Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Luke 2:27

"And he came in the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, that they might do concerning him after the custom of the law," — Luke 2:27 (ASV)

The same Spirit had revealed to Simeon that the Messiah would come before he died. This may imply that he was an old man.

Mary and Joseph are referred to as Jesus’ “parents” (v.27) and as “the child’s father and mother” (v.33). Jesus would have been considered Joseph’s own son, so Luke’s terminology is not inconsistent. In the genealogy, however, the particulars of the relationship had to be made more explicit (3:23). Luke notes the providential timing in that the Spirit brings Simeon to the temple courts at the same time as the family’s arrival. In this touching scene, Luke again shows the presence of Jesus, now in Simeon’s arms, as an occasion of praise to God.