"Is Not This The Carpenter...?”

We do not hear many sermons highlighting this part of the Lord’s life. However, most of Christ’s life on earth was spent as a carpenter.

We read about the last three-and-a half years Jesus spent on earth in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. In their accounts we read that He went everywhere preaching, teaching, and doing miracles.

In those three-and-a-half years He made an impact on the world as no one else has ever made!

Yet, I would like to draw your attention to Mark 6:3, where the Bible says when Jesus preached in His home country, the people said this of Jesus, “Is not this the carpenter...” For perhaps 12 to 15 years of His life, Jesus was known as a “carpenter.”

• Most of Jesus’ life as an ADULT was spent as a carpenter.

• Most of Jesus’ time spent on EARTH was spent as a carpenter.

This message focuses on those thirty years that most of us have heard so very little about. We shall see how God, the Father, had a purpose in Jesus spending most of His life as a carpenter.

The Lord could have taken up any number of occupations before He began His ministry, although usually sons did follow the occupation of their fathers. We are often guilty of telling children today that they can be anything they want to be. However that is not the truth!

Illus: A child might grow up wanting to be a brain surgeon, but regardless of how hard he tries, he can never be a brain surgeon.

However, the Lord Jesus could truly have been anything He had wanted to be. Nevertheless they asked, “Is not this the carpenter...” They asked that because that was what Jesus had been. But remember, He could have been anything. For example, let me show you...

I. WHAT HE COULD HAVE BEEN.

A. He could have been known as a great SHEPHERD.

In God’s Word we see Jesus likened to the greatest shepherd who ever walked on earth. Most of us are familiar with this.

• King David of old came along and said, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

• We see in John 10:11, where Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.”

• In Hebrews 13:20 we read, “...our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep...”

• In I Peter 5:4, we read that Jesus is the “...chief Shepherd...” Who “...shall appear...” one day! The fact is, there never was a GREATER SHEPHERD than the Lord Jesus.

Nevertheless, in those thirty years the Bible does not say that anyone asked, “Is not this the SHEPHERD?” No. That was not what God chose for His beloved Son to be as He grew to manhood.

B. He could have been known as a great LAWYER.

There has never been a lawyer that had the wisdom and skills that our Lord Jesus had. He has plead more cases than any lawyer has ever plead.

Look at I John 2:1. We read, “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:”

Why do we need an advocate? The Bible tells us, in Revelation, that we have an “accuser.” of the brethren.

Look at Revelation 12:10. We read that Satan, “...the accuser of our brethren is cast down...”

Our great lawyer, the Lord Jesus, has never lost a case!

He has taken every lost sinner by the hand and taken God by the other hand and has brought us together. Never has there been a mediator like Christ.

However, again I would remind you that for the first thirty years of His life, Jesus did not practice law. The Bible does not say that they said of him, “Is not this the lawyer?”

Again, as we look at the first thirty years of His life, we know...

C. He could have been known as a great PHYSICIAN.

Why do we say that? Because, never has there been a physician like Him.

• He opened blind eyes.

• He caused the deaf to hear.

• He caused the dumb to speak.

• He healed those who were crippled.

• He raised the dead.

The Bible tells us of a woman who had a blood condition. She had tried every physician she could find, yet we are told she steadily became worse. Then she met the Lord Jesus and she touched only the hem of His garment and she was made whole!

No doctor was able to do for her what the Lord did for her! However, I must remind you, Jesus spent thirty years on earth before His ministry began. He could have been anything He wanted to be, but God did not see fit for Him to practice medicine. The Bible does not say that they said of Him, “Is not this the PHYSICIAN?”