Seeking Jesus
Luke • Sermon • Submitted
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· 9 viewsAs we move through life we must always seek Jesus for our lives; if we look for Him we will find Him.
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English Standard Version Chapter 2
Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. 43 And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, 44 but supposing him to be in the group they went a day’s journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, 45 and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. 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. 48 And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.” 49 And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” 50 And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. 51 And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.
52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.
The Journey
The Journey
Pray....
Introduction
When I was young my Grandma and Grandpa used to travel 6 to 8 months of the year in their 5th Wheel and Chevy Silverado pick up truck.
For many years they spent the winter months in a place called Kino Bay Mexico.
Now Kino Bay is a pretty good little haul from Denver Colorado, but for a large part of my childhood we traveled to Kino Bay to celebrate Christmas every year.
I remember packing up the trailer and the truck and heading out after I got out for school for Christmas break.
In 1982 Dever had a blizzard where 4 to 6 foot of snow fell and we could not get our until we dug our way out; which we did.
My Mom, Dad, Sister and her husband dug a path from our street to the main road which was cleared by these big snow plows attached to dump trucks.
I also remember trying to find out where my Mom his all of my Christmas presents…I’m not real good at waiting around for those types of things and soon became a master of knowing what I was getting for Christmas.
But year after year we would make these trips to Kino Bay.
One year I got my first RC Car in Kino Bay.
Went fishing on my own for the first time in Kino Bay.
Climbed this really high mountain where the local people had put up a huge cross.
One time I got to hold a baby seal who got separated from it’s mother.
It was really neat until it bit me; which I still have the faint remnants of a scare on my shoulder.
I had a lot of firsts in Kino Bay Mexico.
Why am I telling you this story?
Because every year just as my family went to Kino Bay; Jesus family traveled a long way to attend a very signifigant event in the Jewish faith; they travel to the Feast of the Passover.
Their are some similarities in our pilgrimages.
We both traveled for a significant day on the calendar.
They traveled to celebrate the God that passed over their houses and spared their firstborn sons from death and we traveled to celebrate the firstborn Son of God who frees us bondage and Sin.
I was excited to get presents and everything I could get, but they traveled to Jerusalem to give back to the Lord what was rightfully His.
You see we traveled to get away from life, to take a break, and fill ourselves with everything we thought we rightly deserved, but they traveled to give God the Glory that is due Him.
You see there is great significance in why Mary and Joseph traveled to celebrate this and little did they know that a glimmer of what was to come would be on display before them.
In this passage we see Mary and Joseph searching for their 12 year boy and when they found Him; He was right were He belonged....
If we seek Jesus we will find Him.
The 1st thing we see is the feast...
I. The Feast
I. The Feast
Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom.
As we begin to look at today’s passage we find Mary, Joseph, and Jesus traveling to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover.
For many years they spent the winter months in a place called Kino Bay Mexico.
Now Kino Bay is a pretty good little haul from Denver Colorado, but for a large part of my childhood we traveled to Kino Bay to celebrate Christmas every year.
I remember packing up the trailer and the truck and heading out after I got out for school for Christmas break.
In 1982 Dever had a blizzard where 4 to 6 foot of snow fell and we could not get our until we dug our way out; which we did.
My Mom, Dad, Sister and her husband dug a path from our street to the main road which was cleared by these big snow plows attached to dump trucks.
I also remember trying to find out where my Mom his all of my Christmas presents…I’m not real good at waiting around for those types of things and soon became a master of knowing what I was getting for Christmas.
But year after year we would make these trips to Kino Bay.
One year I got my first RC Car in Kino Bay.
Went fishing on my own for the first time in Kino Bay.
Climbed this really high mountain where the local people had put up a huge cross.
One time I got to hold a baby seal who got separated from it’s mother.
It was really neat until it bit me; which I still have the faint remnants of a scare on my shoulder.
I had a lot of firsts in Kino Bay Mexico.
Why am I telling you this story?
Because every year just as my family went to Kino Bay; Jesus family traveled a long way to attend a very signifigant event in the Jewish faith; they travel to the Feast of the Passover.
