Forty days after the birth of Jesus, According to the Law of the Lord, Mary and Joseph head to The Temple in Jerusalem to make the sacrifices for her purification; and although He needed no introduction, to present the baby Jesus to The Lord. Unable to afford a lamb for the sacrifice, they offer a pair of turtledoves.

Enter Simeon. Resident in Jerusalem, a bubbling and bustling city, not just because of the recent influx of passersby registering for the census, but all throughout the year as people flock to The Temple, shop at the bazaar, and do their business in the city. Righteous and devout. Waiting for the consolation of Israel. The Holy Spirit upon him, guiding him, directing him. Resting in the revelation that he would not see death before he beheld the Lord’s Christ, the slow days becoming weeks, becoming months, becoming years while he bides. Listening for the still small voice in a world filled with reverberating racket, rattles, and roars. Longing for the day his flesh no longer imprisons his soul and he can depart.

A nudging whisper in his heart, ‘Go and see your Messiah’. Thus he yields, coming to the busy Temple, fixing his eyes on a newborn in a young woman’s arms, her protective husband standing guard. Taking the newborn Christ into his shaking arms, with tear filled eyes he blesses God, his mouth pouring forth what the Spirit speaks, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” Observant of the babe’s marveling parents, he must continue; although, his next words will overwhelm and crush their hearts. Looking into the young mother’s gleaming eyes to deliver a message he wishes he didn’t have to give, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

Simeon: Meeting his Messiah. Blessing God and bringing a hard Word.

Enter Anna. Daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. Advanced in years, of at least 84. Prophetess. Residing in The Temple. No stranger to abundant loss; widowed at a young age, after her husband died seven years into their marriage. Worships with fasting and prayer night and day. Discerning. Feeble in body, but strong in Sprit. Enduring. One of the few still living who clearly remembers Jerusalem before it came under Roman occupation when Pompey the Great besieged the city in 63 BCE, changing everything. She recalls the 2nd Temple in its original state before that conquest greatly damaged it. She has seen Jerusalem transform before her very eyes, under the reigns of Caesar Augustus, who so renamed himself, meaning ‘exalted or sacred’, a self-appointed political Savior, promising peace and security he cannot deliver in exchange for total control of his subjects, and the pompous and power-hungry, blood-thirsty Roman-appointee, Herod the Great, King of Judea. Jerusalem is now bursting at the seams as Herod, ever the lover of a building project with his name stamped thereon, can now boast of restoration of The Temple, far surpassing its original state, his own lavish palace, fortresses, aqueducts, citadels, amphitheaters and more. Yet the people of Judea are suffocating under the weight of the massive taxes levied to pay for Herod’s lavish lifestyle and magnificent ventures. Yet for all the towering structures around them, the lives of the people are no better and they are suffocating under the massive taxes levied on them to support the plans and projects of this crazed visionary king

A nudging whisper in her heart, ‘Go and see your Messiah’. Thus, she yields, passing a teary-eyed Simeon along her way, approaching the parents with the newborn babe, troubled looks upon their faces. A now more guarded Mary, less willing to hand the infant over to an elderly prophetess reaching out for him, but perhaps she felt a reassuring kindness in her smile, a balm to her aching heart, which was further comforted when she saw her give thanks to God and then turn to share the news of her Savior-son with all those seeking redemption in Jerusalem.

Anna: Meeting her Messiah. Turning to tell; sharing the good news to all in need.

I wonder if the realization that the Great High Priest squirmed in his arms, as unknowingly priest after priest monotonously carried out their duties and services around him, was nearly enough to buckle Simeon’s knees. I wonder, as in the distance he heard the loud bleating of the sheep being prepared for sacrifice, if the comprehension that his hands held the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world made his breath catch in his throat. I wonder if the sweet shalom he felt while holding the Prince of Peace made him long to be in the eternal presence of God all the more. I wonder if Anna’s wrinkled brow furrowed as she studied the features of the infant King of kings through eyes dimmed by the years, but with more clarity of heart than ever before. I wonder, when her bony finger stroked the plump cheek of baby Jesus, if physical contact with the Word made flesh sent a tingle radiating through her arm and entire body. I wonder if the Providential Hand of God upon Anna as her hand was upon the God of the universe made her chin quiver in delight. I wonder if Simeon and Anna realized that the Divine Destiny that brought them both to the temple on that day further solidified and meant that their lives also had become living examples of what the Angel Gabriel had spoken, “Nothing shall be impossible with God.”

Simeon and Anna: Prophets of Christmas

Written by Ashley Fountain 12/18/20