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All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished,
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but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.
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The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.
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Eight days later, when the baby was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel even before he was conceived.
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Then it was time for their purification offering, as required by the law of Moses after the birth of a child; so his parents took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.
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The law of the Lord says, “If a woman’s first child is a boy, he must be dedicated to the LORD .”
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So they offered the sacrifice required in the law of the Lord—“either a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”
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At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him
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and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.
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That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required,
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Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying,