And there was a prophetess, Anna …. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband … and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of Him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. (Luke 2:36-38)
It interests me that both of the people who meet the baby Jesus in the temple are people who are used to listening to the Holy Spirit. Simeon had a promise from Him, that he would see the Messiah before his own death. Anna is called a prophetess, though we don’t know anything more about her service; but we do know that she told everybody she could about Jesus.
No wonder they met Jesus on His first trip to the temple—God sent them there! And so they were able to hold Him in their arms, to rejoice and tell all their friends the good news.
And now it’s our turn. Because we, too, have the Holy Spirit living inside us. He is the One who brought us to believe in Jesus our Savior; He is the reason we know that Jesus gave His life to rescue us, and then He rose from the dead so that we could live with Him in God’s kingdom forever. Because of the Spirit, we rejoice and carry Jesus in our hearts. And we, too, can tell all the people we love about Him.
WE PRAY: Dear Holy Spirit, thank You for giving me trust in Jesus. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
What do you know about the Holy Spirit?
How does He help you in your life?
Ask Him to give you a chance to tell someone about Jesus. If you’re nervous, ask Him to make it so you’re already comfortably talking about Jesus before you even realize!
