“Anna SEEKing Jesus”

Anna never makes an appearance in the Christmas program. We will likely never hear about her in a Christmas sermon. In fact, we may not have ever noticed her in the classic Christmas passage – Luke 2.

Anna’s part of the Christmas story takes place  a little beyond the manger scene, when baby Jesus was 40 days old.  At this age, following Jewish law, baby boys were to be presented for dedication in the temple.

Upon Mary & Joseph’s arrival, Simeon immediately recognized that Jesus was Messiah. Luke 2:25 tells us that Simeon was LOOKING for the consolation of Israel and now, here He was, all bundled up in Mary’s arms. Simeon blessed God, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.

And then, for some reason, we stop reading! Or at least I did.

I read on a little further this year and was captured by Anna’s story in Luke 2:36-38:

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 withfastings 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.