anticipating the birth of christ - our daily bread...

ANTICIPATING THEBIRTH OF CHRIST:The Stories OfSimeon & Anna

WWith age comes experience that exposes us to the

joys and sorrows of life. Simeon and the widow

Anna lived long enough to see both. Yet they neverexperienced more hope, orsadness, than when Israel’slong-awaited Messiah wasbrought to the temple as aninfant to be dedicated. In the following excerpt

from Windows On Christmas,Bill Crowder, RBC Director of Church Ministries, showshow the stories of Simeon and Anna give us a basis for a personal hope that cansurvive anything this worldthrows at us. Mart De Haan

CONTENTS

Anticipation. . . . . . . . . 2The Contentment Of Simeon. . . . . . . . . . 4The Witness Of Anna. . . . . . . . . . . 18The Greatest Gift Of All . . . . . . . . . 31

Managing Editor: David Sper Cover Photo: iStockphotoUnless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations taken from the New American StandardBible®. Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The LockmanFoundation. Used by permission.This booklet is based on a portion of Windows On Christmas by Bill Crowder, published byDiscovery House Publishers, a member of the RBC Ministries family.© 2009 RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, Michigan Printed in USA

HP094 Simeon & Anna pp:DS pp format 8/25/09 12:40 PM

ANTICIPATION

IIt seems that half of the fun of Christmas is looking forward

to it. As a child, I counted down the days to Christmas Eve, thenstruggled to sleep on that anxious night. But forme it wasn’t “visions ofsugarplums” that dancedin my head. It was a mindfilled with wondering anddreaming of what awaitedon Christmas morning.The actual opening ofpresents was almostanticlimactic. The real fun was the anticipation.As an adult, it’s

somewhat different. I still look forward toChristmas morning—butthe anticipation has beenreversed. I look forwardto seeing the expressionsof excitement andhappiness as my wifeMarlene, my kids, and the grandkids open the

presents I give them.Where once the joy of anticipation was inreceiving, it’s now ingiving. But through it all,the days and weeks ofanticipation give thatmorning a special quality. Anticipation is like

that. It intensifies ourfeelings about events—whether it be Christmasmorning, the birth of a

2

Anticipationintensifies ourfeelings about

events—whether it be Christmas

morning, the birthof a child, the startof a new job, the

celebration ofwedding vows, or amove to a new city.


©2010 RBC Ministries

child, the start of a newjob, the celebration ofwedding vows, or a moveto a new city. Much of theexcitement and joy is inthe anticipation of it. Ilove that.

LOOKING FOR THE KINGAnticipation of the joy ofChristmas morning is notnew. The first Christmas,when the greatest Gift ofall was given, was markedby an anticipation thathad stretched across thecenturies.The people of Israel

had anticipated thecoming of a Redeemer/Rescuer for centuries. In fact, ever since the fall of our first parents in Eden’s garden, therewas a longing for thepromised “seed” of the woman who would come and crush ourspiritual enemy (Gen. 3:15).

As time marched on,Old Testament singersand sages, prophets and priests, kings andgenerals spoke of theMessiah who would comeand deliver God’s people.And still they waited.Then an angelic

messenger brought newsto an engaged couple in the little village ofNazareth that the time of waiting was over. Theanticipation of the comingChrist was about to findrealization in the womb of a virgin. And thatannouncement launchedMary and Joseph into 9 months of their ownpersonal anticipation ofthe coming of the Son of God.Meanwhile, in

Jerusalem, two elderlypeople also anticipatedthe birth of the King. Onewas a man, the other awoman. One had receiveda promise that he would

3



personally see the Christin his own lifetime. Theother was a widow whohad spent many years in the humble service ofGod, ready to respond to whatever opportunityGod brought her way.One responded to thearrival of Messiah withprophecy and celebration,and the other withwitness and declaration.For Simeon and

Anna, however, theiranticipation of the comingMessiah—as intense andas strong as it had been—could never match thatamazing moment whenthey saw the Christ. Thisis their story.

THECONTENTMENTOF SIMEON

YYears ago, I heard Dallas Seminary professor Howard

Hendricks say that

Christmas in America isnot so much about givingas it is about swapping. If we give someone afabulous gift, and the giftwe receive from them is,well, less than fabulous,that’s okay. We’ll makesure that things getevened out the next yearwhen it comes time toselect their gift. Whohasn’t sometimes felt just a little slighted at the inadequacy of a giftreceived? (Come on, be honest now.) In fact, our culture feeds thatdisappointment bypointing our attention togifts that are impossiblefor the average person toafford. Still, we wake upon Christmas morningcertain that someone,whose love for us will bemeasured by the qualityof his or her gift to us, isgoing to hit it out of thepark this year. How cananything but the weeds

