The human childhood of the Son of God
Notes
Transcript
Now His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover.
And when He became twelve, they went up there according to the custom of the Feast;
and as they were returning, after spending the full number of days, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. But His parents were unaware of it,
but supposed Him to be in the caravan, and went a day’s journey; and they began looking for Him among their relatives and acquaintances.
When they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem looking for Him.
Then, after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions.
And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers.
When they saw Him, they were astonished; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You treated us this way? Behold, Your father and I have been anxiously looking for You.”
And He said to them, “Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?”
But they did not understand the statement which He had made to them.
And He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and He continued in subjection to them; and His mother treasured all these things in her heart.
And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.
Jesus is one Person or Revelation of the image of the Unified Presence of God.
Jesus is one Person or Revelation of the image of the Unified Presence of God.
“Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one!
Jesus claimed to God
Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he will never see death.”
The Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You have a demon. Abraham died, and the prophets also; and You say, ‘If anyone keeps My word, he will never taste of death.’
Surely You are not greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets died too; whom do You make Yourself out to be?”
Jesus answered, “If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing; it is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God’;
and you have not come to know Him, but I know Him; and if I say that I do not know Him, I will be a liar like you, but I do know Him and keep His word.
Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.”
So the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?”
Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.”
I and the Father are one.”
“When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me,
Three Persons in the Unified Presence of God
God the Father
God the Son (Jesus)
God the Spirit
Unique to Jesus, within the Godhead today is that He came and dwelt as a human.
Unique to Jesus, within the Godhead today is that He came and dwelt as a human.
Because of these things the early church fathers explained it this way.
Jesus Christ is God the Son incarnate, fully divine and fully human in the integral unity of his person without confusion or separation of his natures.
As the Second Person of the Trinity, Jesus is the Son of God, eternally begotten from the Father. As a divine person, the Son possesses the nature of God, which can neither suffer nor die. In order to accomplish the mission of redemption entrusted to him by the Father, the Son took upon himself our human nature. Without ceasing to be what he always was, the Son entered the womb of the Virgin Mary and became incarnate as a man. In his human nature, the divine person of the Son of God suffered and died on the cross in order to save us from what we deserved and to usher us into life with God in union with him by faith.
Though the two natures of Christ are as distinct from each other as Creator and creature, they are united in his person; he exists, acts, and relates to us in both natures simultaneously and in full unity. As the ecumenical Definition of Chalcedon (451) puts it, Christians believe Jesus is “acknowledged in two natures unconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably.”
Today we are going to look at some insights related to the human Childhood of the Son of God.
In the Childhood of Jesus we see the hope of every human experience with God.
In the Childhood of Jesus we see the hope of every human experience with God.
We will conclude with that hope.
1. What do we know about the Childhood of Jesus?
1. What do we know about the Childhood of Jesus?
The Child continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.
Apocrypha stories
Family Life; Matthew 13:35 James, Joseph, Simeon, Judas
He had parents that He respected and submitted to.
We know He learned in His humanity what it was to walk in obedience.
Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.
His family was committed to the normal Jewish customs.
2. He faced the normal misunderstandings of life.
2. He faced the normal misunderstandings of life.
Luke 2:41-51
Luke 2:41-51
Look at the text
Family trip, He is 12 at the time (*), leaves after three days(*),
Sometime before leaving Jesus had gone to the temple to discuss the teachings of the Law and the Prophets. With permission, either by assumption, or direct permission. When the family leaves, Jesus is not with them.
How does this happen? Parental responsibility? (No thought of His absence till evening), (Took Three days to find Him?) Adolescent misunderstanding? Maybe departure time not made clear?
Mary disregards her part in the misunderstanding.
It is all easily resolved.
3. Jesus knew His childhood responsibility in life
3. Jesus knew His childhood responsibility in life
He sought to know the Word of God
He sought to know the Word of God
And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers.
He sought to walk in respect and submission to the parents Father God had given Him.
He sought to walk in respect and submission to the parents Father God had given Him.
When they saw Him, they were astonished; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You treated us this way? Behold, Your father and I have been anxiously looking for You.”
And He said to them, “Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?”
We know they did not get it at first but Mary ponders the comments later.
I like KJV “Father’s buisness”
Jesus goes on with them to Nazareth in subjection to them. He realizes it is not yet His time.
In this story we see that
The Hope of every human experience with God is to grow in Favor with God and man.
The Hope of every human experience with God is to grow in Favor with God and man.
And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.
Is this your goal today?
Maybe that has not gone well with you. As you come into relationship with God through forgiveness from sin by the death of Jesus and freedom from sin by the life of His resurrection bringing His Spirit into you, that can change. It can now go well with you.
Are you about your Father’s business?
Are you, in your childhood phase of Christianity seeking to grow in favor with God and man?
