1 00:00:02,280 --> 00:00:04,960 Well, we all know that it is a time of the year where we are 2 00:00:04,960 --> 00:00:09,080 invited to turn our attention on the truth of the incarnation of 3 00:00:09,080 --> 00:00:13,440 the Lord Jesus Christ, and we will seek to do that together by 4 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:19,880 exploring the early years of Jesus, but in particular a part 5 00:00:19,880 --> 00:00:22,600 of those early years that is often overlooked. 6 00:00:23,760 --> 00:00:26,240 We know that the Gospels tell us much about the birth of the 7 00:00:26,240 --> 00:00:29,480 Messiah, and we know that the Gospels have much more to say 8 00:00:29,480 --> 00:00:33,000 about his ministry. But there is one particular 9 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:37,040 incident that is provided to us that grants us a portrait of 10 00:00:37,040 --> 00:00:40,760 Jesus between those two significant stages of his life. 11 00:00:41,760 --> 00:00:45,280 It is Luke, the Gospel writer, who is inspired by the Holy 12 00:00:45,280 --> 00:00:53,840 Spirit to grant us this site that is very brief, and because 13 00:00:53,840 --> 00:00:59,240 of its brevity, some people are tempted to feel as though it is 14 00:00:59,240 --> 00:01:02,880 inconsequential in our understanding of God's character 15 00:01:02,880 --> 00:01:07,640 and nature, or perhaps little value in terms of God's 16 00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:11,240 instruction for us. But we have been here enough to 17 00:01:11,240 --> 00:01:16,000 know that that is not the case. There is obviously a purpose for 18 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:20,880 what Luke records about the young Jesus of Nazareth in the 19 00:01:20,880 --> 00:01:23,280 text that we're going to look at this afternoon. 20 00:01:23,760 --> 00:01:28,360 So I do invite you to turn with me to Luke chapter 2 and verse 21 00:01:28,360 --> 00:01:32,880 41, and we will read together until verse 52 as we consider 22 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:41,400 together the Messiah at 12 years old, Luke 241. 23 00:01:41,960 --> 00:01:43,760 Here's what the Word of God reads. 24 00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:48,680 Now His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the 25 00:01:48,680 --> 00:01:53,280 feast of the Passover, and when he was 12 years old they went up 26 00:01:53,280 --> 00:01:56,840 according to custom. And when the feast was ended, as 27 00:01:56,840 --> 00:01:59,560 they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in 28 00:01:59,560 --> 00:02:03,280 Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, but 29 00:02:03,280 --> 00:02:05,720 supposing him to be in the group, they went a day's 30 00:02:05,720 --> 00:02:07,760 journey. But then they began to search 31 00:02:07,760 --> 00:02:10,000 for him among their relatives and acquaintances. 32 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:12,760 And when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, 33 00:02:12,760 --> 00:02:16,320 searching for him. After three days they found him 34 00:02:16,320 --> 00:02:19,720 in the Temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and 35 00:02:19,720 --> 00:02:22,480 asking them questions. And all who heard him were 36 00:02:22,480 --> 00:02:24,800 amazed at his understanding and his answers. 37 00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:27,840 And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. 38 00:02:28,280 --> 00:02:32,680 And his mother said to him, Son, why have you treated us so? 39 00:02:33,280 --> 00:02:36,120 Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great 40 00:02:36,120 --> 00:02:39,680 distress. And he said to them, Why were 41 00:02:39,680 --> 00:02:42,720 you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be 42 00:02:42,720 --> 00:02:46,600 in my Father's house? And they did not understand the 43 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:50,520 saying that he spoke to them, And he went down with them, and 44 00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:53,080 came to Nazareth, and was submissive to them. 45 00:02:53,440 --> 00:02:56,560 And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart. 46 00:02:57,160 --> 00:03:01,120 And Jesus increased in wisdom, and in stature, and in favor 47 00:03:01,120 --> 00:03:07,080 with God and man. Lord, we ask in great humility, 48 00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:09,960 Help us with these verses. We pray that there would be 49 00:03:09,960 --> 00:03:14,760 nothing delivered in confusion or lack of clarity. 