The Messiah Anna Longed For

Psalm 89:27-29 I will also make him My firstborn, greatest of the kings of the earth. I will always preserve My faithful love for him, and My covenant with him will endure. I will establish his line forever, his throne as long as heaven lasts.

These verses come from another Messianic Psalm. Between them and other Old Testament references that have already been covered in this 60-day study, Anna knew the Messiah had to be a first born son. Thus, the ceremony and sacrifices that Mary and Joseph offered would have identified the baby Jesus as a first born to Anna.

But this Psalm does not stop there. Read it sometime. The first half, until verse 37, gives the Good News about the glorious Messiah, his heavenly kingdom and his future reign.

But verses 38 to 51 tell the other side of Jesus’ ministry. For instance, it says in verse 45, “You have shortened the days of his youth; you have covered him with shame.” This definitely alludes to the cross. Jesus’ earthly life didn’t come close to having the ‘three score and ten years’ that another Psalm calls the typical lifespan.

Anna, however, exceeded that range by quite a bit. But her lengthy years did not guarantee her placement in heaven. Her years in the temple did not offer that security either.

But the fact that she kept her focus on the redemption of the Messiah did.