Anna

The Bible has many people in it who are only mentioned once, and yet whose brief appearance carries a powerful lesson. One of them is Anna, who may be found in Luke 2:36-38.

Anna is an old woman. She was married once, for seven years, but her husband died and she has lived as a widow to the age of 84. According to Luke the favorite place for Anna to be is the Temple, and her favorite activity is to worship, primarily through prayer. This is what she is up to as Jesus' parents bring him to the Temple to dedicate him to the Lord, as is expected for first-born sons. We are privileged to know that Jesus is no ordinary baby boy, and this is something that Anna senses as well. Luke tells us that on seeing the baby Jesus Anna

"…began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem."

Anna is a person who, at a key moment in her life, put her relationship with God first, and kept it that way. Doing so she understood that God was worthy of frequent worship, and of frequent prayer. Many years have passed from the death of her husband to this moment in Luke's gospel. Years filled with waiting. Luke doesn’t tell us specifically what Anna may have thought that she was waiting for, but at the moment she saw Jesus she was prepared to praise God, knowing that he was the one sent as the redeemer of the Jews.

Like Anna, we live in a time of waiting. The baby Jesus lived a full life of obedience to God, to the point of laying down his very life so that those who would believe in him would know the very redemption that Anna was waiting to see for her people. She saw the person who would bring about redemption, and we are able to look back and see that by faith in Jesus, redemption is also ours.

We live by faith in Jesus, as we await the fulfillment of his promise to return. Our place with him is certain. Sin has been defeated at the cross and the empty tomb, but the presence of sin remains. We see it in the world, and we see it on ourselves, and so often it seems to get worse each and every day.

But we don't wait with empty hands and worry as people without hope. Like Anna, we fold our hands together, or lift them up high, and we focus our thoughts on our Savior and Lord. We remember what he has done and we look forward to seeing his promises being fulfilled on that last, and glorious day of his return.

And lastly, again like Anna, we have the opportunity, now, to speak of our Savior to those who do not yet know and love him. He is coming back. It will be a glorious occasion, the beginning of a truly glorious ever-after. The phrase "the more, the merrier" comes to mind, as this will be the greatest moment ever. Let's spread the good news of Jesus so that everyone we know can join in the celebration.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.