15  Testifying to  Jesus—Part 2  Simeon and Anna  Luke 2:25–38

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. 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. 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, then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said, “Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light of revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.” And His father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him. 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—and a sword will pierce even your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” 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, and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers. 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. (2:25–38)

All the promises in Scripture will certainly be fulfilled, because God is “the faithful God” (Deut. 7:9; cf. Hos. 11:12), the “God of faithfulness” (Deut. 32:4) whose every “work is done in faithfulness” (Ps. 33:4). “His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark” to His people (Ps. 91:4), causing them to exclaim, “Great is Your faithfulness” (Lam. 3:23). Such passages as Psalms 36:5; 40:10; 89:8; 100:5; 119:90; Romans 3:3; 1 Corinthians 1:9; 10:13; 2 Corinthians 1:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:24; 2 Thessalonians 3:3; Hebrews 10:23; 1 Peter 4:19; and 1 John 1:9 also attest to God’s faithfulness.

God promised Abraham and Sarah that they would have a son despite their advanced age (Gen. 17:15–19; 18:10, 14; cf. Rom. 9:9), and she bore Isaac (Gen. 21:1–2). He promised to give Israel the land of Canaan (Gen. 12:7; 13:14–17; 15:7, 18; 17:8; 26:3; 28:13; 35:12; 50:24; Ex. 12:25; 33:1; Num. 32:11; Deut. 1:8; 6:10; Josh. 23:5; cf. Heb. 11:9), and “not one of the good promises which the Lord had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass” (Josh. 21:45; cf. 1 Kings 8:56). The Lord promised David, “Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever” (2 Sam. 7:16; cf. v. 28; 1 Kings 2:4; 8:24–25; 9:5). That promise will ultimately be fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ, who will sit “on the throne of David and [reign] over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore” (Isa. 9:7; cf. Luke 1:32–33).

But the most significant of all God’s trustworthy promises is the promise that He would send His Son, the Messiah and Savior, into the world. In 2 Corinthians 1:20, Paul wrote, “For as many as are the promises of God, in [Christ] they are yes.” “For the testimony of Jesus,” the apostle John added, “is the spirit of prophecy” (Rev. 19:10). In keeping with that truth, the Old Testament is filled with hundreds of prophecies of the coming Messiah. Many of those were fulfilled at the first coming of Jesus Christ, and the remainder will be fulfilled when He returns in glory.

Immediately after the fall, God promised to send a Redeemer (Gen. 3:15) and “when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law” (Gal. 4:4). The Old Testament said that the Messiah would be a descendant of Abraham (Gen. 22:18) and David (2 Sam. 7:12–13; Ps. 89:3–4; Jer. 23:5), and Jesus was (Acts 3:25; Gal. 3:16; Acts 13:22–23; Rom. 1:3). The Old Testament predicted that the Messiah would be born of a virgin (Isa. 7:14), and Jesus was (Matt. 1:22–23). According to Micah 5:2, the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, and Jesus was (Matt. 2:1). Isaiah (40:3) and Malachi (3:1) predicted that Messiah would be preceded by a forerunner, and John the Baptist fulfilled that role for Jesus Christ (Matt. 3:1–3; Luke 1:17). Jesus was the prophet like Moses (Deut. 18:15–18; cf. Acts 3:20–22); the “priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek” (Ps. 110:4; cf. Heb. 5:5–6); the suffering Servant who bore the sins of His people (Isa. 53:4–6; cf. 1 Peter 2:24); the ruler of the nations (Ps. 2:6–9; Isa. 9:6; cf. Rev. 19:15–16); and the one exalted to the Father’s right hand (Ps. 110:1; cf. Acts 2:32–36; Heb. 1:3; 10:10–12). Those are but a few of the numerous Old Testament prophecies the Lord Jesus fulfilled (cf. Ps. 2:7 with Heb. 1:5; Isa. 11:2; 61:1 with Matt. 3:16; Acts 10:38; Zech. 9:9 with Matt. 21:1–5; Isa. 53:9 with 1 Peter 2:22; Heb. 4:15; Ps. 41:9 with John 13:18; Zech. 13:7 with Matt. 26:31, 56; Zech. 11:12–13 with Matt. 27:3–10; Isa. 53:7 with Matt. 26:63; John 1:29; Isa. 52:14; 53:3 with Matt. 26:67; John 19:3; Isa. 50:6 with Mark 14:65; John 19:1; Ps. 22:16; with Matt. 27:35; John 20:25, 27; Ps. 22:1 with Matt. 27:46; Ps. 22:7–8 with Matt. 27:39–44; Ps. 22:18 with Luke 23:34; Isa. 53:12 with Luke 22:37; Ex. 12:46 with John 19:33, 36; Zech. 12:10 with John 19:34, 37; Isa. 53:9 with Matt. 27:57–60; Ps. 16:10 with Acts 2:25–31; 13:35; Isa. 29:18 with Matt. 11:5).

