The Presentation

When Mary had completed the prescribed days of her purification according to the law, Joseph and she took the baby Jesus to Jerusalem to present Him to God. And as they entered the temple, most likely just as part of a crowd of people, they weren’t expecting anything out of the ordinary. But, things quickly changed. You can find the account in the second chapter of the Gospel of Luke.

First, Simeon took Jesus in his arms and thanked God and prophesied over Him to Mary. Then Anna, an elderly prophetess, did similarly. Afterward, when the parents returned into Galilee, things seemed to get back to normal and uneventful.

At least for twelve years.

There was, however, something that was happening during that time. According to the Word: “And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him” (Luke 2:40). In other words, this was one of the most critical times in His life; for it set the stage for all that was to come later.

We also have critical times.

The vast majority of our daily lives may seem to consist of nothing out of the ordinary, and we may be accustomed to a regular routine. Things may not seem to differ much from what we see with those around us.

But it’s what we don’t see that is having the greatest effect on us.

Whether we realize it or not, intertwined in our normal, routine, daily lives is the Spirit of the Lord; and, if we permit, He’s doing a work within us that rarely is noticeable.

You see, we’ve been called to present the Lord to a world that has no concept of Him, and, in many cases, rejects Him. And, despite the fact that there are multitudes of people who call themselves followers of Christ, and who believe in Him, still, tragically, there are relatively few who really manifest what they claim.

However, there ARE those who are in their formative years. The Lord is doing a work in the unseen realm of the Spirit wherein He’s drawing them, strengthening them, and filling them with His wisdom and grace. This may not be necessarily noticeable outwardly; but in the invisible realms, it’s resounding across eternity!

Can you sense something different in you that you don’t seem to recognize in other believers? Do you find that your desires and interests are increasingly more toward the things of the Lord than toward anything else?

Pay close attention to that.

It could very well be that Simeon and Anna have had a part in your life.