50 00:03:15,040 --> 00:03:16,800 We pray that there would be precision. 51 00:03:17,040 --> 00:03:19,800 We ask for power. We ask for our hearts to be 52 00:03:19,800 --> 00:03:23,440 moved. Help us see Jesus only today. 53 00:03:24,200 --> 00:03:25,880 And we pray these things in his name. 54 00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:31,760 Amen. Luke is preparing to introduce 55 00:03:31,760 --> 00:03:37,040 us to the boy Jesus. But before he does that, he 56 00:03:37,040 --> 00:03:41,560 seeks to put the spotlight on the devoutness of his parents, 57 00:03:41,560 --> 00:03:45,480 his earthly guardians. And he does this by telling us 58 00:03:45,880 --> 00:03:50,600 that they went to Jerusalem to honor the feast of the Passover. 59 00:03:51,680 --> 00:03:53,760 But he's more specific than that. 60 00:03:54,600 --> 00:03:57,280 It's not that they just went to the Passover on this particular 61 00:03:57,280 --> 00:03:59,640 year. Look back again at verse 41. 62 00:03:59,640 --> 00:04:04,560 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the 63 00:04:04,560 --> 00:04:08,160 feast of the Passover. And so we're supposed to hear 64 00:04:08,240 --> 00:04:10,640 see something about their diligence and their commitment 65 00:04:10,640 --> 00:04:13,000 to the law of God. Because the Old Testament tells 66 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:17,480 us that under the Mosaic covenant, every male Israelite 67 00:04:17,480 --> 00:04:22,640 was to go and honor 3 specific feast, 3 separate times of the 68 00:04:22,640 --> 00:04:25,480 year. And what's interesting here is 69 00:04:25,480 --> 00:04:28,560 that, yes, they are obeying, but in a way that is a little bit 70 00:04:28,560 --> 00:04:30,920 unusual. And the only way for you to know 71 00:04:30,920 --> 00:04:34,080 that is when you look at one of the instructions about these 72 00:04:34,080 --> 00:04:36,320 pilgrimages. So look at your Old Testament 73 00:04:36,320 --> 00:04:40,960 with me in Exodus and verse 17 of chapter 23. 74 00:04:41,680 --> 00:04:48,280 And notice this detail that I think some people miss Exodus 23 75 00:04:48,280 --> 00:04:56,750 beginning in verse 17. It says here three times in the 76 00:04:56,750 --> 00:04:59,470 year shall, and this is where you want to highlight it. 77 00:04:59,870 --> 00:05:04,760 All your males appear before the Lord God, all your males. 78 00:05:04,760 --> 00:05:07,640 And that is echoed in Deuteronomy 1616. 79 00:05:07,880 --> 00:05:11,040 We learned that it was the males who are primarily responsible 80 00:05:11,400 --> 00:05:14,720 for representing their families as they came to these yearly 81 00:05:14,720 --> 00:05:19,000 conferences of worship. And it's not to say that women 82 00:05:19,120 --> 00:05:21,840 could not accompany them, but they were not obliged to. 83 00:05:22,760 --> 00:05:27,520 And if a wife did assist and attend these journeys with their 84 00:05:27,520 --> 00:05:30,080 husbands, it highlighted something about their 85 00:05:30,080 --> 00:05:32,040 exceptional devotion to the Lord. 86 00:05:32,480 --> 00:05:35,680 Again, it was not mandatory for them to go, but if they did go, 87 00:05:36,400 --> 00:05:38,160 then it said something about their hunger. 88 00:05:38,160 --> 00:05:40,040 It says something about their worship. 89 00:05:40,040 --> 00:05:42,120 It says something about their devotion to God. 90 00:05:42,800 --> 00:05:46,640 And why I bring that up is because Mary is highlighted in 91 00:05:46,640 --> 00:05:51,640 our main passage with this background that she didn't have 92 00:05:51,640 --> 00:05:53,640 to go to the feast of the Passover. 