The Very First Soul-winner

“And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.” (Lu 2:38 AV)

The woman above is Anna the widow who sat that the temple almost her entire adult life waiting for the Messiah.  This speaks volumes in so many ways.  How did she know the Messiah would come in her lifetime?  An in-depth study of the book of Daniel, coupled with prayer and the Holy Spirit would have revealed this truth.  The Bible tells us she was eighty-five years a widow.  Which means she spent eighty-five years is service to the temple.  Manly through prayer.  When Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple, immediately the elderly lady knew, by the voice of the Holy Spirit, that this little baby was the promised Messiah.  She instantly gave thanks to the LORD because she was allowed to see Him with her own eyes.  What follows next is what we really need to consider.  This elderly lady was not content in merely seeing the Christ child.  She remained there, sharing her faith with any and all who might be interested in redemption.  In essence, this elderly lady whose name is Anna was the first soul-winner in the ministry of the LORD Jesus Christ.  She predates John the Baptist.  She predates the apostles.  She is the first evangelist to spread the word of redemption to all who would hear.

Several years ago, there appeared a very interesting moniker of our culture.  It is the live advertiser.  It started with those air-inflated weird-looking creatures that would flop around.  He is usually yellow and the body cylindrical.  Then this live advertising graduated with a real live person being the actor of sorts.  The one that comes to my mind is the poor fellow or gal dressed up as Lady Liberty during tax season, advertising for Liberty Tax Service.  I often wonder how desperate for a job someone would have to be to do that.  I will give them kudos, though.  Especially when the majority of their employment is during the coldest months of the year.  I have seen these advertisers working for all sorts of businesses.  A going out of business sale often hires someone to hold a sign up and garner attention towards what he is holding.  Right now, Progressive Insurance is using a line of advertising that uses one of these fellas and its main character.  The first spot showed him at a mall parking lot when his father drives up.  You know the ad.  What tickles my heart about most of these people is the enthusiasm which they show for such a low paying job.  My favorite of all time is the fella that stands on the street advertising for a MetroPCS shop.  He would dance and spin and do all sorts of moves just to get your attention.  Then he’d point to the sign and the shop behind him.  These terrific people do a menial job that no one else would do and they do so with commitment and zeal.

When I think of Anna and her faithfulness, I am challenged to do more for the LORD than I currently am.  Anna didn’t stop when the LORD honored her wish.  She saw the redemption of her people.   She saw the promises made from Genesis chapter three and in verse fifteen until the Old Testament cannon was closed come in the person of the LORD Jesus Christ.  This goes to show motive.  She didn’t want to see Him for mere joy or self-pleasure.  She wanted to cast her eyes on the Hope of Israel so she could share Him with others.  This elderly lady had served faithfully at the temple for eighty-five years.  By all accounts, many would agree she had more than done her part.  As far as she was concerned, her ministry was just getting started.  The point is simple.  If a near one-hundred-year old sweet saint can sit at the temple day in and day out seeking those interested in redemption so she could share the opportunity for it, why cannot we show a small fraction of her zeal?  We make all sorts of excuses.  We fail to make the commitment necessary to search and seek those who desire salvation.  No doubt, Anna sat at the temple day in and day out with perhaps thousands of people passing by.  Most who would pay her no heed.  One wonders how much impact her ministry had on the crowd that would eventually gather to be baptized by John the Baptist.  Hmmm!