Verse 28 gives us a beautiful picture. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility" (Eph 2:11-14). Therefore, if you could see Simeon in the temple courtyard holding the baby Jesus with his eyes lifted to the vast sky of Jerusalem you would see a satisfied old man! The word Lord means Over-lord; the word servant means bond-servant; and the phrase, as you have promised indicates complete submission to the promises of the Lord. 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 84however considering girls were approximately 15 when wed, she lived with her husband 7 years and had been a widow 84 years. It was God the Fathers and Holy Spirits job to prepare Jesus until he was ready to start His ministry. Did the Ancient Israelites Think Children Were People. Share your feedback here. 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. He is not identified as a priest, or ruler. They had dedicated the baby Jesus according to the law of Moses, and they traveled to Jerusalem each year to celebrate Passover. What is the overall storyline of jesus existence according to johns gospel. Simeon is so satisfied in the beauty God's ability to keep His word. The Law also allowed, in the cases of poverty, for two pigeons or turtledoves to be offered instead of a lamb. Jesus, the adolecent, wasnt sining or lying here he was jumping the gun. He loved God. 25 A man named Simeon lived in Jerusalem. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God (Eph 2:19). In John 21, Jesus is asking Peter if he really loves Him. 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! If we do, we will rejoice as did Simeon on that occasion. (Apparently) this was how new lambs were inspected for defects and kept unmarred for eventual sacrifice for forgiveness of sins. We have an extra set here at our office. He saw the Savior before He died. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 12:). Simeon recognised Jesus as the Christ as soon as he saw him, and blessed the young family. He took Jesus in his arms, held him close and began to bless the Lord. He held him and knew that one day this baby would call people to choose between God and themselves. He saw that the fall of Israel would be the riches of the Gentiles and that Israels restoration will be comparable to a resurrection from the dead for the whole of humanity. 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 Elizabeths, the shepards and the wise men the woman would have had to of had amnesia not to know. What are the Physical devices used to construct memories? 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. The pairing of Simeon and Anna reflects Lukes penchant for male-female parallelism when he writes about the recipients of divine blessing and salvation. What a gift that God had given him! Not everyone can be a prophet, however. 1. He was waiting for the time when God would help Israel. Simeon instantly and independently recognizes Jesus as messiah. "But the plans of the LORD stand firm for ever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.". Also read Numbers 8:17 and Numbers 18:14-1, The angel Gabriel spoke to Mary about the birth of Jesus, An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, Angels praised God for the birth of Jesus, Jesus at 40 days old was taken to the Temple, Magi traveled from the East to find Jesus, King Herod the Great plans how to kill Jesus, Timeline for Birth of Jesus The Christmas Story, Background Information Birth of Jesus The Christmas Story. Simeon made a prophetic and powerful predictive statement about Jesus and the purpose of His life. It will not make sense to them, and honestly it shouldn't. When Simeon saw Him for whom his soul had been longing, he took Him in his arms. she said. She is 84 years old, according to Luke, and she does not want to die: She wants to proselytize. He prayed, "God, You kept Your promise, and I have 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. For such a learned scholar he does not read throughly all of Luke. Simeon knows that God's target is not just Israel but all people. Simeon ( Greek: ) at the Temple is the "just and devout" man of Jerusalem who, according to Luke 2:25-35, met Mary, Joseph, and Jesus as they entered the Temple to fulfill the requirements of the Law of Moses on the 40th day from Jesus' birth, i. e. the presentation of Jesus at the Temple . Let a man be confronted with Christ as a supernatural person, one born without a human father, brought into the world through the womb of a virgin, as the apparatus of redemption, and he will reveal his own hearts condition by his attitude toward this supernatural Christ. The Global Methodist Church welcomes Scott Jones, who led Methodists in Texas and had advocated for the extreme center and staying at the table., Emily McFarlan Miller - Religion News Service. He was doing just that - listening day by day, hour by hour, and moment by moment for the sound of the footsteps of the Son of God whose coming was drawing near. And that was when we both started laughing. 