As I studied Luke 2:15-39 this morning, I was touched by the number of witnesses proclaimed the divinity of the infant Christ. I examined the actions of the shepherds, Simeon, and Anna, all of whom recognized in the babe His true identity. I then pondered how I could and should be like them.
The shepherds were the first group I encountered in today’s scripture study. Having been persuaded by the visitation of the Heavenly Host, they decided to go to Bethlehem immediately to see these things for themselves. I love the way the scriptures describe their actions – “they came with haste” (Luke 2:16). They did not dawdle. They did not hesitate. They did not procrastinate. They were in the midst of an important job – watching the sheep – but they did not hesitate to leave. They recognized the greater importance of what they had witnessed. And once they had seen the Christ child and recognized Him as having fulfilled the signs they were told of, they “made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child” (Luke 2:17).
The next witness of Christ was Simeon. In the past, he had been told that “he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ” (Luke 2:26). When Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple to be presented, Simeon was also led by the Spirit. There, in the presence of others in the temple, he took the child in his arms and praised God for sending “a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel” (Luke 2:31-32). When the Spirit prompted Simeon to the temple, he did not hesitate but proceeded immediately. When he saw the child, again he did not hesitate, but immediately praised God. While we do not have a record of him sharing his testimony afterwards, he did acknowledge his readiness to “depart in peace” (Luke 2:29), so we do not know how long lived afterwards.
The final witness of Christ in this chapter was Anna, the prophetess. She was a widowed temple worker who “served God with fastings and prayers night and day” (Luke 2:37). Like Simeon, she, too, thanked God for His blessed gift. What an interesting day in the temple that must have been for any who witnessed Jesus’ family! They would have seen not one but two righteous people testifying of Christ’s divinity. Like the shepherds, Anna also testified of the divinity of Christ to “all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem” (Luke 2:38).
Each of those called by the Holy Ghost or by the angels to testify of Christ did so immediately. They did not hesitate or pause, but immediately proclaimed that which the Holy Ghost had told them. They sought to share their testimony with those nearby and with those they later encountered.
We, too, have a witness of Christ. Unlike these three groups, we have more than a one-time impression of the Holy Ghost of an undeveloped babe. We have information on His mortal ministry and of His return in this dispensation. We have the testimony of prophets concerning the Son of God. And hopefully we have the repeated promptings of the Holy Ghost to confirm to us the truth of what we have seen, heard, and learned about. How much greater, then, is our obligation to share these truths with those we meet?
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Gospel Doctrine: A Light to Darkness
General Conference: “The Power of Personal Testimony”
General Conference: “Discipleship”