Their are some similarities in our pilgrimages.
We both traveled for a significant day on the calendar.
They traveled to celebrate the God that passed over their houses and spared their firstborn sons from death and we traveled to celebrate the firstborn Son of God who frees us bondage and Sin.
I was excited to get presents and everything I could get, but they traveled to Jerusalem to give back to the Lord what was rightfully His.
You see we traveled to get away from life, to take a break, and fill ourselves with everything we thought we rightly deserved, but they traveled to give God the Glory that is due Him.
You see there is great significance in why Mary and Joseph traveled to celebrate this and little did they know that a glimmer of what was to come would be on display before them.
In this passage we see Mary and Joseph searching for their 12 year boy and when they found Him; He was right were He belonged....
If we seek Jesus we will find Him
Jesus parents travel to the feast of the Passover; which is one of 3 signifigant events on the Jewish calander.
“This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven out of your houses, for if anyone eats what is leavened, from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel.
Notice God also institutes a 7 day period of no leaven.
Ultimately God institutes a requirement of 3 significant time during the year that the Jewish people are to to present themselves with offerings to the Lord.
Passover
Feat of Unleavened Bread
Feast of Harvest.
Now most people would not be able to attend all three, but most would come to the the Passover and such was the case with Mary and Joseph.
Also it was only a requirement of the males to attend, but Mary thought it to be of great importance to go.
So these are significant times in Jewish life where hundred and of thousands of people would descend upon Jerusalem to worship and give their offerings to the Lord.
Let’s take a few minutes and look at the origin of the Passover.
Origin of the Passover
Origin of the Passover
In Exodus God is forcing the hand of Pharaoh to release the millions of enslaved Hebrew people and in the course of this He commands Moses to be His mouthpiece in telling Pharoah to “Let His people go.”
God instruct Moses and he in turn tells Pharaoh and 9 times God brings a plague upon Egypt but Pharaoh refuses to release the people.
But the 10th plague is the most sever and will impact Pharaoh personally and Egypt will suffer for many years to come.
Look at verse 4;
So Moses said, “Thus says the Lord: ‘About midnight I will go out in the midst of Egypt, and every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the slave girl who is behind the handmill, and all the firstborn of the cattle. There shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there has never been, nor ever will be again.
Even in this Pharaoh would not let the people go; which brings us to what becomes known as the Passover; where God passes over the houses of the Hebrews and strikes at the first born sons of Egypt.
In this the final plague God’s instructs His people about what to do to prepare.
God says to His people; today is the first month; this is God establishing the calendar for His people.
He goes on and says on the 10th day take a lamb without blemish and at twilight on the 14th day they are to sacrifice the lamb; then with some of the blood and spread it on the lintel or top header of the door and door post and it will be a sign that this house is a house who believes in God.
The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.
Now God instructed them to cook the lamb and eat with haste, eat with your shoes on, and be ready to go.
Then as God said it would; it happened.
At midnight the Lord struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of the livestock. And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians. And there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where someone was not dead. Then he summoned Moses and Aaron by night and said, “Up, go out from among my people, both you and the people of Israel; and go, serve the Lord, as you have said. Take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone, and bless me also!”
Pharaoh son dies along with the firstborn children across Egypt and millions of Hebrew slaves are liberated.
God told them to be ready and when all of this occured Pharaoh let the people go.
“Three times in the year you shall keep a feast to me. You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. As I commanded you, you shall eat unleavened bread for seven days at the appointed time in the month of Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt. None shall appear before me empty-handed. You shall keep the Feast of Harvest, of the firstfruits of your labor, of what you sow in the field. You shall keep the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in from the field the fruit of your labor.
Just a few verses later we see God memorializing this day and His people are to keep this day and remember this day.
“This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven out of your houses, for if anyone eats what is leavened, from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel.
Ultimately God institutes a requirement of 3 significant time during the year that the Jewish people are to to present themselves with offerings to the Lord.
Passover
Feat of Unleavened Bread
Feast of Harvest.
