Lesson 128: Jesus Obeys

Introduction

This morning we are thinking about Jesus’ life of perfect obedience to the Father.

His was a perfect obedience throughout his life—beginning at birth, enduring through childhood and adulthood; and even in death, his obedience was perfect.

This morning we are going to look at Jesus’ perfect obedience when he was 12 years old.

[Inter] But think about this question—what’s the longest you’ve gone without sinning?

[Illus] I once heard a false teacher claim that he had not sinned in something like 21 years. He was very proud of himself and thought his listeners would be as well even though his pride was based on a delusion.

1 John 1:10 says...

1 John 1:10 NASB95

10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.

While it is true that we do not have to sin and that we should be striving for righteousness, we are still sinners. Yes, saved sinners—but still sinners nonetheless.

Thus, we confess our sins, repent, and receive forgiveness, but even we are doing well in our obedience to God, the obedience we must be most proud of is not our own.

The obedience we must be most proud of is the obedience of Christ—for only His obedience was perfect.

[Context] We have spent the last two lessons learning about the very early days of Jesus’ life.

Last week, we specifically talked about the two different responses that the dignitaries had to the birth of the young King.

Who can give us a summary of the two different responses—from King Herod and the wise men—that we studied last week?

The wise men responded to Jesus by submitting to him as King and offering worship and gifts of tribute.

Herod responded by seeking to kill the young King.

These two responses are symbolic of the way that all of mankind responds to Jesus—they either reject him as their king or embrace him with the worship due the King of the universe. You are either for Jesus or against him. Jesus made this clear in Luke 11:23...

Luke 11:23 NASB95

23 “He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me, scatters.

Our lesson today moves us along the timeline of the life of Jesus and to another extremely important doctrine for us to understand: the active obedience of Jesus.

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Major Ideas

First, let’s look at JESUS’ OBEDIENCE in Luke 2.

Luke 2:39–40 NASB95

39 When they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city of Nazareth. 40 The Child continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.

? Where were Joseph and his family living after they returned from Egypt?

They were living in Nazareth in the region of Galilee.

? Why were they living in Nazareth?

Although Mary and Joseph were from Nazareth, they were specifically guided by God to return after Jesus was born. Matthew tells us that after Herod died, an angel appeared to Joseph, telling him it was safe to return. They returned to Israel, but Archelaus (one of Herod’s sons) was ruling harshly in Judea, and Joseph was warned in a dream to withdraw to Galilee. This was so that a prophecy might be fulfilled: that he would be called a Nazarene. If time allows, read Matthew 2:19–23.

? How is the young Jesus described in Luke 2:40?

He grew to be strong and filled with wisdom, and the favor of God was with him.

Let’s look at 2:41-52...

Luke 2:41–52 NASB95

41 Now His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. 42 And when He became twelve, they went up there according to the custom of the Feast; 43 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, 44 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. 45 When they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem looking for Him. 46 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. 47 And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers. 48 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.” 49 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?” 50 But they did not understand the statement which He had made to them. 51 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. 52 And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

? How old was Jesus when he traveled to Jerusalem in this account?

He was 12 years old. This is one year before the traditional age of becoming a bar mitzvah (son of the commandments) as a rite of passage into manhood.

? What was the reason they were in Jerusalem?

They were there for the Passover feast.

? What was the reason they were celebrating Passover?

The Passover commemorated the exodus from Egypt and was commanded by God as a perpetual feast. Exodus 23:14–15 gives the command that the exodus should be commemorated each year (called the Feast of Unleavened Bread here and Passover in Deuteronomy 16:1) in the Hebrew month of Abib. Technically, the Passover is a one-day feast followed by the seven days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, but the two are commonly referred to together as in Luke 22:1.

? What happened at the end of the feast?

The family headed back to Nazareth.

? How did Jesus get left behind in Jerusalem?

Mary and Joseph had assumed Jesus was in the group they were traveling with. They did not ensure he was in the group before they left. Travel in a large group provided safety.

? How long was it before his parents realized that Jesus was not with them?

They had traveled a day’s journey. The total trip was over 80 miles through Jericho and up the Jordan River, so it would have taken a minimum of four days to make the trip.

? How long did it take them to find Jesus?

Three days.

? How do we understand the duration of “three days” in the context of the passage?

It was likely three days since they left Jerusalem: one day travel before they realized Jesus was missing, one day to travel back, and part of another day to locate him within the city.

? Where did they find Jesus?

He was in the temple area.

? What was he doing there?

He was sitting with the teachers, listening, asking questions, and answering their questions.