93 00:05:54,080 --> 00:05:58,560 She wanted to go, and right here already we have something as a 94 00:05:58,560 --> 00:06:00,800 model for parents today. Do you know why? 95 00:06:01,200 --> 00:06:04,400 Because as much as the Lord Jesus Christ possessed divine 96 00:06:04,400 --> 00:06:09,440 wisdom and revelation from His human perspective, He grew up in 97 00:06:09,440 --> 00:06:13,760 an environment where His spiritual intellectual growth 98 00:06:14,760 --> 00:06:18,520 was nurtured and fostered by the faithfulness of His earthly 99 00:06:18,520 --> 00:06:21,840 parents. Now if you're hesitant to 100 00:06:21,840 --> 00:06:24,840 believe that, let me show you a couple of verses in the same 101 00:06:24,840 --> 00:06:27,320 chapter that we read from right before the main text. 102 00:06:27,840 --> 00:06:31,720 He says this in Luke 239. And when they had performed 103 00:06:31,760 --> 00:06:35,240 everything according to the law of the Lord, speaking about 104 00:06:35,240 --> 00:06:39,280 Joseph and Mary, again, when they had performed everything 105 00:06:39,280 --> 00:06:42,640 according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee 106 00:06:43,640 --> 00:06:48,720 to their own town of Nazareth. And then verse 40 And the child 107 00:06:48,720 --> 00:06:52,560 grew and became strong, filled with wisdom and the favor of God 108 00:06:52,560 --> 00:06:55,880 was upon him. So right after the comment of 109 00:06:55,880 --> 00:06:59,000 Joseph and Mary, observing everything that was found in the 110 00:06:59,000 --> 00:07:02,680 law of the Lord, we learn of Jesus growth. 111 00:07:04,200 --> 00:07:06,880 And some translations don't just say that the child grew and 112 00:07:06,880 --> 00:07:11,200 became strong, but add that he became strong in spirit. 113 00:07:11,720 --> 00:07:15,640 Strong in spirit. Now here's what I want to say. 114 00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:20,640 Parents, do not underestimate what your love for the Lord can 115 00:07:20,640 --> 00:07:23,560 do for your little ones. Don't you ever doubt that. 116 00:07:24,120 --> 00:07:27,320 And don't you ever, ever, ever think for a moment that there is 117 00:07:27,320 --> 00:07:29,800 a greater investment that you can make in the lives of your 118 00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:33,120 children than living sacrificially for the Lord. 119 00:07:34,440 --> 00:07:36,760 Here's where the maps in our Bible help. 120 00:07:36,760 --> 00:07:42,120 Sometimes to journey from Nazareth to Jerusalem was not a 121 00:07:42,120 --> 00:07:46,360 small journey. It was a track of about 70 to 80 122 00:07:46,360 --> 00:07:49,120 miles, which would take about three to four days to complete. 123 00:07:51,040 --> 00:07:55,200 And yet we see these parents doing this faithfully year after 124 00:07:55,200 --> 00:07:59,040 year. And in many cases, it is earthly 125 00:07:59,040 --> 00:08:03,640 concerns, daily responsibilities, personal 126 00:08:03,640 --> 00:08:08,920 projects, and other inconveniences that keep couples 127 00:08:09,360 --> 00:08:13,640 from making worship their priority in their family. 128 00:08:15,720 --> 00:08:19,640 And I want to share a promise to you from the Word of God that I 129 00:08:19,640 --> 00:08:22,560 pray will stir your heart, especially if you can honestly 130 00:08:22,560 --> 00:08:27,560 admit in this place that worshipping God has not been 131 00:08:27,560 --> 00:08:31,120 your personal priority on an individual basis or in a 132 00:08:31,120 --> 00:08:35,520 corporate level. If you look back at 2024, if you 133 00:08:35,520 --> 00:08:40,799 can honestly say that's been me, the House of God has not been my 134 00:08:40,799 --> 00:08:43,280 priority. Spending time with God has not 135 00:08:43,280 --> 00:08:46,600 been my ultimate desire. And you might be able to list 136 00:08:46,600 --> 00:08:50,840 all these different reasons. God gives a promise in the very 137 00:08:50,840 --> 00:08:53,560 same book where you read that the male should appear before 138 00:08:53,560 --> 00:08:55,360 the Lord 3 * a year. So I'm going to ask you to go 139 00:08:55,360 --> 00:08:57,200 back to Exodus. It will be worth it because 140 00:08:57,200 --> 00:09:00,000 there is a promise by way of principle that applies to us. 141 00:09:00,240 --> 00:09:04,440 Look at Exodus 34 and look at verse 24 in this chapter. 