Alastair's Adversaria - Some Candlemas Reflections

Starting point is 00:00:00 The following is entitled Some Candlemasse Reflections. It was first published on the Anchored Argosy. February 2nd is Candlemas, a feast celebrating the presentation of the infant Jesus in the temple. Luke 2, which gives an account of this event, is a rich passage. As many commentators have noted, there are numerous allusions to First Samuel in Luke and Acts. The books of Samuel are about the dawn of the Davidic dynasty, and fittingly in books about the long-awaited arrival of David's greater son, Luke and Acts frequently play off that background. John the Baptist, like Samuel, is given to a barren mother in the context of events in the temple,

Starting point is 00:00:41 and appointed to be a lifelong Nazarite, 1 Samuel, 1, verse 11, and Luke chapter 1, verse 15. Mary's Magnificat in Luke, chapter 1, 46 to 55, plays off Hannah's Prayer from 1 Samuel, chapter 2, verse 15. 1 to 10. Luke also calls back to the language of 1 Samuel in his descriptions of Jesus and John growing up in Luke chapter 1 verse 80 and chapter 2 verse 40. In the context of Luke, Anna is Hannah's namesake and engaged in the same activity. Once again, the story of a miraculous birth heralds future deliverance. This background will also be highlighted in Luke's account of Pentecost and Acts, where the disciples like Hannah have their faithful speech mistaken for drunken raving by religious leaders who unwittingly show their own insensitivity to God's word and their coming judgment.

Starting point is 00:01:35 On several occasions Luke gives us ages and numbers. Anna's age is significant. She is 84, 7 times 12. As with the connected figures of the woman with the issue of blood for 12 years and Jaris's 12-year-old daughter, she symbolizes Israel awaiting deliverance. References to the spirit's presence and activity are fairly unevenly distributed throughout the Gospel of Luke.

Starting point is 00:02:01 Remarkably, apart from chapter 10 verse 21, the rare such references after chapter 4 all relate to the future gift of the Spirit at Pentecost. However, the spirit is everywhere in the opening chapters of the Gospel. Chapter 1 verse 15, verse 35, verse 41, verse 67, Chapter 3 verse 22, chapter 4 verse 1, 14 and 18. Notably, chapter 2 verses 25 to 27, presents Simeon as a man of the spirit, referencing the spirit three times in connection with him in Luke 2 verse 25 to 27. Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous

Starting point is 00:02:42 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. In Acts, references to the work and presence of the Spirit are everywhere, especially in connection with Pentecost. In many respects, the early chapters of Luke present us with some anticipatory Pentecosts, most notably the so-called Marian Pentecost in Chapter 1, verse 35, and Jesus' baptism. and the angel answered her,

Starting point is 00:03:17 the Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. Simeon and Anna in the temple are an important third Pentecost-like event. Anna is continually in the temple worshipping and praying, Luke chapter 2 verse 37, which is also how the disciples are described in the run-up to Pentecost,

Starting point is 00:03:41 Luke chapter 24 verse 53 and Acts chapter 1 verse 4. There is a symmetry between the presentation and ascension and Pentecost, of course. 40 days after his birth of Mary, Jesus ascends to and is presented in the temple. Forty days after his rebirth from the grave, Jesus ascends to the heavenly temple, Acts 1 verse 3. In the presentation, there is a mini Pentecost, a faithful man and a woman, one of Luke's several noteworthy male-female pairings, anticipate the male. and female disciples who will later pray and await the gift of the Spirit in the 10 days between ascension and Pentecost. It is in the prophecy of Simeon that the significance of Christ for the

Starting point is 00:04:26 Gentiles, a key truth of Pentecost, is first really declared. Simian prophesies and Anna breaks forth into thanks to God, then speaking of Jesus, to all who are waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. We might perhaps even see in Pentecost a fulfillment of the sacrifices for the presentation of a newborn child in Leviticus chapter 12. Typically there is a lamb offered as an ascension and a dove as a purification. Christ is the ascending lamb, the spirit, the descending cleansing dove. The importance of the event we consider and the figures we recall at Candlemus should not be missed. Simeon and Anna are figures from the former times of Israel's longing for redemption, but also foretastes of the time when her sons and daughters would profit.

Starting point is 00:05:14 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. Thank you very much for listening. If you'd like to read this and other reflections like it, you can do so on the anchored Argosy. The link to that will be below. If you'd like to support my work here, there and elsewhere, you can do so using my Patreon or PayPal links. Both of those are below. My work overwhelmingly relies upon the generosity of donors. Thank you so much to all of you who support it in financial and other ways. God bless.

Alastair's Adversaria - Some Candlemas Reflections

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