? How did others react to the young Jesus?

They were amazed at his understanding and answers to their questions.

? How did Mary respond upon finding Jesus in the temple?

She was astonished and then offered a rebuke to Jesus.

? What does the response of the young Jesus reveal about his knowledge of his mission?

He knew that he was to be doing the work of the Father; “in my Father’s house.”

? What contrast does Jesus’ statement about a father make with Mary’s statement?

While Mary referred to Joseph as his father, Jesus acknowledged his heavenly Father as the one he was seeking to obey.

? How did his parents react to his response to them?

They did not understand what he was saying about being in his Father’s house.

? As Jesus returned to Nazareth with them, how did he act toward his parents?

He was submissive, or obedient, to them.

? What continued to happen to Jesus from this point on?

He grew in wisdom, in stature, and in favor with God and men.

Discover the Truth

From the age of 2 to the age of 30, this event is the only information we have about Jesus who came to be the perfect sacrifice for our sins. Therefore, it makes complete sense that, in this snapshot from his life as a young man, we see him being perfectly obedient to his earthly parents and to his heavenly Father.

The Bible, however, has more to say about the obedience of Jesus. Let’s look at a few verses from the Gospel of John...

John 5:19 NASB95

19 Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.

? What does John 5:19 tell us about the obedience of Jesus?

Jesus does those things he sees the Father do. The Son imitates the Father.

John 6:38 NASB95

38 “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.

? How about this verse? What does it tell us about Jesus’ obedience?

To do the Father’s will, not his own.

John 7:16 NASB95

16 So Jesus answered them and said, “My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me.

? What does this verse say about Jesus’ teaching?

It was from the Father, not from himself.

These verses from the Gospel of John show us that Jesus is obedient to the Father in all his doing, all his willing, and all his teaching.

Let’s look at some verses from Hebrews as well...

Hebrews 4:15 NASB95

15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.

? What does this verse teach us about the obedience of the God-man, Jesus Christ?

He was tempted just as we are, but he never sinned.

Hebrews 5:8 NASB95

8 Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.

? Based on Hebrews 5:8, how did Jesus behave in his work as high priest on our behalf?

He learned obedience through his suffering—he was obedient.

Hebrews 10:5–7 NASB95

5 Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, “Sacrifice and offering You have not desired, But a body You have prepared for Me; 6 In whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You have taken no pleasure. 7 “Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come (In the scroll of the book it is written of Me) To do Your will, O God.’ ”

? Hebrews 10:5–7 quotes Psalm 40:6–8 as the words of Christ. According to these verses, why did Jesus take a body and come to earth?

He came to do the will of the Father.

Let’s look at one last verse related to Jesus’ obedience...

Philippians 2:8 NASB95

8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

? How obedient was Jesus?

He was obedient to the point of dying on the cross.

[Illus] As I’ve told you all before, when I was in college, I had a Sunday School teacher who said, “I think Jesus probably sinned when he was younger.”

Many people hold that misunderstanding. They think the sinlessness of Jesus applies to the years of his public ministry. But when the Bible says that Jesus never sinned, it means he never sinned!

? In light of all of these passages, did Jesus sin and disobey his parents when he stayed in Jerusalem at the temple while his parents were traveling?

Since being disobedient to parents is a sin (Ephesians 6:1–3; Exodus 20:12), he could not have been disobedient. Jesus could not have sinned, or his obedience would not have been perfect. While we don’t know the details, he must not have disobeyed any direct command from them.

? What attribute of God is demonstrated in the sinless life of Jesus?

Holy: he cannot sin and hates all sin. Jesus is holy, holy, holy.

Jesus lived over 30 years on this earth and never once sinned in thought, word, or deed. He always did what pleased the Father. And for that, we should be eternally grateful.

[TS] Let’s find out why that should stir up gratitude in our hearts by discussing three imputations mentioned in Scripture.

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THREE IMPUTATIONS

? What does the word impute mean?

To impute means to credit to an account. It could be used as an accounting term where a debit or credit is applied to an account, much like you would record withdrawals and deposits in a checking account. Think “imputation” the next time a cashier asks you if you’d like your return put back on your card.

Let’s look at some verses related to what we will call The First Imputation.

Genesis 3:17–19 NASB95

17 Then to Adam He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’; Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you will eat of it All the days of your life. 18 “Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you will eat the plants of the field; 19 By the sweat of your face You will eat bread, Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return.”

Adam, as the first man to sin, brought sin into the world.

Psalm 51:5 NASB95

5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.

Each person is conceived and born in a sinful condition.