4



of discontent grow in thatkind of emotional playingfield?For me, this drags my

memory back to when Iwas 12 years old, the yearI asked for a guitar forChristmas. My requestseemed perfectlyreasonable. After all, how could I become thenext Paul McCartney orGeorge Harrison if I didn’t start playing? I layawake all Christmas Eveimagining the feel of myfingers on the strings andthe effortless chords thatwould flow from thatinstrument (never mindthe fact that I didn’t know how to play). Finally, Christmas

morning arrived. I waitedanxiously until Dad gavethe signal for us kids todescend on the Christmastree like a plague oflocusts. Then I dasheddown the stairs to theliving room and looked

all over for my guitar—but it wasn’t there! And to make matters worse, I found in its place theworst Christmas gift any12-year-old boy/aspiringBeatle ever received—adictionary!Now, from the

perspective of my allegedadulthood, it’s clear that Iwas never going to be the

1960’s equivalent of“American Idol.” And I acknowledge that I have spent my adult life dealing with words.Therefore, the dictionarywas a gift that had much

5

A day intended to be a joyful dayof celebration had

been darkened by the cloud ofdisappointment.



more enduring value and worth. But you couldnever have convinced aheartbroken 12-year-oldof that fact. A dayintended to be a joyfulday of celebration hadbeen darkened by thecloud of disappointment.Under that cloud,speeches regarding the need to be grateful,happy, or content only exacerbated mydisappointment. That’swhat comes fromexpectations that areeither unrealistic ordeceived. They will neverproduce contentment. So this section is a

rather challenging one for me to write because it reminds me of howselfish inappropriateexpectations can be, and how necessary it is—especially during theseason devoted to God’sgift to us—to recalibratemy own expectations. The

challenge to cultivate aheart of contentment is atough thing to grapplewith, and millions of bad

examples of wrongexpectations and deepdisappointment could be cited as warnings.Perhaps a better planwould be to see a single example of rightexpectations and theprofound contentmentthey can generate.

HIS LIFE OFDEVOTION As I think of a life ofdevotion, the names andfaces of people who havelived long lives of spiritual

6

The challenge tocultivate a heart ofcontentment is atough thing tograpple with.



service and faithfulnessfill my memory—peoplewhose examples haveinfluenced my own heart and thinking aboutministry. It seems that atevery critical step alongthe way in my ownspiritual journey, I have been privileged toencounter an older saintwho was walking the walkand doing the work withjoy and satisfaction. While I may feel

underqualified to writeabout the qualities of alife of devotion, I ampretty sure that I know a life of devotion when Isee it. It has a lot to dowith “staying by the stuff”and “buckling in for thelong haul” and “runningall the way to the finishline”—and all those otherclichés that are madetrivial because they tend to be timed with a stopwatch when what they really require

is a calendar. A life ofdevotion demands more.It demands everything.This perspective on the

Christmas story involvesjust such a man. Simeon,now in his advancingyears, had been a fixtureat the temple in Jerusalemfor longer than anyonecould remember. But he kept showing up,honoring his God, waitingfor the Promise. Hisdevotion was captured by Luke with only a fewwords, but each one ispacked with insight:There was a man inJerusalem whose namewas Simeon; and thisman was righteous anddevout, looking for theconsolation of Israel;and the Holy Spirit wasupon him (Lk. 2:25).Simeon had a track

record instead of areputation. Notice how he is described:• “Righteous”: In the

7



broad sense, righteousrefers to a person whois upright, virtuous,keeping the commandsof God. It speaks ofsomeone who iscommitted to living lifeon God’s terms insteadof his or her own. In a narrower sense,Strong’s Concordancedescribes a righteousperson as one whodeals appropriatelyand fairly with others.In either case, it’scertainly a noble title worthy of ouraspirations.

• “Devout”: This wordspeaks of a person whoreveres God and allowsthat reverence toimpact his life and his choices. Whereasrighteous has to do withobeying God, one whois devout is consumedwith honoring God. Asignificant commitmentindeed.

• “Looking for theconsolation ofIsrael”: “Theconsolation of Israel”is a reference to theMessiah. Simeon wasliving his life based on this anticipation—“looking for” theMessiah. While manypeople, especiallysenior citizens, appearto be consumed withthe past, Simeon wasfixated on the future.

• “The Holy Spirit wasupon him”: This isfascinating becauseuntil the Holy Spiritcame to indwellbelievers at Pentecost(see Acts 2), the Spirit’srole was largely in thebackground. TheSpirit’s filling of anindividual in this wayis a New Testamentphenomenon that wasbeing experienced by aman living prior to thecross.