142 00:09:04,440 --> 00:09:07,760 God renews His covenant with Israel because they committed 143 00:09:07,760 --> 00:09:12,880 idolatry by worshipping the false golden calf at the bottom 144 00:09:12,880 --> 00:09:14,640 of the mountain. But notice this as He re 145 00:09:14,640 --> 00:09:18,200 establishes this relationship in Exodus 3424. 146 00:09:18,680 --> 00:09:22,080 He says For I will cast out nations before you and enlarge 147 00:09:22,080 --> 00:09:24,480 your borders. No one shall covet your land 148 00:09:24,480 --> 00:09:27,320 when you go up to appear before the Lord your God three times in 149 00:09:27,320 --> 00:09:30,240 the year. Did you see the promise? 150 00:09:30,880 --> 00:09:33,600 Think about it, if the males, the heads of the homes, were to 151 00:09:33,600 --> 00:09:39,240 travel weeks at a time to go and stand before the Lord at the 152 00:09:39,240 --> 00:09:41,560 House of God, a designated location where He was to be 153 00:09:41,560 --> 00:09:44,160 worshipped, what would be one of their main concerns? 154 00:09:44,560 --> 00:09:48,600 Leaving behind their families, leaving behind their properties, 155 00:09:48,760 --> 00:09:51,000 not just to the threats of neighbors, but neighboring 156 00:09:51,200 --> 00:09:55,800 nations and enemies who might harm their homes. 157 00:09:57,120 --> 00:09:58,680 So what does the Lord say in this verse? 158 00:09:59,680 --> 00:10:04,960 No one will covet your land. When you come to worship Me, 159 00:10:05,960 --> 00:10:09,640 I'll take care of you. This is the lesson that when you 160 00:10:09,640 --> 00:10:13,560 prioritize God and no matter what it demands of you, He will 161 00:10:13,560 --> 00:10:16,880 provide for you and He will protect you better than you can 162 00:10:16,880 --> 00:10:20,080 imagine and better than what you can fend for yourself. 163 00:10:22,360 --> 00:10:25,040 No matter what that sacrifice looks like in your relationship 164 00:10:25,040 --> 00:10:27,960 with Christ and honoring what He asked of you, it's not really a 165 00:10:27,960 --> 00:10:31,880 sacrifice. It's always an investment, and 166 00:10:31,880 --> 00:10:35,200 we see even a promise here. You go to Jerusalem to worship, 167 00:10:35,920 --> 00:10:39,040 I'll take care of your home. I'll take care of your family. 168 00:10:39,200 --> 00:10:44,400 Nothing, no one will touch you. But it's contingent upon setting 169 00:10:44,400 --> 00:10:48,400 him first, living for him first, honoring him above everything 170 00:10:48,400 --> 00:10:51,440 else. Mary and Joseph here are 171 00:10:51,440 --> 00:10:54,880 honoring the Lord. But as faithful as they were, 172 00:10:54,880 --> 00:10:57,960 they were not perfect. Someone like to think otherwise. 173 00:10:59,440 --> 00:11:04,760 They were not perfect because Luke records 1 blunder made by 174 00:11:04,760 --> 00:11:06,800 them in terms of their parenting at least. 175 00:11:07,760 --> 00:11:12,240 So you have to understand that when Jerusalem was designated as 176 00:11:12,240 --> 00:11:15,160 the place of worship and people would make pilgrimage to honor 177 00:11:15,160 --> 00:11:18,520 these feasts, there was hundreds of thousands of people swarming 178 00:11:18,520 --> 00:11:22,560 in those streets. And in many cases, when people 179 00:11:22,560 --> 00:11:25,320 would come to Jerusalem, they would do so in large caravans, 180 00:11:25,320 --> 00:11:27,720 large groups, because it just made the journey more pleasant 181 00:11:27,720 --> 00:11:30,000 and made it more safe from bandits and robbers. 182 00:11:30,760 --> 00:11:32,960 So as wonderful as that is, you can imagine the logistical 183 00:11:32,960 --> 00:11:36,720 difficulties. Joseph and Mary came with a 184 00:11:36,720 --> 00:11:42,320 group, and as they were making their way back to Nazareth, they 185 00:11:42,320 --> 00:11:47,760 forgot Jesus. Now some use this reference as 186 00:11:47,760 --> 00:11:51,040 an incident to try to put some kind of blame on the Lord Jesus, 187 00:11:51,240 --> 00:11:53,880 and we'll get to why he stayed back in a moment. 