naming and presentation of jesus in the temple

Jesus’ Dedication In The Temple

Have you ever wondered why the Holy Spirit told us about the shepherds at the time of the birth of Jesus? Was it not enough to tell us that Jesus was born? Yet, the Holy Spirit tells us in Luke 2 that an angel appeared to a group of shepherds. We do not know how many shepherds were present or if they were kind, short, or fat. That was not important. God only wanted us to know that angels had visited the shepherds and that they then visited Jesus. Why? I believe the answer is simple. He wants us to know that the birth of Jesus was a cosmic event. Did angels announce your birth? They sure did not announce my birth. But the angels announced Jesus’ birth because God came to earth in human form. He was the Savior of the world. The angel said, ” . . . for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior . . . ” The angel did not say that Jesus would become the Savior. No, he said that Jesus was the Savior. God had already planned His death, and it was so certain that one could already say that He was the Savior. The stunning event of the angels and the shepherds was a sign that God was intervening in human history. God was among us.

Naming of Jesus

After the shepherds found Jesus, they left and delivered their flocks to Jerusalem and then returned home. Eight days later Mary and Joseph had their baby boy circumcised and named him Jesus.

And when eight days had passed, before His circumcision, His name was then called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.  Luke 2:21 (NASB)

John the Baptist had also been circumcised and named on the eighth day (Luke 1:57-66). Both sets of parents were obedient to God’s command about circumcision in Leviticus 12:3. It was the custom of the time to name a male baby on the day of his circumcision. Modern medicine indicates that the eighth day would have been the best time for the circumcision to be performed.

Just like Zacharias and Elizabeth, Joseph and Mary named their baby boy according to the command of the angel Gabriel. Joseph and Mary were faithful parents. The event of the shepherds would have been an encouragement to Jesus’ parents that He was in fact someone very unusual. Just as their obedience was a sign that they believed and trusted God, our obedience proves the same thing. Our obedience proves that we believe God is not just a myth but that He is real. Otherwise, why would anyone want to obey?

Jesus’ Dedication

About 33 days after Jesus’ circumcision, or 40 days after His birth, His parents took Him to Jerusalem to be dedicated to the Lord. According to Leviticus 12:4-5, every male child was to be brought to the temple in Jerusalem for dedication to the Lord at the completion of a mother’s purification.

And when the days for their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “EVERY firstborn MALE THAT OPENS THE WOMB SHALL BE CALLED HOLY TO THE LORD”), and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord, “A PAIR OF TURTLEDOVES OR TWO YOUNG PIGEONS.” Luke 2:22-24 (NASB)

Once again His parents were being faithful to the Lord. His dedication to the Lord God involved the sacrifice of some animals. Leviticus 12:7-8 says that Joseph and Mary could have offered either a lamb or two turtle doves or two pigeons.

Then he shall offer it before the LORD and make atonement for her, and she shall be cleansed from the flow of her blood. This is the law for her who bears a child, whether a male or a female. “But if she cannot afford a lamb, then she shall take two turtledoves or two young pigeons, the one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering; and the priest shall make atonement for her, and she will be clean.” Leviticus 12:7-8 (NASB)

The offering was an atonement for Mary’s purification, and it was to be performed by a priest. The atonement was apparently not for a mother’s sin, but was symbolic of a mother’s “uncleanliness” due to her bleeding.

What kind of sacrifice did Joseph and Mary offer at the temple? The Holy Spirit says that they offered some birds and not a lamb. This means that they were poor. When we look at the gospel events, we discover that Jesus’ ministry was not primarily to the rich but to the poor. He healed the poor and warned the rich. He said that it was hard for the rich to enter heaven because they were content with their riches and themselves. The scriptures indicate that God has great compassion for the poor. Throughout scripture God encourages us to help the sick, widows, orphans, and those in prison. Is that why Jesus was born to poor parents? He was born into a poor family. He died as a poor man, and was buried in a rich man’s tomb. Jesus knows what it is like to be poor. God loves the poor and rejects the cold hearted, self-righteous rich man. God wants us to care for those who have less than we do. He cares for the poor.

Simeon – A Spirit Filled Man

Next, we are told that while Joseph and Mary were at the temple, a man named Simeon found them.

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.  Luke 2:25-26 (NASB)

He had been looking for the Messiah or the consolation of Israel. He was full of the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit had told Simeon that he would not die until he saw the Messiah or the Lord’s Christ. God loved Simeon! God cared about the man so much that He promised this man that he would live until he saw Jesus. God is in the business of answering prayers and making promises. Simeon is just one example. God answered prayers yesterday, and He is answering prayers today of people around the world. He provides greater blessings than slot machines, gambling casinos, hospitals, and gifts at birthday parties. His blessings are from His heart to your heart.

Simeon’s Blessing

So Simeon came to the temple not because he thought it would be a good day to visit but because he was led by the Holy Spirit.

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.” Luke 2:27-32 (NASB)

Now that is being sensitive to the Holy Spirit. Would you like to be that sensitive to the Holy Spirit? Notice that Simeon was described as being a righteous and devout man. He was looking for the Messiah. Are you righteous? Are you devoted to God? Do you love God so much that you are looking for His return? These are traits of a godly man or woman. A godly, devout man or woman wants to meet God and to see Him. That was true of Simeon.

Did you notice that Simeon said Jesus would be a light to the Gentiles? Of all the various faiths, Christianity is the only one that provides prophecy and historical facts to authenticate its spiritual message. No other sacred book compares to it. The message of God is unique. It would need to be. The Bible is light because it is truth!

When Simeon found Jesus, he held Jesus in his arms and blessed Him. Simeon understood that the baby in his arms was the Savior for sinners and the King of kings. This was no ordinary baby. It would have been fun to have watched the face of Jesus’ parents while Simeon blessed Him. How did Joseph and Mary respond? What did they think?

And His father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him. Luke 2:33 (NASB)

God was blessing and reassuring this poor couple one more time that this child was very unusual. He was unique. Joseph needed to hear this again. His wife had told him the truth. Mary needed reassurance.

Simeon’s Warning

Then Simeon turned and warned Mary. He must have been looking at her face – looking into her eyes when he gave her this 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.” Luke 2:34-35 (NASB)

Jesus was going to be rejected by many and die a painful death. She would suffer greatly, and that all came true when she stood at the foot of the cross 33 years later looking up at her first born dying on a wooden cross. She did not understand Simeon completely but she would some day.

Most of us understand these comments except for the last one, “to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” What did Simeon mean? He was saying that the true motivations and intentions of peoples’ hearts toward Jesus would be revealed at the end. Yes, Jesus would have followers. Yes, many would be healed during His ministry and rejoice in His teaching. Some would welcome Him as king one day with palm leaves on the ground, but many of them would not really care about Jesus. They would only care about themselves, what they could get. They could just as easily ask for His death and they did one day when it pleased them. Many were fickle. They were heartless, forgetful folks. Yet, there would be those like His mother and others, including a thief on the cross, who would want a Savior who would rescue them from their sins. They knew in their hearts who He was. They believed that He was the Savior of the world. He was the King!

Anna – The Prophetess

Had Joseph and Mary asked God to encourage them? We do not know, but God planned to encourage them with both Simeon and now a faithful and devout woman named Anna. She was 84 years of age.

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. Luke 2:36-38 (NASB)

We are told that she was from the tribe of Asher. Now for those who wonder about the “ten lost tribes of Israel” from the northern part of the land of Canaan, this passage tells us that the tribes were not lost. Asher was one of those tribes in northern Israel. Now if Anna was from Asher, God did not lose them, and they were not lost in Jesus’ day. God knows where they are.