8



If someone could use only a few phrases todescribe you, what wouldthey be? My wife and I

joke about the episode ofthe old TV show WKRPIn Cincinnati where theradio station’s salesmanager, the terminallycheesy and slimy HerbTarlek, is being profiledon a local televisionprogram. He has poundedinto everyone how hewants to be represented,and it comically becomesa relentless mantra ofuntrue characterizationsthat he himself hasscripted for all hiscolleagues and family

members to repeat overand over—hardworking,family man, all-aroundgood guy. That was how he wanted to beperceived; it just wasn’thow he wanted to live. I prefer Luke’s list.

The description he gaveof Simeon did not have tobe fabricated. It was not a caricature. It was anaccurate description of a faithful man who lived a life of devotion.

HISTHRILL OF HOPEThe concept of hope isone that is fraught withperil. It is often fluffy andwithout substance, havingmore to do with optimisticwishes than withconfident expectation.That is because hopemust be attached tosomething—or, in thiscase, Someone. Noticehow Luke continued toweave Simeon into the

9

If someone could use only

a few phrases todescribe you, what

would they be?



Christmas picture he iscreating:It had been revealed tohim by the Holy Spiritthat he would not seedeath before he hadseen the Lord’s Christ(Lk. 2:26).The simple truth is

that the something towhich biblical hope isattached is Jesus Christ.This allows the reality of hope to be more than merely a “hope-so”sentimentality. This hopeis rugged and strong,with the ability toempower us as we move through life. Hopethat is placed in Christbecomes a significantplatform from which wecan launch out into thedeep end of the pool aswe trust Him.Simeon’s hope

came from a remarkablepromise that the HolySpirit had given him:Simeon would not see

death until he saw theLord’s Christ.“The Lord’s Christ” was

“the anointed one of theLord,” the Messiah, thelong-awaited hope of theages. For hundreds andhundreds of years, theJewish people hadcomforted one anotherwith the promise ofMessiah and foundstrength in that promiseduring difficult days. They had cried out for its fulfillment during times of national crisisand had rested quietly inits assurance during daysof national prosperity.Now, after centuries

of waiting, a signal wasgiven: Simeon’s life would serve as a line of demarcation in history.If he died, Messiah wasalive somewhere onplanet earth. But thesecond part of thepromise was even moremind-blowing. Simeon

10



would not just live untilMessiah arrived; hewould personally see the Promised One!This promise radically

affected the way Simeonviewed life and the wayhe lived his life. Theimpression we get fromLuke’s record is that, as a result of this promise,Simeon spent his days inthe temple awaiting thispromise and living inanticipation of themoment he would see the Messiah of Israel.

This was the sameanticipation that markedthe heart and spiritualpassion of hymn writerand poet Fanny Crosby.Blinded in childhood,Crosby had eyes that saw more spiritually than most of us ever seephysically. Like Simeon,she lived a life ofanticipation as shelonged in hope for thetime when she would seethe King of kings, whichprompted her to writewords that Simeon wouldhave fully appreciated:Some day the silver cord

will break,And I no more as now

shall sing;But, oh, the joy when

I shall wakeWithin the palace of the King!

And I shall see Him face to face,

And tell the story—Saved by grace.

What Fanny Crosby 11

Simeon spent hisdays in the temple

awaiting thepromise and livingin anticipation ofthe moment hewould see the

Messiah of Israel.



anticipated in heaven,Simeon was promised onearth—the hope of seeingthe Lord’s Christ and theworld’s Savior face toface. That is something to be hopeful about!

HIS SATISFIEDHEARTFor months, Taco Bell rana series of ads promotingtheir new super-giganticburritos and tacos byhaving fairly ordinarypeople dramaticallyannouncing, “I’m full!”The point of the adcampaign was that“ordinary” fast foodcouldn’t fill you up. The only way to reallysatisfy your hunger waswith one of their burritos. Of course, one candy

maker would argue thatto be truly satisfied youdon’t need a 10-poundburrito—you only needone Snickers bar,because, after all,

“Snickers really satisfies.” Then again, many

folks would say that theirexperience is much morelike Mick Jagger’s raspycry, “I can’t get nosatisfaction!” Even King Solomon,

with all of his wealth and wisdom, pleasureand prestige, declaredthat all of life was“vanity”—emptiness. His conclusion? “So I hated life” (Eccl. 2:17).

12

In a world wheresatisfaction is hardto find and harder

to keep, we aredriven to the

Christ who said, “I came that theymay have life, andhave it abundantly”

(Jn. 10:10).