But despite the clear testimony to the Lord Jesus Christ in the Old Testament (cf. Luke 24:25–27, 44–47; John 5:39) only a small, believing remnant in Israel were prepared to recognize Him when He arrived. Among them was an old couple, a common priest named Zacharias and his barren wife, Elizabeth, who became the parents of Messiah’s forerunner (Luke 1:5ff.). Also a part of that small believing remnant was a young couple just beginning their life together, Joseph and Mary, Jesus’ earthly father and the virgin in whom He was conceived by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:34–35). The shepherds who received the angelic announcement of Jesus’ birth (Luke 2:8–20) were also members of the believing remnant. All of them were humble people, far from the elite circles of Jewish thought, education, or religion. Yet they were chosen by God for monumental service in connection with the birth of the Messiah.

In verses 25 to 38, Luke introduced two more members of the believing remnant, who further testified to the infant Jesus’ true identity and mission: Simeon and Anna. Both were advanced in years, lived in Jerusalem, were associated with the temple, and were “looking for the consolation of Israel” (v. 25) along with “all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem” (v. 38). They, like John the Baptist would later be, were burning and shining lamps (John 5:35) in the spiritual darkness of a hypocritical and apostate nation.

SIMEON

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. 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. 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, then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said, “Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light of revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.” And His father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him. 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—and a sword will pierce even your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” (2:25–35)

Luke’s account of his testimony to Jesus reveals five things about Simeon: his character, theology, anointing, proclamation, and warning.

SIMEON’S CHARACTER

And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, (2:25a)

Simeon, who appears only here in Scripture, evidently lived in Jerusalem and was most likely an old man (cf. vv. 26, 29). His name, which means, “God has heard” (cf. Gen. 29:33), was a common name, one he shared with one of the twelve sons of Jacob (Gen. 34:25) and the tribe named after him (Num. 1:23), an ancestor of Jesus (Luke 3:30), one of the teachers in the church at Antioch (Acts 13:1), and Peter, whose Hebrew name was Simeon (Acts 15:14).

But what is known about him reveals Simeon to have been spiritually qualified to testify about the Messiah. Luke’s description of him as righteous and devout is loaded with meaning. To say that Simeon was righteous means that he, like Abraham (Gen. 15:6), had righteousness imputed to him by faith (cf. 1:6; 14:14; Matt. 13:49; 25:46; Acts 10:22; 24:15; Rom. 1:17; Gal. 3:11; Heb. 12:23). Eulabēs (devout) has the meaning of “cautious” in classical Greek. It appears in the New Testament only in Luke’s writings (cf. Acts 2:5; 8:2; 22:12), where it describes those who are “reverent toward God,” “God-fearing,” or “pious.” It conveys the idea of being careful to obey and honor God so as to lead an exemplary life before others. Those two terms indicate that Simeon not only was justified, but also sanctified. The two are inseparably linked since, as John Calvin put it, “Christ … justifies no man without also sanctifying him” (Institutes, III, 16, 1). In the words of the apostle Paul, Simeon was “not a Jew who is one outwardly … [but] a Jew who is one inwardly” (Rom. 2:28–29). Simeon had received the salvation benefits promised in the prophet Isaiah 55:6–7: “Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the Lord, and He will have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon” (cf. Mic. 7:18–19).

