Only Those Who Waited Saw

Introduction A child was brought into the temple in Jerusalem. His parents had come in obedience to the law. Verse 21 tells us his name was Jesus. Verses 22–24 tell us that his parents offered a pair of turtledoves — the sacrifice prescribed for those who could not afford a lamb. There was nothing outwardly remarkable about this family. They were poor. The child appeared ordinary in every way. And yet Luke places this scene deliberately within the temple courts — the heart of Jewish religious life. The most learned men in Israel were there. Those who taught the law were there. The ones who should have been first to recognize the Messiah were there. None of them saw anything. All the learning, all the religious authority, all the years of study — and they saw nothing. But two people saw. Simeon and Anna. Why does Luke place this contrast here? That is the question this passage asks. Where does the eye that recognizes the Messiah come from? I. Those Who Should Have Seen Did Not See When Jesus was brought into the temple, none of the religious leaders responded. They were present. They knew the Scriptures. They said they were waiting for the Messiah. And yet they did not see. This is a pattern Luke repeats throughout his Gospel. When Jesus teaches in the synagogue, the scribes question his authority. When he heals the sick, the Pharisees cite the Sabbath. When he teaches in the temple, the chief priests demand to know the source of his power. Those who know the most see the least. Why? Not for lack of knowledge. They had memorized the Scriptures. They knew the prophecies concerning the Messiah. The problem lay elsewhere. "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Corinthians 2:14) They did not have the Spirit. Biblical knowledge cannot substitute for the Holy Spirit. Religious status does not guarantee the Spirit's presence. The eye that recognizes the Messiah does not come from scholarship. II. Those Who Waited Saw Simeon — The Spirit Is Named Three Times When Luke introduces Simeon, he mentions the Holy Spirit three times. Verse 25 — the Holy Ghost was upon him. Verse 26 — it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost. Verse 27 — he came by the Spirit into the temple. Three times in three verses. This is not accidental. Luke is deliberate. He is showing us that Simeon's recognition of the child did not arise from his own spiritual brilliance. From beginning to end, the Spirit led. The Spirit was upon him, the Spirit spoke to him, the Spirit brought him there. And in that Spirit-led place, he saw. What Simeon held in his arms was a poor family's infant. There was nothing to distinguish him from any other child. And yet from Simeon's lips came this: "For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel." (Luke 2:30–32) When the Spirit opens the eye, this is what is seen — not an ordinary infant, but the salvation of all peoples. The light to the Gentiles. The glory of Israel. Without the Spirit, it cannot be seen. Anna — Eighty-Four Years of Waiting Anna is the only woman in the New Testament given the title of prophetess. Her story begins with loss. She had lived with her husband for only seven years before he died. After that, eighty-four years as a widow — the lowest position in that society. But she did not leave the temple. She served God with fastings and prayers night and day. Eighty-four years. And then the day came when the waiting ended. "And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem." (Luke 2:38) Anna saw. And she could not stop. She began to speak. The Greek ἐλάλει is imperfect — she kept on speaking, to everyone she met, without stopping. Eighty-four years of waiting had made her a witness. III. The Spirit Works in Those Who Wait One misunderstanding must be cleared away first. Waiting does not produce the Spirit. The length or quality of our waiting does not guarantee the Spirit's presence. The Holy Spirit works sovereignly, as God wills. What then was the waiting of Simeon and Anna? It was the posture of remaining open to the Spirit. Simeon was "waiting for the consolation of Israel" (v. 25). Anna "departed not from the temple" and served with fastings and prayers. The direction of their waiting was fixed toward God's promise. And in that place, the Spirit moved. Three Shapes of Waiting — For Us Today What does waiting look like for us? First, remaining before the Word. Simeon held fast to the prophecies of Isaiah. He did not release the promise of salvation that Scripture had given him. Waiting is not an abstract hope. It is standing on a specific word. It means carving out time in a crowded day to stop before the Scriptures. The Spirit speaks in that place. Second, opening the heart to God through prayer. Anna prayed night and day. Prayer is not a mechanism for compelling God to act. It is the act of turning the heart toward Him. This is why we bow our knees. The Spirit opens our eyes in the place of prayer. Third, waiting within the worshipping community. Simeon did not wait alone — he was in the temple. Anna did not leave the temple. Waiting is not a solitary private discipline. It is the act of a community holding together to God's promises. Every time we gather in this place, that is what we are doing. "For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it." (Romans 8:24–25) Waiting is not doing nothing. It is fixing the heart toward what cannot yet be seen. Remaining before the Word, opening the heart in prayer, looking together within the community of worship — this is the place where the Spirit works. Conclusion Simeon waited a lifetime and recognized the child at once. Anna waited eighty-four years and could not be silent when she saw him. The waiting was not wasted. The Spirit had been opening their eyes through all of it. We can attend worship and still not see. We can know the Bible well and still not see. The eye that recognizes the Messiah does not come from knowledge or experience. But those who remain before the Word, who open their hearts in prayer, who wait together within the worshipping community — the Spirit works in that place. They will see what Simeon saw. They will speak what Anna spoke. The eye that recognizes the Messiah is opened by the Holy Spirit, and waiting prepares it. Do not give up the waiting. Keep returning to the Word. Keep the place of prayer. Keep gathering here together. The Holy Spirit will not fail to work in that waiting.