A Centenarian!

Maria Branyas of Spain is the oldest living person now. She is 116 years and 131 days old. She has lived through two world wars, the Spanish civil war, the 1918 flu epidemic, and the covid pandemic. To the Guinness officials, she attributed her longevity to luck, good genetics, wine, and staying away from toxic people.

Anna, the daughter of Phanuel of Asher’s tribe, would have been a centenarian, someone who lived to their 100s. Hebrews married off their daughters between the time of their puberty and twenty years old. Anna was married for 7 years and lived with her husband. Then he died, and she remained a widow for another 84 years (Luke 2:36–37). If she married at 13, she would have been 104, a centenarian, when Mariam and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple.

Anna was a prophetess. She lived in the temple, fasting, praying, and serving the temple night and day. The verb “serve” (latrevo) was a technical word for an office in the temple, implying Anna was a temple member, a prophetess, to whom people went to show their babies and be blessed like they approached priests and high priests.

“At that hour, Anna attended to them and shouted a confession to God. Then she talked about Jesus to everyone who waited for the redemption of Jerusalem.” (Luke 2:38)

Like Simeon, Anna saw the baby and recognized that God had come to deliver the people. Until then, Anna and others thought of the lid of the ark of the covenant as the place of redemption (litrosis). Seeing the child, they understood that the redemption (litrosis) of Jerusalem was on him, the baby. (Litrosis was a technical term, often translated as “mercy seat” in the OT.)

Unlike Simeon’s poem and prophecy, Anna’s was an official decree from a temple servant. So, when she said it to many Hebrews who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem, they believed her. She was, like Simeon, one of the first messengers/apostles of Jesus.

Hearing her confession that Jesus was the redemption of Jerusalem would have confirmed to Mariam what Gabriel had told her. Jesus was the Savior of her people and the world.

When Anna confessed, the parents had completed their mission – “done everything that the law of the Lord required” (Luke 2:39). They returned to Galilee and their town, Nazareth. In the following years,

“The child grew, became strong, and filled with wisdom. God’s grace was upon him.” (Luke 2:40)

Mariam’s baby had a big responsibility to be the savior and redemption of the people. But first, he must grow in size, abilities, and wisdom. God’s grace rested upon him to help him achieve those.

Parents usually took their children to the temple to be blessed by priests or high priests. Joseph and Mariam’s experiences were different – the child blessed others. Simeon could die because he had seen God’s salvation come to Israel and the world. Anna could confess to those who waited for Jerusalem’s redemption that God had sent that redemption in a person.

Jesus is still a blessing to the nations. He alone is the savior and redemption. That’s why we boldly proclaim the good news of blessing and redemption.