The Messiah Anna Longed For

The Future Priest King

Read Psalm 110

Excerpt: 2a and 4

“The Lord will extend Your mighty scepter from Zion. … The Lord has sworn an oath and will not take it back: Forever, You are a priest like Melchizedek.”

Living in the temple, Anna saw priests come and go daily. Other than certain times of the year, they did not live in the temple. Like reporting to work they would come in, offer the sacrifices, present the offerings, recite the prayers, and then go home to their wives and families.

They went past her clean and in fresh robes.

They left blood-spattered and dirty.

Day after day.

Sometimes they would have spoken to her a few words as they passed through the women’s temple on their way to the Court of the Gentiles and then home.

Sometimes they would be talking to another priest or two and might nod her way.

Other times, they would completely ignore her.

I would like to think that she could live that long in the temple because some of the kindlier priests would offer part of their share of the sacrifices. That way, the poor widow who lived among them had something to eat.

But since the Gospel of Luke stressed her fasting, I imagine they forgot her needs sometimes as well.

She saw priests. Lots of priests. Lots of very human priests.

And she realized that she needed someone different. Someone better. A perfectly holy priest who would see her service and honor it.

But also a priest with authority to act mightily on her behalf. She needed the priest king that David prophesied about in this Psalm.

Thus, she looked towards the future. She could smile and she could rejoice, because she knew who was coming: Her holy Messiah priest who would make all things right.

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