Those Who Didn’t Miss Him
A few years ago, a Chick-fil-A opened up in Murfreesboro and they ran that “First 100” promotion. The first 100 adults through the doors at 6 a.m. would get free Chick-fil-A for a year, basically a free meal every week. So people did what people do when something is on the line. They showed up early, brought lawn chairs and blankets, and camped out overnight in the parking lot. The news story said the line hit 100 people by around 6 p.m. the night before, and everybody just settled in to wait for morning.
Now, quick confession: I am not a Chick-fil-A superfan. I know some of you love the Lord’s chicken deeply. I’m more like, “I’ll eat it if it’s in front of me.” But I respect the commitment. That takes, “I want this enough that I’m going to rearrange my evening to be there when the doors open.” And it got me thinking about what we are willing to show up early for. What we will build our schedule around.
What we refuse to miss.
And this week, we're in this unique moment on the calendar, aren't we? Christmas has happened. The presents have been opened, the leftovers are in the fridge, and maybe you've already started to think about New Year's resolutions or what 2026 might hold. But here's the thing—Christmas is behind us, and yet life is still... life. The bills still need to be paid. The relationships that were complicated on December 23rd are still complicated on December 28th. The questions you had before Christmas? Yeah, they're still there.
And I think that's important to acknowledge because sometimes we treat Christmas like it's supposed to fix everything, like once we celebrate the birth of Jesus, everything should just fall into place. But that's not how it works, is it? Jesus Himself said, "In this world you will have tribulation." Real talk. Real suffering. Real difficulty. But then He adds this: "But take heart; I have overcome the world." So yes, life is still life—but we have hope that goes deeper than our circumstances.
Why Simeon and Anna Matter
So here's what we're doing. We're closing out this series by looking at Luke chapter 2, verses 22 through 38. And Luke does something really interesting at the end of the Christmas story. He doesn't end with angels and shepherds and a big climactic moment. He ends with two old people in the temple. Two quiet, faithful saints who had been showing up and praying and waiting for decades. No spotlight. No fanfare. Just Simeon and Anna, doing what they'd always done, watching for God to move.
And I love that Luke gives them the final word in the birth narrative, because it tells us something really important: the people who don't miss Jesus are often the people who keep showing up.
That's going to be a theme for us today. Because as we step into a new year, a lot of us are thinking about what's next. We're asking questions like, "God, where are You in my situation? What do You want from me? How do I move forward?" And Simeon and Anna are going to show us how to end one season and enter another well. They're going to teach us how to watch for Jesus, how to worship while we wait, and how to speak hope to the people around us who are waiting too.
So let's set the scene, and then we'll dig into the passage.
Setting the Scene
Mary and Joseph are bringing baby Jesus to the temple. This is about 40 days after His birth. They're there to fulfill the Law. Mary's going through her purification ceremony, and they're dedicating their firstborn son to the Lord, just like Exodus 13 requires. And because they're poor, they bring the offering that the Law allows for those who can't afford a lamb: a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons. It's a small detail, but it matters. This is a humble family doing what God asked them to do. Ordinary obedience.
And Mary and Joseph didn't know that on this particular day, in this particular moment, God had two people waiting in the wings. Two people who had been faithful for so long that when the moment finally came, they were exactly where they needed to be.
Let's read the passage, Luke 2:22-38, and then we'll unpack it together.
And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,
“Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
according to your word;
for my eyes have seen your salvation
that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and for glory to your people Israel.”
And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”
And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.
Simeon Teaches Us How to Wait with Hope
The first person we meet is Simeon. And Luke gives us this description in verse 25:
“Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.”
So what do we know about Simeon? Well, Luke tells us he's righteous and devout. Now, that doesn't mean Simeon was perfect or that he'd somehow earned God's favor by being a just a really good, great, swell kind-of guy. The word "righteous" here, δίκαιος, means that God had declared him justified by faith. Some translations even say that he was “just and devout.” Simeon trusted God's promises, and God counted that faith as righteousness: just like He did with Abraham, just like He does with us. Simeon wasn't self-righteous; he was God-righteous.
And he was devout, εὐλαβής. That word means careful, reverent, serious about God. Simeon wasn't casual about his faith. He wasn't a guy who showed up to the temple once a year and called it good. He was consistent. He was the kind of person who built his whole life around God's presence and God's promises.
