Luke's Gospel

Good evening, and welcome to Cornerstone Church PM Service. Welcome in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the 1 who was born, that man no more may die, born to raise a sons of Earth, born to give them second birth. This morning, we were looking at Simmyard who met Jesus in the temple. And in a little bit, we're gonna be hearing from Tom and Pete as they discuss the next story in the bible that follows that where we meet a woman named Anna, who also meets the baby Jesus. Let me pray just before I hand over to Tom and Pete as they look at this next story in the book of Luke.

Father, we do thank you for commission, and we thank you for the the the hierarchy, the structure, the family of church, the churches that we can belong to. We thank you for the support that they give us, the guidance that we share with them the mission that we're on with them to proclaim Jesus and to to plant churches in and around London We pray for Matt as he prepares to speak to us next week. Would you give him words that we, as a church, need to hear? And we pray for Pete as well as he prepares. We thank you that you fed us all this last year, and we we we're confident, Lord, that as we go into 20 21, you will continue speaking to us and giving us the grace that we need daily to walk with you in this world.

As we hear from Tom and Pete now, discuss this next passage in Luke. We pray that you would give us ears and eyes that see and hear the lord Jesus. So would you be with us now in Jesus name, amen? This morning we were looking at Symion who's in the temple when Jesus was brought as a as a child to be circumcised as the law are commanded. And we saw this man, old man called Simyan, who's waiting around for the Messiah to come and he had the privilege of of meeting the Messiah before he died.

Well, we've got another 1 who is an old lady this time and she is in the temple and she's, you know, very very much the counterpart to to Simien. And so Tom is gonna read us these verses. It's from Luke chapter 2 and verse 36. There was also a prophet Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of ASHA. She was very old.

She had lived with her husband 7 years after her marriage and then was a widow until she was 84. She never left the temple but worship 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. When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilei to their own town of Nazareth, and the child grew and became strong. He was filled with wisdom and the grace of God was on him.

So we got this lovely story. Jesus is brought to the temple. Simian is there and all the we were seeing this morning about Simien. And now we have this this prophet or prophetess called Anna. And there's just lots of stuff about it.

I mean, it's there's only a few verses, but it's packed full of of bible references -- Yes. -- really. The the the tentacles go right to the old testament and there's so much wonderful stuff about this woman here. So you've got Anna. Anna comes from the word Hannah, which takes us back to that very great story of Hannah who wanted a child and prayed for a child and She was barren and then the Lord opened her womb and you've got this this woman called Anna Anna means grace She's from the tribe of ASHA.

Mhmm. And ASHA was 1 of the 10 tribes that were taken by Assyria and were dispersed and they they're they're often called the lost tribes. Mhmm. But if you follow through that there were people that came back to Jerusalem from the tribe of ASHA -- Mhmm. -- sort of this lost tribe, and there was a remnant that came back to Jerusalem and she's obviously part of that group.

So there's all of this stuff going on here. Yeah. She's got a great bible heritage and that word Penuel means the face of God as well, doesn't it? So she's a prophet. She's related to the grace word.

She's related to the the the term face of God and she's from this tribe, ASHA, that word which means happy or blessed and is a remnant. So it's a good pedigree, is, yeah, in terms of religious heritage. And she's introduced to us in verse 36 as a prophet. And what we learned from simeon was that the Holy Spirit was revealing to simeon truths about Christ and what Christ would do. And so we guess that the Holy Spirit was doing a very similar thing in her life.

Was speaking to her and revealing to her truths about the Messiah, truth that she was sharing. And, you know, in verse 38, she actually says, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. So she's a prophet because she knows about the child. And the redemption he's gonna bring and she speaks about it. And so that's her ministry, isn't it great, godly heritage speaking about them Neyer and anticipating his Yeah.

I mean, she's fulfilling the old testament really. Yeah. Because she does in herself fulfill the old testament. But also being a prophet, she's speaking, I guess, about the child and the promises in in from the old testament. And that's really what a prophet is.

It's not someone who's just predicting a future that's very rarely in the bible that's so much, but much more opening the law of God up, isn't it? And that's what she's doing. But I think it's interesting. So you got this I I mean, I I guess if you didn't know what was to come. So you've got this woman who's called Grace Anna.

