I have no idea how many times I’ve read through Luke’s account of Jesus’s birth. I never tire of reading it, but this morning – before opening my Bible to the familiar Luke Chapter 2 – I asked God to awaken my understanding to help me see something new in this story. He answered that prayer. And I am teary-eyed as I share it with you today…
After reading today, I can’t help feeling like my nativity set is incomplete.
Oh, don’t worry… I’ve got the important ones – Mary, Joseph, and Jesus. And yes, there’s a shepherd. I’ve got, let’s see – one, two, yip – three wise men. An angel? Check. And while I could add more livestock, I’ve got a couple pieces that make the point just fine. So, what’s missing? I’ll let you read for yourself…
Then it was time for their purification offering, as required by the law of Moses after the birth of a child; so [Mary and Joseph] took [Jesus] to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord…
At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God saying,
“Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised. I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!”(Luke 2:22,25-32)
What? Simeon was there? Where’s my Simeon? As I read this passage this morning my spirit stirred and tears swelled. This man longed for one thing – to see the Messiah. He longed for Him so desperately that God chose to give Simeon a specific promise that he wouldn’t die without getting to see the Savior with his own eyes. Can you even imagine? What would it feel like to receive such a promise from God?… And then to have the Holy Spirit lead you to the temple to meet this newborn baby, the Savior of the world?…. And not just see Him, but to take this Child into your arms?… ahhh – once again I get emotional over it all.
Simeon literally held in his hands the fulfillment of a personal promise, the fulfillment of promises made to Israel as a nation, and the fulfillment of a promise made to every gentile believer who was to come. All at once he was cradling the past, present, and future. No wonder Simeon was like, “Ok God. Now I can die.” Sheesh. It doesn’t get any better than that!
I need to find a Simeon figure.
But, wait – Simeon isn’t the only piece missing from my nativity set…
Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple… Her husband died when they had been married only seven years. Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem. (Luke 2:36-38)
My tears turn into giggles as I imagine this little old lady doing her own little happy dance in the Temple that day. This widow never had the privilege of birthing children or becoming a grandma. But she had felt the swelling of promises birthed in her soul for decades! When Anna heard Simeon talking with Mary and Joseph it was as though her waiting-room experience was finally over and the doctor had announced, “It’s a boy!” Naturally she did what any would do – she “talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly”.
So where is my Anna figure? You know, the hunched-over, wrinkly-faced, woman with the cane? I want one of those.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m thankful for the shepherds. They remind me that angels first appeared to the lowly and that He’s still revealing Himself to unsuspecting individuals today. I’m thankful for the animals. They remind me that Jesus was born in less than ideal conditions and that He still enters the darkest, most foul, coldest places of our hearts to birth new life. I’m even thankful for the wise men, who somehow made it into the nativity scene even though they didn’t actually meet Jesus until He was a toddler. The wise men remind me that when we seek Him we shall find Him, though the journey may be long.
But where are Anna and Simeon? I want them in my nativity scene also!
I want a Simeon figure to remind me that my single-most desire is to be Jesus and that I, too, have a promise that I will see Him face to face. I want to remember to live righteous and devout, like Simeon, eagerly waiting for the Messiah to return.
I want an Anna figure to remind me that life doesn’t always go the way we hope, but that God can turn a widow into a prophet. I want to live like Anna, worshiping God into my eighties and telling others about this Christ-child who gives more joy than this life could ever offer!
*Sigh*. Well, I might not be able to find a traditional nativity set with Simeon and Anna pieces, but who knows… maybe I’ll make my own!
For now, I am simply grateful for a God who came near to His people two thousand years ago and continues to draw near to us today. He knew Simeon’s desire and was delighted to fulfill it. He heard Anna’s prayers and answered them. He led the wise men to what they were looking for. He came to the shepherds, meeting them where they were at. He was with Mary and Joseph, fully God and fully man. Truly, He is Immanuel – God with us.
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Niki Schemanski is a wife and homeschooling mother of three children. A love of singing led her into an early career of performing and public speaking throughout Alaska and in various parts of the nation beginning at eight years old. After college, she spent more than a decade on staff as Worship Pastor at New Life Assembly of God in Kenai, Alaska. Niki’s desire is to help others “taste and see that the Lord is good” and that passion is what fuels her writing, singing, and teaching. She and her family now reside in Durango, Colorado.