And notice this: Simeon was faithful without being flashy.
Nobody knew his name until this moment. There's no record of Simeon doing anything extraordinary. He's not Elijah calling down fire. He's not John the Baptist baptizing in the Jordan. He's just a man who loved God and believed God's Word and kept showing up. And you know what? That's most of us, isn't it? We're not going to be famous. We're not going to have stadiums full of people cheering for us. But we can be faithful. We can be steady. We can show up.
Now, here's what Simeon was waiting for. Verse 25 says he was "waiting for the consolation of Israel." That’s a reference to God's promise to comfort His people. Isaiah 40 starts with these words: "Comfort, comfort my people, says your God." The Jewish people had been waiting for centuries for God to send the Messiah, the One who would bring comfort and rescue and restoration. And Simeon believed it was going to happen. He was waiting with expectation, προσδεχόμενος prosdechomenos, and it means to await with expectancy, to welcome.
Because Biblical waiting is never passive.
It's not sitting around twiddling your thumbs, hoping and wishing upon a star that something good might happen someday. It's active. It's watching. It's living with your eyes open and your heart ready.
Think about it like this: if you're waiting for someone you love to come home, maybe your spouse is on a business trip, or your kid's coming home from college, you're not just waiting. You're listening for the car in the driveway. You're glancing at the clock. You're anticipating the moment the door opens. That's the kind of waiting Simeon had. He was leaning forward, looking for God to move.
And I want you to notice this: the Holy Spirit was all over this. Verse 25 says the Spirit was upon him. Verse 26 says it had been revealed to Simeon by the Holy Spirit that he wouldn't die before he saw the Messiah. And verse 27 says the Spirit led him into the temple at exactly the right moment.
Simeon wasn't guessing. He was being guided.
And when the Spirit nudged him and said, "Go to the temple today," what did Simeon do? He went. He didn't hesitate. He didn't second-guess. He didn't say, "Well, I don’t know. I woke up a little late, and I haven’t even had a chance to get ready or have breakfast yet. You know, just let me think about it for a bit then I’ll let you know what I decide." No. He just obeyed. And because he obeyed, he was in the right place at the right time, ready to see with his own eyes the very thing God promised.
I’ll put it like this: if you want to see Jesus clearly, if you want to recognize when God is moving in your life, you've got to keep showing up. You've got to stay connected to the Bible, to prayer, to worship, to community. Those aren't optional things. Those are the places where God meets us. And as a believer, if I know where God is going to meet me, I want to be there. And when the Spirit prompts you, when you sense God nudging you to reach out to someone, to serve in a certain way, to step out in faith, don't overthink it. Just go.
Simeon Shows Us What It Means to See Jesus Clearly
Okay, rant over. Let’s move on. Simeon comes into the temple, and he sees Mary and Joseph with baby Jesus. And immediately, he takes the child in his arms and blesses God. Listen to what he says in verses 29 through 32:
“Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
according to your word;
for my eyes have seen your salvation
that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and for glory to your people Israel.”
This is one of the most beautiful prayers in the Bible, in my opinion. Because we learn that Simeon's peace comes from seeing Jesus, not from fixing his circumstances.
He doesn't say, "Lord, thank You that my problems are solved." He doesn't say, "Thank You that my health is perfect and my bank account is just so incredibly full." He says, "I can die in peace now, because I've seen Your salvation." Simeon's whole life had been oriented toward this moment, and now that he's holding the Messiah in his arms, he's satisfied. He's complete.
And that tells us something incredibly important about where real peace comes from. Peace doesn't come from having everything figured out. It doesn’t come from a hyper-successful life. It comes from seeing Jesus. It comes from knowing that God has kept His promise, that salvation is here, that the rescue we need is not a program or a plan, it's a Person.
And notice what Simeon says about Jesus. He calls Him
"a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel." (Luke 2:32, ESV)
Simeon sees that Jesus isn't just for the Jews. He's for everyone. He's the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy that the Messiah would be a light to the nations. This baby in Simeon's arms is the hope of the world.