Yeah. We've got seeing the face of God and we've got from the lost tribe of ASHA, you know, back there. We're gonna happy reminant. Yeah. And and and and well, ASHA, ASHA, that's good because ASHA means happy.

Mhmm. Because we go back to another, I won't go into it. Another story of the bible where where he was born and it means happy. So you've got grace and happy and face of God. And so I don't know what you think of.

If you saw this woman, you know, what what what's it gonna look like as she's walking through the temple course. Yes. You could imagine the fill with long blonde hair and she's gorgeous and she's very bouncy and cheerful. But then the next thing is, she was very old. Mhmm.

And indeed she was because she had lived with her husband for 7 years. So that makes her at least 7 after they were married. So people were married, well, she could have been married as early as 14. Mhmm. So so say say 14, 14 and 7 is what?

21. 21. Brilliant. And then it says, but she was widowed for for 84 years. So what's that make?

Hundred and 5. A hundred and 5. She is an old lady. She's not walking through the crowd with a bounce. No.

Maybe with a zimmer frame, although they probably didn't exist then. But this is a woman who may well be, you know, in great pain and doubled up and She's certainly seriously old. An old woman. Yeah. And, you know, that that tells us a little bit about her because although she's got this this happy heritage, she she has obviously known suffering in her life.

And, you know, we're not told whether she had children or, you know, whether like Hannah, she was perhaps barren, not just for a time, but for her whole life. She didn't she didn't get remarried. And so I guess she'd she'd felt a sense of loss because I think, you know, particularly this time of history to not have a husband was quite a was quite a big deal. Mhmm. Someone to look after you and protect you and to ensure the survival of your family name.

You know, widows often had a very hard time. And 1 of the things that god people are absolutely condemned for in the old testament is when they pretend to be religious, but don't look after. The most vulnerable who are widows and orphans. So they were obviously very vulnerable. Everybody knew that.

And so she's lost her husband We guess she'd been barren, not remarried. And so she has she has known suffering, hasn't she? Mhmm. And so And not so had I mean, you know, if you go back 84 years, she was a young bride -- Mhmm. -- looking forward to what most young bright, you know, having a family, bringing up a family, you know, having a husband and just sort of, I guess, getting on with life.

Mhmm. But I think the great thing is she doesn't see life has ended there. Mhmm. We're told that she's been a widow for 84 years. I mean, that's the entire that's an entire life Yeah.

Yeah. So that's that's that's a good regular life expectancy. Yeah. Yeah. Over.

Over. But there's not there's not some bitter woman that God has given plan b to and she's sort of dutifully getting on with it. There is this grace and happiness. Because because she's she's got she's doing the right thing. She gets on with life.

Now, I get Scott could have said after 20 years of being a widow, another man comes along. Mhmm. I don't she was just living day by day, forgot and just saying, well, I'll just get on with what God wants me to get on with. Mhmm. That's quite impressive that isn't it?

It is. Yeah. And we're we're told that she never left the temple. But worship night and day fasting and praying. Now, whether that literally means she she never left or whether meant she just spent the bulk of her time there.

But either way, she's she's absolutely committed to the house of God, to the place of God, and to the Word of God, is she? And in 1 of our Corona Chronicles, not so long ago, we were having to think about some of the religious leaders who, you know, walked around in flowing robes made long prayers for a pretense, but actually, they devoured widows houses. And they're 1 of the things that widows would do if they found themselves in financial difficulty when when widowed, was devote themselves to the temple, so they would actually become servants, permanent servants of temple, and sadly, the pharisees and the teachers have often exploited them, you know, because of that. But that may well have been her situation -- Mhmm. -- that when she was widowed, she came to the temple and committed committed her life to the service of the temple.

And so it may well be that she really hardly left the place because that was her life and her work And yet, as you say, she's not just doing this dutifully. You know, that there is a there is an absolute sense of joy, isn't there? So she she worships, night and day, she fasts, and she prays. So that that's a kind of shorthand way of describing a a consecrated life, isn't it? Yeah.