SIMEON’S THEOLOGY

looking for the consolation of Israel; (2:25b)

Like the rest of the believing remnant, Simeon eagerly awaited the coming of Messiah, who would bring the consolation of Israel. Paraklēsis (consolation) has in this context the connotation of “comfort,” “encouragement,” or “solace.” Simeon was both looking for the personal consolation of salvation for himself, and for the national deliverance promised in the Davidic and Abrahamic covenants.

Simeon was a man who cared deeply about his people. He was like the apostle Paul, who was so passionately concerned about the salvation of his fellow Israelites that he wrote, “I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh” (Rom. 9:3). Simeon’s concern for his people was heightened by the distressing circumstances in which the nation found itself, chafing under the occupation of the hated Romans. Such trying times intensified the believing remnant’s longing for Messiah to come and deliver them. They yearned for deliverance from their Gentile oppressors, the restoration of their national sovereignty, and the national blessings promised in the Davidic and Abrahamic covenants. But most of all they eagerly awaited the realization of the New covenant, with its promise of forgiveness of sin, a new, cleansed heart, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (Jer. 31:31–34).

The Messiah was the embodiment of the nation’s hope of consolation; the only one who could bring consolation to Israel was the Consoler. Thus the rabbis sometimes referred to the Messiah as Menachem, which means “Comforter” or “Consoler.” Isaiah in particular emphasized Messiah’s role as a comforter. In Isaiah 40:1, he wrote, “‘Comfort, O comfort My people,’ says your God.” In verse 10, the prophet identified the comforter: “Behold, the Lord God will come with might, with His arm ruling for Him. Behold, His reward is with Him and His recompense before Him.” Several other passages in Isaiah also emphasize that God will comfort His people:

Jeremiah (Jer. 31:13), Ezekiel (Ezek. 14:22–23), and Zechariah (Zech. 1:17) also speak of God’s comforting of His people. Simeon’s theology was consistent with the Old Testament promises that God would console His people through the coming of Messiah.

SIMEON’S ANOINTING

and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 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. 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, (2:25c–27)

A common misconception about the Holy Spirit is that His ministry in the lives of God’s people began on the day of Pentecost. That is not the case, however. All those who were saved before the cross and Pentecost were saved in the same way as those who were saved afterward—by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8–9). And no sinner, “dead in … trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1), can come to repentance and faith apart from the work of the Holy Spirit. “The heart is more deceitful than all else,” wrote Jeremiah, “and is desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jer. 17:9). Sinners can no more change their hearts by their own efforts than people can change their skin color, or animals the pattern of their fur (Jer. 13:23). “Who can say, ‘I have cleansed my heart, I am pure from my sin’?” Solomon asked rhetorically (Prov. 20:9). The obvious answer is no one, since “there is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; all have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one” (Rom. 3:10–12; cf. Job 15:14; 1 Kings 8:46; Eccl. 7:20; Rom. 3:23).

The Holy Spirit convicted people in the Old Testament of their sin, prompted repentance, gave life, elicited faith, and drew them to God. Apart from His work, no person in any age can ever be justified, sanctified, empowered for service and witness, understand Scripture, or pray in the will of God. There is, however, a new dimension to the Spirit’s work in the lives of believers after Pentecost. As Jesus told the disciples in John 14:17 concerning the increased degree of the Spirit’s ministry to them, “He abides with you and will be in you.” Under the old covenant, the Spirit was present in power and person with believers. But under the New covenant, His presence was in those who believed and is expressed in an unprecedented way (cf. Ezek. 36:26–27). There was to come for believers a giving of the Spirit by which unique power would be provided for ministry and evangelism. That happened on the day of Pentecost, when the Spirit was given to believers in a new fullness that became normative for all believers since (Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 12:13).