Now most people would not be able to attend all three, but most would come to the the Passover and such was the case with Mary and Joseph.
Also it was only a requirement of the males to attend, but Mary thought it to be of great importance to go.
So these are significant times in Jewish life where hundred and of thousands of people would descend upon Jerusalem to worship and give their offerings to the Lord.
But the Passover has many implications for us today.
Implications of the Passover
Implications of the Passover
Passover today
Passover today
Why is the Passover significant?
The Passover is the beginning of the sacrificial system.
The death of the the Lamb was the blood payment that allowed the spirit of God to move past the houses of the Hebrews.
As we dive forward the blood sacrifice for the atonement of sin continued in the Jewish sacrificial system.
You see God instituted it as the means for payment of the high price of sin that is present in our lives.
Something had to die for you and your soul to be set free.
The Passover freed and enslaved people.
You see a lamb was slain and a people were free.
Did you notice that the Lamb was just not any Lamb; it was a spotless lamb; a lamb that was pure and nothing wrong with it, but that lamb; that lamb that is representative of the price needed to pay for a peoples freedom.
A lamb that is representative of the price needed to pay for freedom.
A life given up so millions of people can live as God has called them too.
Why is the Passover so significant?
The Passover foreshadow's Jesus’s sacrifice.
The Passover is a picture of the sacrificial lamb who is Jesus Christ.
Sin must be paid for.
Sin results in punishment no matter if we are caught in the act or not.
A sacrifice must be made to atone for sin and church; Jesus is the sacrifice.
Jesus is the spotless Lamb who lived a perfect life I can not live and died an unimaginable death so that I could life abundant; so millions and millions of people could be free.
For you Christian our life should be built upon obedience and sacrifice.
We are to live a life that strives to be obedient to the God who gave everything to us.
We are to live a life that is willing to sacrifice much for the Glory of the Lord.
I will sacrifice everything I am to serve our God.
If he tells me to go..I will go.
If he guides Michelle and I to move again to some remote land…I will go.
Why...
Because He sacrificed His Son so I could have true freedom.
Why would I not do what God has called me to do.
Why would I not serve.
Why would I not give.
Why would I not do everything in my power to give back to the one who gave me everything.
For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.
5 For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. 6 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. 7 Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.
20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
F
We are to live a life that strives to be obedient to the God who gave everything to us.
We are to live a life that is willing to sacrifice much for the Glory of the Lord.
I will sacrifice everything I am to serve our God.
If he tells me to go..I will go.
If he guides Michelle and I to move again to some remote land…I will go.
Why...
Because He sacrificed His Son so I could have true freedom.
There is a freedom in Christ Jesus.
A freedom that only comes when we seek Jesus for our life.
There is significance in the Passover and the celebration of it is a priority in the life of Mary and Joseph and so they make the trek every year to celebrate and worship the Lord.
Secondly we see a search take place.
Look back at verse 43 of our text this morning.
II. The Search
II. The Search
43 And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, 44 but supposing him to be in the group they went a day’s journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, 45 and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. 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. 48 And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.” 49 And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” 50 And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. 51 And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.
3 Days
3 Days
The feast has ended and they began to travel home.
Mary and Joseph search
Mary and Joseph search
Most likely they traveled in a large group and the structure of the caravan is important for the context of what happened; the men of caravan would travel up front and the women in the rear.
You see the men of caravan would travel up front and the women in the rear.
I would surmise that the group they traveled is was pretty large because Mary and Joseph lost track of their Son.
It is possible that Mary thought Jesus was with Joseph and Joseph thought he was with Mary.
Also a caravan of this size would probably only travel 3 to 8miles on the first day; that way if something cam up missing or someone needed to go back they could and then catch up with the group.
A caravan of this size would probably only travel 3 to 8 miles on the first day; that way if something came up missing or someone needed to go back they could and then catch up with the group.
So more than likely they only missed Jesus for a few hours, but once they found out you can only imagine what they felt.
Mary and Joseph travel back, retracing their steps looking for their Son.
After 3 days Jesus is found, but He is not found in the market or where all the local kids hang out.
