After Jesus was born, his family followed the custom of the day in taking him to the temple in order to make a sacrifice to the Lord. While there, they met two elderly people who are models of how to respond to Jesus.

Sermon One – Simeon: Waiting for the Lord (Luke 2:25-35)

Simeon was an old man who is described as ‘righteous and devout’. At some point in his life he had received a word from the Holy Spirit that he would see the Christ before he died, and so he spent his life in the temple waiting for this to be fulfilled. When he did see Jesus, he was filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit, and he praised God and prophesies about what Christ would do. In this sermon you can reflect on the life of patient waiting for God, and how Christ is worth the wait!

Sermon Two – Anna: Worshipping the Lord (Luke 2:26-38)

Like Simeon, Anna was old and had spent a long time in the temple. She was widowed after only seven years of marriage, and was now eighty-four. Ever since her husband passed away, she based herself in the temple and spent her time in prayer and worship. She also had a prophetic gift. When Jesus was brought to the temple, she instantly recognised him for who he was and she began to give praises to God for him and to speak about him to everyone she could. This is the right response to the Christmas story – praise to God and witness to the world!