Annie
Scriptures
Isaiah 7:14 Luke 2
Genesis 3:15 Isaiah 53
“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”
Each day, she made her way to the Temple, just as she had from the day when her husband of only seven years had died. Each day, she poured her heart out to God, reminding Him of all of the promises He had given to His people, interceding for those people to the only One who was faithful and true. Each day her trust and belief in all of God’s promises to love and care for people whose lives were ravaged by the curse of sin, was tested by the evil and corruption that surrounded her. Yet, each day, she prayed and fasted. Then the day came, the day she had waited and yearned for all those 84 years, the day she saw God’s greatest promise fulfilled.
The day had begun like any other, her prayers alone at home, preparing her for her time ahead at the temple where, as she did every day, she would pray for the coming of the One who would redeem them. Leaving her home, she began the walk to the Temple, nodding to her neighbours as she trod the oh so familiar path. They all knew her, they called her a prophetess, and showed her the respect and deference that both her age and this gifting God had given her commanded. Many had seen her make this walk all of their lives and sighed, wondering how much longer she could go on, she was showing the signs of her great age, her steps slower than they had been, her back just a little more bent. But, she kept on going to the Temple, each day, this was her life, her mission, they could do nothing but admire her faithfulness and trust in God. None of them could know, that this day would be the day her life would change forever.
As she reached the Temple, she became aware that something was different. There arose within her spirit an anticipation, a quickening that she knew came from God and she sped up her steps. That was when she saw them. Standing beside her old friend Simeon, who had received his own promise from God that he would not die before he had seen the Messiah, were a young couple with a new baby son. Clearly they had come for him to receive a blessing as the law required, but there was something so far from normal in the way Simeon was behaving. His face was alight, tears streaming down his cheeks as he took the child in his arms and began to cry out to God.
It was then that Anna realised that there, before her, was the fulfilment of God’s greatest promise. She was witnessing what her heart had so longed for, the coming of the Messiah, the Son of God who would be the Saviour of His people and the whole world. She listened as Simeon’s words rang out: “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.”
Anna felt as if her old heart would burst with joy, she, too, began weeping tears of thanksgiving and awe that the God she had so faithfully served all those long years had not forgotten His promise on that fateful day in the Garden of Eden. His promise to the evil one who had tempted Adam and Eve, the one who had deceived them with false promises and condemned them to separation from the God who loved them so much. That day God had declared that, no matter how long it took or how much it may seem that sin had the upper hand, the evil one was cursed. The Messiah would have His heel bruised, but Satan, that evil deceiver and murderer, would be forever crushed and defeated.
The promises of God are sure and steadfast, always remembered by Him, always fulfilled in His time and in His way. The long awaited Messiah was indeed born from a virgin’s womb, His Name is Immanuel – God with us, He is, as God promised, the only Saviour of the world, the only One able to redeem fallen, sinful humankind. The only One who promises, and fulfils that promise, to offer everlasting life to all who believe, turn to Him and follow Him all their days. Jesus, the Messiah from God, truly is the only Revelation of God who loves His children so much that He died a cruel, vicious death, yet rose again, the Victor, King of kings and Lord of lords so that we might live with Him in Glory forever.
Prayer: Abba Father, may we for all of our days, just like Anna and Simeon, recognise and joyfully worship Your Promised One, our only Redeemer, Saviour and King, our Lord Jesus Christ, and fall down in thanksgiving and praise to You, the only True God. Amen.
Link to Anna’s song (All my heart rejoices)