Reading: Luke chapter 2 verses 41-50.
Quote: R.C. Sproul (the American author, theologian and pastor):
“The soul is lifted up by the contemplation of the glory of God and of his only begotten Son”
“It is Christ in his glory who is the object of our worship and adoration. As Christians we join the communion of saints and the host of heaven in lifting up praise and honour to him”.
Ill:
• A girl of five year old girl went with a group of family and friends;
• To visit an Anglican Church on Christmas Eve.
• Hey arrived early and had time to look more closely at a beautifully done nativity scene.
• "Isn't that beautiful?" said the little girl's grandmother.
• "Look at all the animals, Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus."
• The little girl replied. "Yes, Grandma, it is really nice.
• But there is only one thing that bothers me. Isn't baby Jesus ever going to grow up
• He's the exactly the same size he was last year."
WELL JESUS DID OF COURSE GROW UP:
• We have this morning a story that illustrates part of that growing;
• I want to point out 4 things by way of introduction.
(1).
• First, this is the ONLY inspired, biblically recorded incident;
• Incident in the youthful years of Jesus Christ.
• Matthew records the flight to Egypt of Jesus the very young child;
• When Herod slaughtered all baby boys under the age of two.
• But other than this incident is the only one in the childhood years of Jesus;
• There is no other biblical record of any incident in the growing up years of Jesus.
Ill:
• There are some spurious writings which have tried to fill in the gaps;
• And make Jesus’ childhood supernatural.
• ill: The story that when Jesus when he was five years old he made soft clay,
• And he formed twelve sparrows,
• Then he clapped his hands together and cried out to the sparrows saying to them:
• “Go! And the sparrows took their flight and went away chirping.”
• It might make for an interesting story, but it is not true!
• It is not recorded in any of the 4 Gospels
• ill:: John chapter 2 verse 11 “His first miracle…at the wedding at Cana, in Galilee”).
(2).
• We have recorded in this account in Luke;
• The very first recorded words of Jesus.
• ill: Some of you have Bibles with the words of Jesus in red.
• Well in all 4 gospels this will be your first bit of read ink!
• And as we will see in our study;
• They are very, very important words indeed ( suppose that is why they are recorded!)
(3).
• Third, this is the last time Joseph is ever mentioned in the life of Jesus.
• It is commonly believed that Joseph must have died sometime after this incident.
• It seems certain that this last mention of Joseph;
• Is also a clue to the importance of our passage, and of the incident it records.
• Jesus may soon lose his earthly step-Father;
• But he is aware and declares to others in this story that he has a heavenly Father!
(4).
• Finally, the actions of Jesus, in the minds of His earthly parents, Mary and Joseph,
• Appear to the casual reader, to be wrong.
• ill: The words of Mary to Jesus clearly imply an assumption of His wrong-doing,
• And thus convey a gentle, but obvious rebuke.
• ill: If this child were any person other than Jesus,
• We would all agree that He was wrong.
• Question is: What is it, then, that makes Jesus’ actions proper,
• When they would not have been for any other 12 year-old?’
Ill:
• This passage has been called one of those “collie dog” texts.
• Collie dogs are very different to say a bulldog.
• A bulldog, may run straight up to you,
• Look you in the eye, and bite you,
• Collie dogs are very different,
• They tend to sneak around behind you, very quietly,
• And when you are not expecting it;
• Hey can sink their teeth into your hindermost parts.
• This story is like that.
• Initially the story seems to have little impact.
• But watch out!
• This passage may well sneak up on you, and bite!
Two things to note:
(1). Jesus accepted the limitations of humanity
Ill:
• One of the great things about having young children;
• Is that you get to watch all those Disney films that you skipped over as a teenager or adult!
• One of those films is called Aladdin,
• Story of a boy who rubs a lamp and ‘wow!’ a Genie appears.
• In the story the Genie talks about why he wants to be set free from the lamp;
• He is fed up and depressed about having to live inside a lamp.
• He’s mentions to Aladdin just how powerful he is when he says,
• “Infinite power (then goes on to say) – itty bitty living space!”
NOW AS PART OF THE GODHEAD:
• Jesus Christ the eternal Son of God had infinite power;
• Yet he chose an ‘itty bitty living space’.
• To be confined to planet earth would have been bad enough;
• For the God of the heavens! ill; We still have no idea how big the heavens are!
• So to be confined to planet earth would have been bad enough; yet he went even further;
• And chose the ‘itty bitty living space’ of the human body!
Ill:
Paul said it this way in Philippians chapter 2 verses 6-8:
“Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he emptied himself
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a human being,
he humbled himself”
(The Message):
“When the time came,
he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human!
