Sunday Worship: Luke 2:22-40

Devotional

Day 1: After the manger: living the gift daily

The days after Christmas can feel quiet and ordinary, but the gift of Jesus is meant to be tended every day. Like caring for a present you treasure, you are invited to keep, nurture, and share this gift in the ordinary spaces of your week. You don’t have to wait for the next big holiday to practice love. Be kind to the person others overlook, speak blessing where there’s complaint, and treat each small choice as a place to honor the One you’ve received. The season may be still, but grace is active, and your daily faith keeps the light burning. [12:23]

Luke 2:22–24
When the days of purification were complete, they went up to Jerusalem to present the baby to the Lord, because the Law teaches that the firstborn belongs to God. They brought what they could afford—a simple offering of two small birds—to dedicate him.

Reflection: What one concrete way will you “care for” the gift of Jesus this week—perhaps by reaching out to someone others overlook or by praying before you check your phone each morning?

Day 2: Anna’s steady devotion in the quiet

In a winter of the soul, Anna shows how faith endures: praying, fasting, and waiting with a steady heart. She does not hurry past the quiet; she inhabits it with God. Her faith is not a flash of emotion but a long obedience that keeps turning toward the Lord. When joy arrives, she is ready because she has been rooted in worship all along. Let your ordinary days become a sanctuary of attentiveness, and trust that God meets you in the steady rhythm. [31:19]

Luke 2:36–37
A prophet named Anna, from Asher’s tribe, had lived many years; widowed after a brief marriage, she grew old in God’s presence. She stayed near the temple constantly, serving with fasting and prayer day and night.

Reflection: Where could you set aside a small, regular window—ten minutes morning or night—to wait on God in prayer this week, and what would help you keep that appointment?

Day 3: From waiting to witness: tell what you’ve seen

When Anna finally saw the Messiah, she did not retire; she spoke. Her waiting turned into witness, and her devotion overflowed into fearless, simple proclamation. She didn’t deliver a polished speech—she just pointed to Jesus for all who longed for redemption. You don’t need angels or eloquence to share good news; you only need honesty about what you’ve encountered in Christ. Let your gratitude find a voice, and let your voice serve someone else’s hope. [33:50]

Luke 2:38
Right then she came forward, thanked God openly, and began telling everyone who was hoping for Jerusalem’s freedom about this child.

Reflection: Who is one person in your world who is “waiting for redemption” in some way, and what simple, honest sentence about Jesus could you share with them?

Day 4: No angels needed: faithful, ordinary obedience

Luke’s story slows down to simple obedience: a family bringing their child to God, then going home to live faithfully. There are no fireworks—only trust expressed in everyday acts. This is how most holy lives are built: not by spectacle, but by steady yeses in kitchens, workplaces, classrooms, and quiet streets. Your ordinary can become sacred when you offer it to the Lord. Walk into your day knowing that God delights to meet you in what looks small. [28:35]

Luke 2:27, 39
Led by the Spirit, they entered the temple to do for Jesus what God’s law required. And when everything had been done as the Lord commanded, they returned home to Galilee, to their town of Nazareth.

Reflection: Name an ordinary task on your calendar today; how could you intentionally offer it to God as an act of obedience and love?

Day 5: God is here—salvation has come

The message does not fade with the season: God is here, and salvation is among us. Simeon’s words echo still—light for the nations, honor for God’s people—and they are meant to be carried into our neighborhoods. The love of God has taken human shape for you, for me, forever. Stand with Anna and let your life quietly say, “Jesus is near.” In this confidence, move into your week with courage and hope. [39:03]

Luke 2:30–32
My eyes have seen the rescue you promised—set before all peoples—a light that reveals your truth to the nations and brings honor to your people Israel.

Reflection: When you walk through your neighborhood or workplace, where do you most long to see God’s light, and what gentle act or word could you bring there in the next two days?

Sermon Summary

In the quiet days after Christmas, attention turns from the glow of angels and the wonder of Silent Night to the simple work of faith. Luke’s account is clear: no flight to Egypt, no spectacle—just a family taking their child to the temple, and two elders who had learned to wait well. The focus falls on Anna, a prophet whose life was shaped by fasting, prayer, and patient hope. While Simeon’s language is about completion—“now dismiss your servant in peace”—Anna’s life moves forward; her verbs keep going. When she sees Jesus, she does not retire. She rises. She speaks. She tells everyone who is longing for redemption that God has come near.

