As we age, we can become obsessed with the past, how things used to be. But Simeon looks forward to the deliverance of Israel. His mindfulness of God’s promises and hopefulness of present fulfillment allow him to recognize God’s messiah in the baby Jesus.
Simeon takes the child in his arms and blesses him, praising God for Jesus’ true identity as “a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” Simeon knows the future will not be easy for this child. He does not romanticize the future any more than he romanticizes the past. Still, the fulfillment of God’s long-standing promises gives rise to thanks and praise. The eighty-four-year-old prophet Anna has never left the Temple because she too looks for a sign that God is prepared to act anew in the lives of her people. Once she sees Jesus, young as he is, she cannot stop speaking about him.
The story about Jesus’ parents presenting him at the Temple (Luke 2:22-24) sets the stage for all that follows. As was the custom, Jesus’ first Temple visit requires a sacrifice. How fitting that a sacrifice accompanies the one who will one day become Israel’s sacrifice! Indeed, the sacrifice of the two turtledoves prompts Simeon to see Jesus for who he is. Today we tend to think of a sacrifice as losing something. For the Bible and for God, sacrifice instead means giving.
Jesus’ parents give turtledoves to God as a sign of their joy. Simeon and Anna give thanks that their lives have finally brought them consolation. God gave an only begotten Son to all of us, Jew and Gentile, because God so loved the world.