I think it’s safe to say that many of us may be stepping into 2026 with uncertainty. Maybe you're facing a health issue, or a financial strain, or a broken relationship. Maybe you're asking, "God, where are You? Why does it feel like things are falling apart?" And here's what Simeon would say to you: Christmas isn’t about what you feel. It's about rescue.
Jesus didn't come to make your life a little bit better. He came to save you. To redeem you. To bring you into relationship with God. And when you see that, when you really grasp that Jesus is your salvation, it changes everything. It doesn't erase the hard stuff, but it gives you a peace that goes deeper than your circumstances. A peace that goes beyond your understanding, of how you even are able to have peace in the circumstances you’re in. A peace that says, "Even if nothing else changes, I have Jesus. And that's more than enough."
Simeon Tells the Truth About Jesus
Now, after Simeon blesses Jesus, he turns to Mary and says something that must have stopped her in her tracks. Verses 34-35:
“And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.””
Could you imagine if Pastor Josh came up here during a baby dedication Sunday and said something like this? Not your typical baby dedication. But Simeon’s basically saying, "Mary, this child is going to divide people. Some will rise because of Him. Some will fall. And it's going to cost you. You're going to experience deep, piercing pain."
So why even say this? Because God, through Simeon is teaching us that Jesus forces a decision.
You don’t get to be neutral about Jesus. You can't just say, "Oh, He was a nice teacher" or "I respect His values" and leave it at that. Jesus came to be the cornerstone, and every person either builds their life on Him or stumbles over Him. Middle ground doesn’t exist.
And I know that can be uncomfortable for a lot of people, because we live in a culture that says, "Just let people do their thing. Don't be divisive. Don't make it so black and white. Just you do you." But Jesus Himself said in Luke 11:23: "Whoever is not with me is against me." Jesus didn’t come to earth come to make everyone comfortable. He came to reveal what's true and to call us to respond.
And Simeon says in verse 35 that Jesus will reveal "the thoughts from many hearts." In other words, Jesus exposes what's really going on inside us. He confronts our pride, our selfishness, our secret sins, our hidden motives. And that can be hard. Raise your hand if you like your sins exposed. Yeah, no one. Nobody likes to be exposed. But here's the thing: Jesus doesn't just comfort us. He reveals what's true in us, because He intends to heal what's broken in us.
If you've got stuff in your heart that needs to be dealt with, and I’m not going to ask for hands here, but all of us do, Jesus isn't going to ignore it. He's going to lovingly, gently, persistently bring it to light. And the purpose isn’t to shame you, but to set you free. Because you can't heal what you won't acknowledge.
And then there's that line about the sword piercing Mary's soul. Simeon's telling her, "The cradle leads to the cross." This baby you're holding is going to grow up to be the Savior who dies for the sins of the world. And you're going to watch it happen. You're going to stand at the foot of the cross and see your son suffer, and it's going to break your heart.
Even in the birth narrative, Luke is pointing us forward to the crucifixion. Because that's the whole point. Jesus came to die. He came to be the sacrifice, the ransom, the payment for our sin. And that mission included suffering, for Him and for those who loved Him.
Anna Teaches Us How to Worship While We Wait
Now, just when you think the story's over, Luke introduces us to Anna. Verses 36-27:
“And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day.”
So Anna's story is heartbreaking in a lot of ways. She was married for seven years, and then her husband died. And from that point on, for decades, she was a widow. And instead of becoming bitter or withdrawing or giving up on God, she devoted herself to worship. She lived in the temple. She fasted. She prayed. Night and day.
Here's what I want you to see: Pain can be real without becoming your identity.
Anna had every reason to be angry at God. She could have said, "God, I trusted You, and You took my husband. I'm done." But she didn't. She chose to build her life around God's presence instead of her pain. And that doesn't mean she wasn't sad. It doesn't mean she didn't grieve. But it means she didn't let grief have the final word.
And that's a powerful example for us, because a lot of us are carrying stuff. Maybe you've lost someone you love. Maybe you've been through a divorce, or a betrayal, or a disappointment that knocked the wind out of you. And the question is: what are you going to do with it? Are you going to let it define you, or are you going to bring it to God and say, "Lord, I don't understand this, but I'm going to keep showing up. I'm going to keep worshiping. I'm going to keep trusting You"?
Anna chose worship. And because she chose worship, she was there when Jesus showed up.