This is the pattern for life in the “in-between” days—between Christmas and Easter, between big moments and daily chores. Just as children learn to care for and share their gifts long after the wrapping paper is thrown away, disciples are called to tend the gift of Jesus in ordinary time. Anna shows that faithful witness does not need angels, miracles, or eloquence. Her strength is a steady devotion that becomes a clear proclamation: God is here. Her age does not excuse her; it emboldens her. Waiting turns into walking. Seeing turns into speaking.

The invitation is to take up Anna’s simple and sturdy vocation. Do not wait for perfect conditions, a younger season of life, or deeper knowledge. Share love now. Tell good news now. Be the kind of person whose worship naturally spills into witness—whose ordinary days are bright with quiet courage. When the decorations are boxed up and the house is messy again, the call remains the same: stand with Anna and say to a weary world, “God is here. Salvation is here. Love has taken on flesh for you.”

Key Takeaways

1. Don’t waste the “in-between” days. These weeks after Christmas are not spiritual leftovers; they are training ground for steady discipleship. Like caring for gifts long after the holiday, faith is tended in small acts of love, kindness, and presence. The way we live between the big days reveals what we truly believe about Emmanuel—God with us. [13:49]
2. Anna models ongoing faithful devotion. Anna’s story is marked by verbs that keep moving—worshiping, fasting, praying, speaking. Seeing Jesus did not end her work; it focused it. Real encounter with Christ deepens vocation rather than ending it, turning waiting hearts into witnessing lives. [31:19]
3. Proclaim simply: God is here. Anna did not preach with polished speeches; Scripture does not even record her words. What matters is that she spoke, clearly and publicly, about the child who brings redemption. You do not need angels or eloquence—only a true encounter and a willing mouth. [35:47]
4. Don’t wait; witness now. Many delay obedience, hoping for a miracle, more knowledge, more people, or a different season of life. That delay can make us miss the grace that is already present. The call is to act on the light we have and let God meet us in our ordinary courage. [37:21]
5. Ordinary days shape enduring faith. Luke reminds us there is holiness in the routine—appointments kept, laws fulfilled, prayers offered. It is in these simple paths that God often meets and sends us. The “bleak midwinter” is not barren; it is where devotion grows roots. [28:35]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[05:56] - Call to Worship
[06:46] - Opening Prayer
[10:36] - Children’s Moment: Caring for the Gift
[15:04] - After-Christmas Reality Check
[24:30] - Scripture: Simeon and Anna
[27:20] - Messy House, Ordinary Days
[29:35] - Meet Anna: Overlooked Prophet
[31:19] - Ongoing Devotion vs. Completion
[32:26] - Anna, First Preacher of Messiah
[33:50] - Simple, Persevering Proclamation
[39:03] - Stand with Anna: God Is Here
[40:43] - Reception of New Members
[50:50] - Prayers for Our Community
[58:06] - Ways to Connect and Serve

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading

- Luke 2:22-38

When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”

Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
For my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel.”

The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

Observation questions

In Luke 2:22-24, what ordinary acts do Mary and Joseph carry out, and what does their simple sacrifice suggest about their life situation?
In this scene, how do Simeon’s words signal “completion,” while Anna’s actions keep moving forward? What specific actions are noted about Anna’s ongoing devotion?
What contrast was drawn between Matthew’s and Luke’s accounts after Christmas, and why does that matter for how we see the days after the holidays? “Matthew… sends them to Egypt… where Luke… has just the short trip up to the temple” [15:04]
“There are no angels… there are no miracles… just Simeon and Anna standing in the temple.” What is present in this story, and what is absent—and why might that be important? [29:35]

