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 and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 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, Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying, “Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised. I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!”

Jesus’ parents were amazed at what was being said about Him. 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. As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.” Luke 2:25-35

Anna, a prophet, was also 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. 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. 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. Luke 2:36-38 NLT

The significance of Simeon and Anna is easily overlooked. Both were faithful Jewish believers of the Messianic prophesies revealed in ancient scripture. Both were in their old age, yet neither had allowed their hope to fade that the King was coming. It was no coincidence that God orchestrated that both would be in the Temple on the day Jesus would be presented at the Temple.

Anna had been waiting patiently in the Temple, fasting and praying in worship to God. Simeon, on the other hand, was guided by the Holy Spirit. The common thread is unrelenting trust in God. The result of their obedience was recognition of the divinity of the baby.

Advent is a season of commemoration of Christ’s first coming and the anticipation of His second coming. Taken from the Latin adventus (coming, arrival, invasion), Advent proclaims the coming of Christ in two ways: it celebrates His long-awaited arrival as Messiah over 2,000 years ago. And it anticipates His imminent return as King of kings and Lord of lords. Christians often speak of Christ’s “first advent” and “second advent”; that is, His first and second comings to earth. His first advent was His birth in Bethlehem (the Incarnation) that we celebrate as Christmas.

In 2025, Advent begins on November 30th and runs through Christmas Eve December 24th. This year our Advent focus is on supporting players in the Christmas story: Zechariah, Elizabeth, John, Gabriel, Augustus, Herod, the Innkeeper, Simeon, and Anna.