Anna was dedicated to God. We are told that she never left the temple. She was a prayer warrior. Probably few women have been more committed to prayer than this godly woman. Somehow God told her that her Messiah was in the temple, and so she approached Jesus and began to thank Him. She knew the baby was her Messiah! We do not know what she said to Jesus’ parents. It would have been wonderful to have been there and to have listened. Then Anna started telling others about the One she had waited for – her Messiah!

Angels appeared, offered praise to God, and shepherds visited a baby – God in human flesh. Those are great cosmic birthday announcements. The Holy Spirit spoke; Simeon honored Jesus with praise, and a mother’s heart was warned about a sad day to come. The Holy Spirit helped an 84 year old woman know that her Messiah had arrived, and then she told everyone who would listen that her Messiah had come.

Why did God do this? Why did God speak to a group of shepherds, a prophet, and a prophetess? Why? He did it for the shepherds, for Simeon and Anna, and He did it for a poor couple – Joseph and Mary. God cared about them. The God of the universe cares about us. He took time and paid special attention to some longing hearts – hearts longing to know the Messiah. Maybe they did not realize that their Messiah was God in the flesh, but they would some day. In the process, God revealed His heart. He revealed that He loves us. He cares about individuals – men and woman. He loves the poor as well as the rich. God has a compassionate heart. He granted an old man’s request and ministered to an old woman’s heart. Wow! Wouldn’t it be great if today’s pastors cared more for the older generation than they do today? Recently, a pastor told me that his church was designed for the 20-30’s generation. He would not even be interested in meeting the need of a Simeon or Anna in his church. But God is and does! God calls us to honor the aged in Leviticus 19:32.

The visit of the shepherds and the events with Simeon and Anna are not afterthought additions to the events surrounding the birth of Jesus. They reveal God’s heart and they point us to Jesus. Jesus was the God-Messiah. He was not just any normal human baby. Jesus is God who came in human flesh. Jesus is the Christ. There was no other. There is no other. He is the One! Jesus is the One!

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Reflections for the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

Introduction:    This feast commemorates how Jesus, as a baby, was presented to God in the Temple in Jerusalem. This presentation finds its complete and perfect fulfillment in the mystery of the passion, death and Resurrection of the Lord. The  Feast of the Presentation of the Lord   is a combined feast ,  commemorating the Jewish practice of the  purification of the mother  after childbirth and the  presentation of the child  to God in the Temple and his buying back ( redemption ) from God. It is also known as the  Feast of the Purification of Mary , and the Feast  of Candlemas.  It is also called the  Feast of Encounter  ( Hypapánte  in Greek) because the New Testament, represented by the baby Jesus, encountered the Old Testament, represented by Simeon and Anna. Joseph offered two pigeons in the Temple as sacrifice for the purification of Mary after her childbirth and for the presentation and redemption ceremonies performed for baby Jesus.

Homily starter anecdote: “Four chaplains Sunday:  Julia Duin in the Washington Times Sunday, February 1, 2009 told this story. Just after midnight on Feb. 3, 1943, an act of extraordinary unselfishness by a group of men became a legend of martyrdom and sacrifice. When the Army ship Dorchester was torpedoed by the Germans just south of Greenland that night, its passengers and crew had 25 minutes to get off the boat. As 902 people went for the life jackets, it quickly was discovered there weren’t near enough. Of the 13 lifeboats, only two functioned. In the ship’s final minutes, Methodist senior chaplain George Lansing Fox, Rabbi Alexander Goode, Dutch Reformed minister Clark V. Poling and John P. Washington, a Roman Catholic priest, were helping passengers leave the vessel. Then four men appeared all of them without life jackets. The chaplains quickly gave up their own vests and went down with the ship, perishing in the freezing water. Survivors saw them, locked arm in arm, praying and singing the Navy hymn, “Eternal Father, Strong to Save” just before the ship dove beneath the waves. It was a night as dramatic as the sinking of the Titanic but without a blockbuster movie to record the drama. “The Four Immortal Chaplains,” as they are now known, have been honored many times, including on a stamp issued in their honor by the U.S. Postal Service. Hence the first Sunday in February is known as “Four Chaplains Sunday” in some Christian denominations.  They presented and offered themselves completely for the wellbeing of others as Jesus was presented to God his Heavenly Father in the Temple of Jerusalem for the salvation of the world. ( http://frtonyshomilies.com/).

Scripture lessons summarized:   In the   first reading,  taken from Malachi, the prophet speaks of the Lord suddenly coming to Jerusalem to purify the lax, lazy and indifferent priests of His Temple as silver is purified by fire. Simeon saw the Infant Jesus as the fulfillment of this passage. He saw Jesus as the Lord Who has come to the Temple,  "destined to be the downfall and rise of many in Israel."    In the second reading,  St. Paul   proclaims Jesus as our Eternal High Priest of     the New Covenant (Heb 2:17), Who offered himself on the altar of Calvary, the only pure priestly sacrifice that could please God.    He replaces the former priesthood.  The Gospel  describes how Joseph, as the head of the Holy Family of Nazareth, presented Mary and the baby Jesus in the Temple of God for the mother’s purification and the Child’s “redemption.” It also describes the Holy Family’s encounter with the old prophet Simeon and the holy old widow Anna. In his prophecy, Simeon extols the divine blessings which the Messiah is bringing to Israel and to all men and predicts that Mary will play a crucial and sacrificial role in her Son's redemptive work by sharing in her Son's sufferings.

The first reading explained : Malachi prophesies in the first reading that the Lord is going to appear suddenly in the Temple of Jerusalem  to purify its priests and the people . The prophecy warns that nobody can endure the day of the messenger's coming because he will be like a refining fire, purifying the sons of Levi.  Led by the Spirit,  Simeon saw the Infant Jesus as the fulfillment of this passage .  Simeon, even if unknown to himself, foresaw Christ and His priests of the New Covenant who were ordained during the Last Supper. He saw Jesus as the Lord Who would come to the Temple,  "destined to be the downfall and rise of many in Israel."  In today's reading, Malachi prophesies that God will purify the lax, lazy and indifferent priests of His Temple as silver is purified by fire.  At the time of Malachi (around 460-450 BC), the priests were offering blemished (blind, lame) sacrifices and giving bad example (1:6-2:4).  The people were negligent in their support of the Temple (3:6-12). Israelite wives were being rejected by husbands who wished to marry foreign women (2:14-16). Social injustice was rampant (3:5), and the people doubted God’s love (1:2-5). Hence, Malachi reminds them that the Day of the Lord, a Day of Judgment, reward and retribution is coming. He describes the Divine intervention as a two-stage process. First God’s messenger will appear to prepare the way by purifying the clergy and refining the cult (v. 3). This purification will take place until they present offerings to the Lord in a spirit of justice and righteousness. Then, the Lord of Hosts will suddenly appear in the Temple (v. 1), to bring judgment and justice against unfaithful sinners (v. 5). The Psalm announces to Jerusalem that Jerusalem is about to receive a great visitor. The Psalmist identifies him as “The LORD of hosts … the king of glory.”

