When the time comes for Jesus to be presented at the Temple after 8 days, Mary and Joseph bring him in fulfillment of the law of Moses. And in Jerusalem, there are two people who recognize this child as the answer to God's promises. The first is Simeon - who has been celebrating and anticipating the coming of Israel's Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, he comes to the Temple, takes baby Jesus up in his arms, and declares, "My eyes have seen your salvation! A light to the Gentiles and glory to Israel!" And the second is Anna - who served God in the temple day and night with fasting and prayers. She immediately begins thanking God and speaking about Jesus to all who are looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.
It is really interesting that these two immediately recognize the Messiah, his arrival, and its significance - especially when many others do not. And there are a couple things they have in common: 1 - They both intimately walk with the Lord. 2 - They are both anticipating the Messiah and his redemption. This is contrasted with the rulers of Israel and its religious leaders who are blind to the Messiah's advent. They do not walk intimately with the Lord, and their pride has swelled with their own political clout causing them to lose interest in anticipating Jerusalem's redemption. They'd rather keep Jerusalem and its balance of power right where it is.
Which begs the question - are we likely to recognize or miss the Lord working and moving? Do we walk intimately with him? Are we anticipating the redemption of his Kingdom and the return of Christ? Or are we comfortable, hesitant to have our apple cart upset, and distracted by other concerns?
