NOTES for Luk 2:22-40
The word "Sretenie" is Slavonic; in Russian it means "meeting." What meeting is being discussed? The meeting of the Savior's parents with Simeon? Their meeting with the prophetess Anna? Of course, that too. But first of all the Gospel story tells us about the meeting of the people of God with their Messiah.
It is not surprising that this people was represented by those who were awaiting the Messiah's coming. Something else is surprising: on behalf of the people He is met by people who, it would seem, were not the most prominent among those awaiting Him. Of course, in this sense there is no point speaking about the Temple priesthood: the priesthood was reserved and skeptical toward popular messianic expectations. But there was also the Synagogue; in the synagogue environment messianic expectations at that time were very intense. And yet God showed the Messiah not to the leaders of the Synagogue, but to people who, though known, were not among the leaders of the people.
The choice may seem strange, but on closer examination it is quite understandable. Of course, if not everyone, then very many in the Jewish people were waiting for the Messiah at that time. But most of those waiting for Him had their own ideas about the Messiah, about what He should be and what He should do. Meanwhile, He was not going to do almost anything that both ordinary people and learned rabbis expected from the Messiah.
They expected the Messiah to restore an independent and strong Jewish state, to drive the Gentiles from the holy land, and to establish a new rule based on the Torah that would become Israel's golden age. And, of course, they expected miracles from Him, miracles that would solve all the problems at once, both of the people as a whole and of each person belonging to it in particular.
Everyone expected triumph, and no one expected Judgment. Only Simeon, who possessed the prophetic gift, understood everything correctly. He understood that the Messiah is the One who would cause many to fall and many to rise, just as one could expect on the day of Judgment. Such a person could be allowed to see the Messiah: this would not produce in him either excessive, unjustified expectations or unnecessary excitement. Everyone else still needed to wait. They needed to wait for the day when the Father would bring the Son out into His earthly ministry.