The second reading explained:  The second reading proclaims Jesus as our Eternal High Priest of the New Covenant (Heb 2:17), Who offered Himself on the altar of Calvary, the only pure priestly sacrifice that could please God. The  Didache  or the first catechism of the early Church (14:1-3), saw Malachi’s prophecy of a pure sacrifice and offering made from east to west as a prophecy of the sacrifice of the Eucharist.  Hence Malachi prophesies that the Lord will enter His Temple, there will be a renewed priesthood, and there will be a pure sacrifice offered worldwide and pleasing to God -- the Eucharist. Jesus became like us in all things except sin in order that He might offer to the Father perfect praise and glory.  Besides, since Jesus fully shared our experience, He is now a merciful and faithful High Priest on our behalf,  "able to help those who are being tested."   Jesus replaces the former priesthood. In keeping with the theme of today’s feast, namely, the presentation of the first fruits, this excerpt from Hebrews emphasizes Jesus’ dual role, as  first-fruits ,  par excellence , and as the  faithful High priest  Who presents the perfect gift of Himself to God for the expiation of human sin. By virtue of His Incarnation, Jesus became human in every way (vv. 17-18) except as regards sin. As representative of His brothers and sisters before God and as their Mediator, Christ perfected His service as both sacrifice and priest. By so doing, Christ was able to “rob the devil” of power (v. 14). As the first-fruits from the dead, as the conqueror of sin and death, Christ, in His person and through His mission, has set the course and cleared the way we are to follow; the decision to do so must be a daily and deliberate one.  It takes faith to see God's power at work in the death of Jesus.  Simeon hinted at this when he told Mary that she herself would be pierced with a sword.  Even knowing that her Son was the Savior of the world, it would be difficult for Mary to see him accomplish that salvation by being crucified.

Exegesis of today’s Gospel:  The birth of Christ was revealed by three kinds of witnesses in three different ways -- first, by the shepherds, after the angel's announcement; second, by the Magi, who were guided by a star; third, by Simeon and Anna, who were inspired by the Holy Spirit. Today’s Gospel describes the Presentation of the Baby Jesus in the Temple. It was intended to ritually redeem Jesus who was the first born in the family and where Mary herself will have to be ritually purified. Mary and Joseph was a typical pious Jewish couple, who went to the Temple in obedience to do all that was required and expected of them by the Law.The Feast of the Presentation of Jesus is a combined feast , commemorating the Jewish practice of the purification of the mother after childbirth and the presentation of the child in the Temple. It is known as the Hypapánte   feast or Feast of the Purification of Mary (by the offering two pigeons in the Temple), the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord (by prayers and a sacrifice offered in the Temple to redeem or buy the firstborn male child back from the Lord), the Feast of Candlemas (because of its ancient rite of blessing of the candles to be used in the church for the next year — a practice dating from the middle of the fifth century) and the Feast of Encounter (because the New Testament, represented by the Baby Jesus, encountered the Old Testament, represented by Simeon and Anna). Originally, there was no connection between today’s festival and the blessing of candles.    In the ancient East, this celebration occurred on February 14, forty days after Epiphany.   On February 15, pagans celebrated the festival of Lupercalia , a great “light” festival.    Perhaps this is an instance of the Church's “baptizing” a pagan custom.    At the principal Mass, the celebrant blesses candles, and people take part in a candlelight procession.    This should remind us that Jesus is our High Priest and the Light of the World.

Purification and redemption ceremonies : The Gospel describes how Joseph, as the head of the Holy Family of Nazareth, presented Mary and the baby Jesus in the Temple of God for the mother’s purification and the child’s “redemption.” According to Leviticus 12:2-8, a woman who bore a child was unclean  for forty days following the birth of a son or eighty days following the birth of a daughter.   Although Mary, the most holy of women, ever-Virgin, was exempt from these precepts of the Law, because of her miraculous conception, she chose to submit herself to the Law just like any other Jewish mother. Joseph and Mary showed their total submission to Law and obey the norms prescribed by the Old Testament.  The custom was practiced probably for the physical and emotional re-integration of the new mother into the community. There was a religious reason as well. Exodus 13:2, 12-13 prescribes that every first-born male belongs to God and must be set apart for the Lord, that is, dedicated to the service of God.  However, once divine worship was reserved to the tribe of Levi, first-born who did not belong to that tribe were not dedicated to God's service, and to show that they continued to be God's special property, a rite of redemption was performed. The Law also commanded that the Israelites should offer in sacrifice some lesser victim -- for example, a lamb or, if they were poor, a pair of doves or two pigeons.  The Book of Numbers 18: 15 taught that since every Jewish firstborn male child belonged to Yahweh, the parents had to “buy back” (redeem), the child by offering a lamb or turtledoves as a sacrifice in the Temple. The price of redemption for a human baby is five shekels of silver (Num 18:15-16). Jesus never needed to be "bought back," as he belonged wholly to the Lord, but Joseph kept these laws as an act of obedience to God. 

The encounter with Simeon and Anna :   By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the old, pious and Spirit-filled Simeon and Anna had been waiting in the Temple for the revelation of God’s salvation. The Greek Church celebrates the Hypapánte or Feast of the Encounter commemorating the encounter of the New Testament represented by Jesus with the Old Testament represented by Simeon and Anna. Simeon, who is described as a righteous and devout man, obedient to God's will, addresses himself to our Lord as a vassal or loyal servant who, having kept watch all his life in expectation of the coming of his Lord, sees that this moment has "now" come, the moment that explains his whole life.  When he takes the Child in his arms, he learns, not through any reasoning process but through a special grace from God, that this Child is the promised Messiah, the Consolation of Israel, the Light of the nations.  Simeon recognizes Jesus as the Lord’s anointed one, and in his prayer of blessing he prophesies that Jesus is meant to be the glory of Israel and the light of revelation to the Gentiles. Pope Francis: “Simeon took him in his arms and thanked God that he had finally “seen” salvation. Anna, despite her advanced age, found new vigor and began to speak to everyone about the Baby. It is a beautiful image: two young parents and two elderly people, brought together by Jesus. He is the one who brings together and unites generations! He is the inexhaustible font of that love which overcomes every occasion of self-absorption, solitude, and sadness. In your journey as a family, you share so many beautiful moments: meals, rest, housework, leisure, prayer, trips and pilgrimages, and times of mutual support… Nevertheless, if there is no love then there is no joy, and authentic love comes to us from Jesus. He offers us his word, which illuminates our path; he gives us the Bread of life which sustains us on our journey.”

Simeon’s prophecy: Simeon's canticle (verses 29-32) is also a prophecy.  It consists of two stanzas: the first (verses 29-30) is his act of thanksgiving to God, filled with profound joy for having seen the Messiah.  The second (verses 31-32) is more obviously prophetic and extols the divine blessings which the Messiah is bringing to Israel and to all men.  The canticle highlights the fact that Christ brings redemption to all men without exception -- something foretold in many Old Testament prophecies (cf. Genesis 22:18; Isaiah 2:6; 42:6; 60:3; Psalm 28:2). While Simeon blessed Mary, he warned her that her child would be “ a sign of contradiction, ” and that she would be “ pierced with a sword.” Simeon was prophesying both the universal salvation that would be proclaimed by Jesus and the necessity of suffering in the mission of the Messiah. Jesus came to bring salvation to all men, yet He would be a sign of contradiction because some people would obstinately reject Him -- and for this reason He would be their ruin.  But for those who would accept Him with faith, Jesus would be their salvation, freeing them from sin in this life and raising them up to eternal life. The Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph marveled, but not because they did not know who Christ was. They were in awe at the way God was revealing Him. 

