Luke 2:39-52 "And the Child Grew"

Let’s Pray!

Good Morning, Calvary Chapel Lake City!

LCA has their High School play this Saturday… so I hope you enjoy the special backdrop we have today… kind of a 1940’s scene.

Quick spotlight on Kosciusko Prays…

Which is a community prayer gathering held every 2nd Wednesday of the Month… 7:30-8:30am… at the Gathering Place in downtown Warsaw.

It’s a sweet time of pray and worship. I hope you can attend.

Well, let’s open our Bibles to Luke. Luke 2:39-52 today… closing out chapter 2 of Luke.

I’m so thankful for the first two chapters of Luke… and Matthew… for only in those four chapters do we have the early events in the life of Christ.

The Annunciations… the announcements especially of Christ’s birth… but also of John’s.

The Visitation of Mary and Elizabeth… John’s Birth.

The Song of Mary and Zacharias… the Magnificat… the Benedictus.

The Assurance of Joseph.

The Census… ensuring Mic 5:2 was fulfilled.

The Incarnation… God incarnate… born in Bethlehem.

The Shepherds visitation and announcements.

The Song of the Angels… Gloria.

Jesus’ 8th Day… Circumcised according to the Law… which only He would keep perfectly.

Jesus’ 40th Day… His Presentation to the LORD at the Temple in Jerusalem.

Simeon’s Song… Nunc Dimittis… the fourth song in Luke 1-2.

And, that’s where we’ve left off. Today… we look at the final events recorded in Jesus’ early life…

Around 1-2 years old… the Wise Men arrive…

Setting Herod the Great into a crazed motion to protect his reign… thus he orders the massacre of all firstborn in Bethlehem…

Divinely warned… Jesus’ family to flees to Egypt for no more than a year… another event fulfilling OT prophecy.

And around age 2… after Herod dies in B.C., Jesus’ family returns to Nazareth… fulfilling more prophecy.

Jesus grew up as a child in Nazareth…

And then we get a glimpse of Him at age 12 in His Father’s house… astonishing the teachers at the Temple.

And that’s essentially Jesus’ early timeline… the next 18 years He grows to adult age in Nazareth…

No doubt pleasing to His heavenly Father and earthly father… as “the carpenter’s Son.”

Then the next record is Luke 3:23… Jesus “began His ministry at about thirty years of age.”

So today… we wrap up looking at the final events of Jesus’ early life as a child… is a message titled “And the Child Grew.”

And, in reverence for God’s word, if you are able, please stand as I read our passage.

Luke 2:39-52 but let’s read just our first four verses to set the scene… “So when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. 40 And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.

41 His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. 42 And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast.”

Praise God for His word. Please be seated.

We left off with Jesus and His family in Jerusalem on Jesus’ 40th day of life… where Simeon and Anna… two Jews… of the faithful remnant of Israel… praised God upon seeing Jesus… and testified of Jesus to all who awaited the coming of Messiah…

Very sweet scene that ends in V38… and if you read straight through to vv 39-40… it would seem that Jesus’ family goes straight from Jerusalem… North to Nazareth in the Galilee.

But that’s not what happened…

Which you would only know if you “harmonize the Gospels”… by comparing the Gospel records.

What actually happens… is on day 40 of Jesus’ life after Mary was purified… and Jesus was presented to the Lord…

… is they return to Bethlehem… live there for about a year and a half… then flee to Egypt… and then they return to Nazareth.

Are you sure Pastor Marc? Oh yes… quite sure.

Right after that first comma of Luke 2:39… is when all of Matthew Chapter 2 occurs.

You might make a note after that first comma pointing to Matthew 2.

And, let’s turn to Matthew 2… to look at a few highlights.

As your turning… note that Luke didn’t make a mistake by omitting these details… they just were NOT important to the purpose of his Gospel.

Matthew includes the Wise Men… flight to and return from Egypt, and the massacre of the children…

… because he wrote to a Jewish audience and these records fulfilled several OT prophecies…

Which were very important for Jews… but not as important to Luke’s Gentile audience.

SO… in Matthew 2:1 we read, “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem...”

