Quest - Simeon and Anna

Simeon and Anna

WHAT YOU WILL NEED: A personal object that holds value to you and a cloth large enough to cover it.

1. A personal object that holds value to you and a cloth large enough to cover it completely.

3. A bowl with Bible promises written on small slips of paper.

ATTENTION GRABBER!

Treasure of Expectation

Pre-set in your classroom a personal object that has great value to you. Cover it with a cloth large enough to hide it completely. Explain to the class that there is something significant under the cloth.

you. Cover it with a cloth large enough to hide it completely.

Explain to the class that there is something significant under the

Tell them that before the end of class they will get to see with their own eyes what is under the cloth.

cloth. Tell them that before the end of class they will get to see with their own eyes what is under the cloth.

with their own eyes what is under the cloth.

Lesson ice breaker:

Who wrote the third book of the NT? Luke

One day Luke sat down to write, for his friend Theophilus, what he had seen and heard during the time of Jesus. Luke wrote about

-Mary being pregnant with Jesus

-Joseph helped Mary on the long journey to Bethlehem

What’s interesting is that after Jesus is born there isn’t a lot written about him as a baby. In fact, there are only 3 times in Luke where we hear about something that happened to Jesus as a baby.

1. angels told shepherds that Jesus was born

2. the wise men visited Jesus

2. the wise men visited Jesus

3. between the story of the shepherds, and the story of the wise men there is another event that Luke tells us happened about 40 days after Jesus was born. Luke tells us not about more shepherds, or about more wise men who found Jesus. No, Luke tells us about 2 regular, normal people.

Lesson

Simeon and Anna

So, let’s talk about who Simeon was. says, “Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.”

The Lord promised Simeon that he would not see death until he had seen the Messiah. What an amazing promise this was from God. Simeon believed God because God’s promises always come true.

Simeon was probably waiting in the Court of Women, part of the temple where women were allowed.

When Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple, the Holy Spirit moved Simeon to go there as well. When he saw Jesus he took him into his arms and blessed him, saying “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel”

Do you think Simeon just showed up one day and knew the Messiah would walk through the doors of the temple? Or do you think he watched diligently, keeping his eye out for new families with new babies? Do you think he would even go up to them and look at their babies? Ask where they were from? Where the baby had been born? Do you think he was watching for a couple who looked rich, well dressed? Did you know Mary and Joseph were actually poor? Since Mary had just had a baby boy, she was supposed to go to the temple and offer a sacrifice of sin and a sacrifice of purification. A lamb for one, and a turtle dove or pigeon for the other. They must have been poor, because they couldn’t bring the typical offering of a lamb and a bird, because scripture says they just brought two birds. That is a sign they were poor. Did this stop Simeon from watching them?

Have several boys and girls volunteer to be "couples" with a baby, coming into the temple where Simeon is waiting. Have him look at each baby, asking questions, like "where are you from", and "is this a boy or a girl", or "what is his name"?

When Simeon asked to hold baby Jesus, I can only imagine the joy and love he had, and the assurance this gave Mary and Joseph, for a complete stranger to also know Who it was they were holding in their arms! It’s so exciting to hold a new baby! Have you ever held a baby before? Imagine what it must have been like for Simeon; he was holding the creator of the universe in his arms.

(ESV)

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

31  that 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.”

When Joseph and Mary heard the praises coming from Simeon, they marveled. They were amazed at what Simeon was saying. Simeon blessed them and even prophesied about Jesus’ future. The nation of Israel had been waiting for hundreds of years for the Messiah. Simeon also said that a sword would pierce Mary’s heart. What do you think that meant?

Now let's meet another person named Anna.

Anna was an 84-year-old widow, which means that she had been

married, but her husband had died. She was only married 7 years, then lived the rest of her

life at the temple for God; she must have loved the Lord a great deal. She never

left the temple and always worshipped God.

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.

After Anna saw the promise of God in this little baby, she did

exactly what the shepherds did when they found Jesus. Can

anyone tell what the shepherds did after they found Jesus? They

spread the word; “The Messiah has come.”

When God’s promises come true, we need to give thanks to Him,

worship and praise Him, and tell others about what He has done

just like Simeon and Anna did. We need to trust the Lord because

God’s promises always come true.

Treasure of Expectation

Remind the children that you have something under the cloth to

show them. Ask the children if any of them had a hard time

waiting. Go ahead and show them what is under the cloth.

Explain to the class that sometimes there are promises that God

makes that we have to wait for. Simeon waited a long time to

receive his promise, but he did not lose hope because he knew that

God’s promises always come true.

PRAYER

Lead the children in a prayer of thanksgiving for God’s promises.