Romans 5:12 NASB95

12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned—

Death spread to all men through Adam’s sin; all people are sinful and deserving of death through their inherited sin nature and individual acts of sin.

? What has been credited to all people in Adam?

All people have been credited with sin through Adam, carrying original sin as a stain.

Now, let’s look at The Second Imputation.

Isaiah 53:4–6 NASB95

4 Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. 6 All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.

The sins of people are placed on Jesus.

1 Peter 2:24 NASB95

24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.

Jesus bore our sins on the tree (cross).

? What has been credited to Christ from men?

The sins of men were placed on Christ on the cross, bringing God’s wrath against sin upon him.

The Third Imputation

Isaiah 53:11 NASB95

11 As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities.

The righteous servant, Jesus, will justify (make righteous) many people.

Romans 5:18–19 NASB95

18 So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. 19 For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.

The obedience of Jesus makes many righteous.

? What has been credited to all those who are in Christ?

The righteousness of Christ is credited to those who repent and believe in him.

? How does understanding each of these three imputations help you grasp the fullness of the salvation that you have in Christ?

As a sinner in Adam, we need a substitute to bear our sins, to take the wrath of God we deserve, and to stand in our place in perfect obedience to all of God’s commands. All of that has been made possible in Christ—he bore our sins, and we receive his righteousness.

Jesus, the last Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45), lived in perfect obedience to the Father so that we could be credited with his work. When God looks at those who are in Christ, they are seen, not as sinners in Adam, but as righteous in Christ.

[TS] Adam’s sin was imputed to you, your sin was imputed to Christ, and as a believer, Christ’s righteousness is imputed to you—three imputations at the core of Christian doctrine.

Pelagianism, Semi-Pelagianism, and Augustinianism

? Who has heard of the name Pelagius or the terms pelagianism or semi-pelagiansim?

Time for a little church history lesson: Pelagius was a false teacher in the fifth century who denied that Adam’s sin was imputed to mankind. He believed and taught that man could do good deeds and fulfill the law on his own. This is a form of self-righteousness that denies the need for Christ to fulfill the law on our behalf. This is Pelagianism.

Semi-Pelagianism (actually taught by a man named John Cassian) holds that man is saved by a mixture of man’s good works (e.g., his initial step of faith) and God’s grace.

? What Scriptures can you think of that undo Pelagianism—the idea that man can be saved by his own good work?

Isaiah 64:6 NASB95

6 For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

Romans 3:10–18 NASB95

10 as it is written, “There is none righteous, not even one; 11 There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God; 12 All have turned aside, together they have become useless; There is none who does good, There is not even one.” 13 “Their throat is an open grave, With their tongues they keep deceiving,” “The poison of asps is under their lips”; 14 “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness”; 15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood, 16 Destruction and misery are in their paths, 17 And the path of peace they have not known.” 18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

? What Scriptures can you think that undo Semi-Pelagianism—the idea that man can be saved by his own good works (e.g., the initial step of faith) and God’s grace?

Ephesians 2:8–9 NASB95

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Now, in response to Pelagianism and Semi-Pelagianism, there emerged Augustinianism. These teachings from Augustine on sin, salvation, predestination, human freedom, God’s grace, and the church emphasized man’s total depravity (his total inability to please God based on any merit of his own) and God’s total sovereignty (his total rule over sin, salvation, predestination, etc.).

Augustinianism says, “Salvation is entirely of God. It’s all by his grace.” Or we could state it like this, “Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone for the forgiveness of sins to the glory of God.”

It’s not anything that we’ve done that saves. It’s what God has done for us in Jesus Christ that saves us.

[TS] Let’s look at two final passages as we try to wrap up this idea of Jesus’ righteousness being imputed to us.

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OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS

First, let’s look at 2 Corinthians 5:17-21.

2 Corinthians 5:17–21 NASB95

17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

? What is every person in Christ?

A new creation.

? Who has reconciled us to God?

He has reconciled us to himself.

? How have we been reconciled to God?

The Father reconciled us through Jesus Christ to himself.

? What are we committed to in light of this salvation we have (v. 18)?

We are to share that with others through the ministry of reconciliation.

? According to verse 20, what role do we have now that we have been reconciled to God in Christ?

We are ambassadors for Christ to reconcile to the Father those who are still in their sins by proclaiming what has been done in Christ.

? According to verse 21, how are people reconciled?

Jesus took our sin and has given us his righteousness so that we might have favor with God.

Let’s look at 1 Corinthians 1:30-31.