Jesus was born… then the wise men/ Magi came to Jerusalem AFTER Jesus was born…

In fact, 8x in Matt 2 we read Jesus was a “young Child”… so this account for sure takes place AFTER the events of Jesus’ 40th day of life…

Now… in this next month, many of you are going to set up your Nativity scenes for Christmas…

And… as a reminder… if I visit and find those wise men in your manger scene…

… I may move them a few feet away… I may hide them somewhere else in your house, and I’m not going to tell you where.

They need to be a foot away from the manger at minimum… signifying the Wise Men were still in the east… probably somewhere in Babylonia.

So, the wise men arrive in Jerusalem… and visit first with Herod in Jerusalem…

And, the scribes in V5 state the Christ would be born in Bethlehem according to Mic 5:2.

Herod in V8… tells the Wise Men to find the young Child… and let him know so he can worship Him also.

What a liar he was. His intent was to kill the Anointed One.

Now the wise men don’t agree to return to Herod… truly they were wise… and they continue on to Bethlehem… led by a “star”…

… probably a luminous appearance likened to the OT pillar of fire by night…

… because stars don’t travel North to South… and don’t stop at a destination like this one did in V9.

V11 reads “And when they had come into the house [not to a babe in a manger], they saw the young Child [not the babe] with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him.”

Divinely warned in a dream… they did not return to Herod, but left for their own country.

Matt 2:13 reads, “Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”

So Joseph wakes up… tells the family ‘pack your bags’ and under the cover of night they leave Bethlehem to go to Egypt.

Which was a long 430 mile journey… which would take 10-20 days following the Via Maris (the Coastal Way).

Joseph doesn’t write off the dream as insignificant… or “just a dream”… He takes it as a sign from God and instantly obeys.

And we don’t read he or Mary complaining about the long distance…

And this gives us some insight as to the type of home Jesus was raised in.

A Spirit led home.

And, just as the dream predicted… since Herod didn’t know WHO the Christ child was…

He… broad stroke ordered the death of all male children two years old and under…

Which tells us Jesus was in this age range… AND Herod was a power obsessed nut job.

Herod then dies in 4 B.C. V19.

And, Joseph has another dream where an angel green lights a return to Israel… and they ultimately return to Nazareth in the Galilee (which is the second half of Luke 2:39).

And, I love the number of times Jesus’ family goes here… and goes there… as directed by the Lord.

Jesus’ family was soft to God’s will and direction… as we all should be.

Personally, since my calling in 2012… I’ve witnessed God’s direction and re-direction…

God’s Spirit stirring my heart to quit my career… sell or give away all our stuff.… move from Maryland to California to go to Bible College… then the Philippines… then back to Maryland… and now here in Indiana since 2018.

And, my wife, God bless her… has willingly and joyfully followed. Never did she once put her foot down and resist how God was leading us.

My kids… they know their parents allowed God to lead… and God has been faithful.

Faith should never be a fiction in our lives… but a real and observable move of the Spirit… the gives us a testimony to share… highlighting God’s grace and faithfulness… for His glory.

And, I encourage you to be open handed with your life… and to how God is leading you.

Your adventure could be faithfully stepping up to lead a ministry right here in this town or for this body… and how special is it when God directs and you say, “Yes.”

Just as Joseph and Mary did… many times over.

All of which helped shape their Son Jesus into what we see of Him in V40 of Luke 2.

Luke 2:40 “And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.”

V40 is a great to pray over your kids, your family, your church family, and yourself.

And we see two aspects of Jesus’ development emphasized in this verse… physical and spiritual development.

Physical development… He became strong…

Spiritual development… filled with wisdom and grace.

The Christ Child grew… emphasizing His humanity.

Jesus grew as any child grows… He had a normal childhood…

He did normal little boy things… like playing in the dirt… maybe he had his a collection of things…

He had to learn how to speak… eventually to read and write.

He was the eldest Son of at least 7 kids. Mark 6:3 states Jesus had four 1/2 brothers and at least two sisters.

Some of you know what it’s like to be raised in a home with many siblings.

Jesus was the Ultimate role model… the best big brother. He was without sin… He wasn’t a bully… He was a protector…

Some of you have siblings who were a good influence… and some of you have experienced the opposite.

My older brothers, who I love, were not always the best influence…

They introduced me to drinking parties… and Marijuana at age 15…

This is NOT the right path… these are ways of the world…

But, my brothers… they didn’t know the right path… because it wasn’t modeled for them… nor was it for my parents.

