Volume 7: Jesus Was Dedicated 7/2/23

JESUS WAS DEDICATED (MATTHEW 2; LUKE 2)

As the narrative of Jesus’ early days on earth unfolded, several unique people are introduced who teach us lessons about our own journey. We find the wise men who sought Jesus with persistence, Herod whose power was threatened by this newborn King, and others such as Simeon and Anna—both who demonstrated a remarkable devotion to the Lord. 

In Luke 2, Simeon and Anna are described as people who are deeply committed, faithful, and devout followers of God. Simeon is described as one who was old in years—near death—and desperately waiting for the Messiah to come. So, you can imagine the significance of that moment as Simeon saw the Christ child and rejoiced. 

Anna, also old in years, had been faithfully worshiping God through fasting and prayer in the temple for 84 years. It is easy to imagine the joy she had upon seeing Jesus in the temple and her eager desire to tell everyone about this glorious child. 

Both Simeon and Anna came upon the incredible blessing of seeing, celebrating, and worshiping Jesus because of their faithfulness to the Lord. Both were in the place the Lord wanted them to be, faithful to God over the years, and daily looking for the Lord in everything they did. 

Imagine if your daily decisions were influenced by similar factors. You were deeply committed to being in the places God wanted you to be, you were seeking to be faithful over the decades, and in all that you did you were pursuing what the Lord might have for you. What would have to change in your life, in your motivations, and in your decisions to make this true of you? In what ways would you see and experience the blessings of God’s good gifts even more? 

Faithfulness like that of Simeon and Anna doesn’t earn any additional degree of salvation before God. But it can produce more opportunities to see the work of God in your life, even if it’s only because you’re more attuned. What a blessing that would be for each of us as well.