WHERE DID HE GET THAT?
LUKE 1-6, 22
#FathersDay2016
Today is Father’s Day and we will celebrate those men in our lives that have been a great influence. Every father is different and so the lessons and leadership our fathers give us is often as different as they are. The lessons and leadership our fathers give us is dependent on their skills and talents and personality. The Bible has some commands for fathers that centers on what they teach about the Lord:
* Deuteronomy 4:9 = “Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.”
* Deuteronomy 11:18-19 = “Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 19 Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”
* Psalm 34:11 = “Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.”
* Ephesians 6:4 = “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”
* Hebrews 12:10 = “Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness.”
INTRODUCTION… Things I Learned from My Dad (p)
I am fortunate at this stage in my life that my father is still alive. As I think back on my life, I can identify several areas where he has been a major influence:
* Education: My dad always said “Education is the key.” He himself was active duty military, taught classes on the side, and put himself through a Master’s degree program while overseas. He has a daughter who is a medical doctor and he has a son who is a PhD. Education was prized in our home and important.
* Giving to Soldiers & Police Officers: My father was active duty Army for over 20 years and retired. His field in the Army was law enforcement. Still is to a degree. He has led by example and by words in stating that buying a soldier’s lunch or an officer’s lunch is a tangible way to say thank you for serving our country and protecting us as a peacemaker. When I am able, I purchase a soldier’s or police officer’s lunch to say thank you and to honor my father.
* Obey God with Money: My dad started out as a private in the Army and achieved the rank of CW4. He now has a good paying job in a private business. My parents did not always have extra money. Over the past few decades since his retirement, my dad has expressed to me that he and my mom are blessed financially and when you are blessed financially, you must financially show your thankfulness to God or in his belief God will take it away and give it to someone who is thankful.
Those are three quick things that I can think of that my father has taught me over the years. I know there is much more. Worthy lessons I think. As you think about your father or grandfather or uncle who has been a supreme, influence on you, what lessons have they taught you? How have they been a positive influence in your life?
Today as we look in the Scriptures, we will be in the Gospel of Luke, and we will be looking at the life of Jesus Christ in relation to the man who occupied the role as is earthly father, Joseph. As we are looking at the life of Jesus Christ, we are going to be asking a central question:
THREAD: WHERE DID HE GET THAT?
BIRTH OF JESUS
Jesus’ life began with His birth. You might say that sounds silly. However, knowing about the birth of Jesus Christ proves to us the Truth that Jesus of Nazareth was at the same time God and Human. People down through the ages have doubted His divinity. People down through the ages have doubted His humanity. Normal Christian belief is that Jesus was God in the flesh. Jesus was born like all human beings.
READ Luke 2:4-7
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
If we add together this passage that we just read and the account of Jesus’ birth in the Gospel of Matthew chapter 1, we find that Joseph was a good Godly man. He was someone with a good conscience. He loved Mary. Joseph was someone who obeyed without delay when God gave him a command (Matthew 1:24, 2:14).
NAMING OF JESUS
Jesus of Nazareth was not born into a vacuum, but was born into the Jewish culture which had rules and traditions and social norms. As we read further in Luke 2, we see Joseph leading his family well in normal godly traditions of the day.
READ Luke 2:21-24
On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived. 22 When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord"), 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: "a pair of doves or two young pigeons."
We find Joseph continuing to be obedient to God in all things for they named the baby that was born to them “Jesus,” just as they were instructed. As part of the ceremony, he led Mary in dedicating their new son to the Lord. A little later in this same passage in Luke we are told, “When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth” (Luke 2:39). What does that verse tell us? Joseph was a man over and over who followed His God with his heart by his actions.
GROWING UP YEARS OF JESUS & DISAPPEARANCE OF JOSEPH
The life of Jesus is recorded in the 4 Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. To be honest, the Gospels are silent on the growing up years of Jesus except for a small passage in Luke 2. In Luke 2, we see Joseph leading his family as he always had done… in obedience to God and seeking after God. Joseph led his family in creating holy customs in their home which lead to right worship of God.
