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She Held Jesus, the Messiah, in Her Arms
The Verse
At that very moment she began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. Luke 2:38 (NASB)
The Story
Her name was Anna. She was the daughter of Phanuel. From the tribe of Asher, the son of Jacob, on whom Jacob's blessing continued from generation to generation.
"Bread from Asher shall be rich, and he shall yield royal dainties," Jacob proclaimed.
Anna was very old, and she was also very wise. A widow for eighty-four years, she never left the temple. She was a prophetess. And her greatest joy was serving in the temple night and day with fastings and prayers. Anna held firm to her hope that one day she would see the Messiah.
Then one morning, when Jesus was eight days old, Mary and Joseph set out for Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord. There in Jerusalem, they approached the temple gate.
What a sight to see! The temple was made of marble, white like snow, and gold that glittered in the sunlight. It was a sacred place where the Jewish people came to worship the One true God of heaven and earth.
Joseph and Mary, who was carrying Jesus, pressed through the crowded courtyard. And, there in the courtyard, Anna saw Jesus! She made her way through the crowd and caressed the crown of His head. Then she gently took Jesus, the Messiah, into her arms and held Him. Mary had a questioning look on her face. But Anna gave no answers. Filled with the Holy Spirit, she gazed in wonder upon the Child.
“Yahweh, I give thanks to You for letting my eyes behold my Redeemer," she said.
“Thank you,” Anna said to Mary, as she handed Jesus back to her. Then Anna went through the courtyard shouting, "Rejoice! all who are looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. For the Messiah has come."
Did you know the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Roman army 70 years after Jesus' death on a Roman cross? But because Jesus rose from the grave, and He lives, the Spirit of God now dwells in every believer. Just like the temple in Jerusalem, Jesus makes us as white as snow and as pure as gold glittering in His light.
I Corinthians 3:16-17 says, "Do you not know you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are."
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