Finding Joy in the Savior: Simeon and Anna

I invited us into Luke 2:22–38 to watch Mary and Joseph bring Jesus to the temple forty days after His birth. I wanted us to feel the texture of the moment: faithful parents quietly obeying the law in a season when God’s people were still living under it, bringing the offering of the poor—two birds—because that’s what they could afford. I contrasted that with where we live now: Jesus has fulfilled the law, and we gather under grace. But the heart posture still matters—ordinary obedience in whatever season God places us.

We met Simeon, a righteous and devout man who bore the long ache of expectation. The Spirit had told him he wouldn’t die until he saw the Lord’s Christ, and that Spirit led him into the temple at just the right moment. Holding Jesus, he exhaled the prayer we all long to pray: “Now you are letting your servant depart in peace.” He saw salvation with his own eyes and named Jesus as light for the Gentiles and glory for Israel. His words also sober us: this Child would be opposed, would reveal hearts, and a sword would pierce Mary’s soul—a hint of the cross at Christmas.

Then Anna stepped into view—aged, widowed, steadily present in worship, fasting and praying. When she saw Jesus, she thanked God and immediately began speaking about Him to all who were waiting for redemption. Her joy did more than warm her heart; it opened her mouth. That’s the kind of joy I called us into: gratitude that cannot keep quiet.

So I asked us: does the description of Simeon fit us—righteous, devout, waiting? Do we carry Anna’s holy habit—worship that becomes witness? And where is our joy rooted this season? Gifts, lights, and gatherings have their place, but they can’t bear the weight of our souls. Jesus can. He is our peace in life and in death, the One who exposes and heals the heart, the Savior whose coming stirs thanksgiving and sends us out. We look back on a salvation already accomplished and forward to a second Advent when He makes all things right. Until then, let’s walk in faithful obedience, deep peace, honest repentance, and bold, grateful witness.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Humble obedience in the in-between Following God in your actual season is holy, even when it feels small or unseen. Mary and Joseph simply did what the law required with what they had, and heaven took note. Jesus has fulfilled the law, but ordinary faithfulness is still the furnace where joy is formed. Your obedience today is not filler; it’s devotion. [43:18]
• 2. Peace that outlasts life and death Simeon shows us that true peace rests on seeing God’s salvation, not on life working out a certain way. He didn’t need more time—he needed the Messiah, and having Him, he could depart in peace. That frees us from both denial and despair; we can face loss honestly and death unafraid. Peace isn’t the absence of sorrow; it’s the presence of Christ. [50:03]
• 3. Jesus exposes and heals the heart Christ is appointed for the fall and rising of many; His presence reveals what we love and trust. Opposition to Him in the Gospels wasn’t random—it surfaced the deep allegiances of the heart. He still does that today, not to shame but to save, calling us from self-rule to mercy. Let Him search you, and let Him raise you. [54:25]
• 4. Joy that spills into witness Anna’s gratitude didn’t end in private thankfulness; it sparked public proclamation. Joy in Jesus will eventually stretch our courage, turning worship into words for the good of others. You don’t need a platform—just a person and the story of what God has done. Let thanksgiving move your feet and open your mouth. [61:09]
• 5. Root your joy beyond the season Lights fade and gatherings end, but joy grounded in Christ endures. Advent trains our desires to look past sentiment to a Savior who has come—and will come again. Make room for practices that tether your heart to Him: prayer, Scripture, gathered worship, and generous witness. Christmas is a doorway; step through to Jesus. [66:56]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:41] - Advent candles: faith, hope, peace
• [01:35] - Introducing Luke 2:22–38
• [04:10] - Why purification and presentation?
• [07:05] - Jesus fulfills the law
• [09:22] - The humble offering of the poor
• [11:00] - Simeon: righteous, devout, waiting
• [13:05] - Spirit-led meeting in the temple
• [15:02] - “Depart in peace”: Simeon’s song
• [17:18] - Light to Gentiles, glory to Israel
• [20:30] - Rising and falling: hearts revealed
• [23:44] - A sword for Mary’s soul
• [26:10] - Anna’s lifelong devotion
• [28:35] - Gratitude that becomes witness
• [31:20] - Where is your joy rooted?

1. According to Luke 2:24, Mary and Joseph brought “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.” What does that show about their situation, and why might that matter for how we view Jesus’ coming? [45:06]
2. When Simeon holds Jesus he says, “Now you are letting your servant depart in peace.” What had he seen that gave him that kind of peace? [50:03]
3. Simeon names Jesus “a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” What is he saying about who Jesus is for? [51:41]
4. What do we learn about Anna’s daily life, and what did she do right away when she saw Jesus? [01:01:09]

1. If Simeon’s peace came from seeing God’s salvation rather than getting more time, what does that teach about the kind of peace God gives in Jesus? [50:03]
2. Jesus is “appointed for the fall and rising of many” and “a sign that is opposed.” How does Jesus reveal what people truly love and trust, and why would some oppose Him? [54:25]
3. Mary and Joseph practiced simple, ordinary obedience with what they could afford. How does their faithfulness under the law help believers think about ordinary faithfulness under grace today? [43:18]
4. Anna’s gratitude moved straight into public witness. What does that suggest about the link between worship, joy, and speaking about Jesus? [01:01:09]

1. Ordinary obedience can feel small or unseen. What is one quiet, faithful act you can do this week in your actual season (home, work, school) as worship to God? [45:06]
2. Where are you anxious about needing “more time” or certain outcomes to feel okay? How could you pray Simeon’s prayer and seek peace in seeing Christ, even if circumstances don’t change? [50:03]
3. Invite Jesus to search your heart. If His presence reveals what you really love and trust, what might He bring to the surface this week? How will you respond with repentance and trust? [54:25]
4. Think of one person in your life who might be “waiting for redemption” in some way. What simple story of God’s goodness could you share with them, and when will you reach out? [01:01:09]
5. The cross stands behind Christmas. Where do you need to pick up your cross with honest repentance—naming sin, receiving mercy, and taking a next step of obedience? [56:33]
6. Joy rooted in Jesus lasts beyond the season. Which holiday habits help tether your heart to Christ, and which distract you? What is one practice you will keep this week (prayer, Scripture, gathered worship, generosity)? [01:06:56]
7. Anna loved being in God’s presence and among God’s people. What is one concrete way you will lean into gathered worship and a simple rhythm of prayer and Scripture in the coming days? [59:56]