Anna Biographical Study

Scripture References

Luke 2:36–38

First Impression and Observations

Anna (meaning “Grace”) was a prophetess mentioned briefly but powerfully in the Gospel of Luke. She was the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She had been married for seven years before becoming a widow and was very advanced in age—eighty-four years old (or possibly a widow for eighty-four years, depending on interpretation).

Anna never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. At the very moment Mary and Joseph presented the infant Jesus at the temple, Anna came up, gave thanks to God, and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

Though only three verses are devoted to her, Anna stands as a model of faithfulness, perseverance, and hope. She represents a remnant of Israel who waited expectantly for the Messiah.

Outline of Life

Anna was born into the tribe of Asher, one of the northern tribes of Israel.
She married but was widowed after only seven years.
She remained unmarried for the rest of her life.
As a widow, she devoted herself entirely to worship, fasting, and prayer in the temple.
She served faithfully for decades, living a life centered on God.
When Jesus was brought to the temple as an infant, Anna recognized Him.
She gave thanks to God and proclaimed the child to others who were awaiting redemption.
Her testimony affirmed that the Messiah had come.

General Insights [Answers to Questions]

Why do you think God allowed this person to be mentioned in the Bible?

Anna’s presence in Scripture highlights the importance of faithful endurance. Though she did not hold political power or public influence, she played a vital spiritual role at a pivotal moment in redemptive history.

She represents those who wait patiently for God’s promises. For decades, she prayed and fasted, trusting that God would redeem His people. When the fulfillment came, she recognized it immediately.

Her story also honors the elderly and widows, groups often overlooked in society. God gives Anna a place of dignity and spiritual authority as a prophetess and witness to Christ.

What can you discover about her family and ancestry?

Anna was the daughter of Phanuel and from the tribe of Asher. The tribe of Asher was one of the ten northern tribes often thought to be “lost” after the Assyrian exile. Her mention suggests that faithful remnants of all Israel remained.

Her father’s name, Phanuel (meaning “Face of God”), recalls the place where Jacob said he had seen God face to face (Genesis 32:30). While little else is known of her family, Luke’s detailed record emphasizes her legitimacy and rootedness in Israel’s history.

Anna experienced both marriage and widowhood. Rather than becoming bitter or withdrawn, she turned her loss into lifelong devotion to God.

Character Qualities Defined

Faithfulness – Steadfast loyalty and devotion over a long period of time.

Perseverance – Continued effort despite hardship, loneliness, or delay.

Devotion – Deep love and commitment expressed through worship and prayer.

Hopefulness – Confident expectation in God’s promises.

Spiritual Discernment – The ability to recognize God’s work when it appears.

Gratitude – Giving thanks to God when His promises are fulfilled.

Bible Truths Illustrated in Life

Wait patiently for the Lord:
Psalm 27:14 – “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart.”

Pray without ceasing:
1 Thessalonians 5:17 – “Pray continually.”

God honors the faithful:
Hebrews 11:6 – “He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.”

The elderly have spiritual influence:
Psalm 92:14 – “They will still bear fruit in old age.”

Recognize God’s salvation:
Luke 2:30 (Simeon’s declaration) – “My eyes have seen your salvation.”

Summary of Lessons Learned from Life

Faithfulness in obscurity matters to God.
Seasons of loss can become seasons of deeper devotion.
Waiting on God is never wasted time.
A life of prayer prepares the heart to recognize God’s work.
Age does not limit usefulness in God’s kingdom.
When God answers prayer, give thanks and tell others.

Anna’s life reminds us that quiet perseverance is powerful. Though her story is brief, her impact is eternal. She teaches us to live expectantly, worship continually, and proclaim boldly when God fulfills His promises.

Check out the rest of my Biblical Character Studies Here

Comments

What does "Deep Cries Out to Deep” mean?

There is a new song that the Worship Team at Abundant Life Fellowship has been working on. As you learn this song and give Him praise through it, our prayer is that you let go of your deep and let it call out to the Deep in God. Here is some background to the biblical roots of the song with a link to the music video done by Bethel Church at the bottom. Background for the Background: In Numbers 16 the Bible records an event in the life of a man named Korah. He was of the tribe of Levi and therefore set apart to be a member of the priesthood in Israel. He rebuked Moses, saying: " You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the LORD is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the LORD's assembly? " -Numbers 16:3 He resented Moses' and Aaron's authority, and felt that he and his supporters could lead the Israelites more effectively. Later in the chapter, the earth opens underneath him and swallows him along with the others ...

All verses with chara in the New Testament

The Gospel usage of the word chara: Click to go back to the word study on chara. Mat 2:10 KJV - When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great chara . Mat 13:20 KJV - But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with chara receiveth it; Mat 13:44 KJV - Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found , he hideth , and for chara thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath , and buyeth that field. Mat 25:21 KJV - His lord said unto him, Well done, [thou] good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the chara of thy lord. Mat 25:23 KJV - His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the chara of thy lord. ...

The Fruits of the Spirit Series

Simple Translation into English: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. - Galatians 9:22-25 In the original Greek: But the fruit of the Spirit is agape , chara , eirene , makrothymia , chrestotes, agathosyne, pistis, praotes, and egkrateia . Against such things there is no law. The fruit of the spirit are commonly referenced in sermons, conversation, and even children's songs. I will be blogging a series which contains an in-depth study of each word in the original Greek with my commentary on its meaning. In the original language of the Biblical writers there is a connotation for each word that can be...

