SSL 4 - Luke 2:22-38 - FORESEEN
BACKGROUND: Last week we learned that Luke chapter 2 contains three major sections, and we covered the first section (vv. 1-20), reporting the details of Jesus' birth at Bethlehem, the angelic visitation of the angels (1,000s) to the shepherds, and the worship and witness of the shepherds that followed it. This week, we'll cover the second section of Luke 2 which reports the presentation of the infant Jesus at the Temple in Jerusalem when He was about six weeks old and the divinely-inspired testimony of two people serving there named Simeon and Anna.
Read Luke 2:22-24 - THEY BROUGHT JESUS UP TO JERUSALEM
22 And when the days for their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "EVERY firstborn MALE THAT OPENS THE WOMB SHALL BE CALLED HOLY TO THE LORD"), 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord, "A PAIR OF TURTLEDOVES OR TWO YOUNG PIGEONS."
vv. 22-23: "And when the days for their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every firstborn MALE THAT OPENS THE WOMB SHALL BE CALLED HOLY TO THE LORD")," - We learn about two different Jewish rites here: (1) The purification of the mother following the birth of a child (Leviticus 12:1-8) because she is considered to be "unclean" for 40 days following the birth of a son (80 days for a daughter?) during which time she is prohibited from entering the Temple or handling holy objects. (2) The presentation of the firstborn in the Temple for consecration and redemption (Exodus 13:1-2, 11-16) in order to signify that the child is "holy to the LORD." The "redemption" observed the deliverance of the people from the final plague God sent to the firstborn of Egypt; however, it is noteworthy that Luke doesn't mention the redemption of Jesus here because He was God in the flesh and had no need of redemption. (Note: 2:21 previously reported that Jesus had been brought to the Temple [presumably by Joseph] when eight days old to be circumcised and named in accordance with Leviticus 12:3.) In these passages, Luke makes it abundantly clear that from the very beginning, Jesus is obedient to the Law of Moses and confirms that Joseph and Mary are likewise very devout Jews.
v. 24: "and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord, 'A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons'" - Leviticus 12:6-8 required either an offering for sacrifice of a lamb or two young pigeons or turtle doves, the latter two being allowed only when the woman could not afford to buy a lamb. This tells us that Joseph and Mary were both poor people by the standards of that day. So we see Jesus begin His life as a member of the poor, whose cause He would champion throughout His ministry.
LUKE 2:25-32 - SIMEON: LOOKING FOR THE CONSOLATION OF ISRAEL
25 And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking 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. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law, 28 then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said, 29 "Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, According to Your word; 30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation, 31 Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32 A LIGHT OF REFELATION TO THE GENTILES, And the glory of Your people Israel."
v. 25: "And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him" - Simeon (Gk. sumeōn), whose name means God-receiver, is though to have been a Levitical priest serving in the Temple on this occasion. The term, "consolation of Israel," was a figure of speech for the coming of the Messiah foretold by OT prophecy. Bible scholars believe that Simeon may have previously heard rumors circulating about the coming of the Messiah that had originated from the well-publicized birth of John the Baptist (1:65), the son of fellow priest Zacharias, and even possibly had been spread by shepherds keeping the Temple flocks who had witnessed the angelic announcement (2:8-14). But more than mere rumors, Luke reveals that the "the Holy Spirit was upon him." This is still in the OT context when God only indwelled people with the Holy Spirit very selectively for divine purposes.
v. 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" - Being righteous and devout, Simeon had probably spent a large part of his lifetime hoping and praying for the Messiah to come. At this point in his life, It's likely that he had prayed this prayer thousands of times and had suffered thousands of disappointments; however, the Holy Spirit had promised him that he wouldn't die until he had seen the "Lord's Christ," the Messiah.
vv. 27-28: "And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law, 28 then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said" - Simeon was a man who knew how to be led by the Spirit, and it was the Spirit, not rumors, that led him into the Temple at this precise moment of history for a divine "intersection." With the Spirit guiding him, he encounters Joseph and Mary with the infant Jesus. Still being guided by the Spirit, he approaches this couple and takes the baby in his arms. Although he hardly knows this child, he recognizes who He is and is filled with love for Him.
v. 29: "Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, According to Your word" - This was the moment Simeon had been waiting for, the answer to an untold number of prayers. Simeon's task in done; he may depart (this life and this world) in peace. Scholars suggest that "Your word" wasn't a reference to Scripture but promises made by God through the Spirit to Simeon.
vv. 30-31: "For my eyes have seen Your salvation, 31 Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples," - Simeon's reference to "Your salvation" affirms that He's seen the Christ, the Messiah in the flesh, as the Spirit had promised him. The meaning of the term "salvation" in this context isn't a reference to eternal life but the national deliverance of Israel from her enemies through the Messiah. The statement that this was "prepared in the presence of all peoples," announces that God's plan for the nation of Israel is intended to reveal something about God to all other nations. Because Israel had fallen short of the covenant requirements, it had never fully revealed all that God intended to the nations, and Simeon here reveals that this will be the task of the Messiah.
