Sharing the Good News of Redemption

Anna the prophetess…

“Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.” Luke 2:36-38

Anna was of the tribe of Asher. Asher was the 8^th Son of Jacob by Leah’s maidservant. From him came one of the 12 tribes of Israel. The tribe of Asher was one of the ten tribes carried into captivity by the Assyrians in 721 b.c.

Anna had an extraordinarily rich heritage as far as this tribe’s beginning was concerned. She would have been in the physical bloodline of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It is clear that she took the promise made to Abraham seriously. Anna was dedicated to the LORD. She was looking for the promised redeemer and when she saw the LORD’S Christ, she spoke of Him to all those who were looking for redemption in Israel.

The Messiah was not anointed by GOD, to defeat the Romans; He was not dedicated by GOD to be a political leader. The role of Jesus as the anointed one, was, that He provide deliverance from the bondage of sin and death. This is our Savior, Anna was excited to share this Good News, are we?