“Come Thou Long Expected Jesus”
by Charles Wesley
Come, thou long expected Jesus,
born to set thy people free;
from our fears and sins release us,
let us find our rest in thee.
Israel’s strength and consolation,
hope of all the earth thou art;
dear desire of every nation,
joy of every longing heart.
Born thy people to deliver,
born a child and yet a King,
born to reign in us forever,
now thy gracious kingdom bring.
By thine own eternal spirit
rule in all our hearts alone;
by thine all sufficient merit,
raise us to thy glorious throne.
Have you ever found yourself DONE with Christmas as of December 25? You’ve spent weeks (maybe months) doing parties, presents, decorating, cooking, more presents, more gatherings, then church services and you are just done, Done, DONE! with Christmas? Or you’ve studied the Matthew 1 & 2 and Luke 1 & 2:1-20 stories so much you are feeling like there’s not much left for you to discover? After all, Mary & Joseph made it to Bethlehem, the baby Jesus was born, the angels announced the birth, and the shepherds visited the baby. What else is there?
A few years ago, I read beyond Luke 2:20 and realized that, while the events of Christmas may have concluded, the story surrounding Jesus’s birth wasn’t finished. I discovered two remarkably faithful individuals. I invite you to continue reading the Scriptures with me, and let’s see what God wants to reveal to us through these two people.
“On the day of the baby’s circumcision ceremony, eight days after his birth, his parents gave him the name Jesus, the name prophesied by the angel before he was born. Forty days after the birth of her son, Mary’s time of purification had completed, so she came to the temple with a sacrifice, according to the law of Moses. So Mary and Joseph took baby Jesus to Jerusalem to be dedicated before the Lord. For it is stated in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male shall be set apart for God” and is required to offer a prescribed sacrifice, “either a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”
“As they came to the temple to fulfill this requirement, an elderly man was there waiting—a resident of Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. He was a very good man, a lover of God who kept himself pure, and the Spirit of holiness rested upon him. Simeon believed in the imminent appearing of the one called “The Refreshing of Israel.” For the Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would not see death before he saw the Messiah, the Anointed One of God. Keeping his promise, the Holy Spirit led Simeon to be in the temple court at the very moment Jesus’ parents entered to fulfill the requirement of the sacrifice.
“Simeon cradled the baby in his arms and praised God and prophesied:
“Lord and Master, I am your loving servant, and now I can die content, for you have fulfilled your promise to me. With my own eyes I have seen your Word, the Savior you sent into the world. He will be glory for your people Israel, and the Revelation-Light for all people everywhere!”
“Mary and Joseph stood there, awestruck over what was being said about their baby. Simeon then blessed them and prophesied over Mary, saying:
“A painful sword will one day pierce your inner being, for your child will be rejected by many in Israel. And the destiny of your child is this: he will be laid down as a miracle sign for the downfall and resurrection of many in Israel. Many will oppose this sign, but it will expose to all the innermost thoughts of their hearts before God.”
“A prophetess named Anna was also in the temple court that day. She was from the tribe of Asher and the daughter of Phanuel. Anna was an aged widow who had been married only seven years before her husband passed away. After he died she chose to worship God in the temple continually. For the past eighty-four years she had been serving God with night-and-day prayer and fasting.
“While Simeon was prophesying over Mary and Joseph and the baby, Anna walked up to them and burst forth with a great chorus of praise to God for the child. From that day forward she told everyone in Jerusalem who was waiting for their redemption that the anticipated Messiah had come!” (Luke 2:21-38 TPT)
Simeon and Anna. Two elderly prophets whose faith in God and his Word was finally rewarded when they were able to cradle the baby Messiah in their arms. Anna had chosen to worship God in the temple continually, fasting and praying as she served God for the past eighty-four years. Simeon is described as “righteous and devout” who had a spirit of holiness resting upon him; God had promised he would not die before he saw the Messiah. This was the day they had both waited for. Just as the Israelites waited 400 years from the time of the Old Testament to the time of the New – from the time of the final prophecies to the coming of Messiah – Simeon and Anna had each waited decades to see the Messiah.
“Waiting is hard.” Very true for me; perhaps easier for you. Yet, Simeon and Anna demonstrated what happens when we faithfully wait – praising and serving God, fasting, praying, keeping our hearts and spirits pure. What an amazing feeling it must have been to have FINALLY seen all your waiting come to fruition! What an amazing moment when they held the baby Messiah in their arms, knowing all the waiting had been worth it.
God,
Thank you for being the same yesterday, today, and forever and for your love and grace for your Creation. Thank you for the stories of people like Simeon and Anna who faithfully and actively waited the fulfillment of your promises. Help us to have hearts and minds that honor you, even while we wait, and actively seek to see your Kingdom fulfilled here on earth. We ask in Jesus’s name, Amen.