Luke’s note that the Holy Spirit was upon Simeon reflects the Spirit’s pre-Pentecost empowering of people to serve and speak for God (cf. Ex. 31:2–3; Num. 11:25; 27:18; Judg. 3:9–10; 11:29; 13:24–25; 14:6, 19; 15:14; 1 Sam. 16:13; 2 Chron. 15:1; 20:14–17; 24:20; Mic. 3:8; Zech. 7:12). He has already recorded the Holy Spirit’s filling of John the Baptist (1:15), Elizabeth (1:41), and Zacharias (1:67). As a result of the Spirit’s coming upon Simeon it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ (i.e., the Messiah). A revelation from God had granted a very unusual privilege to this noble saint. That revelation must have heightened Simeon’s messianic hope to a fever pitch, since he knew that it would be realized in his lifetime. He must have lived in a constant state of joyous expectation, knowing that each new day might bring the Messiah he longed to see. That knowledge must also have had a sobering effect on him, motivating him to lead a godly life.

On the divinely appointed day, forty days after Jesus’ birth, Simeon came in the Spirit (that is, under the Spirit’s leading; cf. Rev. 1:10; 4:2; 17:3; 21:10) into the temple. Unlike naos, which refers to the inner sanctuary, the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies (cf. its use in 1:9, 21, 22), hieron (temple) refers to the temple complex as a whole. It was there, most likely in the Court of the Women, that Simeon met Joseph and Mary when they brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law (cf. the exposition of 2:22–24 in the previous chapter of this volume). Luke does not give the details of how they met, since neither party was looking for or knew the other. The temple, where God met with His people, was a fitting location for Him to providentially arrange for Simeon to meet the God-man, Jesus Christ.

SIMEON’S PROCLAMATION

then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said, “Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light of revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.” And His father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him. (2:28–33)

Having met Joseph, Mary, and Jesus, Simeon took Jesus into his arms. It is hard to imagine how thrilled he must have been as he realized that God’s promises had come true. Salvation had come to Israel, and he was holding the consolation of Israel, the Messiah, in his arms. Overwhelmed with joy and gratitude, Simeon blessed God.

His song of praise (cf.1:41–45, 46–55, 67–79; 2:13–14, 38) is known as the Nunc Dimittis (Now Lord), from the first two words of the hymn in Latin. God was releasing His bond-servant to depart (die) in peace, according to His word of promise revealed to Simeon by the Holy Spirit. His hope fulfilled, his joy complete, his heart at peace, Simeon was content to die. With his own eyes he had seen God’s salvation, personified in the infant Jesus (cf. 1:69; 2:11). He understood that salvation for Israel involved much more than the national deliverance promised by the Abrahamic and Davidic covenants, whose blessings will not be fully realized until the millennial kingdom. In the incarnation, Jesus came not to save His people from their enemies, but from their sins (Matt. 1:21; cf. Acts 4:12).

Simeon’s next statement would shock Jewish sensibilities. Fiercely proud of their status as God’s chosen, covenant people, the Jews believed Messiah was their deliverer. They assumed He would establish their kingdom, which would then rule over the infidel Gentiles. The truth that God had prepared salvation in the presence of all peoples, and that Messiah would be a light of revelation to the Gentiles (cf. Acts 26:23), as well as the glory of God’s people Israel (cf. Isa. 46:13; 45:25), ran counter to all their preconceptions. Even after the resurrection, the apostles still did not understand. Shortly before the Lord ascended to heaven “they were asking Him, saying, ‘Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?’” (Acts 1:6).

Centuries of animosity toward the idolatrous Gentiles, whose corrupting influence had contributed to Israel’s downfall, was not easily set aside. The Jewish believers in Jerusalem were horrified that Peter “went to uncircumcised men and ate with them” (Acts 11:3) because, as Peter reminded the Gentiles gathered in Cornelius’s house, “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a man who is a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit him” (Acts 10:28). But salvation is offered to all people, Jews and Gentiles alike, since Christ “made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall” (Eph. 2:14) and “there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for [believers] are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28).