The paradox of blessedness:  Mary was given the blessedness of being the mother of the Son of God.  That blessedness also would become a sword which would pierce her heart as her Son died upon the cross. The words Simeon addressed to Mary announced that she would be intimately linked with her Son's redemptive work.  The sword indicated that Mary would have a share in her Son's sufferings. Her suffering would be an unspeakable pain which would pierce her soul.  Our Lord suffered on the cross for our sins, and it is those sins which forged the sword of Mary's pain.  Mary received both a crown of joy and a cross of sorrow.  But her joy was not diminished by her sorrow because it was fueled by her faith, hope, and trust in God and his promises.  Jesus promised his disciples, "no one will take your joy from you" (John 16:22).  The Lord gives us a supernatural joy which enables us to bear any sorrow or pain and which neither life nor death can take way.  Do you know the joy of a life fully surrendered to God with faith and trust? According to Dr. Scot Hann, the feast we celebrate shows a curious turn of events. The Redeemer is redeemed. She who is all-pure presents herself to be purified. Such is the humility of our God. Such is the humility of the Blessed Virgin. They submit to the law even though they are not bound by it.

Anna’s encounter with the Lord and her testifying to the Messiah:  Anna was an eighty-four-year-old widow who spent her days in the Temple in fasting and prayer, waiting for the promised Messiah. She was rewarded with the joy of seeing her Redeemer as a Baby. In her excitement, she praised God and introduced the Infant to others around her as the expected Messiah. Supernatural hope grows with prayer and age!  Anna was pre-eminently a woman of great hope and expectation that God would fulfill all his promises. She is a model of godliness for all believers as we advance in age.  Advancing age and the disappointments of life can easily make us cynical and hopeless if we do not have our hope placed rightly. Anna's hope in God and His promises grew with age. She never ceased to worship God in faith and to pray with hope.  Her hope and faith in God's promises fueled her indomitable zeal and fervor in prayer and the service of God's people. We grow in hope by placing our trust in the promises of Jesus Christ and relying not on our own strength, but on the grace and help of the Holy Spirit. After completing the presentation and redemption of baby Jesus and the ritual purification of Mary and the meeting with Simeon and Anna, Joseph and Mary understood more fully their responsibility before God to protect the child as they return to Nazareth

Life messages : 1)  Every Holy Mass in which we participate is our presentation . Although we were officially presented to God on the day of our Baptism, we present ourselves and our dear ones on the altar before God our Father through our Savior Jesus Christ at every Holy Mass. Hence, we need to live our daily lives with the awareness both that we are dedicated people consecrated to God and that we are obliged to lead holy lives.

2) We need the assistance of the Holy Spirit to recognize the presence of Jesus in ourselves and in others: All those who, like Simeon and Anna, persevere in piety and in the service of God, no matter how insignificant their lives seem in men's eyes, become instruments the Holy Spirit uses to make Christ known to others. In His plan of redemption, God makes use of these simple souls to do much good for all mankind. In other words, The Holy Spirit employs ordinary men and women with simple faith as His instruments to bear witness to Christ, His ideals and teachings, just as He used Simeon and Anna.  The Holy Spirit reveals the presence of the Lord to us when we are receptive and eager to receive Him.  Let us be open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit within us to recognize the indwelling presence of the Lord with us and in others.  (Fr. Antony Kadavil)

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Presentation of the lord.

Today’s feast of the Presentation of the Lord is a hinge upon which we pivot our gaze from Christmas and the Incarnation to Easter and Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection.

This day falls 40 days after Christmas, and in the older liturgical calendars, the Presentation of the Lord closed the Christmas season (it now concludes with the feast of the Baptism of the Lord). The roots of this feast are found in Scripture, which tells of Mary and Joseph bringing Jesus to the Temple to follow Jewish law.

The law prescribed two rites following a birth. In one, the new mother was to offer a sacrifice of a lamb and a dove in thanksgiving for a safe delivery (those who were poor, like Mary and Joseph, were allowed to offer two doves, which they did). This offering was also intended for the purification of the mother and it took place 40 days after the birth of a male (80 days after the birth of a female).

In the other rite, which was to symbolically offer the new child to the Lord, the parents presented the child in the Temple and then ransomed him or her with money. In what must be one of the great paradoxes in history, Mary and Joseph “redeemed” Jesus with the traditional five shekels.

See images of the Temple as it looked in Jesus’ time in this part of our virtual tour of the Holy Land. The text here explains more about the use of coins and animals in the Temple economy.

The celebration of this feast began in the ancient Church—it appears to have begun in the fourth century, and was celebrated as the culmination of the Christmas season during the Middle Ages.

The Scriptural accounts of Jesus’ presentation in the Temple tell of the meeting with Simeon, the aged man who had been promised by God that he would see the Messiah before his own death. Along with the prophetess Anna, Simeon represents the hope of devout Jews who were waiting for God’s rule.

Simeon recognizes Jesus as the Messiah, and, after giving thanks to God, makes a prophecy to Mary. His words call to mind the suffering that Jesus will endure for our redemption, and the confusion and sorrow that go with it. The ancient Church used this scene to transition from celebrating Jesus’ Incarnation to preparing to enter the Paschal Mystery in the Lenten and Easter seasons.

This feast was always celebrated with candles (and used to be known as Candlemas) because of Simeon’s recognition that in the person of Jesus, God has given us salvation—“a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people, Israel.” The scene with Simeon is depicted in several places in the Basilica, as shown here.

On this feast of the presentation of the Lord, let us join Simeon in recognizing our salvation in Jesus, the light of the world!

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PRESENTATION OF JESUS IN THE TEMPLE (Luke 2: 21)

Back to: CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS STUDIES JSS2

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In today’s Christian Religious Studies class, We will be discussing “Presentation of Jesus in the Temple” . We hope you enjoy the class!

Jesus Presented in the Temple

Eight days after the birth of Jesus, He was circumcised and named Jesus, as given by the angel even before He was conceived. Then it was time for the purification offering, as required by the law of Moses after the birth of a child; so his parents took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. The law of the Lord says, “If a woman’s first child is a boy, he must be dedicated to the Lord.” So they offered a sacrifice according to what was required in the law of the Lord “either a pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons.”

The Importance of a Child’s Presentation in the Church

The Jewish practice of presenting the firstborn to the Lord has been adopted by the church. But in our churches today, we do not only present the firstborn but all our children. Presentation of our children is for the purpose of christening the child and giving him/her a Christian name.

Two people of God made prophecies during the presentation of Jesus.

The Prophecy of Simeon (Luke 2:25-35)

Simeon was a righteous and devout man. He lived in Jerusalem and had been promised by the Holy Spirit that he would see Jesus before his death. So he was in the temple when he was brought for presentation, he took Jesus in his arms and blessed God.

The Significance of the Prophecy of Simeon

• The first part of Simeon’s prophecy refers to God’s plan to save mankind. With the birth of Jesus Christ, God fulfilled His plan to save the world.
• The second part of Simeon’s prophecy refers to the response of the Israelites to the ministry of Jesus that as many people that accepted Jesus would be saved and those who reject Him would not be saved.
• The sign of a sword piercing through Mary’s soul refers to the anxious moments that Mary would experience as Jesus carried out His ministry. And Mary had such moments during the arrest, trial and death of Jesus.

The Prophecy of Anna (Luke 2:36-40)

Anna was an old woman of 84 years, a prophetess and the daughter of Phanuel of the tribe of Asher. She was a widow and lived with her husband for seven years before his death. All her time in the temple, worshipping God with prayers and fasting day and night.

She was in the temple during the presentation of Jesus, she gave thanks to God and spoke of Jesus Christ to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

The Significance of the Prophecy of Anna

Anna’s prophecy confirmed the fact that the time to save the world had come, with the birth of Jesus.

