Women in the Life of Jesus: Anna

Scripture where she is found: Luke 2


Setting: Jerusalem

Her story:

After the Birth of Jesus, Mary and Joseph take Jesus to the temple to be present Him to the Lord as it is written in the law of the Lord. (See Luke 2:23)

While they are they, they encounter Anna, the prophetess.

Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.
-Luke 2:36-38


My thoughts:

Anna had been a widow a really long time. She had devoted her life to God. She too, like Mary and Elizabeth was familiar with the scriptures, and the things of God.

She was looking for Jesus. So, when He came she was ready and recognized Him. And she was another person to proclaim that the Messiah had come!

She was also a prophetess. In the Old Testament, men and women who were anointed by God, only functioned in 3 offices, prophet, priest, and king. Anna was a prophetess. She spoke the Words of God, and said what He said.

Her name means "favor" or "grace." I find that overwhelmingly amazing. She was the prophetess to recognize Jesus as the Messiah and Jesus was ushering in a time of favor and grace. Wow.

In the New Testament, men and women hold many spiritual offices because of Jesus. Everyone in the Body of Christ, who is born again and baptized in the Holy Spirit, is anointed with gifts. (See 1 Corinthians 12.)








To read more posts in this series, go here to Women in the Life of Jesus.

To find out more about Anna, check out The Women of Christmas by Liz Curtis Higgs.