188 00:11:54,160 --> 00:11:57,760 But what I want you to focus on is what we see here in verse 43. 189 00:11:58,160 --> 00:12:00,640 And when the feast was ended and as they were returning, the boy 190 00:12:00,840 --> 00:12:02,240 Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. 191 00:12:02,480 --> 00:12:08,760 His parents did not know it. And what's even more staggering 192 00:12:08,760 --> 00:12:13,360 is that after a full day's journey, they learned, where's 193 00:12:13,440 --> 00:12:16,520 Jesus? Where's her son? 194 00:12:17,000 --> 00:12:19,920 Where's the boy? A full day. 195 00:12:19,920 --> 00:12:22,480 Can you imagine? And some people try to explain 196 00:12:22,480 --> 00:12:25,240 this. Maybe Joseph thought that, you 197 00:12:25,240 --> 00:12:27,200 know, they were separating. Mary was ahead or behind. 198 00:12:27,200 --> 00:12:30,080 And she thought, OK, you thought she's he's with her or she 199 00:12:30,080 --> 00:12:31,360 thought he's with him. We don't know. 200 00:12:32,440 --> 00:12:35,800 A full day's journey. And even in this, we have some 201 00:12:35,800 --> 00:12:37,200 practical instruction. You know why? 202 00:12:37,640 --> 00:12:40,960 Because what Joseph and Mary did here physically is something 203 00:12:40,960 --> 00:12:42,920 that you and I are capable of doing spiritually. 204 00:12:45,160 --> 00:12:51,960 And what do you mean we too can lose focus on Jesus, can we not? 205 00:12:53,480 --> 00:12:57,160 And I'm not speaking here about how we can be pulled away by the 206 00:12:57,160 --> 00:13:01,600 seduction of of sin or the dazzle of worldly entertainment. 207 00:13:02,040 --> 00:13:06,440 I'm speaking about how even in the midst of good things, we can 208 00:13:06,440 --> 00:13:09,200 lose sight of Christ. What happened with Joseph and 209 00:13:09,200 --> 00:13:10,720 Mary here? Were they on vacation when they 210 00:13:10,720 --> 00:13:13,480 lost Jesus? No, no, they were honoring the 211 00:13:13,480 --> 00:13:19,760 law of the Lord, and even in that pursuit they were 212 00:13:19,760 --> 00:13:24,080 disconnected from Christ. I think this serves as a helpful 213 00:13:24,080 --> 00:13:28,880 warning for each of us that we can become so preoccupied in 214 00:13:28,880 --> 00:13:33,800 activities, even religious ones, that we become disconnected from 215 00:13:33,800 --> 00:13:35,480 conscience fellowship with the Lord. 216 00:13:37,000 --> 00:13:39,840 Which brings me to the next point, that we must make our 217 00:13:39,840 --> 00:13:41,960 awareness of the Lord a daily habit. 218 00:13:41,960 --> 00:13:44,760 They went one day without recognizing that Jesus was in 219 00:13:44,760 --> 00:13:50,080 there, which I think in terms of principle, we each of us must 220 00:13:50,080 --> 00:13:54,600 make it a daily habit to set the Lord always before us. 221 00:13:55,520 --> 00:13:59,800 Can I give you a verse that infers that practice? 222 00:14:00,600 --> 00:14:02,600 Go to the book of Hebrews chapter 3. 223 00:14:03,120 --> 00:14:05,240 And I want you to look at this instruction that the Holy Spirit 224 00:14:05,240 --> 00:14:09,000 gives to the church. Hebrews chapter 3, beginning in 225 00:14:09,000 --> 00:14:11,560 verse 13. And it's really just this verse. 226 00:14:12,840 --> 00:14:15,520 Notice what the Holy Spirit says to the believers. 227 00:14:19,400 --> 00:14:24,520 Hebrews 313 But exhort one another every day, as long as it 228 00:14:24,520 --> 00:14:27,600 is called today. That none of you may be hardened 229 00:14:27,600 --> 00:14:31,160 by the deceitfulness of sin, Read it again. 230 00:14:31,560 --> 00:14:39,880 But exhort one another every Sunday, every day, every day, as 231 00:14:39,880 --> 00:14:43,720 long as it is called today. What's the insight here? 232 00:14:43,720 --> 00:14:46,840 Here's what the insight is you and I need. 233 00:14:47,200 --> 00:14:52,120 Not weekly, not monthly. Daily spiritual nourishment, 234 00:14:52,640 --> 00:14:59,320 daily mutual encouragement. Because all it takes is one day 235 00:14:59,320 --> 00:15:03,680 for your heart to become hard. 24 hours. 