“The Lord has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations. He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.” Psalm 98:2, 3.
The above verses of praise anticipate God’s coming to judge the earth. God sent his Son Jesus to fulfill this promise of salvation for all people.
Elizabeth was the first to prophesy to Mary about her son when she welcomed her as the mother of the Lord. The second was a man named Simeon said to be “righteous and devout.” Mary and Joseph met Simeon in Jerusalem when they brought Jesus to the temple to be consecrated to God. The Holy Spirit revealed to Simeon he would see the Lord’s Christ before his death and die in peace.
Simeon told Mary and Joseph what their child would become in a song called the “Nunc Dimittis” so named from the first words of its Latin translation in Luke 2:28-32. “Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: ‘Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.’”
Mary and Joseph “marveled”, amazed by Simeon’s words. Simeon realized Jesus was a gift from God; Jesus was the Messiah; and Jesus would be a light to the entire world. In Luke 2:34, 35 Simeon told Mary, “’This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.’” Simeon understood people would willingly accept Jesus or totally reject him. Mary would grieve over her son’s rejection. This is the first mention of sorrow in Luke’s Gospel.
The third person to prophesy to Mary and Joseph about Jesus is recorded in Luke 2:36- 38. “There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; . . . She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.” The main role of a prophet or prophetess was to speak for God, proclaiming his truth rather than predicting the future.
Both Simeon and Anna were very old. They always believed they would see their Messiah before dying. Through the Holy Spirit, Simeon and Anna were among the first to bear witness to Jesus. In Jewish culture respect was shown to their elders rendering credence to the prophecies spoken by Simeon and Anna. Christians today as in the past need to be respectful, good listeners, and learn from their elders, wisdom and life experiences.
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