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December 26, 2021

Luke 2:21-40

21 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived. 22 When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”[b]), 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”[c]

25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
    you may now dismiss[d] your servant in peace.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31     which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
    and the glory of your people Israel.”

33 The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

36 There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.[e] She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 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.

39 When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.

Read Luke 2:21-24

  1. This passage can be confusing because it assumes you already have some background knowledge of 3 different ceremonies it refers to. If you are not already familiar with the ceremonies of circumcision, purification and consecration, the beginning of this article may be helpful.
  2. What are some of the ceremonies or rituals in today’s world that have a strong meaning for you? Why are ceremonies and rituals important?

Read Luke 2:25-27

  1. From what you read in this text, did Simeon have a specific, formal role at the temple? What does this imply about the way God uses ‘ordinary’ people?
  2. Simeon was waiting for the ‘consolation of Israel.’ What does this phrase mean? If you’re unfamiliar with the phrase, a simple google search will be very productive.
  3. How do you imagine that the Holy Spirit revealed to Simeon that he would live to see the Messiah?
  4. Have you ever felt like God was speaking something very personal to you through the Holy Spirit? What was that experience like? How can we discern when God is speaking to us in that way? How can we be sure we’re not just making it up in our own mind?

Read Luke 2:28-32

  1. This passage includes Simeon’s response to seeing Jesus. Using your own words, summarize what Simeon is saying.
  2. What promises from God are you still waiting to see fulfilled? How does this account of Simeon impact the way you will continue to wait going forward?

Read Luke 2:33-35

  1. How do you imagine Mary and Joseph felt hearing these words from Simeon? How do you handle it when you hear things (or maybe read them in the Bible) that confuse you?

Read Luke 2:36-40

  1. Why do you think Luke included the account of Anna in his gospel? How is Anna similar to Simeon? How is she different?
  2. What do Simeon and Anna have to teach us about what it means to wait faithfully on the Lord?