Looking For Redemption

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Luke 2:36 And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the
daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had
lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; 37 And she was

a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple,
but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. 38 And
she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him
to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

In this scripture is the only time we find any mention of
Anna. It’s almost as if her part is a footnote, but she has a very important
purpose. She mentions the very need of men, our biggest need. Christmas begins
with Mary and the angel. She was told her child would save us from our sins.
The shepherds were told a Savior, Christ the Lord, had been born. Here is our
salvation and it’s complete in itself. We should continually reflect on what it
means. We talk and sing about it, but we tend to overlook our redemption.

Anna
was the last to see the baby Jesus. Let’s consider the importance of redemption
in our life. When Anna realized who Simeon was praising, no doubt she ran over.
She thanked the Lord that he had finally sent redemption. Anna was as good as
they come. She was a prophetess. She was faithful to the temple night and day
in fasting and prayer. Though probably in her 90’s she remained faithful. She
lived a right, disciplined life. If we could say anyone was perfect, she was
about it. She could have felt satisfied with herself. If anyone deserved that
she would. Yet she speaks of Jesus as more than the Christ Child. She sees
redemption. She saw her need of it.

Should she not give herself more credit?
Sure she had a bad side; she was part of Adam. We tend to try and outweigh the
bad with the good. We try to compensate. Anna knew she could not compensate for
it. Jesus came because we needed salvation—a whole salvation—to the uttermost.
Every aspect of the birth, life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus gave
us justification from the sentence of eternal death, the sentence for our sin.
Now our sins are washed away; we are clear from guilt and are reconciled to
God. Anna knew that even as busy as she was in the temple, she needed
salvation; she knew this child would bring redemption. Nicodemus was as good a
person as Anna, yet he realized his need. Jesus told him he had to be born
again. The salvation of regeneration makes us a new creature and we are to act
accordingly. They needed to be made a new creature for many times what we need saving from is ourselves.

We can’t shake our nature. Anna couldn’t. That old
person wants control. Redemption was used when Boaz paid the price to have Ruth
as his wife. Salvation is about who has control of our life. We have to get
over the penance syndrome. We cannot come to church and go through the rituals
and be our old, regular self during the week. Can we control our thoughts, our
tongues, and our wrong deeds on our own? We need to quit covering up and
forsake and confess. Anna recognized
Jesus as her Redeemer. She held in her arms the One who could give her what she
could not achieve for herself—redemption. Redemption from our carnal self. We fail when we try. We need Jesus
everyday to save us from ourselves and know his salvation to the fullest. Paul
told Timothy that Jesus gave himself a ransom for all (I Timothy 2:6). He told
Titus in 2:14 that Jesus “gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all
iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” We cannot do this for ourselves. It takes God through His Son to do
it. Then we can be zealous of good works, and those good works will count.

On this last night of the year, do we
need redemption? We’ll always need Jesus as our Redeemer. The greatest joy is
knowing that we belong to Jesus.