The heart cry all the way back to Adam and Eve of hope in a future Son has carried forward through millennia to this moment in our text. The faithful held out hope in the covenant promises of God. They were waiting, as it is stated in the case of Simeon, for the consolation of Israel. They were waiting, as it is stated in the case of those who heard and believed the testimony of the prophetess Anna, for the redemption of Jerusalem. They were waiting, as it is stated in the case of Joseph of Arimathea (Luke 23:51), for the Kingdom of God. What are you waiting for? What do you hold out hope for in this new year that is upon us? The faithful saints in our study today remind us that our deepest longings ought to be conformed to our greatest needs. Anna and Simeon understood this. They join the ranks of the barren, the outcasts, the poor, the aged and yes, even the wealthy and privileged (in the case of Joseph of Arimathea) welcoming the Messiah and His mission in the fullness of time. In the background of our text today, which provides the occasion for this meeting, stands two Old Testament ceremonial law practices both involving substitute sacrifice. The first was the redemption offering of the firstborn (Ex 13:12-16). The second was atonement for the time of purification (Lev 12:6-8). This context proves significant as events in the temple unfold...