Moral Lessons

• We must learn to pray to God through Jesus Christ to help us cooperate with all those who are older than us in training us to be obedient, respectful and hardworking so that we can grow up to become upright and responsible Christian citizens.
• We must learn to see ourselves as children of God walking in the light of Christ and avoid all the deeds of darkness.

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The Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple

The law of God, given by Moses to the Jews, to insinuate both to us and to them, that by the sin of Adam man is conceived and born in sin, and obnoxious to his wrath, ordained that a woman, after childbirth, should continue for a certain time in a state which that law calls unclean; during which she was not to appear in public, nor presume to touch any thing consecrated to God. This term was of forty days upon the birth of a son, and the time was double for a daughter: on the expiration of which, the mother was to bring to the door of the tabernacle, or temple, a lamb of a year old. and a young pigeon or turtle-dove. The lamb was for a holocaust, or burnt-offering, in acknowledgment of the sovereignty of God, and in thanksgiving for her own happy delivery; the pigeon or turtle-dove was for a sin-offering. These being sacrificed to Almighty God by the priest, the woman was cleansed of the legal impurity, and reinstated in her former privileges.

A young pigeon, or turtle-dove, by way of a sin-offering, was required of all, whether rich or poor: but whereas the charge of a lamb might be too burdensome on persons of narrow circumstances, in that case, nothing more was required, then two pigeons, or two turtle-doves, one for a burnt, the other for a sin-offering.

Our Saviour having been conceived by the Holy Ghost, and his blessed Mother remaining always a spotless virgin, it is most evident from the terms of the law, that she was, in reality, under no obligation to it, nor within the intent of it. She was, however, within the letter of the law, in the eye of the world, who were as yet strangers to her miraculous conception. And her humility making her perfectly resigned, and even desirous to conceal her privilege and dignity, she submitted with great punctuality and exactness to every humbling circumstance which the law required. Pride indeed proclaims its own advantages, and seeks honors not its due; but the humble find their delight in obscurity and abasement, they shun all distinction and esteem which they clearly see their own nothingness and baseness to be most unworthy of: they give all glory to God alone, to whom it is due. Devotion also and zeal to honor God by every observance prescribed by his law, prompted Mary to perform this act of religion, though evidently exempt from the precept. Being poor herself; she made the offering appointed for the poor: accordingly is this part of the law mentioned by St. Luke, as best agreeing with the meanness of her worldly condition. But her offering, however mean in itself, was made with a perfect heart, which is what God chiefly regards in all that is offered to him. The King of Glory would appear everywhere in the robes of poverty, to point out to us the advantages of a suffering and lowly state, and to repress our pride, by which, though really poor and mean in the eyes of God, we covet to appear rich, and, though sinners, would be deemed innocents and saints.

A second great mystery is honored this day, regarding more immediately the person of our Redeemer, viz. his presentation in the temple. Besides the law which obliged the mother to purify herself, there was another which ordered that the first-born son should be offered to God: and in these two laws were included several others, as, that the child, after its presentation, should be ransomed with a certain sum of money, and peculiar sacrifices offered on the occasion.

Mary complies exactly with all these ordinances. She obeys not only in the essential points of the law, as in presenting herself to be purified, and in her offering her first-born, but has strict regard to all the circumstances. She remains forty days at home, she denies herself all this time the liberty of. entering the temple, she partakes not of things sacred, though the living temple of the God of Israel; and on the day of her purification, she walks several miles to Jerusalem, with the world's Redeemer in her arms. She waits for the priest at the gate of the temple, makes her offerings of thanksgiving and expiation, presents her divine Son by the hands of the priest to his eternal Father, with the most profound humility, adoration, and thanksgiving. She then redeems him with five shekels, as the law appoints, and receives him back again as a depositum in her special care, till the Father shall again demand him for the full accomplishment of man's redemption. It is clear that Christ was not comprehended in the law; "The king's son, to whom the inheritance of the crown belongs, is exempt from servitude:- much more Christ, who was the Redeemer both of our souls and bodies, was not subject to any law by which he was to be himself redeemed," as St. Hilary observes. But he would set an example of humility, obedience, and devotion: and would renew, in a solemn and public manner, and in the temple, the oblation of himself to his Father for the accomplishment of his will, and the redemption of man, which he had made privately in the first moment of his Incarnation. With what sentiments did the divine Infant offer himself to his Father at the same time! the greatest homage of his honour and glory the Father could receive, and a sacrifice of satisfaction adequate to the injuries done to the Godhead by our sins, and sufficient to ransom our souls from everlasting death! With what cheerfulness and charity did he offer himself to all his torments! to be whipped, crowned with thorns, and ignominiously put to death for us!

Let every Christian learn hence to offer himself to God with this divine victim, through which he may be accepted by the Father; let him devote himself with all his senses and faculties to his service. If sloth, or any other vice, has made us neglectful of this essential duty, we must bewail past omissions, and make a solemn and serious consecration of ourselves this day to the divine majesty with the greater fervor, crying out with St. Austin, in compunction of heart: "Too late have I known thee, too late have I begun to love thee, O beauty more ancient than the world!" But our sacrifice, if we desire it may be accepted, must not be lame and imperfect. It would be an insult to offer to God, in union with his Christ, a divided heart, or a heart infected with wilful sin. It must therefore first be cleansed by tears of sincere compunction: its affections must be crucified to the world by perfect mortification. Our offering must be sincere and fervent, without reserve, allowing no quarter to any of our vicious passions and inclinations, and no division in any of our affections. It must also be universal; to suffer and to do all for the divine honor. If we give our hearts to Christ in this manner, we shall receive him with his graces and benedictions. He would be presented in the temple by the hands of his mother: let us accordingly make the offering of our souls through Mary and beg his graces through the same channel.

The ceremony of this day was closed by a third mystery, the. meeting in the temple of the holy persons, Simeon and Anne, with Jesus and his parents, from which this festival was anciently called by the Greeks Hypante, the meeting. Holy Simeon, on that occasion, received into his arms the object of all his desires and sighs, and praised God in raptures of devotion for being blessed with the happiness of beholding the so much longed-for Messias. He foretold to Mary her martyrdom of sorrow; and that Jesus brought redemption to those who would accept of it on the terms it was offered them; but a heavy judgment on all infidels who should obstinately reject it, and on Christians also whose lives were a contradiction to his holy maxims and example. Mary, hearing this terrible prediction, did not answer one word, felt no agitation of mind from the present, no dread for the future; but courageously and sweetly committed all to God's holy will. Anne also, the prophetess, who, in her widowhood, served God with great fervor, had the happiness to acknowledge and adore in this great mystery the world's Redeemer. Amidst the crowd of priests and people, the Saviour of the world is known only by Simeon and Anne. Even when he disputed with the doctors, and when he wrought the most stupendous miracles, the learned, the wise, and the princes did not know him. Yet here, while a weak, speechless child, carried in the arms of his poor mother, he is acknowledged and adored by Simeon and Anne. He could not hide himself from those who sought him with fervor, humility, and ardent love. Unless we seek him in these dispositions, he will not manifest himself, nor communicate his graces to us. Simeon, having beheld his Saviour in the flesh, desired no longer to see the light of this world, nor any creatures on earth If we truly love God, our distance from him must be a continual pain: and we must sigh after that desired moment which will free us from the danger of ever losing him by sin, and will put us in possession of Him who is the joy of the blessed, and the infinite treasure of heaven. Let us never cease to pray that he purify our hearts from all earthly dross, and draw them to himself: that he heal, satiate, and inflame our souls, as he only came upon earth to kindle in all hearts the fire of his love.

