Jesus Infants & Children
Journey Through The Gospels • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 1 viewJesus is presented with infants and Children to lay hands on them, pray for them, and bless them. The disciples try to stop people from bringing their small children, but Jesus says, "Come" and that we can't even enter the Kingdom of Heaven w/o becoming like small children. Kids are people too, whether they're born yet or not. We don't have to be sick to go up for prayer!
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13 And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them.
14 But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.
15 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”
16 And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.
Matthew 19:13-15 reads very similarly, except Matthew explains they were bring the children Mat 19:13 that he should put [his] hands on them, and pray
Matthew 19:13 (ESV)
13 … that he might lay his hands on them and pray ...
(Matthew also differs in that he uses the term “Kingdom of Heaven (the heavens)” as he usually does instead of “Kingdom of God.”)
Different terminology toward the same end.
Expresses the purpose - to pray for them.
15 Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.
When Luke records this, he uses the word ‘infants’
It’s the same word used in
41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit,
and
12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”
In this 1st century culture, the word for an unborn baby was the same word for a newborn baby!
This may be because the infant mortality rate was so high.
It was customary among ancient cultures to wait a little over a week to name the baby (this was certainly Jewish custom - and that’s why).
Now, a little later, when Jesus is one or two, the Magi come to worship Him and are told:
8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.”
That word for ‘child’ is the same that Matthew and Mark use in our key verses today.
We can see that these were very young children including infants that they were bringing to Jesus.
The disciples did what church folk do - they tried to stop people from coming to Jesus!
“I’m sorry, you can’t see Jesus right now because He is busy with us right now!”
“Come back when you’re perfect like us and maybe you can follow us as we follow Jesus”
There are many many children who love having children (or still don’t know how not to) but can’t stand their children.
The main reason that I have observed over the years that parents have a hard time with their children is that they don’t give them attention!
As I told one young man (who isn’t so young anymore), cherish each moment with your child and the years won’t fly by so fast.
Children, especially infants and toddlers, need help and need attention. The more that folks ignore them, the less they will be able to.
In a culture that did not consider an infant fully human or viable until they were 8 or 9 days old and even then they were to be seen and not heard, but preferably not seen either, Jesus loved on them, laid hands on them, prayed for them, blessed them, and instructed His disciples, to not only do the same, but, let these children become their role models!!!
Welcome to Sanctity of Life Month 2024!
Jesus validated these little precious lives.
Unless we become like children - WE MUST BE BORN AGAIN!
I just preached on this a few weeks ago - WE NEED:
1. A NEW APTITUDE of INNOCENCE - becoming teachable
2. A NEW ATTITUDE of HUMILITY - becoming others-centered
3. A NEW APPROACH of SERVICE - becoming the servant of the servants
4. A NEW ADVERSARY No longer others as the enemy - but their enemy becomes our enemy as we protect them!
1 O Lord, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me.
2 But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me.
3 O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and forevermore.
Since I’ve covered “becoming like a child” (and now ‘re-covered’ it),
I want to focus on this aspect of ministry to children.
Jesus reminded the disciples that they need to become like children. This is at least the 2nd time He did so. I believe the main focus here is to value children and that ministry to them is just as vital as every other aspect.
Moses taught the Israelites:
1 “Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the rules—that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it,
2 that you may fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son’s son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long.
3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.
4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.
7 You shall teach them 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.
8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.
9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Notice the stress of passing the knowledge of God from Generation to generation.
If we serve God all day every day it will be seen through our lives how faithful and wonderful God is.
This passage could certainly be understood to justify a big and wonderful children’s ministry. I’m afraid we can get really caught up in the theatrics of such a thing. I’m not speaking against it, I’m just observing the simplicity of this passage.
They didn’t have a separate place for the kids - they brought them straight to Jesus!
We don’t baby sitters, we can teach children to be and behave in church. But we can’t ignore their presence. They are souls just as we are. The may need a bit special attention and handling, but they can be with the adults in church.
At least Jesus was cool with it!
One more thought, these were young children, some of them were infants.
They were still impressionable, innocent, and full unconditional love.
Let think about that for a bit.
Let’s let our faith be like children who believe instantly and do not doubt!
Let’s love like children who are quick to accept and quick to forgive!
Let’s learn like children who are always curious and always asking why?
Not, ‘why me?’ but ‘why not?’
and Let’s have fun like children!
I’d like to conclude with that patchwork of children’s renderings of “The Lord’s Prayer” that I read back in June of 2019:
“The Lord’s Prayer” – In no certain terms: Misspoken, Misheard, and Misunderstood By Children of All Ages Throughout The Ages:
Our Father, makes art in Heaven, Howard be thy name,
Harold be thy name,
Hollywood be thy name.
How do you know my name?
Our Father, Who shouts from Heaven, 'Hello, what is your name?'
Your kingdom come, I will be done
I believe I will go through heaven
Give us this day our jelly bread
Give us this steak and daily bread, and forgive us our mattresses
Forgive us our trash baskets
As we forgive those who put trash in our baskets.
Aunt Leda's not into temptation
And lead us not into Penn Station
I lead a snot into temptation
But deliver us some E-mail
And deliver us from eagles
For thine is the kingdom. the cow and the glory
For mine is the kingdom, the flower and the jewelry.
Amen
Our Father – we have been “born again” – “born of the Spirit” and we, as children, and like children do, are to imitate and look like our Father. We seek to dwell in God’s presence but He seeks to dwell in us, live in us, transform us, and unite us as we yield every fiber of our being back to our original spiritual DNA and reject the cancer of sin that destroys us!