Luke Chapter 2

vs 21

So he was going to be a law follower right from the start, being circumcised on the right day. He was also going to be named appropriately. Jesus. Has a certain ring to it, but of course it was a fairly common name. More like Joshua.

vs 22-24

So Joseph and Mary must have been fairly religiously responsible people doing all this stuff. Which is good, from Jesus' perspective. They were doing everything that they are meant to do.

The sacrifice shows that they weren't a rich family. Pigeons were a last resort. You know, they probably even bought them from the temple shops.

vs 25

I don't know whether people filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesying all over the place was common in the first century AD. I have a feeling that it was as rare as any other time in history, but we are now seeing the fruits of God's preparing work for what is the most important point in history - the coming into the world of his Son. So that said, you would expect increased spiritual activity, on both sides.

vs 26

He's the Morpheus of the Jesus story. How had such a specific thing been revealed to him? Probably in a dream or something. Obviously Luke didn't talk to him first hand, because he died afterwards.

vs 27

So Simeon is there when baby Jesus is in the temple.

vs 28

Just a quick point here - we think "Oh my gosh, some scruffy guy rushing up to some new parents and snatching the baby off them! Where are the police?" but these sort of things happens really quite regulary in other cultures, with no ill-will intended. Iv'e heard some horror stories from missionaries. But we just have to realise that the way other cultures treat children, including the 1st century AD Jewish culture, is different to the way we treat them. This brings some interesting interpretations to those verses that mention children.

vs 29-30

Well, Simeon is pretty sure this lad is the one. Lucky Brian wasn't there on the same day - although his mum probably didn't even dedicate him. Anyway, Simeon may not have really seen Jesus as the kind of Messiah he was going to be, but at least he knew it was the right baby.