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BIBLE HISTORY DAILY

Mary, Simeon or Anna: Who First Recognized Jesus as Messiah?

THE PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE. When Joseph (far left) and Mary (left of center) bring baby Jesus to the Jerusalem Temple, they are greeted by Simeon, who embraces the baby, and Anna, the New Testament’s only prophetess, shown at right with a scroll, in this 1342 tempera painting by Ambrogio Lorenzetti. Simeon instantly and independently recognizes Jesus as messiah. Anna begins to preach: “She came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.” Both are quicker than Mary to comprehend who Jesus is. Uffizi Gallery/Public Domain

Being first to hear doesn’t always mean being first to understand. In Luke’s birth narrative, Mary is the first to be told that Jesus will be the messiah. Luke adds that she “treasures the words” the angel Gabriel speaks to her. But Mary is also puzzled by the divine message; she is “perplexed” when the angel greets her and must “ponder” the meaning of his words (Luke 1:29; see also 2:19). In this, Mary contrasts sharply with Simeon and Anna, two elderly individuals who happen to be in the Temple when Joseph and Mary bring the infant Jesus to Jerusalem for the first time.

According to Luke 2:22–24, “[Joseph and Mary] brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, ‘Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord’ [quoting Exodus 13:2, 12]) and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, ‘a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons’ [based on Leviticus 12:2–8].”

At the Temple, the family is approached by a man named Simeon, who has been told by the Holy Spirit that he will not die until he has seen the messiah. (The same Spirit told him to go to the Temple that day, too.) Simeon takes Jesus in his arms and praises God: “Master, now you are dismissing your servant 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 for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel” (Luke 2:28–32). Having seen the messiah, Simeon is now prepared to die.

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Anna then approaches the Holy Family. She, too, recognizes Jesus as messiah, but she has a very different reaction: “At that moment, she came and began to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem” (Luke 2:38). She is 84 years old, according to Luke, and she does not want to die: She wants to proselytize. Like the disciples who will follow her, she is driven to bear witness to what she has seen. Mary was the first to have the good news announced to her, but Anna is the first woman to understand fully and proclaim the good news.

This is because in addition to being a proselytizer, Anna is a “prophetess” (Luke 2:36). In fact, she is the only woman in the New Testament explicitly described as a “prophetess.” She then stands in the line of figures like the judge, military leader and prophetess Deborah and the Jerusalem prophetess Huldah, who, in the days of King Josiah, was asked to verify that an ancient scroll (a form of Deuteronomy) discovered during Temple renovations was indeed the word of God (2 Kings 22).

Unlike Simeon, Anna is not just visiting the Temple for the day; she is there all the time. According to Luke, Anna “never left the Temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day” (Luke 2:37). Perhaps she was part of some sort of order of widows (Luke tells us her husband died after only seven years of marriage) who had specific religious functions in the Temple. She may have been able to undertake this role in the Temple because she was no longer in periodic states of ritual impurity caused by menstruation.

Learn more about Anna in Robin Gallaher Branch’s Bible History Daily article “ Anna in the Bible .”

Mary startles when Gabriel and God the Father appear in her home and interrupt her prayers. In Lorenzo Lotto’s unusual rendition of the Annunciation, dated to 1535, Mary’s cat is equally frightened by the divine apparition. According to Luke, Mary treasures the angel’s message, but does not fully understand it. Only after years of “pondering the message in her heart” does she become a true follower of Jesus.” Museo Civico, Recanati, Italy/Scala/Art Resource, NY.

Luke may also have seen Anna as the second witness in or around the Temple needed to validate Jesus’ significance. Deuteronomy 19:15 stresses the importance of having two witnesses to validate an event.

The pairing of Simeon and Anna reflects Luke’s penchant for male-female parallelism when he writes about the recipients of divine blessing and salvation. The story of Jesus’ birth is framed by two such stories—that of Elizabeth and Zechariah in Luke 1 and Anna and Simeon in Luke 2. Interestingly, in both, the woman is portrayed as the more positive example of discipleship. The women are not only more receptive to the message, they are more willing to act upon it, with Elizabeth realizing that her cousin is carrying the messiah and praising God for this blessing and Anna spreading the good news.

Alfred Plummer, in his classic commentary on Luke, suggested that the difference between Anna and Simeon provides a clue to Luke as a salvation historian, a chronicler of the mighty acts of God for his people through the ages. Yes, a messiah has arrived, as Simeon recognizes, but, as the prophetess Anna suggests, a new era, with a new and living voice of prophecy, has at the same time dawned. 1 In this new era, the living voice of God will continue to speak about the messianic one. Anna is the first in a line of prophetic disciples who will speak about Jesus to all who were looking for the redemption of Israel.

Not everyone can be a prophet, however. Mary, for example, does not fully understand what Anna immediately recognizes. And she won’t for several years.

Twelve years after the presentation of Jesus in the Temple, the Holy Family returns to Jerusalem and Jesus returns to the Temple, this time by himself. Mary and Joseph search for him frantically for three days. When at last they find him listening to and asking questions of the teachers in the Temple, Mary asks, “Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety.” Jesus responds, “Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” But, Luke reports, “they did not understand what he said to them … [but] his mother treasured all these things in her heart” (Luke 2:48–51). The late New Testament scholar Raymond Brown wrote: “Luke’s idea is that complete acceptance of the word of God, complete understanding of who Jesus is, and complete discipleship is not yet possible. This will come through the ministry of Jesus and particularly through the cross and resurrection.”

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Clearly, Luke is not painting an idealized portrait of Mary or Joseph. Rather, he paints a very human and realistic picture of Mary and Joseph as good parents, anxious, concerned, striving to be obedient and understanding, but not yet comprehending. Brown adds, however, that “Luke does not leave Mary on the negative note of misunderstanding. Rather in 2.51 [“his mother treasured all these things …”] he stresses her retention of what she has not yet understood and … her continuing search to understand.” 2

Of course, in the end, Luke portrays Mary as successfully making the spiritual journey into the family of faith; in Acts 1:14, when the apostles gather in the upper room after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus, Mary is with them. But the story of Simeon and Anna suggests Mary had much to learn before she could enter into the Kingdom, and into the spiritual family of faith, which they already belonged to, and which is to be the primary family of Jesus in the eschatological age.

Luke’s Christmas story is full of surprising reversals of fortunes and roles, in which outsiders become more intimate associates than family members, and in which women play a more active role then men. In this way Luke both prepares for and signals one of his major themes in the Gospel of Luke and in Acts—the least, the last and the lost are becoming the most, the first and the found with Jesus’ coming. Luke portrays the rise of a form of Judaism that would rely on the testimony of women as well as men, and that would empower them once again to fulfill roles like Miriam of old.

The first Christmas and the Christ child come at a particular point in time, but for many, like Mary and Joseph, the significance of the event is only understood incrementally and over the course of many years. But the prophetic insight into God’s intentions is a gift which keeps on giving and renewing the people of God. And at the outset of a long chain of such prophetic insights stand Simeon and Anna, one satisfied that prophecy has been fulfilled and the other pointing to the future, a future as bright as the promises of God.

“ Mary, Simeon or Anna ” by Ben Witherington III originally appeared in Bible Review , Winter 2005. The article was first republished in Bible History Daily on February 12, 2013.

1. See Alfred Plummer, Luke , International Critical Commentary (Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1905), p. 71. 2. Raymond E. Brown and Karl P. Donfried, eds., Mary in the New Testament (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1978), pp. 161–162.

