Forty days after childbirth a mother had to wait 40 days to be purified from the bleeding (Lev 12). Luke is being careful to show in this part and the preceding verse that all the requirements of the Jewish Law were fulfilled. Jesus came to fulfil the Law, not do away with it (Matt 5:17). If they could not afford a lamb, then a pigeon and two doves was an acceptable sacrifice, this indicates that Mary and Joseph were not wealthy.
A man called Simeon was at the temple. Luke notes that the Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would see the Messiah. So we see the emphasis on the work of the Holy Spirit. There is also the implicit idea that the Holy Spirit is divine. The Spirit urged Simeon to go to the temple courts when Jesus was there. He sees Jesus and praised God.
Simeon recognises Jesus as the Messiah. Remember that Jesus is just a baby at this point, so it is the Holy Spirit who reveals this to Simeon. Now that he has seen the salvation of God Simeon is happy to be dismissed by the Lord. Notice the global nature of God's salvation. Jesus is the glory of the people of Israel and the light of salvation to all nations. Simeon then prophecies to Mary how difficult things will be. So Simeon sees the suffering and the glory.
A prophetess, Anna, was also there., she was very old and had been a widow for seven years. So she devoted herself to prayer and fasting. She too spoke about the child and saw Him bringing redemption.
There is then a twelve year gap in the tale, except for us to know that Jesus became strong, was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him. When we talk of the grace of God we often think of it in terms of a passive thing, our sins being forgiven. Clearly it includes this, but there is much more. Jesus had no sins that needed forgiving. The grace of God is also an equipping, enabling, empowering thing, as well as a forgiving thing.
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