236 00:15:03,920 --> 00:15:05,600 Have you ever been to a conference, like a church 237 00:15:05,600 --> 00:15:09,720 conference, and you see people excited and filled with joy and 238 00:15:09,720 --> 00:15:12,360 anticipation, and then all it takes is that midweek of the 239 00:15:12,360 --> 00:15:16,200 same weekend where that conference was observed and 240 00:15:16,440 --> 00:15:19,840 enjoyed, where things tend to go back the way they were? 241 00:15:21,320 --> 00:15:23,040 That's not a phenomenon. That's something that the Bible 242 00:15:23,040 --> 00:15:26,120 says can happen to each of us in one day. 243 00:15:27,320 --> 00:15:30,640 My heart can be cold. My heart can become distracted, 244 00:15:30,880 --> 00:15:37,280 deceived by sin overnight. And so there's something that 245 00:15:37,280 --> 00:15:40,280 needs to happen every day. And notice what the author says. 246 00:15:40,520 --> 00:15:45,160 As long as it is called today. In other words, you can't afford 247 00:15:45,160 --> 00:15:49,680 to delay this. You have to implement it right 248 00:15:49,680 --> 00:15:51,040 away. There's urgency here. 249 00:15:52,560 --> 00:15:56,040 This needs to be honored. This is like almost emergency 250 00:15:56,040 --> 00:15:58,760 protocol. And if you haven't been doing it 251 00:15:59,760 --> 00:16:03,040 in this past year, begin the next year right. 252 00:16:03,800 --> 00:16:06,720 Let the the the last couple of weeks of this year be this that 253 00:16:06,720 --> 00:16:10,200 your heart comes into contact with the glory of Jesus. 254 00:16:10,440 --> 00:16:14,440 We allow His word, His presence, to keep your heart soft where 255 00:16:14,440 --> 00:16:16,760 you were intentional of encouraging others and allowing 256 00:16:16,760 --> 00:16:19,440 others to encourage you. All it takes is one day for you 257 00:16:19,440 --> 00:16:27,800 to lose sight of Jesus. So they go back because in verse 258 00:16:27,800 --> 00:16:30,400 44 of Luke 2, they suppose that He was in the group. 259 00:16:32,360 --> 00:16:34,200 They began to search for Him among the relatives and 260 00:16:34,200 --> 00:16:36,600 acquaintances, and when they did not find in verse 45, they 261 00:16:36,600 --> 00:16:38,480 returned to Jerusalem searching for them. 262 00:16:40,120 --> 00:16:42,680 Now, Luke is not interested in providing us the intricate 263 00:16:42,680 --> 00:16:44,760 movements of Christ during these three days. 264 00:16:44,760 --> 00:16:47,040 We don't know where he slept during those three days. 265 00:16:47,840 --> 00:16:51,280 We don't know who fed him. We don't know of all these other 266 00:16:51,280 --> 00:16:53,440 potential interactions that he had with others. 267 00:16:54,240 --> 00:16:57,680 But what we do know here is that there is a scene that He wants 268 00:16:57,680 --> 00:17:00,000 us to look at. It's a scene that his parents 269 00:17:00,240 --> 00:17:03,040 stumbled upon. After frantically looking for 270 00:17:03,040 --> 00:17:07,079 him for hours, they finally decided to go to the temple and 271 00:17:07,079 --> 00:17:11,040 what they saw there was absolutely astounding. 12 year 272 00:17:11,040 --> 00:17:16,560 old Jesus sitting with the teachers of the law, the priest, 273 00:17:16,560 --> 00:17:23,720 the scribes, asking them questions, probing and an even 274 00:17:23,720 --> 00:17:26,800 receiving questions at some point and and giving answers or 275 00:17:26,800 --> 00:17:31,120 clarifying their answers. Is that where you would think 276 00:17:31,120 --> 00:17:33,640 you would find a 12 year old boy if you lost him for a few days? 277 00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:39,120 This is the Son of God. You know Luke does something in 278 00:17:39,120 --> 00:17:41,600 his gospel account that I discovered when looking at this 279 00:17:41,600 --> 00:17:44,600 last night. Whenever I preach out of Luke 24 280 00:17:44,600 --> 00:17:46,920 where Jesus after the resurrection walks with those 281 00:17:46,920 --> 00:17:51,560 two on the road to Emmaus, I always am stirred because he 282 00:17:51,560 --> 00:17:54,520 gives the most profound Old Testament Bible study about the 283 00:17:54,520 --> 00:17:56,560 Messiah and where he is found in the Hebrew Scriptures. 