Eyes on Salvation

Or, The Strange Things Strangers Say

Here we meet two surprise witnesses, hear a song about global salvation, a warning of personal pain, the praise of a prophetess, and track a twelve-year transition in one verse.

Luke has been threading parallel accounts of two boys up to this point. Announcement and announcement, then birth-circumcision-naming and birth-circumcision-naming. But Jesus has been getting more of the attention, we know why, and the rest of Luke 2 adds more.

It's been 40 days since Jesus was born, and Joseph and Mary travel with their Son to Jerusalem to fulfill God's law, a fact mentioned three times in verses 22-24. But it's what else happens while they're at the temple that really stands out.

Two strangers give witness to this special son, an old man named Simeon and a very old woman named Anna. Before now there were strangers to Joseph and Mary, and afterward they do not appear again. They say strange things, they see things about Jesus not everyone could. Though Luke doesn't quote it, the Law in Deuteronomy 19:15 required a minimum of two witnesses, and these two strangers leave no doubt in their witness. They had no relation, nothing to gain personally, but they gave witness by the Spirit to the salvation of the Lord.

Parents’ Obedience (verses 22-24)

This is a three-for-one. It's one trip to the temple to satisfy three different requirements. Under the Law a mother was impure for 40 days after giving birth to a son (Leviticus 12:2-6), then she needed to offer sacrifice. In addition, the firstborn was to be presented (Exodus 13:2). But presenting the firstborn didn’t require coming to the temple, so that suggests a third part as Joseph and Mary dedicated Jesus to the Lord’s service (as in 1 Samuel 1-2).

The plural of their purification is a surprise, since the father was not considered unclean. But maybe Joseph helped with the bloody delivery and so was included.

And here are the famous two turtledoves, as the offering of those who couldn't afford the lamb (Leviticus 12:8). No way that His parents perceived at this point that Jesus was the Lamb.

From the beginning Jesus’ parents fulfill the law, and we will see that Jesus perfectly does so Himself. He was “born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:4-5).

Simeon’s Song (verses 25-35)

This guy is a stranger to Joseph and Mary, and there is nothing special about his person. He is not called a prophet or a priest, he is not said to live on the temple grounds, he is not a man of importance in the city. He is an otherwise random dude, living in Jerusalem, but living by faith.

The end of verse 25 says that he was waiting for the consolation of Israel. And in a moment it will be clear that the consolation is a person, the Messiah. We sing "Israel's strength and consolation, hope of all the earth, thou art." We read Isaiah 40:1, “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.”

Three statements about Simeon and the Spirit: 1) the Spirit was upon him, 2) the Spirit had given him a message, and 3) the Spirit moved him to go to the temple that particular day.

The supernatural message is unique. It had been revealed to him that he would not die before he saw the Lord's Christ. How long had he had this revelation? Months? Years? How many people had he told? Family? Co-workers? Kept it silent? How many people thought he was crazy, except for the fact that his reputation was that of being righteous?

God, by His Spirit, was giving witness to God the Son through this stranger, and feeding the faith of Jesus' earthly parents. Their obedience to the law is right, but in God’s providence it set them up to meet Simeon. He shows up, walks up, and took their six-week old son up in his arms and started blessing God.

Verses 29-32 are the third song in the opening chapters of Luke's book. We’ve read the Magnificat of Mary and the Benedictus of Zechariah, Simeon's song is often called the Nunc Dimittis, the first words in the Latin transition that mean “Now You let depart.”

Now, Lord, you are letting your servant depart in peace. Simeon doesn't need to see anything else. The Christ is born, that's what he was promised in his lifetime. His eyes have seen your salvation, even as the angel announced the birth a Savior to the shepherds (Luke 2:11). Simeon had eyes on salvation, and salvation was just a month and half old.

What has not been emphasized so far in Luke is the global nature of this saving mission. Verse 32 leaves no doubt: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel. Also connected to the prophesies in Isaiah 40:5 and 49:6.

The prophets anticipated not only Messianic rule over all the nations, but worship of the Messiah among the nations. Joseph and Mary's Son would be light, He is truth, He is the one who shows the vanity of idols and in Him is the answer to guilt and the hope of eternity. But the explicit reference to the Gentiles would have sounded strange.

Even more so, their Son is the glory for God’s people, the Jews.

Quite a song, and Jesus' parents marveled at the stranger's insight.

Simeon wasn't done. He blessed them and then said specifically to Mary (perhaps as a hint that Joseph would not be around through the entire time), three things about Jesus: 1) Jesus will divide (fall and rise), 2) Jesus will pierce (Mary’s sorrow), 3) Jesus will reveal (hearts laid open). This is even more strange.

There are two groups, those that would fall and those that would be lifted up. It's similar to the Cornerstone, either a thing others tripped and stumbled over, or the foundation upon which building happens. There won’t simply be dismissal of Jesus, He will be a dividing line.

As for what would pierce through your own soul, that seems to be the heartache of seeing how her Son would be treated, even to death on a cross.

And the third part belongs with the first two, showing especially the enmity toward God and His law and righteousness; Jesus reveals hearts, in particular the hostility in many hearts. These are strange words from a stranger, but Simeon had eyes on salvation.

A Prophetess' Praise (verses 36-38)

It seems that Simeon was old, such that he anticipated dying, not as if he heard at 27 that he'd not die before he saw the Christ. But this woman is over 100.

Verse 36 has a decent amount of detail about her, not that she was well known, but this is the sort of historical record that would be more difficult to invent and get past the fact-checkers. Though the ESV in verse 37 says that she was eighty-four, the Greek really does say that she'd been married for seven years and then she was a widow for eighty-four years. So if she was married around 14, her husband died when she was 21, she's now about 105.

Her life, for over eight decades, was given to worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. We don't get any quotes from her, but she also, by the Spirit, happened to come at the very hour, and began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.

It’s strange, not only that Anna is a stranger to Joseph and Mary, but even as a woman and a very old widow, that her witness helps make faith more certain. She’d been dedicated in her service to God for 84 years, and now she had eyes on salvation.

Simeon waited for the consolation of Israel and Anna speaks to those waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.

Conclusion

Another transition in verses 39-40. Joseph and Mary were obedient to God's law, and then went back home to Nazareth.

As for Jesus Himself, even more than John's growing and becoming strong in spirit (Luke 1:80), Jesus grows and becomes strong, filled with wisdom and with signs of God's favor all over Him.

Simeon's eyes saw salvation in his arms. Anna's eyes saw redemption in the temple. Mary's eyes would see her Son on a cross. Salvation has come, and strangers gave witness. It’s not a coincidence it is for the certainty of our faith.

Jesus is the Consolation and Redemption. He is the watershed, dividing line. In Him many hope, Jews and Gentiles. Toward Him many hate, Jews and Gentiles. Jesus is the Savior of the world, and still a stone of offense. He is light to the nations and glory for Israel.

Charge

Give thanks to God for His salvation in Jesus. Live as those who are being saved, live as an aroma of Christ. We are not sufficient for these things, but God gives us His own Spirit in order to lead us and to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere.

Benediction:

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. (2 Peter 3:18 ESV)