The last time, I spoke of all the signs that pointed to Messiah being born when He was and where He was and that no one seemed to care, remember or just plain covered it up.
I thought this would be a good starting point for a look at the life of Christ through the scriptures
We are told precious little about the early years of our Lord. He was perhaps as much as 2 years old when the Magi visited, but we read nothing again until Jesus is 12 years old. All we can do is presume he led a normal life as any other Jewish youth of His time.
Both John and Mark begin their gospels with Jesus as an adult and being baptized by John. This was as we will see in future messages the beginning of His earthly ministry
Matthew and Luke record many things surrounding Jesus’ birth as we saw last time.
Annunciation’s to both His mother and Father
The fulfilling that He would be born of a virgin and in Bethlehem
Shepherds and Magi are given an early look and both are consumed with worship
Two strangers in the temple praise God and give thanks
Then we have nothing from inspired writing. Oh some manuscripts from the second and third centuries and some even later have tried to fill in some blanks but they are filled with heresy and nonsense
We simply have to trust the scriptures and move to His youth, at the age of 12 and His first Passover in Jerusalem we have recorded. Anything else is opinion and speculation
Luke 2:41-52 (NASB)
41 Now His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. 42 And when He became twelve, they went up there according to the custom of the Feast; 43 and as they were returning, after spending the full number of days, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. But His parents were unaware of it,
44 but supposed Him to be in the caravan, and went a day's journey; and they began looking for Him among their relatives and acquaintances. 45 When they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem looking for Him.
46 Then, after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers. 48 When they saw Him, they were astonished; and His mother said to Him, "Son, why have You treated us this way? Behold, Your father and I have been anxiously looking for You." 49 And He said to them, "Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father's house?"
50 But they did not understand the statement which He had made to them. 51 And He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and He continued in subjection to them; and His mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.
All Jewish men were required to appear in Jerusalem for the three main feasts every year, Passover and unleavened bread, the feast of first fruits and the feast of ingathering or Pentecost.
We are not told whom they stayed with or any details of this Passover. We are told they stayed the appointed days and this would be for about a week. We are told the women also went up at this time, similar to Hannah’s practice recorded in 1 Samuel 1:7
12 years old is a very important year in the life of a Jewish boy. At 12 he is considered a son of the law and so bound by its statutes. What we would call the age of reason.
He is also to begin training in fasting and temple worship as well as beginning to learn a trade. So here at 12 Jesus comes to the Temple for the first times as a young man.
What do you suppose was going through this young Jesus’ mind as he first sees the temple as a human with all the people who come every year? Lambs selected and killed and blood everywhere. How terrifying for any normal youth. How much more so for someone who knew He would one day be God’s Passover for all of mankind.
So many Psalms speak to this occasion
Psalms 26:8 (NASB) 8 O Lord, I love the habitation of Your house. And the place where Your glory dwells.
Psalms 42:1 (NASB) 1 As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for You, O God.
Psalms 87:2 (NASB) 2 The Lord loves the gates of Zion. More than all the other dwelling places of Jacob.
Psalms 122:1-2 (NASB) 1 I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the Lord." 2 Our feet are standing Within your gates, O Jerusalem,
Because this is the Passover and Feast of unleavened bread, he would have remained 8 days sitting silently at his earthly fathers side but the true meaning of it all could not have escaped his notice
Song of Songs 2:3-4 (NASB) 3 "Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest, So is my beloved among the young men. In his shade I took great delight and sat down, And his fruit was sweet to my taste. 4 "He has brought me to his banquet hall, And his banner over me is love.
Most normal boys would not be so bold as to cause their families distress. But this is not a normal boy and there is work to be done if only for a little while here.
The parents begin to return home to Nazareth and with all the hustle and bustle do not notice the boy is not with them. Perhaps He is with a neighbor or a close friend. It’s not usually something to worry about.
After a full day however it becomes clear Jesus is not with the caravan and so they return to Jerusalem and I can only assume in a panic any parent can understand.
One days journey towards home, another days journey back to Jerusalem, but it was not until the third day that they found their son and so I imagine there was one full day was consumed in searching.
Usually when a child is lost it is because of something that has caught his eye and he has wandered. But Jesus is not looking at the magnificent architecture or massive columns or any of the ornate décor. He has seen this from His heavenly throne before but never as a man
He is with the most learned men in all of Israel. The teachers of Israel. Pharisees, Saducees and scribes and he is listening to them
Can you imagine being in the presence of the most learned religious leaders of our day? John MacArthur, John Piper, Oz Guinness, Charles Stanley? What an amazing time that would be
But even more, he is questioning them.
What could he have possibly have asked them that he did not already know or that they could have satisfactorily answered for the Son of God?