284 00:17:56,560 --> 00:17:59,240 And guess what? We don't get one insight in that 285 00:17:59,240 --> 00:18:01,560 Bible study. That's at the end of the gospel, 286 00:18:01,560 --> 00:18:02,800 Luke. And here we are at the beginning 287 00:18:02,800 --> 00:18:06,360 of the gospel Luke, and you have 12 year old Jesus doing a Bible 288 00:18:06,360 --> 00:18:09,320 study with a group of scholars. Luke doesn't tell us anything 289 00:18:09,400 --> 00:18:11,320 either. Why? 290 00:18:12,320 --> 00:18:17,080 Just personally venting doesn't do it in the beginning, doesn't 291 00:18:17,080 --> 00:18:21,480 do it at the end. But one thing that we can say 292 00:18:21,480 --> 00:18:25,520 safely as a guess is that some of these same teachers who were 293 00:18:25,520 --> 00:18:30,280 amazed by this little boy would 18 years later, continue to be 294 00:18:30,280 --> 00:18:34,440 confounded by him only to provoke a murderous hatred and 295 00:18:34,440 --> 00:18:38,840 envy. And I believe there's something 296 00:18:38,840 --> 00:18:41,560 else you to learn about Jesus for our own lives, because I've 297 00:18:41,560 --> 00:18:43,760 already addressed parents. Now let me address those who are 298 00:18:43,760 --> 00:18:45,360 younger in the room. And there's many of you. 299 00:18:45,360 --> 00:18:47,160 I'm so glad that you're here in the main service. 300 00:18:47,720 --> 00:18:51,040 And I hope that this tide doesn't intimidate you. 301 00:18:52,160 --> 00:18:54,240 I hope you can hear me. And I want to speak as plainly 302 00:18:54,240 --> 00:18:56,440 as possible. You see, 12 year old Jesus, yes, 303 00:18:56,440 --> 00:18:59,560 the Son of God, yes, unique, yes, bestowed with a wisdom that 304 00:18:59,560 --> 00:19:03,760 is unparalleled. But if we are called to follow 305 00:19:03,760 --> 00:19:07,600 Jesus and what we see in the Gospels concerning his adult 306 00:19:07,600 --> 00:19:11,600 life and his ministry, surely it applies here at 12 years old. 307 00:19:11,960 --> 00:19:15,800 Here's what I will tell you. Don't waste your younger years. 308 00:19:16,680 --> 00:19:19,560 Please don't waste your younger years. 309 00:19:20,280 --> 00:19:23,120 This is a special window of time, young people, where your 310 00:19:23,120 --> 00:19:28,560 minds are fresh and your energy is at its peak and you're able 311 00:19:28,560 --> 00:19:32,520 to absorb and retain in a way that you won't be able to in the 312 00:19:32,520 --> 00:19:35,600 years to come. Do you know what you find Jesus 313 00:19:35,600 --> 00:19:40,560 doing here? Asking questions from his 314 00:19:40,560 --> 00:19:43,080 humanity, Seeking to grow and learn? 315 00:19:43,160 --> 00:19:46,600 Yes, confounding, but also receiving. 316 00:19:49,080 --> 00:19:51,360 You know, I've talked to many people who've obviously been 317 00:19:51,360 --> 00:19:54,920 saved and the common regret that I hear from people and I hope it 318 00:19:54,920 --> 00:19:56,760 doesn't eat them up too much. But one of the things that I 319 00:19:56,760 --> 00:19:59,400 hear over and over from people is I wish I was saved earlier. 320 00:20:00,280 --> 00:20:02,080 I wish I was saved when I was younger. 321 00:20:02,200 --> 00:20:04,160 There's so much to know. There's there's only so much 322 00:20:04,160 --> 00:20:06,960 time I have left to be able to share about Jesus, to be able to 323 00:20:06,960 --> 00:20:10,080 serve Jesus in this life. This is a thought that in a good 324 00:20:10,080 --> 00:20:13,120 way haunts me all the time. You know what it is that as 325 00:20:13,120 --> 00:20:16,520 glorious as heaven will be, as wonderful as eternity will be? 326 00:20:17,200 --> 00:20:19,520 As much as I am looking forward to a time where the even the 327 00:20:19,520 --> 00:20:24,480 presence of sin will be a far memory, I only have this life to 328 00:20:24,480 --> 00:20:27,200 glorify God in a unique way that I can't in heaven. 