Scripture: Luke 2:41-52; Col. 3:1-17 and Psalms 148
Theme: Jesus in the Temple - Laying foundations for a Successful Faith Walk
Proposition: Luke shares in this passage the need for us to provide ourselves and our loved ones with a 1. Strong foundation in the faith 2. A strong foundation in the Word 3. A strong foundation that can then be lived out in everyday practice
INTRO:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and His Son Jesus Christ who came to save the world from sin!
Welcome to the first Sunday of the Christmas Season. As you know, the Christmas Season lasts only 12 days. It begins on December 24th after 6 PM and continues to January 5th. Remember the song, The 12 Days of Christmas? It's based on the length of the length of the Christmas Season. The song centers about the sharing of greater and greater gifts each day of this season. It is based on the idea that since Jesus has been born each new day is a more glorious day than the one before. It is one of the songs that is a great deal of fun to sing and enjoy.
This morning, let's turn again to Luke chapter 2:41-52. Our writer shares with us one of the few stories that we have about Jesus' childhood. Other than some dubious extra biblical accounts we don't know a great deal of Jesus' life following his dedication to when He when baptized by John and filled with the Holy Spirit some 30 years later.
By itself, Jesus trip to the Temple is amazing story. It is a story of a family's faith, a family's frustration and a family's reunion. Any parent reading the story is caught up in Mary and Joseph's anxiety looking for and not being able to find Jesus for three days. Any parent can understand both Mary's frustration and joy in finding her son in the Temple safe and sound. It is a story that touches all of our hearts.
There is a great many truths in this simple little story. More than can be shared this morning. Therefore I would like to call your attention to this morning for a few moments to some of the truths that surrounds verses 46 and 47. Before we look at those two verses in particular, however, it is important that we have some back fill to our passage.
It is easy to read this story and see Jesus sitting at the feet of these rabbi's and scholars and think more is going on that really went on. We have a tendency to place Jesus in all of his divinity here in the middle of these scholars schooling them on the Law, the Prophets and the Writings. There is a tendency to see Jesus as some super human prodigy here and miss out on what Luke is really trying to share with us. To do that would be unfair to the rest of scripture. We would be reading into this passage things that it does not tell us.
We must understand that as Paul writes in Philippians 2:5-11, that when Jesus came to earth he made himself nothing, taking on the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. Hebrews 2:18 further tells us that Jesus subjected himself to temptation just as every man is tempted.
Now, what does all of that mean? It means simply this. As Luke shares, Jesus was a 12 year old boy. He was not a superman or some super saint at this moment. Yes, He was God in flesh. He was fully human and fully divine. He did not come down to play any tricks on us. He did not simply wear humanity like a piece of cloth. He was fully human subjected to all the things that you and I have to endure. He had to be fed as a baby, he had to learn how to walk and talk and all the other things children do.
I say that because if we are not careful, we will miss the truths that Luke wants to share with us in this passage. The truth surrounding why Jesus could sit there and talk to these scholars. The truth why Jesus could sit there and not feel out of place with men five times his age. The truth why Jesus could hold his own with men who were deeply educated in the Law, the Prophets and the Writings.
The question that this passage begs us to ask this morning is simply this -
How can we be ready like Jesus to sit at the feet of men and women who are well versed in the Bible and feel comfortable, communicate intelligently and in fact amaze those that hear us.
What Jesus does here is not something out of the reach of anyone here this morning. What Jesus does here Luke wants to tell us should be the norm in our lives. It should be the goal of all of us this morning.
So, how was Jesus at the age of 12 able to sit down with these teachers and communicate so freely?
I. I believe it was because Jesus was given a wonderful foundation of faith
In verse 41 we have a clue as to how Jesus was being raised by his earthly parents. Each year Mary and Joseph would go up from Nazareth to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. At first glance we may look at that verses and go - That's nice. So, what?
That is until we begin to peel back the layers of what this really meant for Mary and Joseph. It was a hard three day journey traveling from Nazareth to Jerusalem. Three days of walking over hills and through valleys. Once they got to Jerusalem they would stay for eight days for Passover was an eight day worship celebration.
That meant three days traveling, eight days staying and another three days coming back home; 14 days in total. Now, think about that for just a moment. They would travel six days to worship the LORD for eight days. They would take two weeks out of their lives each year to do nothing more than travel and worship the LORD at the Temple. They would have to pack, prepare food and find shelter for all that time. And it was not to go on vacation, it was not to take a business trip, it was all to worship the LORD their God. It was all to experience a time of renewal and revival.
Also notice also that it was not just Joseph that would take this trip. It was required at that time if a man over the age of 12 could go to the Temple for Passover that he would fulfill this obligation. Women were not required to go. But verse 41 tells us that Mary each year would pack, prepare and proceed with Joseph taking Jesus along with them. It was a family event. Each year for six days they would travel together with others in large groups as they would go to Passover. Each year eight days they would spend with thousands of others to do one thing - pray, praise and proclaim that God is Lord of their lives.
