First Sunday after Christmas: Holy Family

Christmas  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  25:23
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Holy Family

Celebrating Jesus

When we celebrate Christmas we remind ourselves that Jesus is not a disembodied vision from above. But a human who lived on Earth with us.
That is why the Early Church had to establish festivals to celebrate him from conception to birth - and even aspects of his childhood. Reminders of the fullness of Jesus’ humanity.

Date of Birth

Although we celebrate Jesus’ birthday on 25 December. Clement of Alexandria - a 3rd century bishop, suggested that Jesus was born around 20 May.
In the Eastern churches Jesus birth is celebrated on 6 January with the feast of the Epiphany - the day on which the Wise men come to visit (according to Matthew’s gospel).
Jesus birth came to be celebrated around the 25th of December - in part - to coincide with the Northern hemisphere’s winter solstice. Chosen symbolically as a time when the days started to become longer.
Symbolising light entering the world.
Besides not being sure of the day - we’re also a bit confused about the year.
The two gospels that speak of Jesus birth seem to suggest different dates.
In Matthew’s gospel - Jesus is born during the time of King Herod.
Who died in 1 BC. So in this case Jesus birth would need to be around 4 or 5 BC.
In Luke’s gospel - Mary and Joseph travel to Bethlehem during the reign of Quirinius - who was only governor of Syria from 6-7 BC… so that would mean Jesus birth was in 6-7BC.
So this muddles up our understanding of the exact date at which Jesus was born.
But some confusion about his birth is to be expected.
His death can be quite accurately dated.
But not his birth.
Nobody was really keeping an eye on Mary and Joseph when Jesus was born.

Luke

Of all the gospel writers Luke pays the most attention to Jesus birth - and the stories that could be told about his family - especially Mary.
And the passage we read today - is the only brief (and legitimate) glimpse we get into Jesus’ childhood.
You might have heard of other gospels about Jesus childhood. The most interesting one is called The Infancy Gospel of Thomas.
In this gospel when people try to teach Jesus - they can’t because he knows everything already.
When he makes creatures out of clay - to play with - he makes the birds come alive and fly away.
The stories about Jesus in the ‘Infancy Gospel of Thomas’ are too fanciful. They portray Jesus as ALL God - and Not Human.
Early Christians were quick to dismiss them - finding that they did not have any basis in history. In the truth about Jesus.
This is probably why we need this brief window into Jesus’ childhood.
To remind us - that he is a normal human just like us.

Luke 2:41-52

In Luke 2:41-52 we get an idea of Jesus that helps to counter the idea that we get of Jesus from the infancy gospels - or from carols like Away in a Manger:
The cattle are lowing, the Baby awakes, But little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes;
That might make us think that Jesus was a perfect child who didn’t even need nappies. We skip ahead 11 years…
At this point Jesus is 12 years old. At age 13 he will be regarded as having become a man - and responsible for himself. But now he is still firmly under the care of his parents.
His family have travelled to the temple for the Feast of the Passover. Something they do every year.
But Mary and Joseph start returning home - only to find that Jesus was no longer with the group…
When you feel you are failing as a parent just remember that Mary and Joseph managed to lose Jesus for three days.
When they did find him:
Luke 2:46–47 NRSV
46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.
In the infancy gospels - the ones that aren’t in the Bible, that exaggerate Jesus Divinity - no one is able to teach him anything. Whenever they try to teach him - he knows more than they do.
In the infancy narratives Jesus is more God than human - but here - We are reminded of Jesus as a boy. A child. A human - just like you and I.
A little bit precocious. But also - a teenage boy. Testing some boundaries.
Finding his way in the world.
At the end of Luke 2:41-52 we hear that:
Luke 2:52 NRSV
52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor.
In the time line of Jesus life the gospel will skip about 18 years as Luke 3 begins in about AD 27 - naming the date as:
Luke 3:1 NRSV
1 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene,
And this phase of Jesus life is a bit of a mystery - we don’t know what Jesus did for 18 years of his life.
But I think this moment in Luke 2:49 gives us a clue:
Luke 2:49 NRSV
49 He said to them, “Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”
A realisation that Jesus will spend his days - whenever possible - in his Father’s house. And in those days continue to learn and grow as verse 52 states:
Luke 2:52 NRSV
52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor.
A verse which almost perfectly echoes the words about Samuel in the Old Testament:
1 Samuel 2:26 NRSV
26 Now the boy Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favor with the Lord and with the people.
A reminder of how Samuel was dedicated to the Lord and would grow up in the temple to take up his position as priest and prophet for the people of Israel.

Celebrating Jesus

The Christmas season reminds us to bring our idea of Jesus down to Earth -
Our religious imaginations might only want to think of Jesus as Lord and King of all the Earth - And hold on to an idea of Jesus like the one in Revelation:
Revelation 1:14–15 NRSV
14 His head and his hair were white as white wool, white as snow; his eyes were like a flame of fire, 15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined as in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of many waters.
Which is significant - and important for our idea of who Jesus is now.
But we can’t hold that idea of Jesus without holding on to the idea of Jesus from the gospels.
Luke 2:7 NRSV
7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
And Luke 2:52
Luke 2:52 NRSV
52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor.
The reality of Jesus - fully human and earthly - as well as Divine.

Message?

What is the message for us in all of this - what should we take home from our service today?
I hope that at once - our attitudes of worship and relationship with Jesus might be adjusted a little bit.

First - Our Relationship

There must be something important about God and Jesus that we learn in the frailty of his humanity…
Something that we learn about our relationship with him and his relationship with us.
Even if it is as simple and profound as the realisation that Jesus as a child understands you as a child (even if you’re in your late 40s / 50s / 60s.)
Jesus as a human understands you as a human.
The church has fiercely protected our doctrine of Jesus as fully human - not just so that we could understand how we are saved by his death on the cross for us.
But how we are saved by our relationship with him.
Jesus humanity touches your humanity.
Jesus’ childhood - connects with your childhood.
It is all one and the same a part of how you are getting to know your God.

Second - Our Purpose

Luke 2:49 (NRSV)
49 …Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”
We could quickly overlook some important aspects of Jesus life. Even his family.
1 - Jesus and his family were rigorously engaged in their religious life.
There can be no doubt that the temple which Jesus visited was as corrupt and problematic as he points it out to be in his ministry on earth.
It needed its tables turned. It needed to hear his scathing preaching.
And yet - he also - devoted himself to the life of worship that was his religious duty - his faith journey.
Even though he world grow to debate rigorously with the teachers of the law - He, Jesus - the Son of God - would sit at their feet to learn and grow.
Like Jesus will say in Matthew 23:2-3
Matthew 23:2–3 NRSV
2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat; 3 therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach.
If Jesus had to work - and learn and grow - then I’ve got news for us: So do we.
So Paul reminds us in our reading from Colossians for today: Col 3:12-17
Colossians 3:12–17 NRSV
12 As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. 13 Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
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