v. 32: "A Light of revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel" - Coming from the mouth of a Levitical priest in God's Temple, this is an amazing statement. For the Messiah, this task would generally involve two things: (1) "A LIGHT OF REVELATION TO THE GENTILES" (quotes Isaiah 46:13; 60:1-3) The "light" of the Messiah would bring the revelation of God to the Gentiles. Unlike Israel, the Gentile nations were without reliable revelation from God and without the knowledge of how to be reconciled to Him-spiritually ignorant. The Messiah would bring this revelation to the Gentiles and show them how to be welcomed into the family of God. And (2) "the glory of Your people Israel" confirms that Israel would receive what was promised to her as well and that the coming of the Messiah would accomplish what they could never accomplish on their own. Because the Jews rejected Jesus during his earthly ministry, this is an eschatological promise that will be fulfilled in the end times.
LUKE 2:33-35 - A SWORD WILL PIERCE YOUR SOUL
33 And His father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him. 34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, "Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed- 35 and a sword will pierce even your own soul-to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed."
v. 33: "And His father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him" - It's significant that "His father," Joseph is mentioned here before "mother." First, Luke does this to emphasize Joseph's role as the family's spiritual leader in presenting Jesus. Second, up to this point, Mary and nameless people had "pondered" and "wondered" about the significance of the infant Jesus (2:18-19), but Luke shows that Joseph is beginning to wonder about what kind of son he has been given. Both parents are "amazed" (i.e., quite literally taken aback) by Simeon's announcement of the path Jesus' ministry will take-a revelation to the Gentiles. What!
v. 34: "And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, 'Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed-'" - The blessing, whatever it was, isn't recorded here. It's followed by a prophecy directed to Mary only. Some commentators have speculated that Joseph may have died before Jesus began his ministry, which is possible of course.
The "fall and rise of many in Israel" foretells that some Jews would accept Jesus as Messiah, i.e., "rise" as disciples with new life, while others would oppose Him, especially those in power and authority, would "fall." The irony is that rather than bless the nation as a whole, the coming of Jesus would divide the nation, and in this way, He would be a "sign" (i.e., fulfillment of OT prophecies).
v. 35: "and a sword will pierce even your own soul-to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed" - There will be time in Jesus' ministry when he seemed to be indifferent about his family (8:19-21) or when he seems to speak harshly to Mary (John 2:4), which must have been painful to her at times. And she will see him die-horribly-on a cross. And the sword that pierces Jesus' side will, as his mother, also pierce her heart. Finally, the unspoken thoughts of peoples' hearts would be known to Jesus and He would gather to Him the poor and rejected (i.e., tax collectors and sinners) but scatter the proud and the arrogant (i.e., rulers and the authorities).
LUKE 2:36-38 - THERE WAS ONE ANNA, A PROPHETESS
36 And there was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years and had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers. 38 At that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.
vv. 36-37: "And there was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years and had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers." - Here, Luke shifts the scene in the Temple from Simeon to a widow named Anna. He identifies her as a "prophetess," although how she achieved that distinction is not revealed. Her Hebrew heritage is described as the tribe of Asher and we're told she had been widowed after seven years of marriage and was now 84 years old or over 100 depending on how you calculate the numbers given. No doubt Anna had experienced a very hard life, yet she did not become bitter and turn her back on God. Instead, she took refuge under God's protective care, practically living in the Women's Court of the Temple day and night, worshipping with fasting and prayer.
v. 38: "At that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem" - You'll have to look close to see this. Anna, like Simeon, was now in the right place at precisely the right time. "At that very moment" (v. 38a), she approached the young couple with baby at about the same time that Simeon was handling the infant Jesus back to His parents. Although no interaction between Anna and Mary or Joseph is recorded, Luke reported that Anna thereafter spoke to people in the Temple area. That she spoke of "Him" (note capitalized "H" meaning deity; also listed as "the child" in some translations). The words Anna used to describe the child were "waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem" which meant the same thing-Messiah-as the term "consolation of Israel," spoken by Simeon in v. 25. Notice, too, that Anna doesn't speak to everyone about Jesus but to those in the Temple whom she knew were looking forward to the coming of the Messiah.
APPLICATION:
1. God has selected faithful people-like the examples of Simeon and Ann in this lesson-who don't play a big role in the stage of Bible history but have small yet important parts because they show themselves to be sensitive to God's voice and available when God calls on them. They present very good examples to you and me to follow.
2. The Holy Spirit can speak to us and show us things that others cannot know or understand, like when He promised Simeon he would see the Messiah before he died (v. 29). But we are not likely to hear God's voice unless, like Simeon and Anna, we prepare ourselves by striving to be obedient before God and giving Him the praise and devotion He deserves.
3. As Simeon and Anna observed in this lesson, Jesus' coming offers hope, light, and salvation to all people (2:30-32, 38). When we, as 21st Century Christians, are really and truly convicted of this fact like these two people were, maybe we won't be so hesitant in sharing this good news with others.