Jesus' foundation of faith was solid. His family was dedicated to making sure that Jesus was at Passover each and every year. But what about the times between Passovers? What about the weeks that fell between one Passover to the next Passover? I mean there was no way for Jesus to be at the Temple each and every week, so what did the family during the in between times? Was it the fact, that all one had to do was to set aside a couple of weeks a year and then the other 50 weeks not attend a service?
Luke again provides for us a clue. Look over at Luke 4:16 and you will find your answer. Each week it is true because of the distance they could not attend Temple worship. However, each week they went to their local synagogue for praise, prayer and proclamation of the WORD.
Back in Moses' day the 12 Tribes traveled with the Tabernacle. They were never more than a few miles from the center of worship. However, once the tribes took the Promise Land those that were given the lands in the north and over the other side of the Jordan River could no longer attend tabernacle worship regularly. So, God created alternative sites for each tribe. In Jesus' day, synagogues were places where families could gather together to praise and worship God. What we have here; this sanctuary would have been called a synagogue in Jesus' day.
And it was Jesus custom that each and every Sabbath to be at his local synagogue when He and his family were not at Temple. Each Sabbath there would be Joseph, Jesus and Mary along with other members of their village. It was just a part of how Jesus was raised.
Luke challenges us this morning with this truth. He asks us how important is it for us to worship together as a family? How important is it for us parents to make sure that each and every week we are praising, praying and hearing the Word of God proclaimed? How important is it for our families from the time they are young to their last days here on earth to make worship a weekly priority?
II. Secondly, we see that Jesus had been well taught in the Law, the Prophets and the Writings
Again, we must understand that Jesus was just a normal 12 year old boy. John 3:11 makes it very clear that the first miracle that Jesus ever did was to turn the water into wine at the wedding at Cana. Before that miracle Jesus did not do anything to draw attention to Himself. He was born as a child, grew up as a child and as a young man.
Luke wants to make this point very clear when he tells us in verse 52 that Jesus continued to increase in wisdom, in statue and in favor with man and God. In other words, Jesus continued to grow up. He continued to get smarter, more intelligent. He continued to grow taller and more mature. He continued to learn what it meant to be in the favor of both men and God.
Jesus' parents made sure that not only did he attend Temple during the high holy days but that he was a part of a weekly synagogue meeting. Those meetings included a five-part service that involved prayers, psalm-singing, blessings, readings from the Scriptures, and commentaries on the sacred scriptural passages. It would be like our Sunday School and worship mixed together. The synagogue was the educational medium for keeping the law before the people and for providing instruction for their children in the ancestral faith. Each synagogue would make sure that it had as much scripture, as many ancient writings and as many commentaries as it could afford. Each synagogue wanted its children and adults to be saturated in the Law, the Writings and the Prophets. It was the reason for their existence.
Alongside synagogue worship, each father and mother's had an additional responsibility that is outlined in Dt. 6:7-9. Listen to verse 7 - "You (dads in particular and moms as well) shall teach them (the Word, Holiness) diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise." Each day was to be a day of teaching and sharing and learning about the Law, the Prophets and the Writings.
This is the whole tenor of the book of Proverbs. Proverbs is a book of wisdom and instruction given to a child by their parents. Nothing was more important than learning, sharing and living out God's Word. From high holy days in the Temple, to weekly synagogue meetings to every day lessons from the time a child got up to when they go to bed it was a family's responsibility to train up their children in the ways of the LORD.
I am thankful to my mom for doing her best to raise me that way. Until I graduated from college and got married when I was home it was expected of me to attend Sunday School, Morning Worship, Evening Worship and Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting. There were no other options. Our Sunday School classes were age related but Sunday Night and Wednesday Night we came together as an intergenerational church studying, praying and praising together.
My mom loved Rev. Oliver B. Green a Baptist radio preacher who radio program was heard each day on our local radio station. Each day we would listen to his services and buy his books to read. We listened to others as well but I remember Oliver B. Green the most. She did everything she could to start our day with prayer, continue our day with prayer and end our day with prayer. She made sure that we all had a Bible and she would check to see that we were reading it. She made sure that we had Sunday School material and other devotional material as well.
My mom only had an eighth grade education but she had a Master's Degree when it came to Biblical truth. She poured over her Bible each day, she prayed each day and she made sure that her children were well versed in the Word. To her that was her greatest job as a mom and as a parent.
I can only hope that Rebekah and I have done half as much for our children as my mom did for Wilma, Carolyn, John and me.
Luke's passage here challenges us doesn't it?
How faithful are we in making sure our children and grand-children are in church? In Sunday School? In prayer meetings? Reading God's Word? Studying God's Word? How much time do we spend daily talking to them about the LORD? How much time do we spend praying for them? Luke's words here makes us take a moment and reflect and examine our lives and how much we are doing for our children and grand-children.