Related reading in Bible History Daily :

Anna in the Bible

The Virgin Mary and the Prophet Muhammad

Who Was Jesus’ Biological Father?

Herod’s Death, Jesus’ Birth and a Lunar Eclipse

All-Access members, read more in the BAS Library :

The Birth of Jesus

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33 Responses

While considering Dr. Witherington’s question, I would like to ask, “How about Elizabeth, wife of Zachariah, whose response to Mary’s arrival plainly states that the Spirit revealed to her the identity of the unborn Messiah?” Luke 1:41-43 reads, “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? ” If Mary were first to know, then surely Elizabeth was second, or if Mary did not realize, then Eizabeth was first to know.

The presentations by all, are excellent and non-controversial. The wisdom of Almighty God is unsearchable! Romans 11:33-34 and Isaiah 40:28. Fear God, love God and honor God for the multitude of things he has done in our behalf, the love He has given us and the graciousness He has shown us through His Son and the Holy Spirit! God is testing us everyday and has given us the right to make our own choices. May Almighty God, Jesus, The Holy Spirit and Christianity be our guiding lights, our safety nets and our inspiration for loving happiness with Almighty God! Amen!

ben witherington and all readers,

my name is david snyder. i am a veterinarian in texas and i am catholic! i have a tremendous teachin about the physiologic process a body experiences, during crucifixion. i was searching for private visions by people who have had additional explanations, suvh as the annunciation. i know PROTESTANTS don”t credit private interpretations. If you ever want to read something that fills in the blanks an,d plays out like a movie, read MYSTICAL CITY OF GOD by SISTER MARY of AGREEDA. Keeping with SOLO SCIPTURUAE, we have left out the first procession of CORPUS CHRISTI, which is MARY visiting ELIZABETH. SCRIPTURE, proclaims elizabeth asking in wonder, “how is it that the MOTHER of my LORD comes to me?” i could go on and on

Adding to what David said, Two important points, to say the least:

1. Gabriel made it quite clear to Mary who is Jesus: “And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call him Jesus. He shall be great, and men will know him for the Son of the most High; the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he shall reign over the house of Jacob eternally; his kingdom shall never have an end.”

2. In response, Mary made it quite clear to Gabriel that she understood: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; let it be unto me according to thy word.”

3. Mary then announced to Elizabeth (and the world): “My soul magnifies the Lord; my spirit has found joy in God, who is my Saviour, because he has looked graciously upon the lowliness of his handmaid. Behold, from this day forward all generations will count me blessed; because he who is mighty, he whose name is holy, has wrought for me his wonders. He has mercy upon those who fear him, from generation to generation; he has done valiantly with the strength of his arm, driving the proud astray in the conceit of their hearts; he has put down the mighty from their seat, and exalted the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty-handed. He has protected his servant Israel, keeping his merciful design in remembrance, according to the promise which he made to our forefathers, Abraham and his posterity for evermore.”

Exactly. Mary knew.

Amen brother! Article states Mary had much to learn before she could enter the kingdom of heaven??? What nonsense.! All those degrees and the guy can’t figure it out.

John in the womb.

GOD THE FATHER, HOLY SPIRIT, JESUS AND MARY AT THE TEMPLE It was Mary and Joseph’s job to bring up Jesus the Son of Man, as Jesus often referred to himself, in the nurture and admonition of the Lord to be a responsible adult in the Jewish culture. It was God the Father’s and Holy Spirit’s job to prepare Jesus until he was ready to start His ministry. At the Temple scene, Mary definatly shows she knows this by how she address him after looking for him for three days. She is not shaking in her boots because inwardly Jesus is the Son of God. Which she knows fullwell, she had pondered this in her heart. God gave her a job to do and she is doing it.

Jesus, the adolecent, wasn’t sining or lying here he was jumping the gun. You can be sure God the father and Holy Spirit let Him know about it. Which scripture acknowledges by saying “Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them.” He was obident and honored them for another 18 yrs until the God given time had come and He revelled himself by changing the water into wine at the Cana wedding.

It wasn’t that Mary had forgotten that Jesus was also the Son of God that she didn’t understand. She didn’t understand why he was saying and revelling himself at this age – God had her back on this one!

THE WEDDING AT CANA It is evident from scripture, by the fact that the people in His hometown and His siblings didn’t know He was the Messia (after thirty yrs), that Mary, Joseph or Jesus ever revealed this.

Mary at the Cana wedding sensed, maybe with the Holy Spirit’s nudging, that perhaps this was the time for Jesus to reveall him self in a big way. He had been baptized and already started gathering his disciples.

Instead of the adolecent’s response, Jesus said this time, “my time has not yet come.” Followed immediatly by changing the water into wine.

The song ‘Mary did you know’ yes Mary did know that her son – God’s son – was capable of not only performing miracles but of saving any one who has faith in Him from eternal death and blessing them with eternal life.

A tour to the pyramids of Giza will reveal some fascinating facts about the historical past and tradition of historical Egypt.

And nobody’s recognizing John the Baptist’s “testimony” to knowing who Jesus was…from the womb!

For such a learned scholar he does not read throughly all of Luke. Elizabeth was the first to call Mary the mother of my Lord! Mary also tells the Archangel Gabriel she agrees to having the Son of God. And Mary’s Magnificent states her understanding of what is happening within her. Further Zacharias announces who is son John shall be and who Mary’s Son shall be in his discourse before Jesus or John are even born.

I enjoyed your article and found only one flaw which to some lends itself to your research or thoroughness of it. Luke says of Anna: “And there was Anna … she was of great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; And she was a widow fourscore and four years, …” You give Anna the age of 84…however considering girls were approximately 15 when wed, she lived with her husband 7 years and had been a widow 84 years. Anna was about 106 years old – depending upon when she wed. Does not detract from the subject matter, but some would doubt your research capabilities. I am surprised no one else caught this prior to publication.

Good Stuff Ben and I love preaching on Simeon and Anna over the years, thanks. But also wanted to add two points: 1) it is said in the New Testament that Philip had four daughters who prophesied and certainly could be considered prophetesses, with Anna not the only one:

Acts 21:8-9 On the next day we who were Paul’s companions departed and came to Caesarea, and entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. Now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied.

2) I’m not sure why Simeon’s reaponse has to be considered “less than” Anna’s? At least that seems to be what you imply. Hey, if the Holy Spirit tells Simeon he will not die till he sees the Messiah, and if he’s been waiting his entire life perhaps, and he’s faithful and in the temple and he comes and serves as that second witness ~ that may be Gods total will for his life’s ending, different from Anna’s, but just as powerful.

Who are we to really imply something different for the amazing Simeon and his song??!!!

Nicely done Ben. It has provided much food for thought. One issue does provide some hesitation for me though. In referring to Alfred Plummer’s Commentary on Luke, (along with your proposal that Luke’s women were “more positive example’s of discipleship”) you write, “Yes, a messiah has arrived, as Simeon recognizes, but, as the prophetess Anna suggests, a new era, with a new and living voice of prophecy, has at the same time dawned.” That is quite a leap as Luke offers only a one-line summation of her input after he quotes Simeon at length. Furthermore, Joseph seems to be Mary’s equal regarding “getting it.” Let’s not forget that God spoke to Joseph in dreams and he obeyed each time.

I like to think it was the shepherds. They were given a sign – a baby “swaddled, laying in a manger.” If (as some scholars claim) this band of shepherds were those caring for the temple flocks, they would recognize this treatment. (Apparently) this was how new lambs were inspected for defects and kept unmarred for eventual sacrifice for forgiveness of sins. No wonder they “spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child,” (luke 2:17).

