ANNA THE PROPHETESS: Worshipful Waiting

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The Gospel writers only included a few stories about the childhood of Christ. In fact, we know very little about the first thirty years of His life on earth. Every account was carefully chosen. Luke narrated the story of Jesus being presented in the Temple (Luke 2:22–38) as an initial fulfillment of the prophecy that the Messiah would come to the Temple (Mal. 3:1). Furthermore, the story shows that Jesus’ identity as the Messiah was divinely confirmed by respected servants of God—Simeon and Anna. Even before Christ began His public teachings and miracles, there was no doubt He was the Savior, for Spirit-filled people recognized Him. Today, let us take a closer look at Anna the Prophetess.

THE WIDOW

After Luke tells us that Simeon, a righteous and devout man, recognized the infant Christ, gave a prophecy, and blessed Mary and Joseph (Luke 2:25–35), Anna enters the scene. Perhaps she overheard Simeon’s words, or perhaps she too was led by the Holy Spirit to acknowledge the Savior. Luke records that she was a prophetess from the tribe of Asher and very old (v. 36). Historically, Asher’s tribe carried little significance. It produced no known king, warrior, judge, or prophet and was even considered among the “lost tribes” since many did not return after the Babylonian exile. Anna had been married for only seven years before becoming a widow, and she remained one until the age of eighty-four. (Some suggest she had been a widow for eighty-four years, but that is unlikely.) In those days, widows were in a vulnerable state, often dependent on their children or the charity of others. This is why they were a special priority for care in the early church (1 Tim. 5:1–16).

THE WAITING

Simeon is described as one who was “waiting for the consolation of Israel” (v. 25). God had promised comfort for His people when the “last day” came (Isa. 49:13; 51:3; 52:9, etc.), and Simeon was waiting for the Messiah who would bring it. Along with comfort, God also promised redemption (Isa. 52:3; Jer. 31:11; Hos. 13:4) and the restoration of the scattered tribes of Israel (Ezek. 37:21–22; Isa. 11:12; Jer. 30:3). This makes Anna’s excitement more understandable: the coming of the Messiah meant that God would soon gather even the lost members of her own tribe, Asher. Once Anna recognized that the promise had finally arrived, she immediately shared the good news with others “who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem” (v. 38). Simeon, Anna, and all who were waiting for the Lord were not disappointed that day. For Mary and Joseph, it may have seemed like an ordinary occasion of presenting their firstborn (Luke 2:22–24), but for those who had long been waiting, it was the most significant day of their lives. For Anna, salvation appeared before her in the form of a baby.

THE WORSHIP

What was Anna doing during her years of waiting? “She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying” (v. 37). Though she could have chosen to remarry to continue her family line, she instead devoted herself fully to God. She fasted and prayed continually. Why? The prophets had announced that before the “day of the Lord” came (Joel 2:1–11)—that is, the last days—people should return to God with “fasting, weeping, and mourning” (Joel 2:12). Fasting was a sign of grief over sin. As a prophetess, Anna understood Israel’s need for repentance before the coming of the Lord. Her fasting and prayers revealed both her deep devotion to God and her intercession for the nation. Other prophets had done the same for their people (Moses in Deut. 9:18–19; Samuel in 1 Sam. 7:5–6; Nehemiah in Neh. 1:4). Anna’s lifestyle reflected her earnest anticipation of the day of redemption. It is no wonder, then, that God allowed her to witness the Messiah’s arrival. Like Simeon, she was blessed to see Christ with her own eyes. And when her waiting was over, she responded by giving thanks to God and proclaiming the good news (v. 38). Her life of devotion was rewarded: she became one of the first witnesses of Christ and gave her tribe—otherwise unnoticed in history—a place of honor in God’s story.

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Anna’s devotion is also a powerful example for us today. Like her, we are waiting for the Lord’s coming. Christ promised He will return, though we do not know when. Anna surely did not expect the exact day she would meet Him, but because she lived daily in prayer and worship, she was in the perfect time, place, and posture to welcome her Savior. May Christ find us in the same condition when He comes again. “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come” (Matt. 24:42).

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