LET THE LITTLE CHILDREN COME TO ME
Luke 18:15-17
INTRODUCTION:
1) As we look at Luke 18 today, I want us to see a bit of the background to this passage of Scripture.
A) As Jesus was speaking on the Kingdom of God, prayer, and the need to be humble before God families in the crowd started bringing their babies to Jesus to have him bless them, and to pray for them.
2) The disciples of Jesus became rather upset at this.
A.) The disciples of Jesus were quite upset and tried to drive these parents, and their little babies away.
B.) To them these babies and their parents were just a distraction and interfering with the work and ministry of Jesus.
ba.) They thought it a waste of Jesus’ time to bother with these little ones.
C.) But on that day, Jesus showed that he placed great importance on the children, and yes even these tiny babies who were being brought to him.
ca.) The love which Jesus showed for those children so many years ago, he also has for ___.
D.) Today I want us to see a few lessons we can learn from this encounter with Jesus.
I) JESUS CALLED THE LITTLE CHILDREN TO HIM.
1) Was Jesus busy that day?
A) You bet He was!
B) Jesus was preaching, and teaching; he had a large crowd around him listening to his proclamation of the word of God.
ba.) In fact, we can probably understand why the Apostles rebuked these young parents.
bb.) These men saw these parents with their little babies as an inconvenience, and an interruption.
bba.) They did not consider spending time with these little babies to be of great importance.
bc.) Jesus had a much different view on the importance of these little ones, just as he has a different view on the importance of this little child.
II) LET THE LITTLE CHILDREN COME TO ME.
1) “Do not hinder them”
A.) What a powerful picture this gives to us.
B.) In all the busyness with Jesus and his teaching, he had time for these little babies, and their parents as they were coming to him.
ba.) From a practical point of view many would question the wisdom in the approach Jesus was taking.
bb.) He had an audience listening to his preaching and teaching, and yet he was willing to have his time with the adults interrupted, to spend some time with the babies that had been brought to him.
bc.) These parents wanted Jesus to touch their babies.
bca.) It doesn’t come out to us in Luke’s account, but Matthew tells us these parents wanted Jesus to pray for their little babies.
bcb.) This account shows us the importance and love that Jesus had even for a tiny baby.
.01) Jesus took some time out of his message to see these little babies, to lay his hands on them and pray for them.
.03) This brings us to ask the question why would Jesus give so much time and attention to these little babies?
.04) I believe the sixteenth verse of our text gives us the answer to that question.
C) “For the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”
ca.) That is a powerful statement.
cb.) Jesus declared that little babies are already for heaven.
cba.) Little babies are pure and innocent.
cbb.) Little babies are free of sin.
cbc.) Little babies are in the heart of our Lord.
cc.) In John 14:2-3 Jesus declared of heaven: “I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”
cd.) In our text in Luke 18 Jesus declared: “For the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”
cda.) When we put these two texts together, we realize that heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people.
cdb.) I believe these texts also show us that ___ like any newborn is an innocent baby without any sin and is therefore received as a child of God.
cdc.) As hard as it is to come here today, I hope it brings some comfort in knowing that your child is also God’s child and is now in his presence.
ce.) A few days ago, was a day of great joy and excitement as little ___ came into this world.
cea.) Like any family I am sure there were thoughts and dreams of this new child, of a new son, grandson, great-grandson, a brother, or a nephew.
ceb.) On that exciting and happy day none of us could have ever dreamed that a day later there would be sorrow and mourning and so many of those dreams of the future would be shattered and gone.
cf.) Yet in some ways that day reminds us of this passage of Scripture where babies were being brought to Jesus.
cfa.) Certainly, the circumstances are different.
.01) It would not be to have Jesus pray for that child and bless him.
.02) Instead, this new baby would come into the very presence of God to be with him in heaven.
.021) While we know with our heads that ultimately heaven is a better place than this earth, that does not lessen the pain and sorrow we have at our own loss.
.021) Jesus tells us in Matthew 18:10 not to look down on a little child because “their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.”
.022) In this time of sorrow and sadness that is a comforting thought.
.023) We may not fully understand that statement, but it still gives us comfort.
.024) Today this little child is not only in the presence of angels, but in the very presence of God himself.
.025) In this we rejoice, even through our heartache and pain.
III) THE FINAL LESSON I WANT US O SEE IS THAT JESUS SAYS IN VERSE 17: “anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, will never enter it.”
1.) How does a little child come to the kingdom of God?
A.) He comes in full faith believing what he is told in the Scriptures.
B.) He comes with his complete heart fully given to Jesus.
C.) He comes to Jesus fully loving Him, though he has never seen Him.
2.) Truly a little child can teach each one of us a great deal about Jesus, and the Kingdom of Heaven.
CONCLUSION:
I want to bring this message to a close with precious words we learned to sing in Sunday School so many years ago.
Jesus loves me! This I know
For the Bible tells me so
Little ones to Him belong
They are weak, but He is strong.
Yes, Jesus loves me
Yes, Jesus loves me
Yes, Jesus loves me
The Bible tells me so.
Jesus loves me! This I know
As He loved so long ago
Taking children on His knee
Saying, "Let them come to Me."
Jesus loves me still today
Walking with me on my way
Wanting as a friend to give
Light and love to all who live.
Jesus loves me! He who died
Heaven's gate to open wide
He will wash away my sin
Let His little child come in.
Jesus loves me! He will stay
Close beside me all the way
Thou hast bled and died for me
I will henceforth live for Thee...