Now, notice what her worship looked like. It wasn't flashy. It wasn't performance. It was fasting and prayer, night and day. Anna built a life around the presence of God.
She wasn't trying to impress anyone. She wasn't angling for recognition. She was just there, consistently, faithfully, drawing near to the Lord. And that kind of consistency matters, because it positions us to see what God is doing.
Think about it: if you only show up when it's convenient, if you only pray when you're in crisis, if you only open your Bible when someone reminds you to—you're going to miss a lot. But if you make worship a rhythm, if you build your life around God's presence, you'll be ready when He moves.
And here's the thing: worship while you wait keeps you from drifting.
It's so easy to drift, isn't it? Life gets busy. You get tired. You get discouraged. And little by little, you stop showing up to church, you stop reading Scripture, you stop praying. And before you know it, you're spiritually numb. You're going through the motions, but your heart's not in it.
Anna didn't drift. She stayed close. She stayed faithful. And when Jesus arrived, she was right there, ready to give thanks and testify.
Anna Shows Us What to Do When You've Seen Jesus
So here's what happens in verse 38: "And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem."
Two things. First, Anna gives thanks. She doesn't launch into a speech or try to make it about her. She just thanks God. That's her first response. And that's where ours should be too. When God moves, when He answers a prayer, when He shows up in your life—give thanks. Let gratitude be your default.
But then Anna does something really important. She speaks. She looks around the temple, and she sees other people who are waiting—people who are longing for the Messiah, people who are hoping God will keep His promise—and she tells them, "He's here. The redemption we've been waiting for? It just walked through the door."
If you've seen Jesus clearly, you have something to say.
And that's the challenge for us as we head into a new year. Who around you is waiting? Who's carrying grief, or questions, or doubts, or fears? Who needs someone to come alongside them and say, "Hey, I know it's hard right now, but let me tell you about Jesus. Let me tell you what He's done for me. Let me tell you why I have hope"?
Anna didn't wait for a platform. She didn't wait for permission. She just spoke to the people God put in front of her. And that's what we're called to do.
Now, let me pause here for a second, because I know some of you are thinking, "Pastor, I'm not a Bible scholar. I don't know how to talk to people about Jesus. What if I say the wrong thing?" And here's what I want to tell you: Anna wasn't a scholar either. She was just a woman who had met Jesus and couldn't keep quiet about it.
You don't need a seminary degree. You don't need to have all the answers. You just need to be willing to say, "Here's what God's done in my life. Here's why I trust Him. Here's the hope I have." That's witness. That's testimony. And it's powerful.
Think about the people in your life. Your coworkers. Your neighbors. Your family members. Some of them are waiting. They're waiting for someone to care enough to ask how they're doing. They're waiting for someone to notice their pain. They're waiting for someone to point them to something bigger than themselves.
What if you were that person? What if God put you in their life for this exact moment?
How to Finish the Year Like Simeon and Anna
Alright, we're heading into the home stretch. So let's bring this together. As we close out 2025 and step into 2026, how do we finish well? How do we live like Simeon and Anna?
Three things.
First, watch for Jesus.
Be present where God meets people. Show up to church. Open your Bible. Pray. Spend time in community with other believers. These aren't optional. They're the places where God speaks, where the Spirit moves, where we learn to see clearly.
Simeon and Anna were both in the temple when Jesus arrived. They were in the right place because they had made a habit of being in God's presence. And if you want to see what God's doing, you've got to do the same.
Don't just drift through 2026. Don't let the busyness of life crowd out the things that matter most. Make space for God. Ask Him to open your eyes. Ask Him to help you see where He's working, where He's calling you, where He's inviting you to join Him.
Second, worship while you wait.
And this can sound like a nice spiritual concept until you’re doing it in real time, with real people you love, and you don’t get to control the outcome.
When I was home in Texas, my dad was taken into the ER suddenly one day because his left hand stopped working like it should. The ends of his fingers were numb, and he couldn’t tell if he was grabbing objects with his hand even when he was. I met him at the hospital right before he went back, and when we walked into that room the whole atmosphere shifted. The doctors and nurses were in full stroke-mode. Smile again. Raise your eyebrows. Close your eyes tight. Squeeze our hands with both hands. Can you feel this on your left side? What about your right? Same test, over and over, because they’re trying to figure out what’s happening and they’re trying not to waste a minute.
