Temple Presentation of Jesus
Life of Jesus · Draft · BSB
Content revision: f976a235eca506a7 · No editorial review date recorded
Date: Birth and childhood. A guided comparison of Gospel accounts, not a measured calendar or a claim that every parallel follows the same sequence.
Jesus’ parents bring him to Jerusalem with the prescribed offering. Simeon praises God for salvation reaching Israel and the nations, and Anna speaks to those awaiting Jerusalem’s redemption.
Simeon’s blessing also anticipates opposition and grief. Luke places the family within Jewish worship and law; the presentation is not a rejection of that community’s life.
Primary Scripture
2:22 And when the time of purification according to the Law of Moses was complete, His parents brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord
2:23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord: “Every firstborn male shall be consecrated to the Lord”),
2:24 and to offer the sacrifice specified in the Law of the Lord: “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”
2:25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
2:26 The Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
2:27 Led by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. And when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for Him what was customary under the Law,
2:28 Simeon took Him in his arms and blessed God, saying:
2:29 “Sovereign Lord, as You have promised, You now dismiss Your servant in peace.
2:30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation,
2:31 which You have prepared in the sight of all people,
2:32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to Your people Israel.”
2:33 The Child’s father and mother were amazed at what was spoken about Him.
2:34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to His mother Mary: “Behold, this Child is appointed to cause the rise and fall of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against,
2:35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your soul as well.”
2:36 There was also a prophetess named Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher, who was well along in years. She had been married for seven years,
2:37 and then was a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.
2:38 Coming forward at that moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the Child to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.
Related Scripture
The consecration of the firstborn stands behind Luke’s explanation of the presentation.
Location evidence
Luke explicitly names Jerusalem and the temple. The city marker identifies the locality, not a surviving presentation site.
Event map marker: Identified site; [longitude, latitude] = [35.23494, 31.77744]. This is a teaching marker, not an exact event venue.
Jerusalem: Identified site. Coordinates [longitude, latitude]: [35.23494, 31.77744]. Classification source: rule.
Digital Atlas of the Roman Empire
Digital Atlas of the Roman Empire
For the class
How do hope and sorrow appear together in Simeon’s words?
Interpretation and reuse
Narrative order is a reading arrangement, not a proven chronology. Dates retain their stated uncertainty. An identified locality does not establish the exact venue or prove an event. Region extents and routes are illustrative, not surveyed boundaries or ancient roads. Draft material has not completed editorial review.
Record source: theographic (261)
Record source: editorial
Events and places adapted from Theographic Bible Metadata (github.com/robertrouse/theographic-bible-metadata), CC BY-SA 4.0. This adapted data is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Place coordinates from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding Data, CC BY 4.0.
Teaching stops, summaries and regional extents are original editorial content of this atlas.
Berean Standard Bible (BSB), public domain. https://berean.bible/licensing.htm