Devotion 25. Anna’s Testimony

The final witness to the baby Jesus as Christ came from an old widow named Anna. She was 84, very old for her time. She was a prophetess, declaring God’s word. They may have been in part because “she did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. Rather than bemoaning her fate as a long time widow, she spent her time with the Lord. She worshipped, fasted and prayed continuously. Her life was totally and completely devoted to God. In return, he sometimes spoke through her. So she was known and accepted as a prophetess.

The Lord used her as another witness to the birth of the Messiah, the Savior. He revealed to her, as he had to Simeon, that Jesus was the Messiah. He did this while Jesus was dedicated at the temple. Others were there dedicating their children, praying, worshipping and making sacrifices. She witnessed to all of these that Jesus was the Messiah.

Luke put it this way: “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.” (Luke 2:38).

The Father did not send Jesus to us for us to keep him to ourselves. Once we have received him, we are to share him with others. That is why it is called news. You tell news. You spread news.

Jesus spread the news. He preached the gospel to devout Jews in Judea. He preached to the Samaritans, hated by Jews but loved by God. He preached to Gentiles, called “dogs” by the Jews, but “children of God” by Jesus when they believed. When he went back to heaven, Jesus commissioned the disciples to carry on the task. That has now been passed on to us.

Christmas can be the time you spend a lot of money, go to a lot of parties and generally eat and drink too much. Or, it can be a time you share the gospel. You can proclaim Christ as Anna did to whoever will listen.

Speak of him to all.

God bless. I pray these devotions have been of some benefit to all who have read them. They have been good for me.