Jesus had parents… who believed God when He sent His messengers…

Repeatedly they obeyed God when He called them to hard things.

Mary’s song demonstrated she knew scripture… and we see her heart praising God.

They obeyed God’s word to circumcise Jesus on the 8th day and on the 40th present Him to the LORD.

No doubt Jesus read Proverbs 1:8–9 “My son, hear the instruction of your father, And do not forsake the law of your mother; 9 For they will be a graceful ornament on your head, And chains about your neck.”

Jesus was adorned with grace and wisdom… we read that in V40 He was “… filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.”

How was He filled with wisdom and adorned with grace?

In part in obedience to His parents… adhering to their teachings… much which came from the word of God.

So, Jesus, by His own right, was the perfect sibling, but He also was raised in a home that modeled love for God and His word.

And, Jesus could build upon this… I imagine He led His siblings spiritually. No doubt sharing scripture with them… modeling His love for the word.

Imagine the insights He shared with His family… building them up spiritually…

Building them up with encouragements… growing their confidence…

Kids… listen to me… if you are still under your parent’s roof… your still in High School or Middle School…

And, you have siblings… ask yourself, “How am I building up my siblings? How am I serving as a spiritual leader in my family?”

Knowing Jesus was sinless… it’s assumed He did well in this space… and you have a limited number of years to be remembered by your siblings for how you led well.

But, again… it starts with good parenting… and so parents… let me share a few verses about the impact we have on our children…

Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.”

A familiar verse that encourages how early and consistent spiritual formation results in following God’s path well into later years.

When you plant a tree properly, it grows straight. Of course there are exceptions to the principle…

But even when a child goes wayward for a season, the parent can rest knowing they did what was expected of them as a parent.

And, they can hold onto this verse as they pray for their prodigal’s return.

Ephesians 6:4 “And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.”

Fathers… as the spiritual leader of the household… are addressed in this verse to not be unreasonably demanding… or excessively harsh or critical… or call them names… or abuse them.

There are many poor parenting techniques that don’t build up, but tear down a child… and these provoke the child to anger.

Many of us know someone who had an abusive father… and now… as an adult, that person is angry with and has walked away from God…

Erroneously connecting the abuse of their earthly father TO their heavenly Father.

So, we are not to provoke children to anger, but are to raise them the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord… and we find that in Scripture.

Last one… and I’m sure there’s more… Deuteronomy 6:6–7 “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.”

Parents are to teach God’s word diligently. It is to be part of daily life.

The Bible serves as a guide to us… “Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.” (Ps 119:105)

It changes us… transforming us to be set apart from the world and to God… Jesus prayed, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” (Jn 17:17)

And, no doubt Jesus lived in such a home where His parents lived this way.

Diligently teaching Him. Diligent means “sharpen.”

His home life sharpened Him… it did not dull Him.

Thus, Jesus grew physically and spiritually… as we see in V40… He “… became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.”

My mom used to describe me the same way. People would ask, “How’s little Marky?”

“Oh… he’s strong in spirit, filled with wisdom, and so forth.”

Yeah right… said.. my.. Mom.. never.

But Jesus… truly He was “strong in spirit”… the same was said of John in Luke 1:80.

Some bible translations omit “in spirit”… noting just that He became strong… or healthy…

Reflecting on His physical development… Jesus did much physical work at the carpenter’s Son… and was physically healthy and strong.

No doubt he also grew in confidence and personality.

Luke 2:52 says Jesus grew in “stature” which speaks about physical maturation.

He progressed through all the normal stages of development… thus Jesus is able to sympathize with our stages of growth.

He was “filled with wisdom”… reflecting on His practical application of life… He was wise.

And, I read this and cannot but help to think about Jesus having two natures… fully God and fully man… and wonder… did Jesus just naturally have wisdom as God incarnate, or did He have to work for it?

And, looking as Scripture one could argue both.

By His divine nature… His wisdom was complete and stretched back into eternity:

Jesus is the eternal Word (John 1:1-14)…

And, in Christ “… are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Col 2:3)

Jesus literally is wisdom.

And as we read in V40… He was “filled (or complete) in wisdom.”

But, by His Human nature…

As Luke 2:52 states “Jesus increased in wisdom...”

He learned… by asking questions as we’ll see in V46…

Heb 5:8 states, “He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.”

