Have you ever noticed that many older Christians “retire” from serving God? Once they aren’t working or their kids are grown or they can’t get around like they used to, they step back from active involvement in ministry. They continue to attend church, but they pretty much become a Christian spectator. (Lord, I’m praying already that this won’t be me.)

Anna, the Jewish prophetess, is a great example for all of us as we get older. (I know, some of us are older than others.) We meet Anna in the temple not long after the birth of Jesus. Joseph and Mary took Jesus there to observe all the ceremonies required by Jewish law.

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. 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.

Luke 2:36-38, NIV

Although some scholars think Anna could have been more than 100 years old, she had not retired. She constantly served God and His people at the temple. Although we don’t have a specific quote from Anna, the Bible does tell us that after she met Jesus, she “spoke about the child to all…”

Anna faithfully witnessed about Jesus Christ to all who would listen. The implication is she continued witnessing until her death. I can imagine that the last words on her lips may have been, “Jesus is the redemption of Israel!”

Will you testify about your Savior with your dying words? Who do you need to tell?

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