the gentiles, the Savior will be a light that illumes the darkness, the spiritual blindness, in which those who do not know God find themselves (2:32a; Isa 42:6–7). Israel was supposed to be a light to the nations, so that through Israel’s witness the nations might come to know YHWH and be saved (Isa 49:6). Israel, however, failed to live up to this role, which will be fulfilled completely and perfectly by Jesus. Yet there is still a sense that salvation will go to the gentiles through the agency of Israel. The gospel will be preached to those outside of Israel by Jesus’ followers who are themselves Jews, from Jerusalem to Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).
There is a hint of irony for the gentiles to be mentioned before the Jews (2:32b). Be that as it may, the people of Israel already know God, so the coming of the Messiah is not so much for their illumination as it is for their glory (Isa 46:13). Glory connotes the sense of honor and revelation. Israel will share in the Messiah’s glory, a glory that will only be fully appropriated with the inclusion of the gentiles, something that faithful Israel must learn to do (Acts 9:15; 10:45; 11:18).
Mary and Joseph are amazed by Simeon’s words, which necessitate further pondering (2:33; cf. 2:19, 50–51). Simeon’s pronouncement about Jesus provides the lens through which Jesus’ life must be interpreted, but full understanding lies yet in the future. Then, addressing Mary in particular, Simeon portends future conflict that leaves her, and the readers, with a sense of foreboding. Opposition will come from within God’s people: “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many of Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed” (2:34). Signs point beyond themselves and are made to be followed, so to oppose a sign defeats the purpose of having a sign in the first place. The Messiah will point the way forward for Israel, but he will receive a mixed reception. Some will heed the sign and rise while others will refuse to follow and stumble (Isa 8:14–15). Those who reject God will fall, and their inner thoughts and hypocrisy will be exposed. In the end, it will become clear who will be judged and who will be blessed (2:35a; cf. 3:17).
The last thing that a mother would want to hear is that her firstborn child will encounter hostility, even to the point of death, as implied in Simeon’s last phrase, “and a sword will pierce your own soul too” (2:35b). Indeed, Mary will outlive Jesus and experience the deep anguish of a mother witnessing the death of her son. But this is the same Mary who responded to Gabriel, “Here I am, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word” (1:38). As she dedicates Jesus to God, is she able to relinquish her son’s life into God’s hand in total trust? As with the rest of Israel, the inner thoughts of Mary’s heart will undergo severe testing.
With Simeon’s words still hanging in the air, in comes Anna the prophetess. She is from the tribe of Asher, where Elijah the prophet preached (1 Kgs 17–18). Her father’s name, Phanuel, is the Greek form of the Hebrew Peniel/Penuel (“face of God”), which is the name Jacob gave to the place where he wrestled with the angel to commemorate his having “seen God face to face” (Gen 32:30–31). All these biographical details, together with the explicit identification of Anna as a prophetess, situate her squarely among the recipients of God’s revelation. By her piety she bears witness to this special heritage and identity.64
Although Luke does not record Anna’s exact words (2:38), we may assume that her praise to God is congruent with those of Mary, Zechariah, and Simeon. While the description of Anna’s constant presence at the temple may be a bit of an exaggeration in the literal sense, it is not in Luke’s estimation of her faithfulness and credibility. This is brought out in the detailed description of her old age and personal circumstances (2:36–37). The Greek here suggests that Anna is either eighty-four years old, or that she has been a widow for eighty-four years after seven years of marriage, which puts her at a ripe old age of 105 if she married at the age of fourteen!65 Regardless of whether she is eighty-four or 105, Anna the prophetess has a lifelong track record of devotion to God that earns her a rightful place in the narrative.66 Together with Zechariah, Elizabeth, and Mary, Simeon and Anna complete the chorus of faithful voices in Israel, and their convictions about God’s faithfulness and promises place the story of Jesus at an exciting edge of anticipation.
This section closes with an affirmation, for the fifth time, of Mary’s and Joseph’s adherence to the law (2:39; cf. 2:22, 23, 24, 27). The family returns to Galilee and settles in Nazareth, where Joseph has already made a home (2:39; cf. 2:4). The first summary statement of Jesus’ physical, mental, and spiritual growth functions as a bridge between infancy to late childhood (2:40). It will be followed by another enhanced statement after the account of the twelve-year-old Jesus at the temple (2:52). One might consider 2:40 and 2:52 as forming an inclusio around the next pericope, but it seems fitting to close this section with verse 40, “the favor of God was upon him,” in light of the heavy emphasis of God’s favor upon the faithful ones of Israel thus far in the narrative.
Jesus at Twelve (2:41–52)
Childhood stories of heroes are not uncommon in ancient literature. Authors and biographers believed that the paths and attendant traits that made certain characters great in adulthood were already latent in their youth. For example, Josephus, the Jewish historian, claimed that Samuel began to prophesy at the age of twelve (Ant. 5.348) and that Josiah began instituting reforms in Israel when he was twelve (Ant. 10.50). Elsewhere in Greco-Roman writings, famous figures like Alexander the Great, Epicurus, Apollonius of Tyana, and Cyrus were all seen as child prodigies who had the acumen and prowess that made them productive and powerful later in life.67 Listening to an account of Jesus as a child, Luke’s readers are primed to look for clues that will help them imagine what Jesus will be like as an adult.
Jesus’ parents have a habit of making an annual trip to Jerusalem to observe the Passover, so this year is no different (2:41–42). Jewish men were required to attend three annual pilgrimage feasts, namely, Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles (Exod 23:14–17).68 For many Jews, going to Jerusalem three times a year would pose a hardship. Still, the feasts were well attended. These pilgrimages soon became a family affair as women and children went up to Jerusalem as well.69 Traveling with other families as a group reduced costs and provided protection from robbers along the way (2:44).70 There is no indication that this is Jesus’ first return to Jerusalem since his presentation as an infant. We assume that Mary and Joseph have been bringing him with them for some time already.71 At twelve, Jesus is a year shy of entering the religious community officially but old enough to appreciate the significance of Passover.
Nothing unusual occurred during the feast. It is afterwards that Mary and Joseph lose track of Jesus. The text never addresses why Jesus does not tell his parents his whereabouts. Neither is it necessary to charge the couple with negligence. Since Jesus is no longer a toddler and should be fully capable of keeping up with the group traveling together, it seems reasonable for Mary and Joseph to assume that he is within the proximity of the moving caravan, playing with other children among the relatives. In this manner they travel for an entire day northward, covering about twenty miles. Perhaps they finally notice his absence by evening when the group settles down for the night. Letting the caravan continue on its way the next day, Mary and Joseph retrace their steps and hurry back to Jerusalem. Imagine the difficulty of going “against traffic,” trying to move toward Jerusalem when hordes of pilgrims are coming out of the city. Added to the exhaustion of travel for the couple from a small village is the anxiety of trying to find their firstborn son in a large city. We can appreciate Mary’s and Joseph’s frame of mind, a mixture of exasperation and relief, when on the third day since their original departure from Jerusalem they finally locate their son in the