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? Now he sees his long-desired Star. He sees the Christ child with his own eyes and finds fulfillment. You seem to have forgotten about Elizabeths greeting to Mary many months before Mary met Anna at the temple. This man was righteous and devout. It was this little child who would life a sinless life, declare words of life, and then absorb the wrath of God so that the creator God and his people could be reunited. For some reason, Simeon, alone of all people, had been promised that he would not die before he saw the Lord's Anointed (Christ). She didnt understand why he According to Luke, Mary treasures the angels message, but does not fully understand it. He had been told by God, as a much younger man, that he would definitely see the Jewish Messiah before he died. GOD THE FATHER, HOLY SPIRIT, JESUS AND MARY AT THE TEMPLE She knew who he was! 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. Luke uses the story of his life and meeting of the Christ-child to make a very important point for Theophilus, the Roman ruler for whom this book is written. 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). This was Simeons one opportunity to see the Lords Christ. Simeon thanked God that he was able to see Jesus the savior! That is what Simeon saw, and that is what all godly people should see - even to the point of death. Oh to have people know that there is something different about us because of how satisfied we are in Christ. i was searching for private visions by people who have had additional explanations, suvh as the annunciation. THE PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE. The Spirit gave Simeon divine revelationit was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lords Christ. The word translated revealed is actually a divine response. In the active tense the word means to transact business, to make an answer to those who seek advice. The use of the word in the passive bespeaks revelation made by God in response to the seeking of man. A suffering messiah was not yet on wish to examine some-more about his analysis? This is clear. Some of the biggest misunderstandings come from people who are related to Jesus. Put all of that together and what you have is a very costly gospel. 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. 27 Led by the Spirit, he went into the Temple. The reason we assume him to be old is that when he holds Jesus in his arms, he says to God, "Now you are letting your servant depart in peace." He may have been old, but not necessarily so. She became a widow after seven years of marriage to her husband. 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. Seems to me, she was there to let the rest of us know. Did he marry? 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 2:2832). COPYRIGHT 2023 BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGY SOCIETY 5614 Connecticut Ave NW #343, Washington DC 20015-2604. According to Luke 2:2224, [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 12:28].. 14 Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace (2 Peter 3:10-14). He was satisfied with the gospel. Now, as Simeon lived just prior to the first advent and anticipated the first coming of the Lord Jesus, so you and I today live just prior to His second advent and should be anticipating His return. In the birth narratives about Jesus, we meet Simeon and Anna, who were also "waiting for consolation" (Luke 2:25). When Scripture uses blameless or just to describe a man like Zacharias or Simeon, the word means more than just conformity to the Law, to all the commandments and ordinances; it implies the spiritual perception of the purpose of God in the Law and the Prophets. 8:14). Mary, Simeon or Anna: Who First Recognized Jesus as Messiah? Summary of Jesus life He was born to Joseph and Mary sometime between 6 bce and shortly before the death of Herod the Great (Matthew 2; Luke 1:5) in 4 bce. "Yeah, I know that we could buy that, but we'd rather give our money away." Simeon declared the Child to be the glory of thy people Israel. That an Israelite should first mention Christ as the means of enlightening the heathen and then emphasize the glory of Israel was an unusual order in pre-Christian times and thinking. 3 Pilgrimage Paths from Galilee to Jerusalem, Dating the Oldest New Testament Christian Manuscripts, The Bethesda Pool, Site of One of Jesus Miracles. Rather, it was the summit of his life-long experience with God. "Yeah, I know that you are going to kill me, but I won't recant on my belief in Christ.". What would prompt you to say, "Okay, now I'm ready to die!" Messiah. 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. All that we have is the fact that Simeon was sufficiently old; he was just and devout. 