Original Meaning

JESUS WAS BORN to parents who kept the laws of Judaism. In these two scenes, they engage in the prescribed rites of purification after the birth of a child and travel to Jerusalem to present Jesus to the Lord. Such acts of piety show that Jesus has roots in pious faith. The point is significant because of Jesus’ later conflict with the Jewish religious leadership. Does he challenge them because he was raised in a home that did not honor the faith? Obviously not. Jesus came from a family that sought to honor God.

The journey of Jesus’ parents to the temple in Luke 2:22–24 combines three separate ceremonies as recorded in God’s law: the purification of a woman forty days after the birth of a child (Lev. 12:2–4, 6), the presentation of the firstborn to God (Ex. 13:2, 12, 16; 34:19; Num. 18:15–16), and the dedication of the firstborn into the Lord’s service (1 Sam. 1–2).1 Though this dedication to service is like many others that took place in Israel for centuries, this one is unique because of the call of this child.

The rite of purification involved the offering of a burnt sacrifice and sin offering. The mention of turtledoves indicates that Joseph and Mary utilized the offering of the poor, though middle classes also made such sacrifices.2 The text refers to “their” sacrifice, which seems odd at first glance in that a purification offering would normally be Mary’s alone. However, seeing that Joseph undoubtedly helped in Mary’s delivery at the distant town, he was also rendered unclean and needed to make a sacrifice for himself (m. Niddah 5.1; 2.5; 1.3–5). Another possibility is that Luke is alluding in verse 22 to all the sacrifices involved in the three ceremonies and that those offerings, some hers and others theirs, are combined. All these sacrifices indicate how seriously Judaism took approaching God in worship and how prepared a heart and soul one should have as they address God.

As Joseph and Mary proceed, they meet a pious old man, Simeon, either in the court of the Gentiles or the court of women (since Mary is present). We are not told Simeon’s vocation; all we know is that he is “righteous and devout” (v. 25). Among the “righteous” (dikaios) of the Old Testament were Job (Job 1:1) and many of the prophets. The word “devout” (eulabes) was used in Greek culture of statesmen (Plato, Statesman, 311b); Philo used this word to describe Abraham (Philo, Who is the Heir? 6 § 22). Whereas the shepherds symbolized the average person on the street, Simeon represents the testimony of a wise elder who has walked with God. Part of his wisdom is seen in that he is looking for the hope of the nation, the consummation of God’s promise—“the consolation of Israel” (v. 25). Saints in touch with God’s heart often await expectantly the completion of God’s promises. This revered saint is led to see what the arrival of this child means.

Simeon, like Zechariah and Mary, is expectant that God will deliver Israel. He has not given up believing that God will complete his promise, and his living in light of that hope brings perspective to the present. The Spirit, the source of all revelation and testimony, has told him that before he passes away, he will see “the Lord’s Christ.” Therefore, when the child Jesus arrives, he is there and is led by God to offer a note of praise (known as the Nunc Dimittis, a name that comes from the Latin beginning to the hymn). In that song, which includes some prediction, not all the notes are happy, for the career of the Lord’s Christ, though glorious, is not absent of trial and disappointment. The locale of Simeon’s prophecy, the temple, is significant for Jewish readers, for this prophet is testifying to Jesus in the midst of the nation’s most sacred locale. Simeon begins by saying that God can take him now, for he has fulfilled his call of seeing the child who is the Christ. Once again, Luke has emphasized how God has performed his word.

This child is the salvation of God and represents the public display of God’s concern for people (vv. 30–31). Jesus is light, a theme already noted in 1:78–79 and one that remains in Luke’s mind as late as Acts 26:22–23. Simeon’s remarks recall Isaiah 60:1–3, where the light of salvation comes with revelation and glory as the result. Jesus serves two constituencies with his salvation, Israel and the Gentiles, but each in a slightly different way. He is light for all, but is “revelation to the Gentiles” and “glory to your people Israel.”3 He is a “revelation” to Gentiles, for they will be brought into blessing through his ministry in a way they could have hardly imagined before his coming (cf. also John 1:3–9). Jesus is “glory” to Israel, for through him they will perform their service of ministry to the world. All eyes will be drawn to Israel through what her Messiah achieves. He is the magnet that makes her great. When the promises of God come, they come through the Promised One of Israel.

As the parents marvel at the note of praise, the more somber notes of promise are revealed. Everything is not roses in Israel, for Jesus’ coming will yield the rising and falling of many in the nation. This imagery is from Isaiah 8:14–15 and 28:13–16, texts often used in the New Testament to describe reactions to Jesus (Luke 20:17–18; Rom. 9:33; 1 Peter 2:6–8). Jesus will split the nation in two.4 Some will see him as someone to be opposed (“a sign to be spoken against”). But his ministry reveals where the thoughts of one’s heart are. As the salvation of God and the expression of God’s will, the reaction to him reveals one’s reaction to God.