Jesus had these two natures… Jesus possessed divine wisdom as inherent in His divine nature…

But, in His incarnation… by humbling Himself and “coming in the likeness of man”… He also grew in wisdom through life, study, prayer, and obedience.

And, this models a path for our sanctification.

And, if you desire wisdom… it begins with reverence for the Lord.

Proverbs 9:10 states, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

Lastly in V40… “… and the grace of God was upon Him.”

God’s grace… His kindness… His favor was clearly present in the life of Jesus… even as a young boy.

He is twelve in the next scene… so, even before age twelve… Scripture identifies that Jesus was strong, wise, and God’s grace was upon Him.

V40 is a special verse… because without V40, we would know nothing else of Jesus’ childhood from about age 2… when His family returned to Nazareth, in the Galilee from Egypt… to when Jesus was age 12 which we see in V41.

So V40… testifies that Jesus was a special Child… and knowing He lived a sinless life, we can confidently say He was the perfect Child.

Even though He gave His parents a scare… as we see in the next scene…

vv41-42 “His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. 42 And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast.”

In vv 41-42… we now fast forward to the only record of Jesus’ 12th year of life…

And we read in V41 that every year… His parents went to Jerusalem at the Feast of Passover.

Passover looks back to Exodus 12, where all Israelites who put the blood of the lamb on their doorposts were “passed over” from God’s judgement of the 12th plague in Egypt.

There were three pilgrimage feasts where all able-bodied Jewish males were to go up to Jerusalem.… according to Exodus 23 and Deut 16.

Passover in the Spring…

Pentecost 50 days after Passover…

… and Tabernacles celebrated in Autumn.

And, while only men were required to go, it was common for the entire Jewish family to make the trip… as Jesus’ family does here.

For many families it was a special pilgrimage… they travelled in large caravans for safety from robbers.

They saw friends and family… making these trips a reunion couples with week long feasts… and a time with the Lord to sacrifice, worship and rejoice in Jerusalem.

Children were included in Passover Seder dinner, and the building of “booths” for Tabernacles.

It was a celebrated time. In some small way… how we celebrate Thanksgiving or Christmas, but even more for the Jews.

And Note in V42 they “went up” to Jerusalem… it didn’t matter if you were coming directionally from the North… you still went UP to Jerusalem…

Jews and what we read in the Bible, both say you "go up" to Jerusalem for two main reasons:

One: Physical elevation- Jerusalem sits on a mountain ridge in the Judean hills, about 2,500 feet above sea level.

So, you literally ascend in elevation.

And Two: Spiritual symbolism-

Solomon built the Temple on Mount Moriah… which is where the Millennial temple will be built.

Both in Isa 2:3 and Mic 4:2… the nations (Gentiles) are recorded saying, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD”…

When Jesus returns, people everywhere will be dedicated to the teachings of the Lord and will live according to them… thus they will desire to ascend to Jerusalem.

Many Jews today… “make aliyah”… they move to Israel… and this is called “going up”… the idea of relocating to Israel is considered a spiritual ascent.

When Jews in Biblical times went up to Jerusalem for the three feasts… they sang Psalms 120-134 which are called the “Songs of Ascent.”

And so… they “went up to Jerusalem” both literally and symbolically.

And… of all the years they made this pilgrimage… what was so special that the Holy Spirit inspired Luke to record the ascent of Jesus’ twelfth year?

Isn’t that interesting… not the tenth year… or the 14th year, but something about this 12th year was a standout.

And, I have two thoughts as to why:

First, in Jewish culture… age 12 was a special year… a threshold year… as boys began joining men in pilgrimage, learning commandments, and preparing for full religious adulthood at 13.

The 13th year for a Jewish boy marked his Bar Mitzvah meaning “son of the commandment”… where he now was considered an adult and responsible for the 613 laws in the Torah.

So, Jesus… now at age 12 may have been included for the first time of Joseph buying the Passover lamb.

Observing his Dad negotiate the price for a lamb.

Some of us have “special memories” of Dad haggling over the price of a car.

Hopefully Joseph kept a level head while negotiating… despite knowing he was being ripped off.

Jesus would have seen the court of the Gentiles… filled with money changers changing the Roman Denarius to the Temple Shekel… at high exchange rates.

Perhaps Jesus asked, “Why are the lambs so much more expensive here in the Temple than in Nazareth?”

