Jesus’s Childhood – Part 1

Anna and Simeon

•  When Jesus was eight days old, Mary and Joseph circumcised him according to Jewish Law, and named him Jesus, as the angel instructed them to do (Luke 2:21).

• When the time of purification was complete according to Jewish Law, Mary and Joseph took Jesus to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord in accordance with the Law of the Lord (Luke 2:22-24).

• A time of purification was required for a woman after she gave birth. When giving birth to a son such as Mary did, the mother had to wait 40 days before going to the temple to offer sacrifice for her purification. She had to bring to the priest, a year old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or dove for a sin offering. The priest would offer them before the Lord to make atonement for her, and then she would be ceremonially clean from her blood flow (Leviticus 12).

• When God was incorporating the Passover and instilling its regulations, He said to Moses, “Consecrate me every first born male. The first offspring of every womb among the Israelites belong to me, whether man or animal” (Exodus 13:1-2). According to this regulation, which Luke refers to as “the Law of the Lord” in verse 24, Mary and Joseph were required to take Jesus to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.

• When Mary and Joseph took Jesus into the temple courts while in Jerusalem, they met a man there named Simeon. Simeon was righteous and devout, and was waiting for the consolation of Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon Simeon, and told him that he would not die before seeing the Messiah.

• What “Waiting for the consolation of Israel” means, is that Simeon was waiting for the Messiah to come, therefore he was watchful and expectant of His arrival.

• The Holy Spirit led Simeon to Jesus in the temple courts at the same time Mary and Joseph arrived. The Holy Spirit must have allowed Simeon to recognize Jesus as the Messiah.

• Simeon took Jesus in his arms, and praised God saying, “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” (Luke 2:30-32).  

• Simeon understood that Jesus would provide the opportunity for salvation to all people including the Gentiles. God would no longer be only the God of Israel, but the God of all people.

• Simeon said to Mary, “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too” (Luke 2:34-35).

• I think what Simeon meant when he said this, was that many Jews did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah or the Son of God when he arrived, and they violently opposed his claims that he was. Their rejection of Jesus led to them eventually persecuting and killing him. This rejection and denial of Jesus by the Jews continues to this day. This is what I think Simeon refers to as “the falling of many in Israel”.

• The “rising of many in Israel” might refer to the many Jews who did believe and continue to believe in Jesus as the Messiah and as the Son of God, and the many Gentiles who could now be among God’s chosen people as the Jews were, and enter the kingdom of heaven because of their faith in Jesus.

• Jesus would reveal the true thoughts of the Jews when he arrived, and he reveals the true thoughts of everyone who ever lived. People either accept him or reject him. The thoughts of the Jews were, and still are today, the rejection of Jesus.

• I’m just guessing, but the death of Jesus might be what Simeon is referring to when he said to Mary, “And a sword will pierce your own soul too”. As his mother, watching her son being tortured and killed would be agonizing, and similar to her soul being cut with a sword.

• Also while at the temple in Jerusalem, they met Anna. We are told that she was a prophetess; that she was of Asher which was one of the twelve tribes of Israel; that she was very old; that she had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; was a widow until she was 84 years of age; and never left the temple. She worshipped night and day, fasting and praying. When she saw Jesus, she gave thanks to the Lord and told everyone who looked for redemption in Jerusalem (Luke 2:36-38).

• Luke is the only one who records the account of Mary’s purification and Jesus’s consecration, and therefore he’s the only one who we learn about Simeon and Anna from. I think Luke includes Mary and Joseph’s encounter with Simeon and Anna because not only did Luke want to provide a historically accurate and detailed account of Jesus’s life, but also because what we are told about Simeon and Anna provide an indication that at least some of the Jewish population were waiting and watching for the Messiah.

• We know after Jesus began his ministry that many of the Jews denied him as the Messiah, but Simeon and Anna are examples of the remnant of Israel who were looking forward to the coming Messiah. Because of their faithfulness to God, He allowed them to be among the few who had the honor and privilege of recognizing and meeting His Son when he arrived.