Luke 2:41-52

When Jesus was found in the Temple, He said something which Joseph and Mary didn't understand. It's something we must think about, something we must seek to understand of we are to understand Jesus - who He is and what is important to Him.

In the words of Jesus found in Luke 2:49, we come to the very heart of Jesus - who He is and what is important to Him. Jesus' words are in the form of a question. It's a question which reveals to us who Jesus is. He is the Son of God. It's a question which reveals to us what was important to Jesus. he loved to be in His Father's House. he loved to be about His Father's business.

There are two different but closely related versions of Jesus' question. Modern translations of the Bible put it like this: "Didn't you know that I had to be in My Father's House?" The Authorized Version puts it like this: "Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?"

From this question, we learn three lessons about Jesus - (1) He is the Son of God; (2) He loved to be in His Father's House; (3) He loved to be about His Father's business.

(1) Jesus is the Son of God.

Each of the four Gospels tell us that Jesus is the Son of God.

• In Luke's Gospel, we have the angelic declaration: "You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the Name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High" (Luke 1:31-32). Jesus is "the Son of the Most High." He is the Son of God.
• Mark's Gospel begins with a clear statement that Jesus is the Son of God. the very first verse says this: "The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God" (Mark 1:1). Jesus is the Son of God. This is the first thing that Mark wants us to know about Jesus.
• John tells us why he wrote his Gospel: "These things are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God" (John 20:31). Jesus is the Christ. he is the Son of the living God.
• In Matthew's Gospel, we have Peter's great confession of faith in Christ: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:16). This was Peter's response of faith. This is to be our response of faith. It is by faith in Jesus Christ that we become God's children. Through faith in Jesus, the unique Son of God, the eternal Son of God, we are able to call God, "our Father."

(2) Jesus loved to be in His Father's House.

Worship was important to Jesus. When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, He affirmed His commitment to worshipping God. He said to Satan, "You shall worship the Lord your God." He still says to us, "You shall worship the Lord your God." Worship - This is the reason we come to our Father's House. This is why we begin our service with the words, "Let us worship God." Jesus worshipped God. We are to worship God. Jesus takes His place in God's House. He invites us to join Him. He says to us, "Let us go to the House of the Lord" (Psalm 122:1).

(3) Jesus loved to be about His Father's business.

As well as worshipping God, Jesus also witnessed for Him and worked for Him. When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, He affirmed His commitment to working for God and witnessing for Him. When Jesus said, "You shall worship the Lord your God", He did not stop there. He continued, "and Him only shall you serve." Jesus spoke these words to Satan. he still says to us, "Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only" (Luke 4:8).

When our service of worship, in the House of the Lord, comes to an end, our service of work and witness, in the world, begins. as we go out from the House of the Lord, God's Word still says to us, "Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 15:58).