What are You Looking for This Christmas?

One of my favorite traditions at Christmas - at least for the past seven or eight years - has been to utilize a "Jesse Tree" for my devotion time. Each day of December up until Christmas is used to reflect on the Old Testament prophecies and events that point to the birth of Christ. I have a wall hanging of a tree, and I use handmade ornaments that depict the particular story for the day.

Today, the focus was on the story of Simeon and Anna, and how the Holy Spirit revealed to them that the tiny baby in the arms of his mother, Mary, was the Messiah for Whom they had waited most of their lives.

As I read the selection from Luke 2.25-38, the words "looking for" jumped out at me, for they were used in the account of both Simeon and Anna. I imagined that every day Simeon would watch young couples with infants coming to the temple to make the required sacrifice, wondering "Is this the Child, could this be the One?" God had promised him that he would not die until he saw this Holy Infant. Every day, the widow Anna worked in the temple, praying, fasting, and serving. At age 84, the hope of the coming Messiah was all she looked forward to.

With all the coming and going through the temple - the place you would think the highest level of expectancy would be - no one noticed when the couple of lowly means walked into the courtyard and up the steps of the majestic temple with their little unassuming bundle, and two birds as an offering of purification for Mary. As Simeon cut and discarded the foreskin of the screaming little boy, who knew that prophecy begining with Abraham was being fulfilled?

Simeon knew...clutching this child to him tightly, he passionately exclaimed that he was ready to depart this earth in peace, "For my eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou has prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light of revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel."

No doubt, the crying reached the near deafened ears of the old prophetess who had spent all these years fasting and praying in the temple, and she rushed to give thanks to God for this moment that Redemption Himself was pronounced to be "Jesus" - "Jehovah is Salvation!"

Why these two simple and elderly servants? Why were they given the inside scoop on this mystery? Because they were both "looking" for Him.

We will see Him too, this Christmas and all year long, if we are looking for Him. I wonder how many of us really celebrate the season in a large way - with all the trimmings and trappings - and yet do not see Him.

I looked up a couple of words and phrases in these passages to find the Greek meaning:
"Looking for" (used in connection with both Simeon and Anna)- "to await with confidence and patience"
"consolation" - "comfort"

...What are you looking for this Christmas?