That is all about God. And a consistent life. And -- Yeah. -- and fasting is that sort of looking to God to answer the prayer, isn't it? So there's a real commitment here.

This isn't just outward ceremony. She I mean, you know, she's worshiping fasting and praying and there's this consistent life. Mhmm. So she's not seen this as plan b, I don't think. She's just said, I'm devoting myself to the lord and getting on with life.

Mhmm. Even though it may have gone different to what she had planned. Her parents had planned for her and her husband had even perhaps planned for her. So this isn't plan b. In fact, it really is plan a.

And then there's this lovely line in verse 38 coming up to them at that very moment. Mhmm. So who are the them? That's Joseph and Mary and Simian, I guess. Yeah.

So she's heard Simian. I mean, she would know Simian because he's there as well. And coming up to But I I love that little those 2 words that or those 3 words at sorry. At that very moment. Forward.

At that very moment. If she wasn't there night and day, she'd have missed it. She'd have missed it. Yeah. Yeah.

And it's quite interesting, isn't it? Yeah. Because how many people miss the blessing of God because they're not there. They're not worshiping. They're not praying.

They're not fasting. They're not with God's people. They're not in the temple. Mhmm. And and you know, I mean, I I suppose there were quite a lot of children who were being brought up to the temple at various times for these different rights.

But obviously, when she sees Mary and Joseph and perhaps hears the words of Sydney and sees this baby, the Holy Spirit perhaps in a special moment there reveals to her that this is the 1 that she has been anticipating and looking forward to all of that time. And she comes right up to them giving thanks to God and speaking about this child. And, you know, that that is what her whole life has been leading up isn't it? So as we were saying a bit earlier, you know, she probably did have plans and wants and aspirations for for life. But her life is not a disappointment, is it?

Because she's been anticipating this Christ child, and she's just so thankful. When she when she finally sees him. And and I think she carries on doing what what the profit does. Mhmm. Because a real profit just talks about Christ.

From the law of God. She's done she she's done that. Now she's seen him. So her her faith has turned into sight. Mhmm.

Isn't it? This is she's seen him as Simien did. Mhmm. And and now she's carrying on speaking, spoke about the child to all who. And I think this is interesting because it does sound like there is a remnant there, a group of people.

We're looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. Yeah. You know, so that's quite interesting, isn't it? So and that word redemption is obviously a lovely word because the buying back of of God's people into into God's family. Mhmm.

And so it all sort of comes together. You've got these lovely phrases and words in this. Mhmm. And and, you know, you can imagine what Mary and Joseph must have been thinking because when the shepherds came, we're told earlier in the chat that that that Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. So there are people arriving to Mary and Joseph.

Telling them incredible things about Christ, their son, which they've already heard a bit about from the angels. But you can imagine them. You know, now this old woman is coming up and speaking to them about their -- Yeah. -- son, this son is gonna be the redemption of Jerusalem and you know, the savior. And they must have just been treasuring and treasuring and treasuring up all these truths that people were sharing with them.

Yeah. So let's think about application then. So we're at the end of 2020. Mhmm. Everybody says it's been a, you know, terrible year.

Mhmm. And I guess we could see it in those terms and think what what a waste of time. What does Anna say to us in in 20 21 coming up? Well, I think she she firstly lets us know that that, you know, there are there are disappointments in life, aren't there? And you know, it it's it's almost certainly true that she she had had a difficult life in places and had known suffering.

And and yet, the coming of g's made a massive difference to the way she viewed her life. And, you know, with any new year, there are bound to be, you know, things that will go well and things that will go bad, and there will be good times, and there will be times of suffering. But I think she reminds us that then actually coming of Jesus changes all of that and that our lives are to be totally given up with with him. You know. And, you know, her whole life, night and day, is spent fasting and praying.

And she's both an encouragement and a challenge to us to see all that we do in the light of the coming of Christ and and to see ourselves as consecrated to him rather than being defined by what happens in the day to day. Because if you look back over this year, what would we have done anyway? You know, are we really free anyway? We would have done we would have had a few more meals out we would have -- Holidays, perhaps. -- a few holidays.