27 The Spirit led Simeon to the Temple. They have much to speak into our context. Didnt Jesus family try to kidnap him at one point during his ministry. Acts 4:11; 1 Pet. Jesus name in Hebrew was Yeshua which translates to English as Joshua. I believe that Luke records this account to show Theophilus and all of us that Simeon saw the gospel - an attractive, broad, costly, and satisfying gospel. Want to learn some-more about his research? While considering Dr. Witheringtons question, I would like to ask, How about Elizabeth, wife of Zachariah, whose response to Marys arrival plainly states that the Spirit revealed to her the identity of the unborn Messiah? Luke 1:41-43 reads, When Elizabeth heard Marys greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Jesus was approximately 40/41 days old at the time His mother, Mary was required to make an offering at the temple (Leviticus 12:). Mary also tells the Archangel Gabriel she agrees to having the Son of God. He knew that although He had come to His own people they would reject Him, and the gospel would be preached to the Gentiles (John 1:11; Acts 28:28). 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. This is the time Simeon and Anna saw Jesus. Verse 26 tells us that God had revealed to him that he would not see death until he had seen the Lord's Christ. Do you follow Christ even when it proves costly? Simeon suggested to Mary, A sword shall pierce through thy own soul also. He did not leave the parents upon the mount of elevation but included a drop of bitterness through the prophecy that this helpless Baby was to be the suffering and dying Messiah. news about the Christ Child to everyone in Jerusalem looking for Also, he will be a sign that will be opposed. As a crowning reward of his life, God showed him that he should not die until the Christ came. Another assumption that is often made is that Simeon was a priest. Does not detract from the subject matter, but some would doubt your research capabilities. "Yeah, I know you'd probably leave your husband, but I'm going to believe that God can restore our marriage." birthing the sacrificial lambs for the nearby temple, as some scholars claim, then this sign would present some Subscribers receive full access to the archives. 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. He had been baptized and already started gathering his disciples. When expanded it provides a list of search options that will switch the search inputs to match the current . It is sign that reveals the attitude of human hearts. Simeon at the Temple is a figure in the Gospel of Luke. Simeon praised God. That is also why she stood at the cross and did not kneel. In addition, a gift of five shekels to the Temple was required as an acknowledgment of Gods claim over the firstborn male of the household; the child was thus redeemed from sacred duties to enter the secular life. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, 29 "Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word;30 for my eyes have seen your salvation 31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.". This account is reminder to all of us that this day is not just about time with family or wonderful expressions of love. . According to Matthew and Luke, however, Joseph was only legally his father. The Spirit rested upon Moses, and his face shone like that of an angel. 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 Who were the models in Van Halen's finish what you started video? 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 . Mary, for example, does not fully understand what Anna immediately recognizes. Apparently sacrificial lambs were wrapped (swaddled) at birth bringing peace to earth and rebuilding the temple. Thus Jesus was driven by the Spirit into the wilderness, to be tempted of the devil. When that Child came into the world, he brought nothing but a soul. Simeon . The late New Testament scholar Raymond Brown wrote: Lukes idea is that complete acceptance of the word of God, complete understanding of who Jesus is, and complete discipleship is not yet possible. 19 Feb, 2021 Nice job Susanna! was a very old man, and was waiting to see the messiah and die. Who was Anna? Many, many years before Jesus came to earth as a baby, God had given Moses laws for His people to obey. There is no great incentive to holy living than to believe, to live and to labour in the conviction that the Lord Jesus is coming again look up 1 John 3:3. When the divine illumination concerning Christ comes to us, we too must act immediately in submission and receive the Christ. website? Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to Simeon. As a sword would pierce his heart, so figuratively a sword of suffering would pierce Marys heart. The earth-shaking miracles and wonders are . Your statement says she is the only woman in New Testament explicitly described as a prophetess. According to the gospel, Mary and Joseph took the Infant Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem forty days (inclusive) after his birth to complete Marys ritual purification after childbirth, and to perform the redemption of the firstborn son, in obedience to the Torah (Leviticus 12, Exodus 13:1215, etc.). 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. Simeon was righteous and devout, and the Holy Spirit was with him. 