Day 3: 10,000 Reasons/Bless the Lord -Matt Redman

I saw Matt Redman in concert when I was in college during a festival called Passion OneDay in Tennessee. It was a wonderful experience in that open field, rain pouring down, with tens of thousands of other college students singing "Let it rain... Open the floodgates of Heaven." He is a truly great worship leader with a gift for bringing people into a real worship experience. He does this with 10,000 Reasons [which he has won Dove Awards and Grammy Awards for]. This is one of the reasons that this is one of the first songs our worship team recorded to put online during church shutdowns. "Sing like never before. I'll worship Your Holy Name." Background This song quotes Psalms 103:1-5 which lays out five reasons to bless the Lord [His Name, His benefits, His Healing, His Lovingkindness and Compassion, and how He renews our youth like the eagle]: 1 Bless the Lord, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name. 2 Bless the ...

ereine = peace

Peace is a gift from God: Peace being a fruit of the spirit is interesting because the word can be used as a political term referring to entire countries or as a very personal word referring to an inner state of being. I think that it is obvious that as a fruit of the Spirit the Bible is using this second meaning of the word peace and throughout the New Testament we can see that peace does not mean safety. Peace does not mean that there aren't people deliberately trying to destroy you. Many, if not all, of the writers of the New Testament were being persecuted for their beliefs and the early church was not at peace in the sense of the opposite of being at war. However, it shows God's Spirit dwelling inside of you when you have inner peace in the middle of this type of persecution. When you lose your job the fruit of the Spirit is still peace. When loved ones die the fruit of the Spirit is still peace. When people hate you and slander you sayi...

One Thing Remains by Jesus Culture

Why study what we sing? When I worship through music, it is very helpful to me to look into how the Bible lines up to what I'm singing. This knowledge makes a superficial singing of the words much more difficult for me, and I hope that sharing this will help you to focus better on what you are singing and who you are singing to. The newest song that we’ve sung as a congregation is “One Thing Remains,” by Jesus Culture: The lyrics to the song: Verse 1 Higher than the mountains that I face, Stronger than the power of the grave, Constant in the trial and the change, One thing remains. Chorus Your love never fails Never gives up It never runs out on me! Your love! Verse 2 On and on and on and on it goes. It overwhelms and satisfies my soul. And I never ever have to be afraid: One thing remains. BRIDGE In death. in life I’m confident and Covered by the power of Your great love. My debt is paid there’s nothing that Can separate my he...

Day 5: Graves Into Gardens -Brandon Lake, Chris Brown, Steven Furtick, and Tiffany Hammer

A Different Kind of Background When we first sang Graves into Gardens at my church (Abundant Life Fellowship in Boonville, NY) there was some opposition to it. At the time, there were elements in Conservative Christian media that were trying to "cancel" Steven Furtick , mega-church pastor and co-author of this song. It seemed at the time that there was a very critical community that scoured the internet for something to be against and they latched onto being against Furtick and anything he was connected to. You can tell pretty easily that I disagree with that approach. However, it is alway possible that a mega-church pastor is a wolf in sheep's clothing so I do understand the urge to be skeptical and to " test all things and hold onto that which is true." I think the deeper problem for me is that I used to be extremely critical in the same way. When I was in college, before cancelling was the cultural go-to phenomenon that is today, I would ba...

Day 26: Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

Come Thou Fount Confusion During my summers away from home as a Camp Counsellor, I attended a Mennonite Church every Sunday. One of the most common hymns in this church was Come Thou Fount and I found that I wasn't the only one that was singing along and enjoying the song without knowing what it really meant. So, let's look at some of the sticking points for people in this song after reading through the lyrics. What Fount? What Mount? Verse 1: Come, thou Fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing thy grace; streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise. Teach me some melodious sonnet, sung by flaming tongues above. Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it, mount of thy redeeming love. The "Fount of every blessing here is referencing John 7:37-38 when Jesus speaks of the Holy Spirit welling up inside a person, like a fountain. 37 On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to m...

Prophecies of Jesus fulfilled Part 1 [Genesis]

Well here is an ambitious project. There are hundreds of prophecies about Jesus in the Old Testament which are fulfilled in the New Testament. My aim is to catalog them all and show where they are fulfilled. In this first installment, I will concentrate only on the Prophecies about Jesus contained in the book of Genesis. My hope is that this will also be a helpful reference for others when it is finished. The prophecies are in bold followed by an outline of what the prophecy says [sometimes multiple ideas in a single verse] then the references to where it is fulfilled int he New Testament. I have left out commentary on these passages for now and am letting the Scripture speak for itself. [All Scripture references are from the NASB translation.] -Genesis 3:15- "And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel." He will be the seed of ...

133 Biblical Character Studies

Character Study Challenge Studying the lives of bible characters can be a great way to add method to the madness of bible study. I will be reteaching a class on Bible Study Methods at my church starting next month and I love a good challenge. As part of my personal bible study over the next few months, I want to learn about biblical characters and apply what I learn... so I say go big or go home. I plan to do 133 biblical biographical character studies and we'll see how long that will take... posted here for your reading and commenting pleasure. I've done many word studies in the past and am continuing to do so with my fruits of the spirit study . I've also studied the biblical context of praise and worship songs in a 30 day challenge. Subscribe to the email thingy over on the side of the pate and it will send new posts to your email whenever I write them. If you would like to study along with me, here is the order I will be researching the characters...

Bucket Full of Grace

Search This Blog