And in the end, what what what on earth does that add up to? So it's not a matter of sort of looking back with regret and what a waste of time and You know, obviously, there's pain and there's mental issues and all kinds of things that have gone on. But But if if we have Christ -- Mhmm. -- we have a future. We have a past.

Mhmm. And we have a future. And and that's somehow we've got to focus in. We need to be a prophet who's opening up the Scriptures like Anna. And under standing the happiness of a child -- Mhmm.

-- that is to come as as the great redeemer. And I think it teaches us it teaches us patience doesn't it here? Because she she had been anticipating this for a long time. I mean, and you can imagine Well, a whole life. A whole life.

Yeah. I mean and, you know, we live in a culture where we, you know, we want same day delivery, we want things instantly, we want them straight away. And, yeah, as we wait for the return of our lord, we're told both to be ready always, but also to expect that there might be a delay, which which she was ready always. Yeah. She was -- Great.

Yeah. -- was worshiping night and day. Yeah. And would have missed him if she wouldn't have been there. Yeah.

Exactly. And, you know, there's an encouragement there, isn't there to to just patiently wait for the coming of the lord and to keep our eyes upon him. You know, it might be next week, but it might be 10000 years, but we're to have this permanent state of both readiness, but also expectation that it might be longer and so we need to keep going with the work. Yeah. It's easy to just go up.

You know, I certainly find, you know, there's times when you go up and down and up and down and but this is a sort of life on tiptoes, isn't it? A long life on tiptoes -- Mhmm. -- really. Wait waiting for the lord. And telling people about the lord Jesus Christ, and prophesying from the Scriptures about the Lord Jesus Christ and waiting patiently, as you say, because she has a hope -- Mhmm.

-- because this is the end of her life, is it? Mhmm. It's not 84 years of of being alone and then you die. It's actually 84 years in the temple, ministering to people serving people. And in the end, that's the great thing.

And she may not have had children, but she clearly has spiritual children because she talked about the dialed and to those who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. So somehow she had gathered a group of people that were her children. So it's so useful, isn't it? And you get that in churches, don't you? I mean, we we we're looking at Simian this morning and you get older men.

They're just fantastic to be around. They understand the scriptures in a way that we don't because they've they've had this hope in them, and then they see Christ that it's fantastic. And, you know, there are women, aren't there? You know, e even in Cornerstone that that I guess if you if you take the world's view and look at their life, you could say, nothing much happened there. Yeah.

But they've waited and they've patiently taught about Jesus. Mhmm. You took kids in Sunday school and throughout their lives, they've stood up for for the gospel. Mhmm. They are people that are full of grace and they are happy.

Mhmm. And we absolutely need the church to be populated with those people, don't we? So that, you know, younger ones can look up to them and and say, well, you know, they've known hardships, but if the Lord has kept them and he can keep me going as well. And so I'm gonna devote my life to the same things. And who knows?

I mean, they may not have considered it quite in the terms that we do. But this, you know, for Jesus, this could have been Antiana. You know, auntie, I was gonna see auntie Anna down at the temple, you know. Yeah. Here what she's gotta say.

Yeah. Yeah. You know, uncle Simian and going, his his insights and stuff. And perhaps as the child, you know, we're told verse 40, the child grew in wisdom, and he was filled with wisdom in the great of God. Perhaps partly, his filling just by being exposed to Anna and Simien and hearing hearing them open the word of God.

Yeah. I mean, it is interesting because the next story that Luke puts there is is Jesus as a boy in the temple teaching, word of God. Mhmm. So I I mean that's an amazing thing because you've had Simyan and he's probably gone and you've got Anna and she's probably gone. Mhmm.

But Jesus there, They they look forward to the boy who's right in the temple. Mhmm. You know, this is the father's house and the son has come. Mhmm. And there he is teaching the scriptures.

Mhmm. And he and even he I mean, that's an amazing thought. He's a is a sort of follow on to Simians and Anna's world. Yeah. That's She's given birth, hasn't she?

Yeah. She's given but in 1 sense. Yeah. You know? Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Well, I think we probably finished there but there's loads of stuff there -- Mhmm.

-- for this new year and for thinking about what we've learned this year.