God's Plan Foretold

A journey can have surprises.

Unexpected events which are inspirational.

It might be a veiw that was far better than you imagined it would be.

It might be an unexpected encounter with a magnificant example of God’s creation.

It might be listening to the story of an inspiring person whom you just meet along the way.

Journeys can have surprises and we find in the journey to our redemption an incredible encounter that Mary and Joseph had as they brought the infant jesus to the Temple.

Mary and Joseph had no reason to expect this encounter.

But it had an incredible impact.

Two otherwise unknown people spoke words that have resonated through time.

Two characters from whom we can learn some important lessons about our expectations as they fulfilled their part in God’s great plan for our Redemption.

Let’s set the context which comes from the Bible passage we read together in Luke 2:21-24

Luke 2:21–24 NLT

21 Eight days later, when the baby was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel even before he was conceived. 22 Then it was time for their purification offering, as required by the law of Moses after the birth of a child; so his parents took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. 23 The law of the Lord says, “If a woman’s first child is a boy, he must be dedicated to the Lord.” 24 So they offered the sacrifice required in the law of the Lord—“either a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”

Luke's store of information about the baby Jesus is greater than that in any of the other Gospels.

Firstly we find that Jesus was circumcised on the eighth day in accordance with Jewish law (Gn. 17:12).

He was 'born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law' (Gal. 4:4f.) and was thus subjected to the requirements of the law.

Luke puts no emphasis on the circumcision, his emphasis is on the naming of the child with the name given by the angel.

The divine purpose is to be seen in the name.

We then move to the presentation in the temple (2:22-24)

Two quite separate ceremonies are involved here, the presentation of the child and the purification of the mother.

Attendance of the child was not necessary, but it was natural when they were all so close to Jerusalem.

The presentation of the baby follows from the fact that every male that opens the womb (i.e. the first-born of a mother, not necessarily of the father) shall be called holy to the Lord (Luke's quotation is not exact but gives the sense of several passages: Ex.13: 2,12,15; Nu.18: 15)

Though Luke does not mention it, we expect that the usual shekels were paid to redeem the first-born (Nu. 18:5.)

The Levitical law provided that after the birth of a son a woman would be unclean for seven days and that for a further thirty-three days she should keep away from all holy things, for a daughter the times were doubled; Lv. 12:1-5).

Then she should offer a lamb and a dove or pigeon.

If she was too poor to offer a lamb a second dove or pigeon sufficed instead (Lv. 12:6-13)

Mary's offering was thus that of the poor.

The reference to purification refers to Joseph and Mary.

If Mary was ceremonially unclean it was almost a certainty that Joseph would contract defilement and they would both need cleansing.

While there is great complexity in these requirements Luke mentions them simply to make the point that the requirements of the law were kept.

It is the encounter with two remarkable and otherwise unknown individuals that he choses to focus on .

Let’s look at the first of these in Luke’s Gospel chapter 2 beginning in verse 25.

Luke 2:25–35 NLT

25 At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him 26 and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, 28 Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying, 29 “Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised. 30 I have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared for all people. 32 He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!” 33 Jesus’ parents were amazed at what was being said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby’s mother, “This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, and many others to rise. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. 35 As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.”

We find that in verses 25 to 32 Luke records the inspired reaction of Simeon to the bringing of Jesus into the Temple.

We seem always to think of this man as old, though there is no evidence apart from his cheerful readiness to die (29; Cf. 26).

The name was a common one; apart from this story we know nothing about him.

Verses 25 to 26 tell us that Simeon was an upright man.

Righteous shows that he behaved well towards people, while devout (eulabis; used by Luke alone in the New Testament) signifies 'careful about religious duties (in the classics it means 'cautious').

The consolation of Israel for which he looked is another name for the coming of the Messiah (cf. SB).

This was expected to be preceded by a time of great suffering ('the woes of the Messiah'), so that he would certainly bring comfort.

In days when the nation was oppressed the faithful looked all the more intensely for the Deliverer who would solve their problems.

We find that the Holy Spirit was upon Simeon, which seems to mean on him continually.

In Old Testament times we read of the Spirit coming upon people on special occasions, but a continuing presence is rare.

Simeon's endowment was something special.

The Spirit had indicated to Simeon, in some way not specified, that he would see the Messiah, the Lord's Christ (Cf. 2:1 1) before his death.

In fulfilment of this promise we read in verses 27 to 28 that the Holy Spirit brought Simeon into the temple at the same time as Joseph and Mary.

Simeon was 'in the Spirit' (cf. Rev. 1:10, etc.), which includes inspired by the Spirit but seems also to indicate something more, a special sensitivity.

Joseph and Mary are called the parents, which does not mean that Luke has forgotten that he has just told us of the virgin birth.

In verses 29 to 32 Simeon blessed God, he offered up a prayer of thanksgiving (which would normally begin, 'Blessed be thou, 0 Lord').

The “now” in verse 29 is important.

He is ready to die peacefully now that he has seen God's salvation,

The Baby through whom God would bring salvation.

His language is that used of the freeing of a slave and he may be thinking of death as 'his release from a long task' (Plummer).

Simeon goes on to show that this salvation is not for any one nation but for all, which picks up on the promise given to Abraham that through him all the nations of the world will be blessed.

This is clear enough in the NLT translation of all peoples, but most translations pick up the original language which refers to Ethnos meaning nations / gentiles and Israel.

There is appropriateness in linking glory with Israel.

In the Old Testament, glory is often mentioned in connection with God's manifestations of himself to his people.

