Portraits of Faith, Week 2 - Legacy
Luke 2:21-40 (NIV)
On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.
Jesus Presented in the Temple
22 When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”[a]), 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”[b]
25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you may now dismiss[c] your servant in peace.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel.”
33 The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
36 There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.[d] She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.
39 When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.
Discussion Questions
The sermon described Theo's mission in the book — to find every portrait and deliver it to its subject, to learn the story behind each face. If someone were commissioned to tell the story behind your portrait, what do you hope they would discover?
Mary and Joseph were likely teenagers, poor, and overwhelmed. Simeon and Anna were elderly, widowed, and had been waiting a very long time. What made their connection possible despite all those differences — and where do you see similar connections happening, or failing to happen, in your own community?
Simeon's blessing to Mary wasn't all good news — he told her a sword would pierce her soul, that the road ahead would be hard. And yet he delivered this within the context of a blessing. Have you ever received that kind of honest, difficult truth wrapped in genuine love and hope? What did that do for you?
Pastor Dave said sometimes parents just need to be seen — to have someone acknowledge that the journey is hard and the future is uncertain. Who in your life needs that kind of honest acknowledgment right now, and what would it look like to offer it?
Donna told Pastor Dave, "The older I get, the more clearly I see it" — referring to God's goodness woven through everything. Is there a perspective or piece of wisdom you've received from someone older that you couldn't have seen on your own at the time?
The sermon described the intergenerational exchange as mutual — both generations receiving hope and assurance from each other. When have you experienced that kind of two-way blessing across a generational gap, and what made it possible?
The book Pastor Dave referenced defined legacy not as something we leave but something we grow — a daily practice, not a bequest in a will. What does your daily practice of growing a legacy actually look like right now, and does it match the legacy you hope to leave?
The sermon described a chain of about 100 generations between us and the earliest Christians — and said God is faithful to a thousand generations. How does placing yourself in that long chain change the way you think about your own faith, your struggles, and your contribution to what comes next?
Anna and Simeon both received the confirmation they had been waiting for — and were then ready to depart in peace. What are you still waiting for, and what would it look like to hold that waiting with the same patient, faithful expectancy they showed?
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