In The Word
Read: Luke 2:21-40
Jesus Presented at the Temple
21 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.
22 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 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”), 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord, “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”
25 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. 26 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. 27 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, 28 then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said,
29 “Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace,
According to Your word;
30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation,
31 Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 A Light of revelation to the Gentiles,
And the glory of Your people Israel.”
33 And His father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him. 34 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— 35 and a sword will pierce even your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”
36 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, 37 and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers. 38 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.
Return to Nazareth
39 When they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city of Nazareth. 40 The Child continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
Today’s reading gives the account of four adults that had hearts fully devoted to God. After Yahshua’s birth, Joseph and Mary obeyed God’s commands to circumcise the male child and to bring the firstborn male child to the temple to be dedicated to God. When they arrived, they were met by Simeon, a man whom God lengthened his life so he could see the promised Savior. Simeon was described as “righteous and devout” because He was careful to faithfully follow God’s commands and was led by the Spirit of God (Luke 2:25). Joseph and Mary also encountered an elderly widow named Anna, a prophetess. Anna loved God so much that after her husband passed away she spent her days and nights praying and serving in the temple and telling others about Yahshua.
These four adults devoted themselves to God and wholeheartedly obeyed His commands. God says we are to flee from the things of the world and pursue righteousness and godliness (1 Timothy 6:11). The word “righteous” is an ancient construction term that described a method to measure the straightness of walls. This means that our lives are to be in perfect alignment with God’s Word and that we are not to stray from the straight Ancient Path.
Is your life completely in line with God’s Word, or have you strayed from the Ancient Path? If you are out of line, get with God, repent to Him, and get back in line with Him.