In a world wheresatisfaction is hard to find and harder to keep,we are driven to theChrist who said, “I camethat they may have life,and have it abundantly”(Jn. 10:10). Jesus offers a life of fullness andabundance—and Simeonwas among the very firstto experience it.Notice again the

reference to the ministryof the Holy Spirit in thelife of this faithful man.The Spirit was with him(Lk. 2:25) and hadrevealed the promise tohim (v.26), and now itwas the Holy Spirit whowas moving Simeon tothe temple so that thepromise could be fulfilled.[Simeon] came in theSpirit into the temple;and when the parentsbrought in the childJesus, to carry out forHim the custom of theLaw, then he took Him

into his arms, andblessed God, and said,“Now Lord, You arereleasing Your bond-servant to depart inpeace, according toYour word; for my eyes have seen Yoursalvation, which Youhave prepared in thepresence of all peoples,a light of revelation tothe Gentiles, and theglory of Your peopleIsrael” (Lk. 2:27-32).At the outset, this

must have been terrifyingfor Mary and Joseph. Assoon as they entered thetemple for the rituals the law required for the birth of a son, out of theshadows stepped a manwho took their child fromthem and began making a proclamation. Asbizarre as that might have seemed, what really got their attentionwas the content of thatproclamation. Simeon

13



declared the truths thatthey had quietly held intheir own hearts since theangelic messenger hadvisited them so manymonths before. He alsounderlined the messagethe angel had delivered to the shepherds in theBethlehem fields. Theirreaction would havereasonably been one of shock and surprise.Simeon’s response,

however, was one ofabsolute satisfaction and contentment. Thepromise that had drivenhim for so much of hislife had been fulfilled.Messiah had arrived.How could he ever wantfor anything more? Hewas actually holding theChrist in his arms! Hewas looking into the face of God.Anticipating this

moment for years, Simeonmust have wonderedabout the promised

encounter. Had heimagined that he wouldmeet the Messiah as

a newborn infant? Or had he expected a royalentourage that he wouldglimpse from a distance?Whatever he hadimagined, it could notbegin to measure up to what he was blessed to experience. He hadseen the Christ—and as a result experienced a fullness of life andsatisfaction of heart

14

The promise thathad driven Simeonfor so much of his

life had beenfulfilled. Messiahhad arrived. . . .He was actually

holding the Christ in his arms!



so profound that hedeclared, in essence, “No more! I don’t needany more! I have seen the Christ. Now, O God,let me depart from thislife in peace!”Mary and Joseph

had already witnessedamazing things—angels,shepherds, the star overBethlehem. Now, addedto that was the propheticpraise of a total strangerwho proclaimed that hislife was complete becausehe had seen their son.They could only standthere in amazement “atthe things which werebeing said about Him”(Lk. 2:33).What a fantastic

scene it must have beenthat day in the temple as Mary and Josephwatched a completelycontented man do themost meaningful thing he would ever do—celebrate Jesus.

HIS SOBERANNOUNCEMENTWhen your doctor tellsyou, “I have good newsand I have bad news,which do you want first?”you get a sudden thud inthe pit of your stomach.The first time I heardthose words, the goodnews was that thebloodwork for my medicalcheckup had come backwith an encouragingreport: overall, my healthwas fine. The bad news,however, was a messagemy body had alreadybeen sending me—amessage I had chosen to ignore. Due to a hectictravel schedule abroadover several months,where I had found myselfeating unusual things atweird times while understress and pressure, myweight had climbed to apoint that was, well, notgood. The bad news ledto further bad news that

15



would include a rathersevere (in my opinion)diet in order to correct theproblem. Good news andbad news often traveltogether, and much of thetime the messages carriedby both are far moreserious than a personal“battle of the bulge.”In Simeon’s encounter

with Mary and Joseph, hehad celebrated the ChristChild and the fulfillmentof the promise of Godthat He represented.Wonderful, miraculous,extraordinary good news. But this good news, by implication, also carried bad news forthis young mother whohad embarked on anadventure like no other.What bad news could

there be involving thebirth of the world’sSavior? Luke gives us the grim answer:Simeon blessed themand said to Mary His

mother, “Behold, thisChild is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to beopposed—and a swordwill pierce even yourown soul—to the endthat thoughts frommany hearts may berevealed” (Lk. 2:34-35).That grave prophecy

reminds us that theChristmas story—thejoyous, glorious birth ofthe Savior—was only apart of the process bywhich He would save theworld. The first steps ofthe journey brought themost profound joy andhappiness, but the finalsteps would be fulfilled asMary stood at the foot ofthe cross watching withtear-stained eyes andbroken heart as her Son—the Holy One of Israel—paid for the sins of theworld. Simeon’s “badnews” for Mary was

16



indeed a bitter pill, for thesuffering of her Son wouldcut like a sword to thevery depths of her soul.

