I am Christian
Notes
Transcript
In between events
In between events
Jesus in the Temple at Twelve Years Old
42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to the custom of the feast.
43 And after the days were completed, while they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. And his parents did not know it,
44 but believing him to be in the group of travelers, they went a day’s journey. And they began searching for him among their relatives and their acquaintances,
45 and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him.
46 And it happened that after three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting in the midst of the teachers and listening to them and asking them questions.
47 And all who heard him were amazed at his insight and his answers.
48 And when they saw him, they were astounded and his mother said to him, “Child, why have you done this to us? Look, your father and I have been searching for you anxiously!”
49 And he said to them, “Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that it was necessary for me to be in the house of my Father?”
50 And they did not understand the statement that he spoke to them.
51 And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was submitting to them. And his mother treasured all these things in her heart.
A few weeks ago I spoke about that inbetween space…that waiting…could be trying, torturing for many of us.
In between events I call it…or moving from event to event. IN the passage I read, we find the same scenario. Mary and Joseph is moving from event to event.
We have to love Mary and Joseph. They are good people. Luke describes them as law-abiding people.
39 And when they had done everything according to the Law of the Lord, they went back into Galilee to their own town, Nazareth.
41 And his parents went every year to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover.
42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to the custom of the feast.
They were people who kept the law as outlined. They kept the rituals of the Jewish nation. They are the ones who knew the Torah, knew the Decalogue (Ten Commandments), knew when to travel to Jerusalem and what was expected of them. We love rituals. I remember going to church even in my BC days and making sure that tick the boxes of what might make a “good” person!
Did I forget something
Did I forget something
Forgetting seems to be the order of the day these days…What do I forget the most…my Passwords on my laptop! The otehr day, we were sitting with some friends at KFC (yes KFC Althea!). We were talking and a group of people, who also bought some food, got into their car, and was about to drive off . Fortuntely for them, we saw that they left their food on the roof their vehicle and could have lost their food. Carpenters forget their pencils in their ear and looks for them. I forgot that I am talking on my phone while I am looking for my phone!
So, Mary and Joseph got so engrossed in what they were doing, keeping the rituals, mingling with the people, that they did not even recognised that they left their son in Jerusalem! They thought everything was ok or that their son was with relatives or the Pilgrims.
Let me say it like this…they left Jesus in Jerusalem!
It reminded me of what John the Revelator wrote about the church in Ephesus. Listen to this:
2 I know your industry and activities, laborious toil and trouble, and your patient endurance, and how you cannot tolerate wicked [men] and have tested and critically appraised those who call [themselves] apostles (special messengers of Christ) and yet are not, and have found them to be impostors and liars.
3 I know you are enduring patiently and are bearing up for My name’s sake, and you have not fainted or become exhausted or grown weary.
4 But I have this [one charge to make] against you: that you have left (abandoned) the love that you had at first [you have deserted Me, your first love].
They left the most important person back in Jerusalem. Here is the danger whihc John the Revelator speaks about…we can get so engrossed in the activities of Christianity, we can get focsed on Easter and Pentecost that in between, we can forget what it is all about! I saw a breakdown of the word CHRISTIAN. We spell it C-H-R-I-S-T-I-A-N…break it into 2 and it is CHRIST - IAN. Withour CHRIST, I AM NOTHING!!!
The Bible speaks about Christ this way:
28 for in him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said: ‘For we also are his offspring.’
We live and we move and we exist IN HIM!
Fixing this issue
Fixing this issue
What to do, They searched with Jesus everywhere and finally come to decide to go back to Jersusalem!
It is in Jerusalem where things will be explained to you
It is in Jerusalem where things will be explained to you
Many things are so uncertain for Mary and Joseph. The teachers of the law, who thought they knew everything wujld now understand that they know nothing or very little…Jesus helped them to get understanding.
Jesus explains that when you are connected to him, you will be about the Father’s business…collaborating with God, working alongside him,.
I like where Luke says...
50 And they did not understand the statement that he spoke to them.
They did not understand what was happening…Pastor you just said things wil be made clear in Jerusalem, I wil get understanding,,,but what now?
We just came off Easter and we understand what happened n Jerusalem. Jesus Christ was nailed to a cross, but on the Sunday, he rose again…curtain torn into two…access to God…we know the story. What Jerusalem sgnifies is a dying of self…total surrender! no more our agenda but Christs’agenda.
20 and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me, and that life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
You see when Mary and Joseph came to Christ, it was still their agenda...
48 But his parents were not impressed; they were upset and hurt. His mother said, “Young man, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been half out of our minds looking for you.”
It was about them…WHY HAVE YOU DONE THIS TO US…When we come to Christ, when we come to Jerusalem, it is no more about us, it is all about him. John the Baptist said it well...
30 He must increase, but I must decrease. [He must grow more prominent; I must grow less so.]
Let me close of with the words of the Spirit of God to the church in Ephesus:
5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do the works you did at first. But if you do not, I am coming to you, and I will remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.