Thus the Lord directed that “repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47; cf. Matt. 28:19–20).

Speaking prophetically of Messiah’s ministry Isaiah wrote,

According to Isaiah 42:6, Messiah would be “a light to the nations,” while in 49:6, the Lord said to Him, “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations so that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” In Isaiah 51:4–5, God declared, “A law will go forth from Me, and I will set My justice for a light of the peoples. My righteousness is near, My salvation has gone forth, and My arms will judge the peoples; the coastlands will wait for Me, and for My arm they will wait expectantly.” Isaiah 52:10 notes that “the Lord has bared His holy arm in the sight of all the nations, that all the ends of the earth may see the salvation of our God.” In Isaiah 60, God once again addressed His Servant, the Messiah:

With each confirmation of their Son’s true identity, Joseph and Mary’s astonishment grew. After hearing Simeon’s song of praise, they were amazed at the things which were being said about Him. Their son, in every sense a normal human baby, was the Divine Savior of the world, the Messiah who would fulfill all the Old Testament promises of salvation and blessing.

SIMEON’S WARNING

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—and a sword will pierce even your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” (2:34–35)

After he finished his hymn of praise, Simeon turned to the young couple and blessed them. But the euphoria Joseph and Mary were experiencing was abruptly tempered by a shocking warning given by Simeon—the first negative note in Luke’s gospel. It foreshadows the opposition Jesus would face, culminating in His rejection by the nation and crucifixion.

Simeon addressed his words to Mary. It was particularly important for her to hear them so she would not be surprised when the hostility to her Son manifested itself. Joseph apparently would not be around to witness that hostility. After the incident at Passover when Jesus was twelve (Luke 2:41–51), Joseph disappears from the Gospels’ account of Jesus’ life and ministry. Whenever Mary appears (e.g., John 2:1–11) she is without Joseph. Further, when Jesus was rejected by the people of His hometown of Nazareth, they mentioned His mother, brothers, and sisters, but not His father (Matt. 13:55–56). The presumption, then, is that Joseph died before Jesus’ public ministry began.

Simeon spoke first of separation, declaring that this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel. He is destined to be the determiner of people’s destiny (cf. John 1:9–13). As He solemnly warned, “Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division” (Luke 12:51; cf. John 3:36; 8:24; 14:6; Acts 4:12; 1 Cor. 3:11; 1 Tim. 2:5–6; 1 John 5:11–12). Not only would some Gentiles be saved, but also some Jews would stumble over Him and fall into judgment and perdition, thus fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy:

Only the believing remnant would rise to eternal life in heaven:

Not only would Jesus bring separation, but He would also be a sign to be opposed. As in Matthew 25:31, the sign is the Son of Man—signaling the arrival of kingdom presence, power, and person. Opposed translates a form of the verb antilegō, which means “to speak against,” “to reject,” “to deny,” or “to contradict”—all of which aptly describe the insults, abuse, mockery, and hatred, culminating in His crucifixion, that Jesus faced from unbelieving Israel. Israel’s rejection of Jesus Christ is an important theme of Luke’s gospel (4:28–30; 13:31–35; 19:47; 20:14–20).

The nation’s violent rejection of her Son would cause Mary to suffer. Simeon graphically pictured the pain and grief she would endure when he said to her, “a sword will pierce even your own soul.” Mary’s suffering began when her Son began to distance Himself from her. When His worried parents finally found Him after three days of searching, Jesus “said to them, ‘Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?’” (Luke 2:49). At the wedding in Cana, He did not address her as “mother,” but with the polite but formal term “woman” (John 2:4). When told that Mary and His brothers wanted to see Him, Jesus replied, “‘Who is My mother and who are My brothers?’ And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, ‘Behold My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother’” (Matt. 12:48–50). Mary’s suffering culminated at the cross, as she watched her Son suffer and die (John 19:25).