The pain of labor bywhich she received Himat His birth would bemirrored by the pain she would experience in releasing Him to Hissacrificial death.Mary must have spent

the next 30-plus yearspondering that prophetic

statement as Jesus grew,and, then, as He carriedout His public ministry.Perhaps she watched infear as her Son enteredthe crowds or debated the religious leaders. Her life would be marked with anticipation,just as Simeon’s hadbeen. But while he hadfound contentment in the arrival of the Christ,she would feel pain andloss as that same Christ—her Son—suffered anddied. Simeon’s lifelonganticipation resulted injoy. Hers ended in grief.

hSimeon’s contentment

offers us a helpfulperspective, especially aswe think about the wayChristmas is celebrated in our Western culture.The promise had beenfulfilled. Simeon had seenand held the Savior. Yet atthe heart of his responsewas a depth of satisfaction

17

Simeon’s “bad news”

for Mary wasindeed a bitter

pill, for thesuffering of her Son would cut like a sword to the very depths

of her soul.



that can come only byexperiencing the personalpresence of the Christ. What of our

Christmas? Does our celebration foster gratitude andcontentment, ordisappointment? Is it marked by the drive to possess, or the quietpeace of knowing that “Iam His and He is mine”?The spirit of the age pullsus inexorably towardconsumption—especiallyat Christmas. But theheart of Simeon remindsus that there is more thanjust having more. There isChrist and His promise of“being content with whatyou have; for He Himselfhas said, ‘I will neverdesert you, nor will I everforsake you’” (Heb. 13:5).May our celebration of

the Christ be defined bythe unique contentmentof the heart that comesfrom knowing Him.

THE WITNESS OF ANNA

AAt age 20, I was working for the natural gas

company in our area of West Virginia. My jobwas in the department ofcivil engineering, where I worked with crewssurveying pipelines, well sites, and plot maps.In January that year, wewere dispatched to FortGay, West Virginia, to runa survey that would site acore-hole sample locationwhere they wanted to drillfor coal, in preparation for an attempted coal-gasification experiment.That winter day, theweather reports said that the winds weregusting up to 80 miles an hour, which, whenadded to the already brisk temperatures, made for an extremelyfrigid morning. Since I

18



was low man in seniorityon the team, I was theone who got to leave thewarmth of our companyvehicle and climb to thetop of a railroad bridge tolocate the US governmentbenchmark from whichwe had to begin oursurvey. To this day, I’m unclear

about what happenednext. I have alwaysassumed that one ofthose 80-mile-per-hourgusts blew through thehollow and knocked meoff balance, because thenext thing I remember iswaking up at the bottomof the ravine in a drycreek bed below the deckof the bridge. I tried to getup and passed out again.The next time I came to, I was in the back of ourutility vehicle, headed toa hospital in Huntington,West Virginia, where the emergency roompersonnel spent the day

taking x-rays and trying to figure out why I wasn’tdead. I had fallen 38 feetinto a dry creek bed andlanded on my neck, yet Ihad escaped with only aneck sprain and a slightlycompressed spine.

I was in traction for a week, and on disabilitywearing a hard C-collarfor 3 months. By the timeI returned to work, thebosses must havedetermined that I was a danger to myself and

19

I had fallen 38 feet into a dry creek bed and landed on my neck, yet I

had escaped withonly a neck sprain

and a slightlycompressed spine.



everyone else, becausethey moved me from the field crew to the safeconfines of the map room.The most vivid

memory I have of myhospital stay, however, isnot the x-rays or traction,although I gained abountiful harvest ofsermon illustrations fromthose experiences. What Iremember most was onespecial afternoon. Sharingmy hospital room was anelderly gentleman whowas already in the otherbed when I was admitted.Once I was in traction, Icould see nothing but the ceiling, a less-than-wonderful view to havefor a week. But severaltimes a day I would hearpeople (usually hospitalstaff) come to the doorand whisper in hushedvoices.“Is that him?”“Yes.”“The one who’s

supposed to be dead?”“Yes.”“Why didn’t the fall

kill him?”“No one knows.”This scene played itself

out over and over. Then,one afternoon duringvisiting hours, as I laythere looking up at theceiling, I heard themuffled tones of the manin the next bed talkingwith his wife. It soundedas if they were crying, and I assumed they hadgotten some bad newsfrom the doctor. But Icouldn’t have been morewrong. At the end ofvisiting hours, the womancame over to my bed andleaned over my face sothat she could look me in the eye. She still hadtears in her eyes as shesaid, “My husband toldme what happened toyou. We are Christians.We believe God sparedyour life because He

20



wants to use you. We aregoing to pray for you tothat end.” Then shewalked away.I was released soon

after that, and I never sawthe woman again. But Ihave never forgotten heror the words she spoke tome that day. To that pointin my life, I had done apretty good job of livingfor myself. I had grownup in a church where thegospel was not presented,and the thought of takingGod seriously, let aloneHim being interested inme, was a shock to mysystem. It caused me to

start thinking about thingsI had never consideredbefore. I started attendinga church that taught theBible, and 18 monthslater I accepted Christ asmy Savior and Lord. Andit all began with thatbrief, heartfelt, sincerewitness from an elderlywoman who didn’t know me from Adam’shousecat. She could havejust ignored me, but shecompassionately andcourageously gavewitness to her faith inGod and her concern forme. And God used herwords of witness tochange my life.When I think of that

dear lady (who I lookforward to seeing again in heaven), I think ofAnna in Luke 2. She toowas an older woman,spiritually committed andpassionate about givingwitness to Christ. I’m so grateful for Anna’s

21

The thought oftaking God seriously,let alone Him being

interested in me,was a shock to

my system.



presence in the Christmasstory, because God useda woman like Anna in myown generation to impactmy life so powerfully.

