Everything I Waited For

Series: Christmas in July
Scripture: Luke 2:21–40 (Common English Bible)

What happens when the thing we have waited for finally arrives?

In this message from Christmas in July, we step into a quieter part of the Christmas story—the moment when Mary and Joseph bring the infant Jesus to the temple. There are no angels filling the sky, no shepherds rushing from the fields, and no grand announcement. Instead, a young family arrives faithfully carrying their child, and two people who have spent years waiting recognize that God’s promise has been fulfilled.

Luke introduces us to Simeon and Anna, two faithful people who know what it means to wait. Simeon has held onto a promise from God that he would see the Messiah before his death. Anna has spent decades in prayer and worship, remaining devoted to God through deep loss and uncertainty. Their stories remind us that waiting is not simply empty time—it can become a place where God shapes us.

In this sermon, Rev. Sarah Harrison-McQueen reflects on the spiritual discipline of hope and what sustains us when the distance between God’s promise and its fulfillment feels long. Simeon and Anna show us that faithfulness does not mean pretending waiting is easy. Instead, they teach us that staying close to God through prayer, worship, and trust allows us to recognize God’s presence when it appears in unexpected ways.

Simeon was guided by the Holy Spirit, and Anna made her waiting an act of devotion. Neither knew exactly when God would fulfill the promise, but both remained attentive and faithful. Their lives challenge us to ask: What are we doing while we wait? Are we allowing the waiting to draw us closer to God?

When Simeon finally holds Jesus, he declares, “my eyes have seen your salvation.” The fulfillment of his hope does not erase all difficulty, but it brings a deep peace—a sense that God’s promise has become real. And when Anna encounters Jesus, she cannot keep the good news to herself. Her joy overflows into testimony as she tells others what she has seen.

This story reminds us that genuine hope changes us. When God meets us, the response is not simply to hold onto the moment for ourselves, but to share what God has done. The hope we receive becomes a hope we offer to others.

Many of us are waiting for something: an answered prayer, a new beginning, healing, reconciliation, or a glimpse of where God is leading us next. Simeon and Anna remind us that waiting is not wasted time. The Holy Spirit is present even in seasons when we cannot yet see the outcome.

Thousands of years later, we still gather around this Christmas story of Emmanuel—God with us. We are reminded that God meets us not only in moments of celebration and certainty, but also in seasons of longing and anticipation.

May we learn from Simeon and Anna to remain faithful in the waiting, attentive to the movement of the Spirit, and ready to recognize God’s presence when hope is fulfilled.

Reflection Questions:

• What do you think sustained Simeon and Anna through decades of waiting?

• What does Simeon and Anna’s faithfulness teach us about holding onto hope?

• What do you notice about Anna’s response to seeing Jesus? What does her response suggest about what happens to us when genuine hope is fulfilled?

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