The Gospel of Luke narrates that, in accordance with Jewish law requiring the purification of a mother after childbirth and the presentation of a firstborn son, Mary and Joseph brought the infant Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem, where they encountered a devout man named Simeon, described as having been promised by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before seeing the Messiah. Taking the child in his arms, Simeon offers a prayer of blessing, later known from its opening Latin words as the Nunc Dimittis, declaring that he can now depart in peace, having seen the salvation God had prepared, before turning to Mary with a further prophecy that a sword would pierce her own soul, foreshadowing suffering to come.
A prophetess named Anna, described as elderly and devoted to worship and fasting in the temple, is also present according to Luke's account and likewise recognizes the child, speaking of him to others who were awaiting Jerusalem's redemption.
The episode is unique to Luke's Gospel among the four canonical accounts and continues the pattern, established earlier in his infancy narrative, of righteous, faithful individuals recognizing Jesus's significance through spiritual insight rather than through any outward sign visible to observers generally.