Amy C Walters

Jesus Presented at the Temple – Luke 2:21-40

When Mary and Joseph went to the temple to dedicate Jesus, they may have braced themselves for an icy reception. Instead, they are approached by Simeon and Anna, two godly people who were both waiting to see the Messiah.

This journey to Jerusalem for Joseph and Mary might have been a little bit scary. They might have had some anxiety and nerves going there because probably up to this point, they have not been treated well for their pregnancy with Jesus.

We’ve talked about how, yes, the Holy Spirit is the one who empowered Mary to have this baby, and yet to everyone else, she looked like a single mom. And so there was an assumption by many people that Joseph and Mary were lawbreakers, and here they were going to Jerusalem, to the temple, the very capital of their religion and law. This is a risky place for lawbreakers to go. 

We also know that it is an expensive trip for Joseph and Mary. In Leviticus, where it talks about the sacrifice that you bring for the purification after childbirth, the normal sacrifice is a year old lamb and a dove or a pigeon. But it also says if you cannot afford a lamb, you can bring two doves or two pigeons. That’s the sacrifice we see Joseph and Mary bringing, two doves or two pigeons. So that tells us that they were pretty poor, that they couldn’t afford a lamb.

So this trip to Jerusalem was risky for them and was costly. And yet they did it out of obedience to the law of the Lord.

So they go, maybe expecting some kind of icy cold reception or criticism there. But what they find is totally different!

They find a man who was righteous and devout coming up and taking Jesus into his arms and praising God for the Messiah. They see an elderly woman who pretty much lived at the temple coming up and thanking God for this child and telling everyone about him. This is a warm reception!

Let’s look first at Simeon. We’re told that Simeon lived in Jerusalem and that he was “righteous and devout.” So Simeon had this reputation of following the law. He desired to know and honor God.  And he was devout–he came to worship frequently.

We’re also told that Simeon was “waiting for the consolation of Israel.” This is an interesting phrase. Another way of saying “consolation” might be “comfort.” So, “the comfort of Israel.” What does this refer to? 

This is a title for the Messiah. In fact, we’re told that “the Holy Spirit had revealed to Simeon that he would not die before seeing the Lord’s Messiah.” So, the Messiah would be the comfort, the consolation of the nation. And Simeon was waiting to see him. 

We’re told that “the Holy Spirit was upon Simeon.” And in fact, it was even the Holy Spirit that moved him to go to the temple that day and find Jesus. 

How amazing is Simeon’s sensitivity to the Holy Spirit! We don’t know what else he was doing, where he was at that moment, but whatever it was, he dropped everything and went.

When Simeon sees Jesus, he takes him into his arms and praises God. Simeon said, “Sovereign Lord, you are letting your servant depart in peace according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all the nation, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”

Simeon is not just celebrating another beautiful baby boy. This is a very specific celebration for seeing the Messiah. The Holy Spirit had told him, “You won’t die before seeing the Christ.” And Simeon says, “Now you are letting your servant depart in peace because I have seen him.” 

Simeon refers to Jesus as God’s salvation. “I have seen your salvation.” He also calls him “a light for revelation to the Gentiles and glory for your people Israel.” 

So Jesus is the comfort of Israel, the consolation of Israel, and the glory of Israel.

But Jesus is not just for Israel. 

Yes, he has a special relationship to his chosen people, but he is also “a light for revelation to the Gentiles.” He is the “Savior which has been prepared in the sight of all the nations.” Jesus is for Israel, but he is also for all people.

We also meet Anna in this story, an elderly woman who has been widowed for many years and lives at the temple. She comes up to Joseph and Mary and Simeon and Jesus at this moment. She too knows this baby is the Messiah. So she starts thanking God, and then she is spreading the word about Jesus to all who are waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.

Another interesting term that we see here: “redemption of Jerusalem.” This is not just referring to the city of Jerusalem, but Jerusalem is used to represent the people of Israel. Anna is talking about the redemption of God’s people. 

“Redemption.” What a beautiful word! It can mean “rescue” or “salvation.” “Redemption” also means that you’re taking something that was worthless and giving it great value. Jesus, the Messiah, takes the worthless and makes it worthy.

These two people, Anna and Simeon, would both be recognized in the community. Anyone who had been to the temple had probably seen Anna because she lived there for decades worshiping God. Simeon had a reputation for being righteous and devout. So here from these two trusted, reliable, godly sources, we get confirmation that Jesus is the Messiah.

In fact, throughout the book of Luke so far, we have seen confirmation from so many different people in so many different ways of who Jesus is: 

• John coming to prepare the way for the Messiah in fulfillment of that prophecy is confirmation. 
• The angel, when he meets with Mary and tells her that Jesus would be called the Son of the Most High, would reign on the throne of his father, David and his kingdom would never end. That’s confirmation that Jesus is the Messiah. 
• When Elizabeth is empowered by the Holy Spirit to say, “Who am I that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” It’s confirmation that Jesus is the Messiah. 
• The angels, when they appear to the shepherds, say that “Today in the city of David, a Savior has been born to you, he is Christ the Lord.” And the shepherds go and find Jesus exactly as the angels had told them and described to them, and they spread the word concerning all that they had heard about him. It’s confirmation.
• And then here we have Simeon and Anna, both saying the same thing.

All these different people from different backgrounds, different walks of life, different ages, in different places of Bethel and Nazareth and Bethlehem and Jerusalem. And yet they are all saying the same thing.

This is the Messiah.

And that brings us to our key truth for today, that in many ways and through many people, Jesus is confirmed as Messiah.

We have seen it over and over in these stories in the Book of Luke. And that’s part of Luke’s purpose in writing this book, to confirm that Jesus is the chosen one who has been awaited, who is salvation, who is rescue, who is comfort, who is redemption.