Read: Luke 2:36–38
She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.
Luke 2:37b
Three verses. That is all that is given to Anna, the second aged person after Simeon who is given the utmost privilege of seeing the baby Jesus at the temple. A respected man and now a woman of the same character bear witness to the fact that the Messiah has now come into the world. She will be remembered by future generations as the model of a faithful widow.
There are very few female prophets, or prophetesses, mentioned in the Bible, and Anna is one of them. Others named are Miriam, Deborah, Huldah, and Noadiah. There are also a few others not mentioned directly by name, like Isaiah’s wife and Philip’s four daughters in the book of Acts. Perhaps these female messengers of God warrant your later study.
What an example of faithfulness Anna is to us. After only seven years of marriage, she is widowed. The original Greek is unclear as to whether she was 84 years old or had been a widow for 84 years. Regardless, it doesn’t change the point that she is now an old widow.
What might have been a life of hopelessness in that culture Anna instead turned into a life of fulfillment in the Lord. She could be found in the temple night and day for decades, fasting and worshiping the Lord. If we accept this at face value, we can assume that this resulted in a very close walk with God.
We know that God can supernaturally intervene in our lives too, but this isn’t necessarily the norm. It requires discipline like that of Anna to seek out the Lord through reading and meditating on His Word, praying, fasting, and seeking fellowship with other believers. I know from my own personal experience that if I dedicate myself to such pursuits, God is more evident in my life and I am more attuned to His Holy Spirit guiding my actions. It is a clear case of cause and effect.
This is surely the case with Anna. As a result, God uses her as a prophetess and rewards her faithfulness with a personal encounter with His Son. Can you imagine the motivation that it is for her from that day forward to tell about Jesus “to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem”? The Jews were definitely looking for redemption from Roman rule and for the prophesied Messiah to come, so this should be welcome news.
The lesson I’ve learned from Anna’s life is simple: be found faithful with your life, and God will show up and do amazing things in, to, and through you. So, make that commitment today to be disciplined in your spiritual walk.