Jesus is in the temple sitting with all the teachers and students asking questions and listening to what they taught.
Jesus was found
Jesus was found
Jesus Submitted
Jesus Submitted
Found
Found
Jesus found
Jesus found
After 3 days Jesus is found, but He is not found in the market or where all the local kids hang out.
Jesus is in the temple sitting with all the teachers and students asking questions and listening to what they taught.
Can imagine after 3 days what Mary is thinking?
Look at what she says;
And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.”
I can only imagine their thoughts and bewilderment when Jesus turns to them and says;
And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”
And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”
John MacArthur writes of this passage,
The MacArthur Study Bible Chapter 2
He was not hiding from them or defying their authority. In fact, He had done precisely what any child should do under such circumstances (being left by His parents)—He went to a safe, public place, in the presence of trusted adults, where His parents could be expected to come looking for Him
I can only imagine their thoughts and bewilderment when Jesus turns to them and says;
And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”
The text even says they had no clue what he was saying to them, but here is the thing.
We can understand what Jesus is saying.
What else would a boy who left by his parents do?
He goes to a safe place in the presence of people who were trusted and a place where His parents would come looking for Him, but there is something a little different in Jesus response.
There is a calm that is only explained in the fact is that Jesus was where He was supposed be.
Jesus states; He is in my Fathers house.
God’s house and Jesus is not saying Joseph’s house, but His true Father; God the Father.
We have the benefit of know the rest of the story.
As matter of fact we will never see Joseph mentioned again in the text.
Jesus could not be anywhere else, because Jesus knew this was the place where He would be found and Jesus knew that he was one with God the Father..
Jesus is God
Jesus is God
Jesus was just like every other boy; he grew in the same way as any other boy did and does today, but Jesus is different.
Jesus is the Son of God; a child conceived of the spirit.
II. The Temple
II. The Temple
Jesus was no exception to this.
But as theses teachers spent time with Him they were amazed at His understanding of the things of God.
He probably spoke with the vocabulary of a 12 year old, but I will tell you as a person who spent many years with students and children there is always that one child who will ask you a question that you have no clue how they can be so insightful.
At 12 Jesus would have celebrated His 1st Passover and at 13 He would become a “Son of the law”; meaning he would be under the subjugation of all of the law.
To say it another way…Jesus would at 13 be accountable for the Law for His life.
In this passage I believe we see the realization for Jesus Himself of who He is.
William Barclay writes,
As the years went on he must have had thoughts; and then at this first Passover, with manhood dawning, there came in a sudden blaze of realization the consciousness that he was in a unique sense the Son of God.
“As the years went on he must have had thoughts; and then at this first Passover, with manhood dawning, there came in a sudden blaze of realization the consciousness that he was in a unique sense the Son of God.” William Barclay
William Barclay, The Gospel of Luke, The New Daily Study Bible (Louisville, KY; London: Westminster John Knox Press, 2001), 36.
William Barclay, The Gospel of Luke, The New Daily Study Bible (Louisville, KY; London: Westminster John Knox Press, 2001), 36.
Jesus Submitted
Jesus Submitted
The teachers
The teachers
The peace
The peace
The Position
The Position
I. Primary Idea of text (CIT) (vv. )
Jesus is the Son of God.
a. 1st point of text (vv. )
God the Father and Jesus are unified in their love for you.
Scripture
Mary and Joseph sought for their child because of their love for Him, but
Without a search for Christ your life will be void of all He can provide for you.
Illustration:
Christ in this story of the day of when He finds out who He is does not look down on his parents; it did not make Him proud or arrogant.
b. 2nd point of text (vv )
What did Jesus do…He submitted to them and went home.
Scripture
Application:
Illustration
The title of today’s message is Seeking Jesus and as we think about this passage it is fitting to know that Jesus is right where He is supposed to be.
As we looked this morning at this passage I want to leave you with some things to think through this week.
1. How does how you spend your time reflect your spiritual priorities?
Mary and Joseph left their home and business to worship the Lord
Are you willing to build a life that is obedient to a God who was your propitiation?