THE WOMAN OF WITNESSTo discover Anna’sperspective on the birth of the Son of God, wemust begin by asking,“Who was she?” WilliamBarclay refers to Anna as“one of the Quiet in theLand” because theScriptures give us littleinformation about her. Yetin only three verses weare given a fascinatingsnapshot of this woman.Notice how Luke picturesher and her entrance ontothe scene:There was a prophetess,Anna the daughter ofPhanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She wasadvanced in years, and had lived with herhusband seven years

after her marriage, andthen as a widow to theage of eighty-four. Shenever left the temple,serving night and daywith fastings andprayers. At that verymoment she came upand began givingthanks to God, andcontinued to speak ofHim to all those whowere looking for theredemption of Jerusalem(Lk. 2:36-38).Only three verses, but

they are filled with helpfulinsights into the womanthat Herbert Lockyerlabeled, “The WomanWho Became The FirstChristian Missionary.”

Her Name AndFamily. The name Annais the New Testamentequivalent of the OldTestament “Hannah,” aname that means “grace”or “favor.” Anna certainlywas favored by seeing theinfant Christ and telling of

22



His arrival on planetearth.Anna’s father was

Phanuel. His namemeans “the appearance or face of God,” and wasderived from the patriarchJacob’s wrestling withGod. After thatexperience, Jacobrenamed the locationPeniel, because he said,“I have seen God face toface, yet my life has beenpreserved” (Gen. 32:30).Phanuel (from Peniel)speaks powerfully of theintimate communion withGod that is the privilegeof every child of God. Theintimacy, the immanence,the nearness, yes, eventhe accessibility of God—all of those extraordinaryideas reside in thatwonderful name by which Anna’s father was known: Phanuel, the “face of God.”Anna is also described

as being from the tribe of

Asher. Asher was theeighth son born to Jacob(Israel), and the secondby Leah’s handmaid,Zilpah. When he wasborn, Leah named himAsher, which means“happy.” Bible historianssee this as significantbecause Asher has oftenbeen considered one ofthe so-called “lost tribesof Israel.” Apparently,they were not so lost afterall, for in the first centuryAnna is clearly identifiedas a member of that tribe.

Her Life Situation.When I was in seminary,it was fashionable tospeak about the principleof sitz im leben, which isGerman for “life setting”or “life situation.” To putit simply, in the thinkingof some Germantheologians, all ofscriptural study wasreduced to this one point:How does the passageapply to the situations

23



of life? While that is far too general and simplistican application of theconcept, the fact remainsthat we are surroundedby specific situations that mold and shape us personally. And our responses to thosesituations that we facemold and shape us aswell. We do not live aloneon a desert island. We live life in a series ofsituations that impactwho we are becoming in Christ. This was true of Anna as well.Her life situation

was etched in sorrow and marked byperseverance. Widowedafter only 7 years ofmarriage, Anna wasapparently left childless—facing a life without joy and a life withoutsignificance in herculture. The sorrows of her youth carried oninto her old age, for she

is described as being 84 years old and havingnever remarried (althoughsome Bible scholarstranslate the verse assaying that she lived anadditional 84 years afterher husband’s death,which would make herabout 105 years old).

The sorrow of suchloss combined with thelongevity of life would bea destructive combinationfor many people, plungingthem into a perpetualblack hole of despair andself-pity. But such was notthe case with Anna. Shechose to live positively inthe service of her God—

24

Anna’s life situation was

etched in sorrowand marked byperseverance.



praying, praising, andanticipating His grace.