III. Finally, Luke shares that Jesus was able to then put all He had been taught into everyday practice. Jesus enjoyed the challenge of sharing and talking to those teachers
Being just 12 years of age did not intimidate Jesus at all. Again, it was not because of the fact He was the Son of God. It was because this was not the first time that Jesus had sat around with men five times his age and discussed the Law, the Writings and the Prophets. What transpired here in the Temple had already taken place many times around the synagogue and the learning school in Nazareth. It was expected of boys this age to be well versed in Torah. It was expected that they could both ask and answer questions about the Law, the Writings and the Prophets. It was expected that they could sit with learned men and women and converse in the scriptures.
The men at the Temple were amazed at Jesus' depth of knowledge and His depth of understanding, not the fact he could ask and answer their questions. In other words, Jesus was not giving simple Sunday School answers. He gave answers that he himself had pondered over and processed. He was giving answers that were well thought out.
But is it really any wonder when we look at the man who raised him? St. Matthew describe Joseph this way:
He was spiritually pure - He was a man of holiness and righteousness
He was a man who pondered over things - He was a thinker
He was a man who was very protective over the innocent
He was a man who was progressive in his personal faith walk with the LORD
He was a man open to God's leading in new understanding and ways.
I am sure Joseph did all he could to mentor Jesus in these ways. We see Joseph's teaching in the way Jesus knelt down and without a word wrote in the sand the day He dealt with the woman caught in adultery. We see how Jesus pondered and then made that statement that he who is without sin cast the first stone. We see how Jesus spend great deals of time in prayer. We see Jesus being very protective over the innocent. I think if we take the time we can see Joseph's mentoring in the ministry and message of Jesus.
But there was something else about Jesus. Like Samuel, Daniel and David before him, Jesus was open to the leadings of His Heavenly Father at an early age. Like Joseph in Genesis age did not stop him from being able to hear HIs Heavenly Father.
For when Mary speaks to Jesus in our passage this morning, his answer is rather simple; Mom, you should have known that I had to be where my Heavenly Father's work is being done. Mom, you raised me to follow God and that is what I am doing (paraphrase mine)
Again, does not Luke challenge us in this area?
What is our greatest desire for our children and grand-children?
What is our heart's desire for them?
Is it to love God with all their heart, mind and strength?
Is it to have them follow God's leading and direction?
This morning, Luke challenges us as 12 years olds, as 18 year olds and as 20, 30, 40 and on up. Could we have conversed effectively with those teachers of the Temple? Do we feel comfortable in talking about the Bible and God?
If we don't feel that we can we have to ask ourselves why not? What would be the reason we would give to our LORD this morning for us to not being able to talk about the Bible with learned men and women? Would we really tell God that we have not had the time to read His Word, attend His Worship and spend time in Prayer? All of this is rather heart searching isn't it?
We once again come to the close of another secular year. In just a few days we will be entering into 2016. In light of what we have read this morning, why don't we end this year by preparing our hearts and lives to be ready to be a even better student of God's Word. Why don't we end and start the New Year with a plan, with a purpose and with passion that we are going to get to the place whether we are 12 or 92 that we are going to get to the place where we can be right where Jesus was in the midst of the best of the teachers and be able to share the WORD. That we are going to make it our passion to always be ready to be able to share the WORD with others regardless of their knowledge or age.
Some of the greatest preachers, teachers and witnesses of the WORD never had a formal education. Oliver B. Greene did not finish college but through his ministry over 200,000 people came to know Jesus. Uncle Buddy Robinson from White County, TN started was illiterate when he came to the LORD. He ended up writing 10 books and leading more than 200,000 people to Jesus during his ministry.
We don't have to have a PHD to be a scholar in God's Word. All we have to do is to set aside the time, have the passion and open your heart, your mind and your soul to the Holy Spirit. As we all have to do is to have the desire to be like Jesus.
It would be easy this morning to feel that all of our toes have been stepped on. It would be easy for us to all feel a little guilty but that is not Luke's intention nor mine. Luke's intention is to challenge us and to stir us on. His intention is to help us to see that today, tomorrow and the rest of our lives to do all we can for ourselves and our families to have a strong foundation in the faith, in the Word and have the ability to adequately converse and discuss God's Word and Holiness.
So, as we close this morning, we are not to be overwhelmed with remorse. We are not to leave thinking I could never be like Jesus. Instead, we are to begin or continue to do all we can to love God with all our hearts, minds and soul. We are to begin and to continue to do all we can to help one another be more mature in the faith. We are to begin and to continue to do all we can to saturate our lives and the lives of our family and friends with God's Word and Holiness.
It is in that line of thought that we close this morning by singing hymn # 467 - Higher Ground. As we sing it - let us ask Jesus to help us to grow in Him, to be ever more filled with His Holy Spirit and to take the challenge that we will make sure that our children, our loved ones and ourselves are continually growing in the Word, in prayer and in the Holy Spirit.