1 Corinthians 1:30–31 NASB95

30 But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, 31 so that, just as it is written, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

? How is Jesus described in these verses?

He is Christ, and he is described as wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.

? What is the point Paul was making here?

Our salvation is based on Jesus. He is our righteousness. He is our sanctification. He is our redemption.

? How does this relate to what we’ve been talking about today?

Jesus had to be perfectly righteous to provide redemption for the sinner. Because he was perfectly righteous (or obedient, as we’ve discussed today), he could pay our ransom, and his righteousness could be imputed to us. Additionally, our boasting in the Lord should be evident in our active service in the ministry of reconciliation.

Discover the Truth

God has placed our sins on Christ and given us his righteousness in return. But there are many who are still in Adam—they still bear their sin debt and face God’s just wrath for that sin. We have the privilege to work as ambassadors for Christ to tell people about the offer of forgiveness and reconciliation available in Christ. We get to proclaim that good news. We get to call people to recognize their own sinfulness and turn in repentant faith to the only one who can free them from their sin debt. We get to proclaim the love and mercy that has made us new creations in Christ Jesus. That should be seen as a great privilege and a great responsibility.

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Application

As we think about the obedience of Jesus, our hearts should soar with thankfulness. All of our sins—past, present, and future—have been placed on him on the cross. All the wrath that we deserve from God was poured out on him in our place. He was obedient to the point of death on the cross.

But even more, God sees all of Christ’s righteous deeds as credited to our account. The debt that we could never pay has been wiped out, and we have been given a reward that exceeds anything imaginable—we have eternal life with God the Father through the work of God the Son and are kept by the seal of God the Holy Spirit. We have much to be thankful for because of the perfect obedience of Jesus. He was made “to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

As Isaiah proclaimed in Isaiah 61:10...

Isaiah 61:10 NASB95

10 I will rejoice greatly in the Lord, My soul will exult in my God; For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

? How would you respond if someone tried to use the account of Jesus in the temple to say that he sinned by disobeying his parents?

First, we must allow Scripture to interpret Scripture, meaning that we start with what is clearly taught: Jesus lived a life of perfect obedience and never sinned (Hebrews 4:15; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Thus, we know that Jesus’ actions (remaining at the temple) were not sinful.

Second, the account’s concluding statements tell us that he went with his parents and submitted to them (obeyed). This account does not suggest that Jesus was rebellious or disobedient and, in fact, teaches the opposite.

? Knowing that you are called to be an ambassador of reconciliation, how can you use your own experience of reconciliation to share the hope you have with others?

All Christians have a testimony of how God reconciled them to himself in Christ. Sharing that story can be a great way to show others their need for Christ, but the focus must be directed to the other person’s sin and the holiness of God. Sharing our testimony is not the same thing as proclaiming the gospel unless you intentionally and clearly work the elements of the gospel into the presentation. We should plead with others to be reconciled to God and call them to repent of their sins and turn to Christ, knowing that when they do, they can become new creations and be right with God, just as we have experienced.

? The denial of original sin in Adam has been considered a heresy throughout church history. The false teacher Pelagius taught that man was born as a blank slate and could fulfill the law of God in his own power. Why is this such a dangerous and unbiblical teaching?

To deny that all men have sinned in Adam is to deny the clear teaching of Scripture. Some people try to do this to say that each person is responsible for his own sin, not the sin of Adam. But if we deny that Adam was our representative and brought sin into the world, then, to be consistent, we would also have to deny that Jesus could take our penalty as our representative. We must acknowledge the imputation of sin to all humanity so that Jesus can offer himself in our place as the last Adam, and his righteousness can be imputed to us. Outside of the biblical understanding, there is only a form of self-righteousness that will only condemn us.

? It is becoming popular in Christianity to accept the evolutionary explanation of history, even to the point of saying that there was no man named Adam, but that we evolved from a group of hominids. These people see Adam as a metaphor for explaining our sinful condition, but not as a real person. What danger does this idea carry in light of our discussion today?

If there was no Adam who sinned as our head, then there isn’t really any forgiveness available in Christ—Romans 5:12–21 makes this very clear. If Adam was simply a metaphor, then why do we need a real God-man to be our representative for righteousness? This idea is very dangerous as it undermines the need for Jesus to come as the last Adam to be our substitute. If there was no real man Adam, there would be no need for a real Savior in Jesus.

Group Prayer Time

• Praise God for his holiness displayed in Christ as God in flesh.

• Ask God for wisdom and boldness to serve as ambassadors to reconcile others to himself through Christ.

• Thank God for sending Jesus to bear our sins in exchange for his righteousness.