Her ConsistentPriorities.What we are committed to speaksloudly about who we are and what we value. For Anna it was simple:Her priority—her goal—was pleasing God. Although no

prophets had been heard from since the days of Malachi, Anna is called a prophetess.Luke doesn’t describe the nature of herprophetic ministry or the content of herprophetic message, buthe offers unquestionedaffirmation that she was a spokeswoman for Godto her generation. Aftermore than 400 years ofprophetic silence, Godchose a widow with aheart for Him to reopenHis declarativeexpression to the world.In conjunction with an

apparently publicprophetic ministry,however, Anna alsoparticipated in privateworship that testified to a life devoted to God.“She never left the temple,serving night and day with fastings and prayers,”wrote Luke (2:37). Whatdoes that mean? In Be Compassionate,

Warren Wiersbe says thatAnna was so committedto waiting for the comingof the Lord that she had moved from herhomeland with the tribeof Asher to Jerusalem andremained at the temple.Others say it merelymeans that she was aregular presence at thetemple, always attendingthe services there. Eitherway, she was a fixture atthe house of God andcommitted to spiritualdiscipline. Anna’s life was a model of personaldevotion, continually

25



worshiping her God andcontinually praying andfasting.This dear woman,

whose love for God wasthe driving force in herlife, is painted in brief but powerful words byWilliam Barclay:She had known sorrow,but she had not grownbitter. She was old, butshe had never ceasedto hope. She neverceased to worship. Shenever ceased to pray.In a life situation that

could easily have drivenher from God, Annaallowed her heart to bedrawn to God. And heryears of faithfulness wererewarded, for she was inher customary place (thetemple) and maintainingher consistent priorities(worship, prayer, andfasting) when the littlefamily from Nazarethentered the temple tofulfill the demands of

the law required by thebirth of Jesus.

THE OCCASION OF HER WITNESSAt critical moments inhistory when the rightperson is matched with the right event,remarkable thingshappen. Such a personwas Anna. Prepared bydecades of spiritualdevotion, she was in theright place at precisely the right time.At that very moment she came up and begangiving thanks to God,and continued to speakof Him to all those whowere looking for theredemption of Jerusalem(Lk. 2:38).“That very moment”

is the critical phrase here.In one sense, what Annawas doing was merely thecontinuation of what shehad done for decades—she was going to the

26



temple to worship. Yet, that is what makes it so remarkable. She hadbeen doing it for some 60 years! Imagine whatwould have happenedhad she decided, “I’mtired. I’ve been doing thisfor years. I think I’ll take

the day off and stayhome.” But she didn’t!And her faithfulness toGod positioned her in the temple at the verymoment that Simeon took the Christ Child fromMary’s arms and liftedHim up, declaring Him to

be Israel’s long-awaited,long-hoped-for Messiah.“This was no mere

coincidence,” writesHerbert Lockyer in AllThe Women Of The Bible:Through her longpilgrimage, day afterday, [Anna] went tothe Temple to pray for the coming of theMessiah, and althoughHe seemed to tarry she waited for Him,believing that Hewould come. Then one day the miraclehappened, for as sheentered the Temple she heard sounds ofexultation and joyproceeding from theinner court, and thenfrom the lips of thevenerable Simeon she heard the words,“Now, Lord, lettestThou Thy servantdepart in peace, formine eyes have seenThy salvation.” Gazing

27

Prepared by decades of

spiritual devotion,Anna was in

the right place at precisely the

right time.



upon the Holy Childwho was none otherthan her long-looked-for Messiah, Anna, too,was ready to depart inpeace and be joinedwith her husbandabove (p.31).I love that! Anna’s

years of faithfulness had been rewarded in amoment of celebration. Inthe right place at the righttime, she saw the Christ.But she didn’t stop withworshiping and givingthanks. She bore witnessto what she had seen.

THE MESSAGE OF HER WITNESSAll of her life Anna hadbeen a faithful worshiperand a prophetess, butnow her role shifted andshe became a missionary.She “began giving thanksto God, and continued tospeak of Him [Jesus] to allthose who were lookingfor the redemption of

Jerusalem” (Lk. 2:38). AsHerbert Lockyer wrote: Anna was one of the godly remnant inIsrael who, throughcenturies, even in thedarkest days beforeChrist came, looked forthe Dayspring from onhigh. Thus, as sheheard Simeon’s praisefor prophecy fulfilled,she went out to hergodly intimates todeclare the glad tidings(Ibid.).Good news is not to

be secreted away; it is tobe shared. Anna sharedthe good news boldly, and her good news was:“Redemption has come.”The New Testament

uses several differentwords that are translated“redemption,” explainsJames Montgomery Boice in The Christ OfChristmas, and all have to do with the freeing of a slave:

28



• Agorazo: referring to the agora, or themarketplace, whereoftentimes slaves werebought and sold. Oncepurchased, the slavewas . . .

• Exagorazo: bought outof (ex) the marketplace(agora) never to besold there again.Instead that slave was to be . . .