Interpretation questions

If the Holy Family’s post-Christmas path is ordinary and faithful, what does that say about where God often meets people in their week—especially in a “bleak midwinter” season? [28:35]
Simeon speaks like his work is finished, while Anna moves from waiting to witnessing. What might God be teaching about calling in different seasons of life—especially later years? [31:19]
“No angels, no miracles—just a woman who says, ‘I have seen my God.’” What might be gained—and what might be lost—when believers look for the spectacular before they speak about Jesus? [35:47]
“If we’re waiting… for anything, we have missed the call of Anna.” What kinds of waiting (for perfect timing, more knowledge, a different season) can quietly hold someone back from obedience? Are there kinds of waiting that are still faithful? [37:21]

Application questions

The “in-between” days matter. What one small practice will you choose this week to tend the gift—prayer at a set time, a note of encouragement, showing up for someone? Be specific about when and where. [13:49]
Think of one person you know who is “looking for redemption.” How could you speak good news to them simply—no polished speech, just a clear word and a willing heart? [35:47]
Where do you feel too old, too young, or too underprepared to serve? What step would look like Anna’s courage to act now rather than wait for a “better” season? [34:29]
Look at your ordinary routines—commute, lunch break, school pick-up, errands. Which one could become a place where worship spills into witness, and what would you actually do there this week? [28:35]
In a week that may feel messy, what is one simple way you can say—by word or deed—“God is here” at home, at work, or online? Choose a time and a person. [39:03]
If you tend to delay obedience until conditions are perfect, what is one next faithful step you will take in the next 48 hours? Who will you tell for gentle accountability? [37:21]
Like caring for a treasured gift after the wrapping is gone, what will you “care for” and “share” this week to tend the gift of Jesus—time in prayer, a meal, a visit, an invitation? Name one action and one recipient. [13:49]

Sermon Clips

We can tell people that we love them. We can help people. We can be kind. We can try to make our world a better place. We can be nice to people that no one else is being nice to. There are all sorts of ways that this gift of Jesus that we've been given, this gift of God's love that we've been given, that we can share that in the world with everybody we meet. [00:13:25] (24 seconds) #LoveInAction

There are all sorts of ways that this gift of Jesus that we've been given, this gift of God's love that we've been given, that we can share that in the world with everybody we meet. And it's not just sitting around and waiting for Christmas or for the church. It's not just sitting around and waiting for Easter, this other night, this other big holiday. It's what do we do in between? And what we do in between is we share the love that we've gotten with everyone that we meet. [00:13:39] (26 seconds) #LiveTheGift

In the church We have this Big celebration We have Christmas Eve Worship with the candles And Silent Night We have the love feast We have the lighting Of the candles We have the men's group Doing their play We have all this stuff During Advent season And then it's over And kind of We move Into the fullness Of winter [00:28:57] (24 seconds) #BeyondTheCandles

It's this devotion It's this faith It's this worship That never stops Anna is the first Person who sees Jesus And goes Okay We need to tell Everyone about this The shepherds go home The wise men go home Mary and Joseph Go off to Egypt Or Nazareth And get back To living life They put all the toys From Christmas away And go back To trying to Figure out This new normal Anna's the only one Who says The baby has been born The Messiah has come And everything is different And you need To know about it [00:34:29] (34 seconds) #UnendingWitness

``No angels No miracles Just a woman Who says I have faith And I have seen My God I have seen My Lord She becomes The first preacher Much like Mary Magdalene And the women At the tomb Become the first Preachers Of the resurrection Anna's The first preacher Of the incarnation The first preacher Of the Messiah The first person To go out Into the world And say Jesus God is here [00:36:07] (35 seconds) #AnnaFirstPreacher

It's a faith It's a devotion That each and every Single one of us Can emulate Each and every Single one of us We don't need To go out And perform miracles We don't need To speak With great eloquence We don't need To speak With some great Academic Depth of knowledge No one knows What Anna said But we know That she said Here is the Messiah And I'm going to go And make sure People know That's our faith That's our call That's who we Are supposed to be [00:36:42] (33 seconds) #EverydayDevotion

We're Anna People called To solid devotion To a focused faith And to the proclamation That God Is in Our midst And that we Can know The God Who created Heaven And earth We can know The God of Israel We can know The God of the Gentiles We can encounter The love Of God Here And now [00:38:18] (31 seconds) #ProclaimGodIsHere

And tell the world God is here Salvation Is here God's love Has been made Into human form For you For me Forever Amen [00:39:13] (21 seconds) #GodIsHereNow

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