READ Luke 2:41-42
“Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. 42 When he was twelve years old, they went up to the Feast, according to the custom.”
The passage records a little mix up in travel plans and looks similar to the Home Alone movies, but without the robbers and all of the pranks. Joseph and Mary, after accidentally leaving Jesus in Jerusalem, find Him in the Temple about His Heavenly Father’s business.
Can you imagine the conversation as they were on their way back to get Him?
Mary: Joseph I can’t believe you left our Son behind.
Joseph: What are we going to tell God? God, we lost your Son. So sorry.
Mary: God is going to say, “You had one job!”
The passage ends with Jesus being found and without any jokes, but the passage does end with a solid description of Jesus in verse 52: “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”
After this passage in Luke 2, we do not catch up with Jesus until He is 30 years old and beginning His earthly ministry. I hope that the Gospels not including Jesus’ growing up years is not a source of trouble for you. All we need to know about Jesus to fully accept Him as Savior and Lord is completely revealed in the Gospels. Nothing is left out that is needed to direct our hearts to Him. After this passage in Luke 2, we do not see Joseph again. The common belief because we do not read about Joseph again in the Gospels is that sometime between Jesus’ 12th year and His 30th year that Joseph died. Even though we do not read about Joseph exactly, I believe we see the influence of Joseph all throughout Jesus’ life.
JOSEPH’S INFLUENCE: LUKE 4:14-16
READ LUKE 4:14-16
“Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. 15 He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. 16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom.”
Luke 4 is the recording of the beginning of the ministry of Jesus. As Jesus began, He started in the area where He grew up. These are His “old stomping grounds.” Jesus begins to teach in the synagogues and people receive what He has to say with open hearts. Verse 15 tells us they praised Him. Verse 16 shares with us an interesting little fact about Jesus’ background.
Verse 16 says: “on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom.” What does that mean? That phrase tells us that before Jesus ever got into ministry that it was His custom to be in church on worship days. “Custom” means a regular habit that was predictable about Him. Custom means 4/4 Sabbath Days Jesus was worshipping with others.
THREAD: WHERE DID HE GET THAT?
We must not forget that Jesus of Nazareth was God, but He was also a human being who had to learn and grow as all human beings do. I know it is complicated, but Jesus had to learn like the rest of us. I submit to you this morning that based on what we have already seen about Joseph at the time of Jesus’ birth, the naming tradition that occurred 8 days after His birth, and the comments about regularly attending feasts in Jerusalem, that the commitment to worship God on the day of worship was taught to Him by Joseph. Jesus learned from Joseph that consistent corporate holy worship was essential for a man of faith.
JOSEPH’S INFLUENCE: LUKE 5:15-16
READ Luke 5:15-16
“Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. 16 But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”
As Jesus was starting His 3 year ministry, news about Him spread fast. This was an age without telephones or email or instant communication. Word of mouth would have spread about a dynamic rabbi (teacher) who not only taught and preached well, but also healed people of diseases and handicaps. People began to come in droves. The picture we get from this passage and from others is that each day crowds would gather and gather and then the next day the same crowds would be there, but only more would show up.
Verse 16 shares with us another normal habit of Jesus: “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Why do you think He did that? Jesus did that because preaching and teaching is emotionally and spiritually taxing as well as sometimes physically taxing. Jesus did that because people are people and dealing with people on a regular basis is often frustrating. The word that catches my eye in verse 16 is the word “often.” Jesus “often” prayed in solitude. He would present His requests to God. He would listen to God the Father. He would share His heart.
THREAD: WHERE DID HE GET THAT?
We must not forget that Jesus of Nazareth was God, but He was also a human being who had to learn and grow as all human beings do. I imagine two things about Jesus’ prayer life.
First, from what I see about Joseph in the Gospel of Matthew and in Luke, Joseph was a man who listened to God when God spoke. In my opinion and in my experience, only a person who is practiced in prayer can hear the voice of God and know whether it is God’s voice or their personal inner voice. I believe Joseph taught Jesus to pray.