Having become human, he stayed human.
It was an incredibly humbling process.”
We have just reminded ourselves in Christmas Carols & sermons over the Christmas period:
• That Jesus accepted the limitations of a human body.
• He was born like all babies are born.
Ill:
“Veiled in flesh the Godhead see,
Hail the incarnate deity,
Please as man with man to dwell,
Jesus our Emmanuel”
• And like all healthy babies he would soon grow;
• Verse 52 informs us how he would grow.
Ill:
He was the perfect teenager!
• Ill: He did not use the use of his arms and just grunt all the time!
• 4 ways we are told in how Jesus grew:
• JESUS GREW IN WISDOM:
• This is the Intellectual Development.
• JESUS GREW IN STATURE:
• This is the Physical Development.
• JESUS GREW IN FAVOR WITH MEN:
• This is the Social Dimension.
• JESUS GREW IN FAVOR WITH GOD:
• This is the Spiritual Development.
(a). JESUS GREW IN WISDOM:
• This is the Intellectual Development.
• Ill: Incredible to think that the ‘Eternal Word’ had to learn to read & write!
Ill:
• Liked the scene in the Nativity film (although made up, I am sure it may well have happened)
• We have Joseph & Mary talking; Joseph saying; “Will we be able to teach him anything”.
(b). JESUS GREW IN STATURE:
• This is the Physical Development.
• Incredible to think that the almighty God would need to exercise and eat healthily.
• Incredible to think that Jesus would have played games like other children;
• Ill: Non-Christians problem of Jesus being God. Christian’s problem of Jesus being human!
(c). JESUS GREW IN FAVOR WITH MEN:
• This is the Social Dimension.
• In becoming human Jesus must now relate to other human beings!
• He was not isolated, he was not a recluse, or hidden away in the desert etc;
• e.g. John the Baptist or like many of his followers, hidden in monasteries or convents or hermits!
• He was not isolated, he was not a recluse, or hidden away in the desert etc;
• He rubbed shoulders with his contemporises in Nazareth.
• Throughout his life Jesus knew how to mix socially with people.
• Ill: In the gospels e.g. Simon the Pharisee but also with sinners and tax collectors.
• Question: Where they aware that the men and women with whom He interacted;
• Would be men and women for whom He would lay down His life.
(4). JESUS GREW IN FAVOR WITH GOD:
• This is Spiritual Development.
• I don’t believe Jesus experienced spiritual short-cuts!
• Yes he was unique for he was sinless;
• Yes He knew God the Father like no other human.
• But that knowledge was something he grew into,
• It was not instant!
• Ill: I believe like us he had to learn his scriptures (the same as us!)
• Ill: He read them in the temple and as a boy he had to commit them to memory.
• Then years later when he would entered his public ministry;
• The Spirit of God would bring to his remembrance those things that he had learnt!
(2). Jesus approved the Father’s will:
• This whole pre-teen account of Jesus in the temple is so insightful:
• Notice that there is only ONE choice in the story.
• That choice is whether Jesus will stay in Jerusalem at the temple;
• Or whether to go back to Nazareth with Mary & Joseph.
• Let me emphasise that this is the only choice in this story;
• There is no other!
I believe that there was never a moment in His earthly existence;
• When Jesus would choose to be the Messiah/Christ.
• It was not a role, a calling he took up later in his life.
• Ill: I had a calling to Hampshire, it was a choice!
• I had options to go elsewhere, I had the option to stay where I was – it was a choice!
• When Jesus would choose to be the Messiah/Christ.
• It was not a role, a calling he took up later in his life.
• That had happened to other ‘would be’ Messiah’s’ e.g. Judas Maccabeus;
• e.g They would choose to lead rebellions against their enemies i.e. Romans.
Jesus never chose to be the Messiah, He simply was and is the Messiah.
• And although as he grew up, he came to a realisation of his calling;
• He did not have to make a choice concerning it!
• Ill: That choice was already made in eternity past;
• When he could say to the Father; “Here am I, send me!”
• As he grew he did not choose a particular way of life.
• But He grew more and more aware of what that way would be.
Notice: the word play that Dr Luke uses concerning Jesus Christ:
• Verse 40 He is called ‘the child’.
• Verse 48: He is called ‘the boy’.
• Verse 52: “He is called (by name) Jesus”
• A name rather than a description, Luke is emphasising growth even in these few verses!
• ill: The word ‘Child’ means ‘little one’ – total dependence on his parents.
• ill: ‘Boy’ suggests a little bit of independence – run off & play (he is full of energy & life).