But Israel will see glory in its truest and fullest sense when it sees the Son of God (cf. Jn. 1:14).

His being a light to Gentiles means no diminution of Israel's glory, but rather its full realization.

Simeon's prophecy recorded in verses 33 to 35 tells us that the whole story is not sweetness and light.

Salvation will be purchased at a very heavy cost.

Simeon invokes a blessing on Jesus' father and his mother.

Then he goes on to speak of Jesus as set, or destined to cause the fall and rising of many in Israel.

Some say that it is not certain whether Simeon has in mind one group of people or two.

If one, he is saying that, unless people lose all pride in their own spiritual achievement there is no place for them.

They must fall and take the lowly place; then they can rise.

If two, he means that Jesus will divide people:

Those who reject him will in the end fall (cf. Is. 8:'4f.) and those who accept him will rise, they will enter into salvation.

I believe that both meanings are intended, those who are spiritually proud must fall before they can be truly spiritual and those who reject Christ will fall away from heaven.

Not surprisingly, Jesus will be spoken against.

He will also be a sign, the expression means that he will point to the action of God.

Simeon goes on to the cost to Mary.

The sword referred to is the “rhomphaia” a large sword, not the small “machaira” that was used by the apostles at Jesus’ arrest.

This sword that will pierce Mary's soul is the death of Jesus.

His suffering will not leave her untouched.

Simeon's final words point to the revelatory function of Jesus' work.

People declare themselves by their attitude to him.

We cannot ultimately be neutral.

When people see Christ suffer, their reaction shows on which side they stand.

To Simeon's prophecy Luke adds the thanksgiving of another remarkable person, a prophetess named Anna (the name means 'grace').

While many religious people failed to accept Jesus, this early recognition came from those who faithfully observed the requirements of their religion.

Nothing more is known of Anna than what we read here in verses 36 to 38.

Luke 2:36–38 NLT

36 Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher, and she was very old. Her husband died when they had been married only seven years. 37 Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. 38 She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.

There had been no prophet for hundreds of years, so it is noteworthy that God had raised up this prophetess.

The Jewish Talmud recognized seven prophetesses only (Megillah '4a), so this was no ordinary distinction.

Anna is of the tribe of Asher, which was one of the ten tribes lost in the Assyrian captivity, but evidently some members of it survived and kept their genealogies.

Anna had been married for seven years and then remained a widow.

It is not clear whether we are to read the original text as saying she was eighty-four years old or whether she had been a widow for that length of time.

If the latter she would have been a very old lady indeed, so many such as the NLT favour the former.

She did not depart from the temple, which may mean that she had quarters within the Temple precincts or, more probably, that she was constantly at worship, that is 'she never missed a service'! Cf. 24:53).

Her practice of Fasting and prayer, practices which could be performed by individuals, quite apart from corporate worship, point to a disciplined life.

Anna came up at the critical moment when Simeon stopped speaking and thanked God, presumably for sending his Messiah.

Luke however gives no indication of the content of the thanksgiving, nor of Anna's further comments.

All we know is that she spoke to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

This is another way of referring to the deliverance to be effected by the Messiah.

It is obvious that a group within the old religion was expecting Messiah.

These words about Jesus likely became known throughout the entire city as people either believed or disbelieved the words of the old prophet and the widowed prophetess.[1]

Luke rounds off this part of his narrative with verses 39 & 40 where he tells of the return of Joseph and Mary to Nazareth.

He makes no reference to the flight into Egypt.

He speaks simply of the completion of the requirements of the law & the fact that Jesus grew, became strong, was filled with wisdom, and that the grace of God rested on him.

So there we have 2 prophets of God.

Two people from whom we can learn a lot!

These where people who had a huge expectation.

They expected to see the Messiah, the deliverer of their people.

For them their entire outlook on life was based upon what God would do.

Unlike us today who so easily fall into the trap of living by the materialistic and selfish standards of the society we live in.

You see the trap is that we will absorb the standards of our culture and expect that certain things should satisfy us or live up to our expectations.

We are constantly told that this or that possession will satisfy.

The advertising images subtly indoctrinate our thinking.

We start to always see things from our own perspective and our own wants rather than living as Simeon & Anna did totally focussed on what God was going to do.

This world will not deliver all the happiness and love that we want or expect.

People will fail us

Life will not go the way we think it should.

So what should we do?

Should we deny reality and pretend we don’t care?

No I believe that we all need to constantly take notice of what Simeon & Anna did.

In the midst of oppression & occupation they did not join the zealots and wage a gorilla war.

Instead they waited patiently for God’s answer to be revealed.

They did not try to second guess God and seek to force him to act, force him to hurry up his plans of deliverance, as the zealots did back then and as many in the middle east are trying to do today by forcing a conflict between Jew and Palestinian.

They did not get wrapped up in speculation and predictions of when and if and how God would act, as is so popular today.

No they placed their focus upon worshipping and serving God as best they knew how.

They watched and they were ready to recognise the Messiah when he came.

They waited patiently upon the Lord.

And because they were walking in an obedient and right relationship with him they were given the great privilege of recognising the Messiah when he came.

Their expectation of God was that he would be true to himself.

And they were not disappointed.

Instead of placing our hope in a human being, a job, a possession, or a group of people.

Why not place it in Christ as Simeon and Anna did.

Then and only then will we see our expectations fulfilled!

[1]Walvoord, John F., and Zuck, Roy B., The Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Wheaton, Illinois: Scripture Press Publications, Inc.) 1983, 1985.