So much had been added to Gods Law. Human interpretations, commentaries, Rabbinic teachings. Perhaps Jesus was asking them, where exactly did you get that? Does God’s word actually say that? Is that really what God commanded?
Sadly we are not told. Don’t you hate that?
The common way for teaching in this culture was for the teachers and learners to sit in a circle and question one another. This way all the material could be covered at one time
We are not told what Jesus thought of their answers or comments but what we are told is amazing.
47 And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers.
The word amazed here is existêmi and carries the idea of astonishment, being besides oneself, or to stand aside from. It was like nothing they had ever heard, even from their own learned scholars.
It was not just that at 12 He understood them but replied with His own questions challenging their positions
A 12 year old, amazing the most learned men in Israel!
A 12 year old, holding his own with the best of the best!
A 12 year old, who has not yet increased in wisdom or received the Holy Spirit at His baptism
Wouldn’t you have loved to be there and heard?
His mother and father finally find him in this most interesting situation and are amazed as well but also a bit parental
"Son, why have You treated us this way? Behold, Your father and I have been anxiously looking for You."
Mary was well aware this was a special child she bore and raised, but a mother is a mother. Why have you treated us this way?
The word anxiously here is odunaô and literally means suffering pain or being in agony.
We then have the first recorded words of the Son of God, The Messiah, The Lamb who takes away the sin of the world, the Logos or word of God
49 And He said to them, "Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father's house?"
The word house there should be more accurately My Fathers affairs or the Things of my father. We often think that Jesus came only to seek and save the lost However the first people he speaks with are the religious leaders of His people. He also came to correct their wrong teachings and to turn the hearts of the children back to their father. That is my fathers business!
But is that any way to talk to your mother?
But we have to believe that the statement was not understood by His parents. After all his father Joseph was right there and his business was carpentry.
Here in the presence of His fathers house he can once again breath the air he has for centuries. Here He is with His true father and here He is most comfortable.
Let the ordinary worshippers keep the feast and be so quickly gone to return home. I wish to stay a bit longer and enjoy His presence. That is why we come is it not?
Jesus knew who resided here and it was not to be abandoned so quickly
Song of Songs 1:4 (NASB) 4 "Draw me after you and let us run together! The king has brought me into his chambers." "We will rejoice in you and be glad; We will extol your love more than wine. Rightly do they love you."
Song of Songs 2:6 (NASB) 6 "Let his left hand be under my head And his right hand embrace me."
But this is all still too early to speak of.
They will not yet understand and certainly not from a 12 year old under their care. And so they return home to Nazareth.
This is the last mention of Joseph in scripture. We are not told of his death or its time. We are not told how much longer he spent with Jesus teaching him the family trade. He simply vanishes from the pages of Gods word having served his ministry well.
We then have some interesting comments:
He continued in subjection to them – the Son of God, God of very God in subjection to his own created beings? Parents who could not even understand him at 12 years of age, he submits to. That is the way of the creation law. Honor thy mother and father God commanded Israel. And Jesus is in perfect obedience to Gods every command, even if it seems odd from a human perspective
Mary treasured all these things in her heart – this and so much more did she treasure. She saw and even instigated the miracle at the wedding feast at Cana, saw many more miracles, saw His atoning death and His magnificent resurrection. All kept close to a mothers heart. This was a fulfilled prophecy at the birth of her son
Remember what Simeon said to the parents when Jesus was born?
Luke 2:34-35 (NASB) 34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, "Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed— 35 and a sword will pierce even your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed."
This sword would cut deeper some times than others but the pain of being Messiah’s earthly Mother would be something Mary would never forget nor would she ever have it any different.
Luke 2:52 (NASB)
52 And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.
I believe this single verse contains more than we could ever comprehend here on earth. All children increase in wisdom and stature or physical appearance. But the early part of the verse is so connected with the later that by increasing as he did he also found favor with God and man, that it certainly means more.
How much more could His wisdom increase if he could amaze the teachers of Israel at 12 years old?
So much so that when the people heard him later in life they could say he taught them like no one else including their teachers.
Twice during His earthly life did God verbalize how pleased He was with His son. Once at His baptism and once at his Transfiguration before the apostles.
Who and what Jesus was or more accurately is has kept men speaking for 2000 years.
Is he a prophet – well if he is then he is to be listened to and obeyed, but they do not
Is he merely a very good man – then he is to be rightly imitated, but they are not willing to do that either
Is he the Son of God He claimed to be – then he is to be worshipped and obeyed in every instance, but that would mean denying self and following one we have to admit is greater then we are.
Jesus is and has always been God. Jesus became a man to save and restore us. Jesus is worthy of all glory and honor and praise from His people. And everyone said…..AMEN!