Joseph explaining… maybe even quoting Jeremiah 7:11 “… this house [has] become a den of thieves...”

And, 18 years later in John 2, Jesus would overturn the money changers tables and seats… pour out their money… and drive out those who sold oxen, sheep and doves with a whip of cords.

And He would do it a second time in Matt 21.

Gentle Jesus meek and mild… fulfilling Psalm 69:9 “… zeal for Your house has eaten me up.”

There is a time for righteous anger and action.

So fascinating… Jesus who would become “our Passover” (1 Cor 5:7) would partake in the Passover…

He would see the extreme price paid for sin… massive volumes of blood was spilt from animal sacrifices in Jerusalem at the time of the Passover…

… that they had special drainage systems that integrated underground channels and aqueducts… to drain the blood into the Kidron Valley.… and the brook ran red during this time.

So, at age twelve… Jesus would have seen and participated on a deeper level during this special year of preparation into adulthood.

It’s amazing how time flies… my son, Tim, he is 12… and I pondered, “What are the intentional things I am doing to prepare him for adulthood?”

And, I think of many things I am doing well… and I think of things I can do more of.

Parents with young kids… I think this scene is a challenge for us to consider being intentional with our children to prepare them for adulthood.… for we know life is but a vapor.

So… we have this year recorded for Jesus… and we see the preparation and exposure that He had being in Jerusalem for Passover… and this stands as one reason this account was recorded.

But the rest of the account… tells us another reason… it would seem that perhaps for the first time Jesus vocalizes to His parents that He is aware of His special role…

He was not just any ordinary 12-year old boy… He was one who “must be about His Father’s business.”

Let’s continue in our account observing the rest of this scene…

vv43-45 “When they had finished the days, as they returned, the Boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. And Joseph and His mother did not know it; 44 but supposing Him to have been in the company, they went a day’s journey, and sought Him among their relatives and acquaintances. 45 So when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking Him.”

Now that “they had finished the days”… the Feast of Unleavened Bread and Passover were over… the caravan began their descent from Jerusalem… heading back to Nazareth in the North.

I wonder how far they got in a day’s journey down the mountain?

I don’t imagine they sung Songs of Ascent with joy trekking back up the mountain to find Jesus.

And, Jesus here is described as a “Boy”… which is a different Gk. word for “Child” or “Babe” that we read in previous accounts. This is a word for a “youth.”

And, this Youth… Jesus… lingered… lit. “to stay behind” in Jerusalem.

And, before we criticize Joseph and Mary for “losing the Messiah”…

Know that it was common for the women to travel with the women and the men with the men… so poor communication and assumptions led them to think Jesus was with the party.

And, understand that they lived in a culture where the community was involved with caring for and watching after each other.

I grew up on a dead end street and the families knew each other… it was nothing for my friends and I to be at one of several houses… or playing in the woods for hours at a time…

Jesus grew up in a community where they were interconnected.

The community we observed as missionaries in the Philippines was very much this way. I would say they were rich in community connection…

Whereas many people and cities in the United States are isolated… especially in large cities.

So, given this first century Jewish interconnectedness… we read in V44 that Jesus’ parents “supposed” or assumed Jesus was with their relatives and friends. Of course they were wrong.

When I was 12 years old… our Boy Scout troop went to the Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD… and I got lost.

And, you’re probably thinking already… “I’m not surprised. Knowing your story Pastor Marc… I’m not surprised at all.”

If you think I have a tendency to get distracted by squirrels today… you should have met me as a kid.

At the Naval Academy… there were a lot of people and activities that day… there was a lot to see… and the boys had the freedom to explore… apart from the adults.

Because the adults trusted our community would watch after one another.

But, of course, I got lost. I got distracted by something in a store… the rest of the group moved on… and I had no idea where anyone went.

So, I found a Cadet and he helped me out… and then my Dad told me an announcement came over the loud speaker, “Uh… we found Marc Transparenti. You can retrieve him at the announcer’s booth.”

Now, my Dad probably rolled his eyes… shook his head… huffed a little. The other men probably chuckled.

But, for Jesus’ parent… quite the different feeling.

A day into the journey… they start to realize, “Where’s Jesus?”

And they start to ask around, “Hey, have you seen Jesus?” “No, I haven’t seen Him… He’s probably running around with John.”

And, they don’t find Him.

This scene reminds me of a wholesome version of the movie, “Home Alone.”