Makes sense to me.

OK, so I have a slightly different interpretation when it comes to Joseph and Mary finding Jesus after he’s been missing for three days. Jesus mouthing off to his mother in public after they have been frantic after losing him in a larger metropolitan area for three days. She’s pondering all right, she’s pondering just how hard she’s gonna tan his little hide when she gets him home.

August 22,2014 2:02 am. IVE JUST FINISH READING ANNA IS A PROPHETESS FOUND LUKE 2:36. Your statement says she is the only woman in New Testament explicitly described as a prophetess. Teaching Women of the Bible. we are in the 8th month. Its amazing all the women named or not named. God bless you and your work.

Didn’t Jesus’ family try to kidnap him at one point during his ministry. Doesn’t it say that they thought he had gone mad? Seems to me like they didn’t “get it”.

So you are saying that when the Shepard’s and the wise men came Mary had no idea Jesus was Messiah? Also, what she went through when almost stone, seems many want to believe Mary just forgot all that, As well as, all the towns people. This is a stand that is very difficult for me to follow how one gets there, since Mary was told by Gabriel, John (to be the Baptist) at 6 mos responded, Elizabeth told her, again all the torment when she rtnd from Elizabeth’s, the shepard’s and the wise men– the woman would have had to of had amnesia not to know. Are there verses I have missed about her memory leave her?>

[…] Witherington III’s full letter “Mary, Simeon or Anna: Who First identified Jesus as Messiah?” is permitted on-line during no cost. wish to examine some-more about his analysis? learn […]

Jesus was never the Messiah ! He could not be as he did not fulfill the requirements, i.e. bringing peace to earth and rebuilding the temple. Additionally he was not a direct descendant of David. So what? See who and when the Apostles wrote their stories.

I want to add: each jewish month has exactly 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes, 3 1/3 seconds.

we can know when Jesus was born. Zacharias the father of John the baptist was from the house of Abija, we read in Luke 1.5. In Davids time the yearly service of the highpriest priests was divided in 24 houses, each makíng the service in the temple in Jerusalem for half a month. . The house of Abijahs servicetime was the number 8, thus the second half of the 4th month of the jewish year which was about June. The jewish year in ancient Israel times began in spring, the month of Nisan ,which is about our March/April . We then count 3 and a half months from 1. Nisan till the begnning of the service of the house of Abija, which gives us end June as the earliest possible conception date for John, when his father Zacharia went home after his templeservice and went to his wife. 6 months later, thus about December Jesus was conceived in Mary, and born 9 months later which gives us September for the birth of Jesus which is the time of the feast of Sukkoth which is now fullfilled in the coming of the Word of God to dwell among us in a human body: Greek skenos means tent and figuratively the human body . thus the feast of Sukkoth is a symbol for God dwellling among us in Jesus . Hebrew Sukkot is the plural from Suka booth, tent, tabernacle. . The jewish month has only about 29 days .please google the theme here and you will find all detailed informations for what I wrote here.

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I like the stress on Mary and Joseph as good parents who nevertheless don’t get it. One of the themes of Jesus in the Synoptic tradition seems to be the emphasis that one’s own family can become a stumbling block to their walk of faith. Some of the biggest misunderstandings come from people who are related to Jesus.

I think one of the things Mary was “pondering in her heart” must have related to the Shepherds’ visit at the manger. They likely would have communicated to her the sign they had been given by the angels (you will find the babe swaddled and laying in a manger.). If these shepherds were in charge of birthing the sacrificial lambs for the nearby temple, as some scholars claim, then this sign would present some disturbing images regarding jesus’ future.

Apparently sacrificial lambs were wrapped (swaddled) at birth and lain in a manger as they were being inspected for blemishes that would disqualify them for sacrifice. Keeping them wrapped prevented them from becoming blemished later on. Even modern day shepherds outfit new lambs in protective coats, especially in cold weather. A suffering messiah was not yet on anyone’s radar, so I think Mary indeed had a lot to mull over as she put all the extraordinary information together regarding her first born.

Nice job Susanna! You’re on the money. Plus, even before Mary was with the Apostle’s during Christ’s ressurecction, she also (quite a few years before) told Jesus’ friends (Apostles) to do what he tells them at the wedding in Cana! She knew who he was! That is also why she stood at the cross and did not kneel.

“Both are quicker than Mary to comprehend who Jesus is” This statement seems rather presumptive to me. You seem to have forgotten about Elizabeth’s greeting to Mary many months before Mary met Anna at the temple. Surely you’ll recall how the unborn John the Baptist leaped in his mother’s womb at the presence of Mary and the unborn baby Jesus? Elizabeth proclaims “How is it that the mother of our Lord should come to me?” My bet is even if Mary, as you infer, had no idea who Jesus was, then Elizabeth was the first to notify her of the significance of Jesus. Even better, Mary understood that she had indeed been greatly blessed, and that “all generations would call [her] Blessed.” Anna wasn’t there to tell Mary something she didn’t already know. Seems to me, she was there to let the rest of us know.

I was wondering if you ever thought of changing the structure of your website? Its very well written; I love what youve got to say. But maybe you could a little more in the way of content so people could connect with it better. Youve got an awful lot of text for only having 1 or 2 images.

Maybe you could space it out better?

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Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints picks site for its new Tacoma Temple

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has chosen the location for its 45,000-square-foot Tacoma Temple.

It'll be in Federal Way, the church announced Monday.

The name and location isn't a mismatch, according to Clay and Mary Lu Dickinson, spokespeople for the LDS Tacoma coordinating council.

"The Seattle temple is actually in Bellevue," Mary Lu Dickinson said. "(A temple is) often named after the largest city it's by or the general area."

In October 2022, the LDS church announced the selection of Tacoma and three other U.S. cities that would be getting a temple in the coming years.

The 11.6-acre site is located at approximately 1405 South 364th Way, adjacent to Interstate 5. The location is south of Todd Beamer High School and west of Wild Waves theme and water park.

The temple will serve LDS members from Port Angeles to Olympia and east to Puyallup.

The Dickinsons didn't know when ground would be broken for the temple, but Clay Dickinson said they are usually completed within three years of a location announcement. They also didn't know if it would be visible from I-5.

"I think members of our church want it to be," Mary Lu Dickinson said.

The announcement comes two months after Sound Transit said it would be purchasing and demolishing a megachurch to the north of the temple site in order to build a light rail operations and maintenance facility for the Tacoma Dome Link Extension.

David Jackson, a spokesperson for Sound Transit, said Monday that the route through the area the temple will be built has yet to be chosen. According to maps, two of the four proposed routes would skirt I-5 adjacent to or on the Tacoma Temple site. The line won't reach Tacoma until 2035.

Church officials generally decline discussing the church's finances, including the cost of building temples.

"Everything in the temple points to Christ and helps us return to his presence," Clay Dickinson said.

LDS temples are used for marriages and making covenants and ordinances.

"The promises we make in the temple help us strengthen our families, be better neighbors and members of our community," Mary Lu Dickinson said. "It's the most sacred place we feel we have on the Earth."

The temple grounds will be open to the general public. However, the building itself will be open to the public only during an initial open house before it becomes permanently open only to LDS members.

The LDS church said more than 280,000 members worship in over 480 congregations in Washington. The first branch of the LDS in Washington was organized Dec. 24, 1899 in Tacoma, according to Clay Dickinson.

Washington has four temples — in Bellevue, Spokane, Richland and the newest one in Moses Lake.

     ___

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