The opposition he produces will be a source of pain to Mary, whom Simeon addresses with this parenthetical remark in verse 35a. The mother’s pain will emerge from the intense rejection the child will experience and from his priorities in ministry. Nothing can be done to avoid it. In a sense, the initial fulfillment of this remark comes in the next event, where Jesus’ commitment to do the Father’s work causes him to stay at the temple, and his parents have to journey back to Jerusalem, causing them pain. That is but the start, however, since the cross will cause Mary to suffer even more.

The second prophetic witness in this section of Luke is Anna. She is merely introduced and her career summarized. In all likelihood, she is over a hundred years old, having served God faithfully with worship, prayer, and fasting for years.5 Sometimes our most productive years in spiritual service for God come after our most productive years of earthly toil. She has given herself full-time to a ministry of intercession. Like Simeon, she hopes for “the redemption of Jerusalem” (v. 38; Isa. 40:1; 49:13; 51:3; 57:18; 61:2) and tells others that the baby Jesus is a reason for praising and thanking God (Isa. 40:9; 52:9; 63:4). While her words are not recorded in Luke, her testimony makes everyone aware that God is doing something special in this child. Those who are faithful to God will hear her report and share in her praise.

Mary and Joseph return home after these days of worship and set about raising their child, who grows strong.

Bridging Contexts

THIS TEXT WITH its discussion of legal practices and prophecies raises questions about how we can apply texts that discuss practices we no longer engage in or are responsible to keep. The issues of temple worship no longer occupy us as Christians, neither does the formal keeping of the ceremonial aspects of the law. Nonetheless, these texts still have value in revealing how faithful people responded to the responsibilities God gave them at the time they lived. Thus, while certain practices may no longer be with us, attitudes that are a part of those practices may well be instructive as we take on the responsibilities God gives us today. It is these that we will note as we move through this passage.

We also do not have the type of special revelation about God’s plan of salvation that Simeon and Anna present to Jesus’ parents. The closest equivalent we have is Scripture itself, especially the New Testament, which details how Jesus is the hub of that plan. We can, however, learn from how they carry out their role, since they function as credible witnesses to the role God has called them to have.

As with the earlier units of the infancy section, many key bridges emerge from this narrative’s exemplary characters. The faithful attitude of obedience and worship from Jesus’ parents reveals a concern that attests to Jesus’ earthly roots. From his earliest days, the child was associated with the center of Jewish faith at the temple. The predictions given by Simeon about Jesus’ life do emerge later in Luke’s writings, for the career of our Lord did lead to “light … to the Gentiles” and “glory to … Israel.” Moreover, the nation was painfully divided over him.

Simeon also exemplifies how one can define life in terms of faithfully following God and serving him with joy and surrender. When his duty is done, he is ready to be with the Lord. Anna pictures the constancy of faith, revealing that even late in life God can use one in ministry. The story of John the Baptist and Jesus involves people of all ages; even the elderly have a place in the story. It is never too late to be ministered to by God, nor is it too late to minister for him. The testimony of these witnesses adds to the collage of heavenly and earthly voices that have spoken up for Jesus.

One other bridge that often is ignored is the note about piety and sacrifices. Since the New Testament does not require sacrifices of those who worship God as the Old Testament did, we tend to move past such verses quickly. But there is something fundamental in the issue of uncleanness and sacrifices that should not be missed as we think about drawing close to God. To approach God properly, we must be prepared in spirit and body to draw near to him (John 4:24). One of the provisions Jesus makes for us through his death is the permanent cleansing that allows us boldly to approach God’s throne (Heb. 10:19–25). Yet the caution and sense of sacredness suggested in these verses about approaching God should not be lost, even though we no longer offer animal sacrifices.

This passage offers a whole perspective on life and on contentment. Here are two people near the end of their life, still serving God full steam ahead. Contentment is not a matter of age or energy level, neither is it a function of accumulation. It is defined by an openness to serve God and to share him with others. Such a perspective calls for serious reflection.

Contemporary Significance

BESIDES THE EXAMPLES of faithfulness and constancy of service, one can see how Christian ministry requires constancy and an awareness of its demands. In praising Jesus, Simeon does not fail to note that the Messiah’s course will be hard. The same can be said for the Messiah’s followers. Ministering in a world hostile to God can mean becoming the objects of hostility and ridicule. If Jesus faces division and rejection, those who follow him can expect the same. Yet notes of praise and amazement never leave the story, for despite everything, Jesus triumphs. This note of triumph in the face of pressure makes for a significant emotional mix in this text. Even in the midst of hostility one can thank God (Acts 4:24–31).