The family and extended family are all on the move to get to their destination… everyone is thinking forward and in a rush…

And, then… once on the plane… Mom has this sinking feeling… “I have a terrible feeling we forgot something.”

She starts to go through the list… did we turn off the coffee pot?… did we lock the doors?… did we shut the garage door?

Then it hits her, “Kevin!”

Of course… Kevin doesn’t care… he’s living his best life… he’s going to sled down the stairs and out the front door.

But… unlike Kevin McAllister… Jesus was the perfect child. He was the one you didn’t need to keep an eye on… or send to His bedroom.

And, I want to contrast them because I want you to understand that what happens here with Jesus was not misbehavior… or rebellion… Jesus was sinless.

I know some people think they have the perfect child. They don’t. They might have a great child, but Jesus literally was the perfect child… sinless.

And, what happens here as we read ahead is a profound moment of Jesus beginning… at age 12… on the cusp of adulthood… to step into expressing His realization that He has been called for more… for His Father’s business.

And, before we move on… I think there is a tendency for us to question Joseph and Mary and wonder… even despite the community they had…

How on earth did they not do a head count of their kids?

We know there were 5 boys and at least 2 girls… so 7… maybe more, but that doesn’t excuse losing one.

I don’t think the parents were of the mindset… “Well if we forget one… they can just serve with the priests like Samuel… we’ll be back next year.”

But of any child to lose… they lost Jesus! The Christ… the Anointed One… who was literally Salvation. They lost the embodied Salvation!

It’s like… “You had one job… don’t lose Jesus!”

It’s kind of easy to laugh a little at this scene… and to criticize them… but if we’re honest how many time have we gone “a day’s journey” and lost track of Jesus also?

How often have we been so distracted by life… and were guilty of losing Jesus?

Has there ever been a time when our abiding in Him was not so good?

Or when we drifted from him became a reality?

Drifting is a tendency… otherwise the writer of Hebrew wouldn’t have penned Hebrews 2:1 “Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.”

Some people come to church and Monday they’re mind are fixed on Jesus… but by Wednesday or Thursday… life and the world has worn them down…

And, they’ve lost track of Jesus.

They didn’t lose their salvation, but they lost focus on their Savior.

And, we can easily drift into carnality… idols can sit on the thrones of our hearts. Unconfessed sin can break fellowship.

Daily spiritual disciplines like reading the Bible and praying… become an afterthought… rather than our center thought.

In our revelation study… the Ephesian church of Rev 2… was busy with a lot of good works, but they left their first love…

Jesus told them to repent and go back to their first works.

He told them to change their mind about being busy and losing sight of Jesus… and get back to loving Jesus as the first work.

So… before we throw stones at Joseph and Mary for losing Jesus… let God’s people examine themselves and ask…

Have I every done the same.

Today, we are going to take communion. Perhaps confess this to God… and ask Him to help you to focus on your Savior.

Well… continuing on… good news… they find Jesus…

vv46-47 “Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers.”

If I were writing this Gospel… I would probably write “after three LONG days… and restless nights… ”

Because most of us would feel distraught.

“Three days” describes… one day departing, one day to return, and they found Jesus on the third day.

And, when they find Him… it’s the most amazing scene…

There He is in the Temple… surrounded by and interacting with teachers / Rabbis of the Law…

He intently listened… and asked questions that astonished or amazed all who heard.

Astonished lit. means “to displace”… as in they were “beside themselves”… they “lost their senses.”

Psalm 119:99 reads, “I have more understanding than all my teachers, For Your testimonies are my meditation.”

McGee said, “… humble believers who sit at the feet of Christ are often more skilled in the Word than a man who has a Ph.D. after his name.”

Jesus surpassed the expected ability of a twelve year old in insight and responses… thus schooling the teachers.

I wonder how many of them would remember Jesus from Nazareth 18 years later when His ministry began?

The Boy “filled with wisdom”… as we read in V40 earlier.

V48 “So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.”

Now… Jesus’ parents come forth with a mix of emotions…

No doubt relieved to find Him… astonished to find Him interacting so maturely with seasoned Rabbi’s…

And, Mary expressed the anxiety… meaning “agony” they felt for the past three days as they searched for Him.

If you lose a child, you progress past anger to relief upon finding the child… and the response is a heart felt scolding wrapped in affection and tears of joy.