Mary and Joseph were obedient to take travel and worship the Lord.
This trip they took was not like my trips to Mexico as a child.
This trip is one of spiritual significance and it meant something to them.
My trips were about to celebrate Christmas where all I thought about were the gifts I woudl get.
There trip was to give back to God in sacrifice and in worship of Him.
What are we doing doing to cultivate spiritual sacrifice and worship in your life?
Mary and Joesph had to pack up all the kids; because Jesus was not her only child.
Close their small carpentry shop for at least half of month.
They would have cared for their animal sacrifice, traveled with it, and then presented it to the Lord.
Their whole life was in worship to the Lord.
Look at ,
Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.
It was in worship to the Lord who saved them from death and delivered them from bondage.
Is your worship to God a consuming fire, is it acceptable?
Or are you just giving God what is left over?
How are we spending our time?
My friends Jesus is the propitiation for sin that is in our life; propitiation is the act of Jesus being our sacrifice for our sin.
tells us,
How much do you study God’s word?
He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
Are you on mission?
Are you making spiritual formation a priority?
Opening Up Luke’s Gospel To Think about and Discuss
Mary and Joseph left the carpentry shop and sought to worship God. How far does the way we spend our time reflect our spiritual priorities?
Statistics would tell us that less than 20% of Christians spend time reading the Bible every day.
Like I stated earlier, our lives are built upon obedience and sacrifice.
My friends this book is the pathway to hear the voice of God; there is no substitute.
Obedience to God and His word in light of the sacrifice He made for us.
The 2nd thing this morning I want you to ask yourself.
There is no greater gift that Jesus can give to us but to make us pure in the sight of God by being our sacrificial lamb.
His blood was spilled so you can be free of the things that bind your life.
His blood was spilled so you could live a life greater that anything you can imagine.
His blood was spilled for you.
2. Are you truly seeking Jesus?
Mary and Joseph sought Jesus and they found Him right where He was supposed to be.
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.
You see this passage is so true; Jesus is standing at the door and all we have to do is open our heart and let Him in.
Have you ever seen those movies where two people are talking through a door at each other.
You see they are close to each other, but there is a loss of intimacy.
When we keep God just close enough that we think we will be safe; this is the point where the intimacy with God is lost, because you truly will never have the opportunity to enjoy all that is at His table for you.
Sometimes we are just pre-occupied.
Mary and Joseph were; they were so pre-occupied that they lost their child.
How much are we preoccupied with the everything going on that we forget the Lord?
To take that time and seek Him daily.
For the Christian we must never lose sight of Jesus and what He has done for us and the only way for that to happen is to be in relationship with Him.
If you seek Jesus…you will find Him.
Invitation:
My friends I desire for you to fall deeply in love with Jesus.
As we move through life we must always seek Jesus for our lives; if we look for Him we will find Him.
As we move through life we must always seek Jesus for our lives, but very often we need to take the 1st step.
That first step is to identify with who you are in the sight of the Lord.
For all have sinned and have fallen short of God’s glory.
My friends we all fall short; I fall short all the time.
We all are sinners and we all need a Savior and that Savior is Jesus Christ.
For those who believe by faith that Jesus is the Son of God and repent of their sin; God is faithful to save you, but you only need to ask.
My friends seek Jesus today, let Him be the one in control of your life.
Seek him and you will find Him.
Prayer...
Amen...
c. 3rd point of text (vv. )
Scripture
Illlustration
Point of Theology
II. Primary Idea of text (CIT) (vv. )
a. 1st point of text (vv. )
Scripture
Illustration:
b. 2nd point of text (vv )
Scripture
Illustration
c. 3rd point of text (vv. )
Scripture
Illlustration
III. Primary Idea of text (CIT) (vv. )
a. 1st point of text (vv. )
Scripture
Illustration:
b. 2nd point of text (vv )
Scripture
Illustration
c. 3rd point of text (vv. )
Scripture
Illlustration
Application: CIT of Entire Passage
1.
2.
3.
INVITATION