• ill: Jesus – is of course a name rather than a description;
• Because soon he is moving into another phase of life - manhood
Ill:
(a).
• At the age of 12 Jesus had a ‘Bar Mitzvah’ that word means ‘able to do good deeds’.
• He becomes what’s called; ‘A son of the Law’.
• When a boy reaches this age he becomes responsible for his own behaviour.
• Up to the age of 12 the parents are punished if the boy did anything wrong;
• But from now on he is responsible for his own behaviour;
• From now on he is responsible for keeping God’s commandments.
(b).
• At this point in time he also becomes a partner with his Father;
• In whatever trade or profession his father has.
(c).
• This would explain the answer, the reply Jesus gave to Mary;
• When she and Joseph found him in the temple.
Ill:
The story of how they lost Jesus makes sense when we appreciate the culture of his day:
• In those days the women went ahead,
• Walking 15 miles a day and then putting up the tents and cooking the meal.
• Ready for when the men arrived.
• Who stayed behind talking and doing ‘important’ stuff!
• The children under 12 travelled ahead with their mothers;
• And boys over 12 travelled behind with their fathers.
• Jesus may well have travelled to Jerusalem with Mary and the women
• As he had no doubt done so on previous visits;
• But now he was 12, it was a turning point,
• Now it was the norm for him to return with Joseph.
• The problem that arose seems to be each parent (Mary & Joseph);
• Assumed that Jesus was with the other partner!
Note:
• It also sheds further light on the reply Jesus made;
• When Mary found him in the temple (his first recorded words):;
• “Did you not know that I must be about my father’s house”
• Some translations say: “My father’s business”
• This shows to us that Jesus now knew WHO he was,
• Even at such a young age! Age 12.
• Verse 48 makes it clear that Mary had not told him;
• She refers to Joseph as ‘Your father’.
One of the most amazing things is that it says
• He came back to Nazareth and was subject to his parents!
• As a child Jesus was anything but disobedient!
• He truly kept the fifth commandment;
• And honoured his earthly parents.
• There was not even a hint of disrespect or disobedience;
• In Jesus’ heart of Jesus towards His parents.
• His decision to stay behind was not made out of disobedience;
• In fact the opposite, obedience to his heavenly Father’s business!
• Ill: The temple represented far more than an impressive building;
• It symbolised the presence of God! So in obedience Jesus was with his Father!
Question: When Mary and Joseph found Jesus in the temple, what was He doing?
Answer: He was asking questions.
• He was not teaching in the temple,
• He was not usurping a role of authority in the temple.
• He was simply asking questions.
• Aged 12 he had come under the Law and was now responsible to keep the Law Himself.
• He was doing everything He could to comprehend what that responsibility really meant.
• In His humanity he was asking the pertinent questions to this stage of his life.
• Remember that verse 52 says that;
• Jesus Himself grew in wisdom and stature and in favour with God and men.
Note: When His parents said, “Why have you done this?”
• He gave the right answer.
• He didn’t say, “You’re not important any more”
• He didn’t say anything at all disrespectful or hurtful;
• He simply said; “I must be about my Father’s business.”
They had to recognize that Jesus marched to the beat of a different drum!
• The aim of his life had to do with that which was from God,
• He would and did not ignore their authority as his earthly parents.
• But above their good wishes for him came a stronger voice;
• He would first and foremost always be under the authority of His heavenly Father,
• There is no rebellion in this story;
• It is all about priorities – the ultimate priority.
• To approve, to affirm the Father’s will.
• That will which would one day take him beyond the temple and onto the cross!
• Every step from the cradle to the cross was defined by God’s plan of redemption:
• “He must be about his father’s business”
Luke in his gospel often refers to this divine compulsion:
• e.g. Chapter 4 verse 43: “Jesus must preach.”
• e.g. Chapter 9 verse 22: “Jesus must suffer.”
• e.g. Chapter 13 verse 33: “Jesus must go on his way.”
• e.g. Chapter 19 verse 5: “Jesus must stay at the house of Zaccaeus.”
• e.g. Chapter 24 verse 7: “Jesus must be delivered up to be crucified & rise again.”
• e.g. Chapter 22 verse 37: “Jesus must suffer these things and enter his glory.”
• e.g. Chapter 24 verse 44: “Jesus must fulfil all the Old Testament prophecies concerning himself.”
• “He must be about his father’s business”
Remember:
• And because ‘He must’ this morning ‘we can’
• We can enjoy friendship with the Father!
• We can enter his gates with thanksgiving in our hearts;
• We can remember him in the way he has asked us to!