The end result of Israel’s rejection of Jesus was that the evil thoughts from many hearts would be revealed. “This is the judgment,” Jesus said to Nicodemus, “that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil” (John 3:19). Jesus was the light shining in the darkness (cf. John 1:5), who exposed the evil of men’s hearts.

In contrast to those who rejected Jesus when they saw His works, Simeon knew, when He had done none of them, that He was the Messiah and testified to that glorious truth.

ANNA

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, and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers. 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. (2:36–38)

The next testimony to Jesus was given by a prophetess named Anna. Her name is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Hannah, which means “grace.” Like the Old Testament Hannah, Anna was characterized by prayer and fasting (cf. 1 Sam. 1:7, 10–16). That she was a prophetess does not mean that she predicted the future, but that God had used her to speak His word.

The Old Testament mentions five women who are called prophetesses. But neither Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron (Ex. 15:20), Deborah (Judg. 4:4), or Huldah (2 Kings 22:14) had an ongoing prophetic ministry as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the other male prophets did. A fourth, Noadiah (Neh. 6:14), was a false prophetess. Isaiah’s wife was described as a prophetess (Isa. 8:3) because she gave birth to a son who was given a prophetic name. Among the New Testament women, only the daughters of Philip are called “prophetesses” (Acts 21:9), with no explanation beyond that. Anna may have been called a prophetess because, as noted above, she was a teacher of the Word. Or she may have been a prophetess more like Isaiah’s wife because she testified that this Child was the Messiah.

That Anna was a member of the tribe of Asher is noteworthy. Asher was one of the ten tribes that formed the northern kingdom and were taken captive by Assyria in 722 B.C. But the so-called ten lost tribes were in fact not lost. Before the fall of the northern kingdom, in response to letters from King Hezekiah of Judah (2 Chron. 30:6), “some men of Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem” (v. 11). Their descendants would be among those who were carried away captive to Babylon, and returned to Israel after the exile.

While Simeon’s old age is inferred, the text explicitly states that Anna was advanced in years. Luke explained that she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. Some interpret the last phrase to mean that Anna lived as a widow for eighty-four years after the death of her husband, which would mean that she was more than one hundred years old. Both translations are possible and both support Luke’s statement that she was advanced in years. That she never left the temple suggests that Anna lived in the temple complex, perhaps in one of the apartments in the outer court normally occupied by priests doing their two weeks of annual service. She was not idle, but spent her time at the temple serving night and day with fastings and prayers. Prayer is often associated with fasting in Scripture (cf. 5:33; 2 Sam. 12:16; Ezra 8:23; Neh. 1:4; Ps. 35:13; Dan. 9:3; Acts 13:3; 14:23); fasting is the self-denial that accompanies passionate prayer. Anna was singularly and completely devoted to the service and worship of God; such a devout, godly woman was a fitting witness to Jesus.

In God’s providential timing, at that very moment—while Simeon was uttering his prophetic hymn of praise—she came up to the little group. In his typical understated way, Luke gave no details of the meeting or of what transpired between the time Anna arrived and when she began giving thanks. Certainly Simeon, whom she most likely knew, along with Joseph and Mary, must have told her who the Child was. But Luke merely noted that Anna began giving thanks to God for the baby Jesus. All the long years of passionately petitioning God gave way to an outburst of joyous praise. Hers, though the words were not recorded, is the final hymn of praise in Luke’s account of Christ’s birth, along with those of Elizabeth (1:41–45), Mary (1:46–55), Zacharias (1:67–79), the angels (2:13–14), and Simeon.

Anna’s testimony to Jesus did not end with this incident. Instead, from her place inside the temple, she continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem; that is, the believing remnant, everyone who anticipated that the Lord would visit His people with salvation, who believed that the promises given through the prophets would be fulfilled, and looked for the blessings of the Abrahamic, Davidic, and New covenants to be realized.