A clear theological point dominates the application. To see Jesus is to see God’s salvation. To see Jesus is to see God’s light and revelation. What Luke says here, John’s Gospel says this way: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” To see Jesus is to see God and his way revealed. Jesus is no longer visibly around so that we can look him in the face, but he is in the world in his body, the place where he is pouring himself to express his fullness (Eph. 1:23). This means that in a real sense we become little incarnations of Jesus. Just how true this is can be seen by the role Barnabas and Paul attribute to themselves in Acts 13:47, where they take on the role of the servant of God as light, a role Jesus already had. Of course, we do not possess all the perfections that Jesus had, but our testimony to Jesus should be such that the hope he represents can be seen in us. In our opportunities to serve, people are given a chance to see Jesus. In Matthew 25:40, 44–45, for example, Jesus notes that service to those in need is service to Jesus. That is, if he were still here, Jesus would be ministering to the type of people mentioned in these verses. But now we minister in his place and on his behalf. What an honor it is for us to be used for his glory!

Simeon’s sense of identification with doing God’s will and then surrendering to the timing of his own death shows just how committed he is to God’s timing. His attitude is paralleled by Paul in Philippians 1:21–26. Here is a servant who seeks only to do what God has called him to do. The timing of his life and death are in God’s hands.

Furthermore, having seen Jesus and knowing him, Simeon is at peace. Everything else in his life pales in comparison. He has met Jesus, and the details of the rest of his life’s résumé are irrelevant. Again, Paul gives a similar testimony in Philippians 3:1–12. For him, everything else he has done in life as an accomplished, successful Pharisee is like garbage compared to knowing Jesus and serving him. One’s walk with God and faithful service to him are what define everything else about life. Such service can take on various forms, for not everyone who serves God can be a preacher or serve in full-time ministry in a local church. Like Simeon, some may be called to a special task of testimony or encouragement. Others may be called to be the one point of testimony where they work or at their children’s school.

Simeon knows that he can be content with his life, since he has had the honor of witnessing God’s salvation. This attitude is important because it puts the other events and traumas of life into perspective. If this can be how Simeon feels, knowing that death is approaching, how should we feel when many of us have much of life still ahead of us?

Simeon’s attitude stands in marked contrast to much that takes place in our culture. McCall’s magazine of January, 1995, ran a short article on New Year’s resolutions entitled “Ten Little Health Resolutions (With Big Payoffs).” Now health and exercise are important and should be appreciated, but what was interesting was a look at the top four resolutions we make, according to a Gallup poll: (1) improve personal finances, (2) stop smoking, (3) lose weight, and (4) get more exercise. If our resolutions reflect our concerns and where we want to improve ourselves to have a sense of contentment, these preferences do not reflect high goals. Except perhaps for personal finances, neither family nor God makes any appearance. We tend to define contentment in a privatized way about how our personal lives are going. Since we set goals that have nothing to do with relationships, many of us find ourselves lonely and discontent, for God has created us to relate to him and to others. One of the effects of a culture that elevates individual rights and personal focus as ours does is that we lose sight of how we can gain contentment by interacting with God and others.

Where are the goals that relate to pursuing God or knowing him better? Why do resolutions for the most part deal with external matters? Is the soul so unimportant? If exercise is valuable for physical well-being, should we starve our inner being? If contentment is based on externals that slowly wither away, will we not set ourselves up for disappointment if we focus on such goals? Simeon suggests a better way. To know God is best. That means that we can transcend circumstances, because to know him means to “have learned, in whatever state I am, to be content” (Phil. 4:11). Simeon can be content even as he faces death, knowing that he has been carrying out the Lord’s call. His goal is knowing God, with whom he will have a relationship forever. Contentment means knowing the source of life who can help us see even beyond our death.

We should also note in Luke 1 and 2 how God uses a wide range of people and a vast array of social backgrounds to testify to Jesus: people in a rural setting and people in the city, male and female, a young betrothed couple and a pair of senior citizen saints—all share in the joy of his coming. Jesus comes for all humanity to unite all humanity.

Finally, the age of Simeon and Anna reminds us that “retirement” years may be a misnomer for believers. Many elderly people are freed up by retirement to pursue ministry in a way they could not give full energy to when they were employed. I am reminded of a group of senior citizens in our church, a group whom we affectionately call “the gray beards.” One of them has taken on the responsibility of editing the church paper after years of helping edit the high school paper where he taught. For years God had prepared him to have a ministry of communication to our body. Another couple have dedicated themselves to various projects at a sister church of ours in the inner city, whether it means tutoring kids of different ethnic origin who lack parental involvement or just helping with various building projects at the church. A woman with severe arthritis cannot do much but pray regularly for the body. She may be one of our strongest members who is doing more than many. Finding contentment doing God’s will is a goal that can be reached as we creatively reflect on how we can best minister for him.