Luke 2:21-35

Jesus Is Circumcised and Presented at the Temple and Is Blessed By Simon Who Prophesies Over Him (2:21-35).

The purification of Mary and Jesus from the ritual defilement of child birth was necessary due to the requirements of Jewish Law, something that would take forty days, and offerings and sacrifices would then be made once the period was over. The fact that the birth had made Mary ‘unclean' is clear evidence of the genuineness of the birth and of the fact that the one born was true man. It was right that Jesus also should partake in all this, for He was ‘born under the Law' for our sakes (Galatians 4:4), and for our sakes went through all that He had to face. He was sent in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin (Romans 8:3), in all things becoming like His brethren (Hebrews 2:17) so that on their behalf He might die for their sin. Thus what He went through He went through, not for His own sin (for He was without sin - 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:22), but for us as representative man.

Here in this passage Simeon is placed in parallel with Elisabeth in Luke 1:41 (see opening chiasmus). Both prophesy by the Holy Spirit over Jesus, the one before His birth and the other after His birth. Mankind and womankind together combine to acknowledge His coming.

It will be noted how all the people who have been involved in proclaiming Jesus are ‘ordinary people'. They are godly, but ordinary (although in a sense that is a contradiction). Not a chief priest, or Scribe, or elder among them. It is not to the world's great that He comes, but to those who will receive Him.

This passage can be analysed as follows:

a And when eight days were fulfilled for circumcising him, his name was called JESUS, which was so called by the angel before he was conceived in the womb (Luke 2:21).

b And when the days of their purification according to the law of Moses were fulfilled, they brought him up to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord, as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male which opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”, and to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, “A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons” (Luke 2:22).

c And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on 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 Messiah, and he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, that they might do concerning him after the custom of the law, then he received him into his arms, and blessed God (Luke 2:25).

d And he said,

“Now let your servant depart, Lord,

According to your word, in peace,

For my eyes have seen your salvation,

Which you have prepared before the face of all peoples,

A light for revelation to the Gentiles,

And the glory of your people Israel” (Luke 2:29).

e And his father and his mother were marvelling at the things which were spoken concerning him, and Simeon blessed them

d And said to Mary his mother,'

“Behold, this child is set for the falling and the rising of many in Israel,

And for a sign which is spoken against.

(Yes, and a sword will pierce through your own soul),

That thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed.”

c And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher (she was of a great age, having lived with a husband seven years from her virginity, and she had been a widow even to fourscore and four years), who departed not from the temple, worshipping with fastings and supplications night and day, and coming up at that very hour she gave thanks to God, and spoke of him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem (Luke 2:36).

b And when they had accomplished all things that were according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth (Luke 2:39).

a And the child grew, and waxed strong, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him (Luke 2:40).

In ‘a' the baby Jesus is circumcised and named Jesus as God had commanded, and in the parallel he becomes strong and the grace of God is on Him. In ‘b' the customs of the Jews are carried out and in the parallel the parents, having fulfilled those customs, return home to Nazareth with Him. In ‘c' there is a man in whom is the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem, who blesses Jesus, and in the parallel there is a woman who is a prophetess who does the same. These together are the two witnesses necessary to testify to what is true. Both give blessings to the baby Jesus. In ‘d' we have in parallel the two prophetic statements of Simeon. And central in ‘e' we find the perplexed parents, and Simeon blessing them. The real central point of this chiasmus are the two prophetic statements which come to a perplexed world.