They did a CT scan right away. They scheduled an MRI for the next morning. And they transferred him to the MICU for a few days. Now, my dad has stage 4 cancer. It’s in his lungs, liver, bones, and brain. He had just had radiation on the tumor in his brain, and the swelling had gotten significant, which is what caused the symptoms we were seeing. He was discharged just before Christmas, so we still got to spend Christmas together, and I’m thankful for that, but it made for an eventful holiday. It reminded me how quickly our lives can turn into hospital hallways, waiting rooms, and praying prayers you didn’t plan on praying that week or even that day.
And in moments like that, you get a front-row seat to finding out what “waiting” really means. It’s not just a Bible-study word. It’s minutes that feel like hours. It’s trying not to read too much into a nurse’s facial expression. It’s your phone in your hand, and you keep checking it even though there’s nothing new. It’s the temptation to spiral, and it’s the choice to keep bringing your mind back to what you know is true about God.
So hear me when I say: Don't let discouragement, disappointment, or delay in answered prayers turn you cynical. Don't let the hard stuff make you numb. Choose worship. Choose gratitude. Choose to keep drawing near to God.
Anna fasted and prayed for decades. Simeon waited his whole life to see the Messiah. And when the moment finally came, they were ready: not because they had all the answers, but because they had kept their hearts soft and their eyes on God.
Some of you are waiting for something right now. Maybe you're waiting for healing, or for a relationship to be restored, or for a job to come through, or for God to answer a prayer you've been praying for years. And it's hard. It's exhausting. And you're tempted to give up.
And here’s what I want to tell you when you’re in that season: waiting isn't wasted when it's aimed at Jesus.
God is doing something in the waiting. He's shaping you. He's deepening your trust. He's teaching you to depend on Him. And when the answer finally comes, you'll be ready.
Third, have hope in the waiting.
Look around you. Some people may be struggling. Scared. Lonely. And they need someone to notice. They need someone to care. They need someone to point them to Jesus. And you don't have to be perfect. You don't have to have it all figured out. You just have to be willing. Willing to have a conversation. Willing to send a text. Willing to say, "I've been thinking about you. How are you really doing?"
And when the door opens, tell them about Jesus. Tell them what He's done for you. Tell them why you have hope. Tell them that they don't have to carry their burdens alone, because there's a Savior who loves them and died for them and rose again to give them life.
Anna spoke to the people who were waiting. And some of them probably heard the good news that day and believed. Some of them probably met Jesus because Anna was willing to speak.
So I’ll ask you: Who's God calling you to speak to? Write their name down. Pray for them. And then go. Reach out. Be intentional. Don't let this moment pass.
Closing
Simeon and Anna didn't miss Jesus. They didn't miss Him because they were watching. They were worshiping. They were ready.
And as we step into a new year, that's the invitation for us. Watch for Jesus. Worship while you wait. Speak hope to those who are waiting.
Because here's the truth: Jesus is still moving. He's still at work. He's still keeping His promises. And if we'll build our lives around His presence, if we'll stay close to Him, if we'll keep showing up—we won't miss what He's doing.
The people who don't miss Jesus are the people who keep showing up.
So don't drift. Don't give up. Don't grow cold. Stay faithful. Stay hopeful. Stay connected.
Communion:
So now, we enter into a time of communion. And nowhere is there greater evidence of God knowing what we need before we need it than right here. Jesus gathered with His disciples in an upper room the night before He died, and He broke bread and said, "This is my body, broken for you." He took the cup and said, "This is my blood, poured out for you." And He told them, "Do this in remembrance of me."
They had no idea what the next 24 hours were going to hold. They didn't understand yet that the cradle really does lead to the cross. That the baby Simeon held in his arms would grow up to be the Savior who would die for the sins of the world.
But Jesus knew. He knew what was coming. He knew what we would need. And He gave us this moment, Communion, to remember that our salvation isn't just a nice idea. It's His body. It's His blood. It's a Person who loved us enough to give everything.
Simeon said, "My eyes have seen your salvation." And, as believers, when we take these elements, we're saying the same thing. We're saying, "Jesus, You are our salvation. You are our hope. You are enough."
