was a virgin.)
She is seeking to know more about God’s plan because she did not understand. The only explanation she gets is “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” God will make it so. There are several things in the Bible that we cannot fully understand or explain.
We do not know how God created the world – only that he did. We have, for example, God the Father sending and angel, The Holy Spirit directing the pregnancy, and the Son Jesus being brought into the world – the Trinity is something difficult to grasp but none the less true.
This Jesus would be fully God and fully man at the same time. How do these things happen? God. Not a blind faith, but a faith upon the evidence revealed to us and taking Him at His Word. “For nothing will be impossible with God.”
She recognizes that she is a servant of the Lord, and He has the right to do with her anything He desires. But she is a servant of one where nothing is impossible. A servant follows her master.
Your life may not where you thought it would end up, give it to God “For nothing is impossible with God.” No matter how damaged the marriage, no matter how wayward the child, no matter how little in the checking account, “For nothing is impossible with God.” no matter how strong the urge, no matter whether you see how it will work out or not “For nothing is impossible with God”
If God can make a virgin girl become pregnant, if He came shape time and space to orchestrate a star for shepherds and Magi to see and move it at will, if God can fulfill hundreds of prophecy regarding Jesus’ birth and life, if he can give Zechariah and Elizabeth a child in their old age, than he can surely handle anything you desire to lay at his feet.
There will be a time in your life when God will desire to use you to be a part of something amazing, beyond anything you ever could have imagined – and He may just say, “follow me into the impossible.” Our response must be like Mary’s; “Lord, I don’t know how you are going to do this, but here I am. . . “let it be to me according to your word.” God is the God of the impossible.
Mary Raced To See Elizabeth (vv. 39-45)
In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”
Immediately after discovering God’s plan for her life, she got ready and went to celebrate with Elizabeth and her miraculous pregnancy. The angel had told Mary that God had allowed Elizabeth to have a child. So she goes to see it for herself. One impossibility coming together with another impossibility.
How is it that we have been so blessed by God in so many ways? Hebrews 10:25 “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” God is always working impossibilities in the lives of those who say, “let it be to me according to your word.” God desires that we meet together to share these things and encourage each other.
Elizabeth says, “And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” Whereas before they would have met and talked about the mundane things of life, even seeing their relationship as casual.
But now she feels honored, “favored” that Mary would come by. Oh, how their conversations would change – what would the two ladies who had experienced the impossible say to each other? Let us meet and discuss the things of God regularly.
Conclusion
The fact that God would gives us an opportunity to receive Christ and how God made the impossible possible is the wonder of Christmas. In order for God to work in your life; realize that He is with you. He has directed you here this morning – because for His love and desire to do great things through you.
Secondly, realize that it is impossible for you to go to heaven or do great things – without God. That is why Jesus was born into the world, to save us from our sins. What is impossible for us, is possible for an almighty God.
This morning if you would like to ask Christ to come into your life and forgive you of your sins, you can say a prayer something like this:
Dear Jesus I know that I am a sinner and need Your forgiveness. I believe that you died for my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I now invite you to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as Lord and Savior. Amen.
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