Second, imagine that Joseph might have counseled Jesus that working with people is hard and that in His ministry He would constantly be giving out and pouring out of Himself to people. I imagine Joseph telling Jesus to frequently fill up His spiritual tank. I believe Joseph taught Jesus to pray.
JOSEPH’S INFLUENCE: LUKE 6:12-16
READ Luke 6:12-16
“One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. 13 When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: 14 Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, 15 Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, 16 Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.”
Once Jesus’ ministry was going and moving and gaining strength, it was time to choose from among those who were following Him who His inner circle would be. These followers would be those in whom He would invest much time, energy, extra teaching, and effort in molding them. These would be the followers on whom the mission of the Church would rest after His death and ascension into Heaven. It was all part of the pre-ordained plan.
Jesus had a decision to make. We see in verses 13-15 that Jesus chose from among all the gathered people who had been following Him. Jesus on purpose picked these men to follow Him and to learn. We know there were other worthy men to be His disciples because in Acts 1:23-26 Matthias, who had been a follower since the beginning, was chosen to replace Judas Iscariot. Jesus took an extended amount of time in prayer before making His decision. I can imagine Jesus asked God for wisdom. I can imagine Jesus asked God to reveal those men the Heavenly Father would choose. I can imagine Jesus asked for the willingness to choose Judas even though he would betray Him. Jesus bathed His decision in prayer before He made it.
THREAD: WHERE DID HE GET THAT?
We must not forget that Jesus of Nazareth was God, but He was also a human being who had to learn and grow as all human beings do. We can see in the few Scriptures that describe Joseph that when Joseph was faced with a decision in his life, he consulted God on what to do.
When faced with the decision to wed Mary, He listened to God’s will and married her.
When faced with the decision what to name the child, He listened to God’s will and named Him Jesus.
When faced with the decision on how to keep Mary and Jesus safe, He listened to God and escaped to Egypt.
By Joseph’s actions and by imagining what fatherhood was like for Joseph, I can see where Joseph taught the young man who was charged in his care to listen closely to what God the Father wanted rather than going His own way. Jesus learned to pray over decisions and then follow the will of God in making decisions.
INFLUENCE OF JOSEPH: LUKE 22:39-42
Let us fast-forward in Jesus’ life. Everything we have seen thus far is Jesus living day to day and making decisions. What about when life was tough? What about when life was overwhelming and stressful and soul-wracking awful? What might Joseph have taught Jesus about when life is horrible?
Before Jesus was… betrayed, arrested, beaten, falsely accused, falsely condemned, whipped, forced to carry a cross, nailed to a cross, suffocated, slandered, and killed… Jesus spent the last few hours of His life with His disciples at a Passover meal. They honored God and remembered His miracles in the way God prescribed. They fellowshipped together. Jesus served them by washing their feet. They sang a hymn. Then they went out to a garden.
READ Luke 22:39-42
“Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. 40 On reaching the place, he said to them, "Pray that you will not fall into temptation." 41 He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, 42 "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done."
Notice again please:
Jesus had a pattern of following good godly rituals in His life.
Jesus made prayer a priority as He waited for betrayal and eventual doom.
Jesus expressed His feelings appropriately and respectfully to God in prayer.
Jesus made God’s will a priority in His life.
THREAD: WHERE DID HE GET THAT?
I think you know by now where I think He got it. Joseph taught the Son of God and the child of Mary that it is supremely important in life to obey God. This is true when life is good and God’s will is not difficult to follow or uncomfortable. This is also true that when life is bad and God’s will is terribly difficult and tests our faith. Obey God. Obey God. Obey God. That is what Joseph taught Jesus.
SUMMARY
Today is Father’s Day and we celebrate those men in our lives that have been a great influence. Every father is different and so the lessons and leadership our fathers give us is as different as they are. The lessons and leadership our fathers give us is dependent on their skills and talents and personality.
* Joseph taught Jesus consistent corporate holy worship was essential for a man of faith.
* Joseph taught Jesus how to pray.
* Joseph taught Jesus to pray and seek God’s will before making decisions.
* Joseph taught Jesus to obey God.
CONCLUSION