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. Ipinanganak si Jesus. How old was Simeon when he saw Jesus?Simeon the priest was a very old man , could be in his late seventies. Brown adds, however, that Luke does not leave Mary on the negative note of misunderstanding. The religious signs, moral signs, commercial signs, political signs, Jewish signsthese all proclaim the truth declared in James 5:8! Anna was about 106 years old depending upon when she wed. Seven Signs Changing water into wine at Cana in John 2:1-11 the first of the signs Healing the royal officials son in Capernaum in John 4:46-54. . What did old Simeon say when he saw Jesus? anyones radar, so I think Mary indeed had a lot to mull over as she put all the extraordinary information 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 Testaments only prophetess, shown at right with a scroll, in this 1342 tempera painting by Ambrogio Lorenzetti. But the beauty is not limited here to Simeon's experience alone. Let us begin each day, as Simeon must have begun each day, by saying, I wonder if my Lord will come today!. how old was simeon when he saw jesus. I enjoyed your article and found only one flaw which to some lends itself to your research or thoroughness of it. However, given such information, Simeon could not have been more than 55 years old, perhaps an age considered advanced at that time. He was a faithful temple goer which means that he regularly met with God. "For the fall and rising of many." When that old man went out of the world he took nothing but a soul. 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. For the Holy Spirit to rest upon a man is the highest experience God has for him. Then Simeon announced that the Child was for a sign which shall be spoken against that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. This also was a quotation from Isaiah (7:14). Simeon waited and watched for the Babe of Bethlehem, and you and I are to wait and watch for the Lord who said, I will come back, and take you to be with me (John 14:3). But also wanted to add two points: 4 Si Jose ay umahon din mula sa Galilea, mula sa lungsod ng Nazaret . Lukes 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. It shows that Simeon had received a gracious dealing from God in response to his own searching for divine guidance. In Hebrew Simeon means: hearing or listening. There are many speculations as to who this Simeon was although there is no record of his genealogy. Continue Learning about Religious Studies. Even better, Mary understood that she had indeed been greatly blessed, and that all generations would call [her] Blessed. Anna wasnt there to tell Mary something she didnt already know. One issue does provide some hesitation for me though. Simeon spoke to Mary, Jesus' mother. There is a remarkable identity in the Greek between this phrase and Peters confession, Thou art the Christ of God. Simeon identified this baby with the pre-existent Lord of Glory, with the Christ of prophecy, the Incarnate God, the Saviour who was to work out the deliverance of the nations. Being first to hear doesnt always mean being first to understand. Combine a one-year tablet and print subscription to BAR with membership in the BAS Library to start your journey into the ancient past today! He is a godly man who is satisfied with a gospel that is a beautiful and costly treasure. 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. Their hearts were right with God. One's response to Christ reveals the true condition of the heart. According to Luke, Anna never left the Temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day (Luke 2:37). 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). That Child, by the combining in him of a divine nature and a human nature through a virgin birth, was the prepared apparatus to work out salvation for the world. To me, this is a powerful image and one that begs a very important question - "What did he see?" What a beautiful picture! Feeding the 5000 in John 6:5-14. Simeon, believed to be an old man, was waiting for the redemption of Israel, and the Holy Spirit told him that he would not die until he had see the redemption in the infant body of Christ, in the Anointed One of God. Simeon's righteous faith qualified him to see something incredibly special. Reading this narrative, we sense that it was perfectly proper for this old man to take the Baby Jesus in his arms because of what he was and who he was. There were many details concerning the incarnation about which he was not at all clear, but of the fact that the Lord would come he was positive. Luke 2:36-38 tells us that Anna, a prophetess, from the tribe of Asher, was an 84 year old widow, when she saw Jesus at the temple. Unlike Simeon, Anna is not just visiting the Temple for the day; she is there all the time. He is now considered one of the top evangelical scholars in the world, and is an elected member of the prestigious SNTS, a society dedicated to New Testament studies. He then took the six-weeks-old baby in his arms. 34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, "Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed 35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed" (Luke 2:25-35 ESV). He expresses this so well in verse 32, "a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.".
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