She is 84 years old, according to Luke, and she does not want to die: She wants to proselytize. 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). Where was he really born-Bethlehem or Nazareth? Did he marry? Is there evidence outside of the Bible that proves he actually walked the earth?Īnna then approaches the Holy Family. In the free ebook Who Was Jesus? Exploring the History of Jesus’ Life, examine fundamental questions about Jesus of Nazareth. Having seen the messiah, Simeon is now prepared to die. (The same Spirit told him to go to the Temple that day, too.) 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 2:28–32).

”Īt 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. In this, Mary contrasts sharply with Simeon and Anna, two elderly individuals who happen to be in the Temple when Joseph and Mary bring the infant Jesus to Jerusalem for the first time.Īccording to Luke 2:22–24, “ 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’ ) and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, ‘a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons’. But Mary is also puzzled by the divine message she is “perplexed” when the angel greets her and must “ponder” the meaning of his words (Luke 1:29 see also 2:19). Luke adds that she “treasures the words” the angel Gabriel speaks to her. In Luke’s birth narrative, Mary is the first to be told that Jesus will be the messiah.

Uffizi/Scala/Art Resource, NYīeing first to hear doesn’t always mean being first to understand. Anna begins to preach: “She came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.” Both are quicker than Mary to comprehend who Jesus is. Simeon instantly and independently recognizes Jesus as messiah. 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 Testament’s only prophetess, shown at right with a scroll, in this 1342 tempera painting by Ambrogio Lorenzetti.

Jesus Girls by Hannah Faith Notess