Mary and Joseph are at this point.

V49 “And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?””

Upon Jesus asking this question… there must have been a flood of memories for Mary… reminding her of all the God moments… the moments she treasured and pondered in her heart.

Gabriel… the Shepherds… Simeon and Anna… the Wise Men…

Did she not remember WHO Jesus was? As prophesied He was the Savior, who is Christ the Lord (V11)…

She said, “Your father and I.”

And, in His first recorded words, Jesus responds “My Father’s business.”

And so for the first time, Jesus acknowledges to His mom that He knows WHO His real Father is.

This moment should have reminded Mary and Joseph that Jesus was no ordinary boy. He had a higher calling.

And, this verse shows that He knows His purpose. He is the Son of God, and He is on a divine mission… and His Father’s business was Salvation… the Redemption of Mankind.

Making this moment at age 12 a capstone moment and namely WHY this scene is recorded in scripture.

And this verse stands as a reminder for us as well to be about our Father‘s business.

Faithfully devoted day by day… and walking in the calling He has for our lives.

V50 “But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them.”

Perhaps the flood of emotions had completely overwhelmed them where they could not grasp the depth of what Jesus was saying… and what He knew about Himself.

Much like the disciples… there were many human moments where they did not understand Jesus, but He continued to lead them.

And much like the testimony of our lives. We are all in process… as Peter exhorted in 2 Peter 3:18 “… but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

How many times do we all not fully understand what Jesus is saying… or what His word proclaims…

But we are growing in grace and knowledge.

Joseph and Mary were no different than any of us.

And, I love what happens in the next verse…

V51 “Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart.”

Jesus and His parents now descend from Jerusalem… they return to Nazareth… and Jesus was obedient to His earthly parents.

And Mary… once again treasures what she saw and heard in her heart.

And, what I love about this verse is that is testifies that though there were miraculous moments… Jesus‘s childhood was pretty normal.

There were many ordinary days… in between the verses and chapters recorded in scripture.

Many days for Joseph and Mary… where there was no Gabriel… or Shepherds… or anyone else testifying of WHO Jesus was.

I love this verse because it testifies for us to be obedient to God… even in normal day-to-day life.

Don’t lose sight that in our daily routines… God still sees our faithfulness to the small things.

18 years later when Jesus begins His ministry, but prior to any miracles… prior to any teachings… at His baptism… the Father speaks from heaven stating, “This is My beloved Son; in whom I am well pleased.”

Not everyday contains moves of the Holy Spirit… or miraculous God stories, but every day presents an opportunity for us to be faithfully seeking the Father and living in obedience to His word.

Hold onto your stones of remembrance to when God moved last… and seek to follow His will, and ground yourself in pray and His word.

And rejoice WHEN God chooses to move, but don’t grow weary in the routine days of life.

And, closing out…

V52 “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”

Jesus increased in wisdom. “Increased” means “to cut forward a way...”

He blazed a trail of perfection and salvation… perfectly keeping the law… living a sinless life…

And, perfectly demonstrating how to love God on the vertical and man on the horizontal.

Let’s close now in prayer and communion remembering the One who died and rose again… who we trust for Salvation… the free gift of God.

Let’s Pray!

Our communion passage is…

1 Cor 11:23-31 “...the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes. 27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 30 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.”

Please distribute the elements...

Communion is a time for us to look three directions…

We look back remembering Jesus’ sacrifice… His broken body and shed blood for the remission of our sins.

His new covenant. Salvation by faith through grace.

Look forward in hope of His imminent return… we proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes. He is coming.

This is also a time to look inward for a moment of self-examination…

To reflect on our treatment of other Christians… have we been loving… and unselfish… (per the context of Paul’s passage)?

Reflect and also confess to God any unconfessed sin.

Examine yourself… in order to partake in a worthy manner.

But, the reality is… none of us are worthy… so Praise Jesus… because only in Him have we been made worthy.

Once you have prayed… take the communion elements individually.

Our worship team will play one worship song, and then close us in prayer.

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If you have never accepted Jesus as Lord...

...either let the cup pass and do not partake in communion -or- the better option...

Pray and trust Jesus as your Savior today.

Believe that His death was the sufficient sacrifice for your sins.

… and then take communion.

Our prayer team will be available to pray with anyone who needs prayer as we close.

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