• Luo: literally, cut looseand given his freedom. In Anna’s message of

“glad tidings,” Jerusalemis portrayed as the centerof the world. But “theredemption of Israel” alsorepresents the reality ofthe human condition. The Bible describes everyhuman being as beingenslaved by sin andwithout hope in the world.The Christ proclaimed byAnna, however, had cometo set free that lost humanrace. He came to bringredemption (from luo, to

loose), deliverance, andrescue from sin and itspenalty. Just as the OldTestament prophet Hosea,out of the depths ofredeeming love, went to the slave market topurchase his disgraced

wife Gomer and make her his own once more, so also Jesus Christ came to the slave marketof this broken world andpurchased His bride witha redemption sufficient for the sins of the entireworld.Anna’s message was

29

The Christproclaimed by Anna

had come to setfree a lost humanrace enslaved bysin and without

hope in the world.



one of hope, joy, andfreedom. After decades of anticipating the comingof the Redeemer King, shenow found herself livingin a world where thisChrist had finally come.The promise had beenfulfilled, so she gavethanks and went

out to tell anyone whowould listen that freedomand forgiveness andredemption were nowavailable, for Christ hadcome. It is the messagethat missionaries have

been taking to theuttermost parts of the earth ever since.

hLooking through

Anna’s window, we see a reminder from theprophetess of the truthand meaning behind all of the chaos andconfusion that weamiably call Christmas.“Christmas is not

merely the story of thebirth of a helpless baby in a stable,” writes JamesMontgomery Boice, “asbeautiful as that may be,not the wonder of theshepherds, not the gifts of the wise men, not theenraptured singing of theangel chorus. The heart ofChristmas lies in the factthat, ‘God so loved theworld that He gave Hisone and only Son, thatwhoever believes in Himshall not perish but haveeternal life’” (Jn. 3:16).In the midst of all “the

30

After decades of anticipating

the coming of theRedeemer King, shenow found herselfliving in a worldwhere this Christhad finally come.



stuff” that surrounds ourcelebration of Christmas,it is far too easy to forgetthat the first Christmashappened because our sindemanded payment—andonly Christ Himself couldmake a payment sufficientto cancel our debt. While it may be fun to

celebrate the holiday withgifts and ornaments andcandles and parties, “theholy day” of Christmas isreally about rescue andredemption. Anna knewthat, and she told herworld.May we be willing

to make part of ourcelebration of the birth of Christ a commitment to tell our world as well,for the world needs toknow, according to hymn writer J. WilburChapman, that . . .Living, He loved me; Dying, He saved me; Buried, He carried my sins far away;

Rising, He justified freely, forever;

One day He’s coming—O glorious day!

THE GREATESTGIFT OF ALL

FFred Rogers, the longtime host of

the PBS children’s program Mister Rogers’Neighborhood, said, “I like to compare theholiday season with the way a child listens to a favorite story. Thepleasure is in the familiarway the story begins, theanticipation of familiarturns it takes, the familiarmoments of suspense,and the familiar climaxand ending.”In the story of Christ’s

coming, however, the long-awaited ending wasjust the beginning. Hisultimate purpose was notmerely to come and live,but to come and die—then

31



live again. His coming was the earthly beginningof a mission that had beenlaunched in the eternity of God—a mission ofrescue for a lost race of people. And Heaccomplished that missionfully, as the apostle Paulwould write to the ancientchurch at Corinth:I delivered to you as of first importance whatI also received, thatChrist died for our sins according to theScriptures, and that Hewas buried, and thatHe was raised on thethird day according to the Scriptures (1 Cor. 15:3-4).For those who,

by faith, acknowledgetheir sin and accept theforgiveness that Christ’scross and resurrectionhave purchased, a newanticipation has begun.It’s the anticipation ofeternal life.

This anticipation is not the kind of wishfulthinking that drove ourChristmas anticipationsas children. It is a stronganticipation rooted in theGod who promised aDeliverer and then sentHim; the God whopromises forgiveness andprovides it; the God whopromises an eternal hometo all who put their faithin His Son.If you have not trusted

in the Savior and receivedthe forgiveness He offers,turn to Him today. Hislove and peace are far, fargreater than any gift youcould ever anticipate.

32

hThis booklet is excerpted from Windows On Christmas by Bill Crowder, which is published by Discovery House Publishers, a member of the RBC Ministriesfamily. Bill, who spent 20 years in pastoral ministry, is now Director of Church Ministries and an associate Bible teacher forRBC Ministries. He and his wifeMarlene have five children.



Our mission is to make the life-changing wisdom of the Bible understandable and accessible to all.

Discovery Series presents the truth of Jesus Christ to the world in balanced, engaging, and accessible resources that show the relevance of Scripture for all areas of life. All Discovery Series booklets are available at no cost and can be used in personal study, small groups, or ministry outreach.

To partner with us in sharing God’s Word, click this link to donate. Thank you for your support of Discovery Series resources and Our Daily Bread Ministries.

Many people, making even the smallest of donations, enable Our Daily Bread Ministries to reach others with the life-changing wisdom of the Bible. We are not funded or endowed by any group or denomination.

CLICK TO DONATE

http://ourdailybread.org/donate/

anticipating the birth of christ - our daily bread...

Documents