329 00:20:29,600 --> 00:20:33,160 Only in this life can I say no to temptation and glorify God in 330 00:20:33,160 --> 00:20:35,280 my nose, because I won't be tempted in heaven. 331 00:20:36,080 --> 00:20:38,400 Only in heaven will. Only on earth will I be able to 332 00:20:38,400 --> 00:20:41,760 evangelize and tell people about Christ, because there's going to 333 00:20:41,760 --> 00:20:46,720 be no lost people in heaven. Only on earth will I be able to 334 00:20:46,720 --> 00:20:49,920 pray prayers and see God's mighty hand intervene in my 335 00:20:49,920 --> 00:20:53,960 life, in my family's life, in my city, in my nation. 336 00:20:53,960 --> 00:20:56,200 Only now, because there'll be no need to pray. 337 00:20:56,200 --> 00:20:59,760 Everything will be consummated at that point. 338 00:21:01,480 --> 00:21:06,880 Here's Jesus, 12 years old, maximizing the opportunity while 339 00:21:06,880 --> 00:21:11,320 being in Jerusalem to grow. I pray that you would be the 340 00:21:11,320 --> 00:21:13,560 same. I'm not saying don't be a kid. 341 00:21:13,920 --> 00:21:19,160 Be a kid, enjoy activities, enjoy hobbies, but develop a 342 00:21:19,160 --> 00:21:20,280 foundation. Now. 343 00:21:20,280 --> 00:21:22,480 You know, there are some preachers that I heard from who 344 00:21:22,480 --> 00:21:25,800 said that what they preach in their 60s and in the latter 345 00:21:25,800 --> 00:21:27,920 portions of their life are things that they learned in 346 00:21:27,920 --> 00:21:34,160 their 20s and 30s because life only gets busier and more 347 00:21:34,160 --> 00:21:38,200 responsibilities are added. And so I heard one man say it's, 348 00:21:38,200 --> 00:21:42,400 it's, it's helpful to to gather in and create a reservoir now 349 00:21:44,040 --> 00:21:46,480 and build on that as you age. If God were to give you more 350 00:21:46,480 --> 00:21:49,840 life. They were amazed. 351 00:21:49,840 --> 00:21:53,160 And as exhilarating as this site must have been, the maternal 352 00:21:53,160 --> 00:22:00,000 instincts of Mary kicked in. Son, why have you treated us so? 353 00:22:01,280 --> 00:22:04,120 Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great 354 00:22:04,120 --> 00:22:06,920 distress. Now Mary's line of questioning 355 00:22:06,920 --> 00:22:15,080 should prompt us to ask our own Is Jesus wrong here for staying 356 00:22:15,080 --> 00:22:20,120 behind in Jerusalem? Is he being insensitive? 357 00:22:20,160 --> 00:22:25,680 Or worse, is there a streak of sinfulness in his adolescence? 358 00:22:25,680 --> 00:22:30,040 Some would be brave enough to claim so. 359 00:22:33,040 --> 00:22:36,200 Thankfully, you and I don't have to speculate in our defense of 360 00:22:36,200 --> 00:22:39,760 the perfection of the Savior, because Luke tells us here 361 00:22:39,760 --> 00:22:42,480 plainly that that is not so. And there are three points to 362 00:22:42,480 --> 00:22:45,360 make about how Jesus here is perfectly righteous. 363 00:22:45,640 --> 00:22:48,480 He was perfectly righteous in his 30s, and he was perfectly 364 00:22:48,480 --> 00:22:54,400 righteous at his 12th year. First, Mary doesn't accuse Jesus 365 00:22:54,400 --> 00:22:58,280 of being disobedient. She's merely expressing how his 366 00:22:58,280 --> 00:23:00,640 actions made her and her husband feel. 367 00:23:01,200 --> 00:23:02,560 So that that's just the first point. 368 00:23:03,040 --> 00:23:07,000 The second one is that Luke actually goes out of his way in 369 00:23:07,000 --> 00:23:11,920 the same text to tell us the posture of the boy Jesus before 370 00:23:11,920 --> 00:23:14,040 and after this particular moment. 371 00:23:14,440 --> 00:23:18,600 Look here at verse 52 or 51 rather of Luke of Luke chapter 372 00:23:18,600 --> 00:23:20,200 2. Notice what he says. 373 00:23:20,920 --> 00:23:23,440 And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was 374 00:23:23,440 --> 00:23:27,400 submissive to them. He was submissive to them. 375 00:23:27,600 --> 00:23:30,080 He did honor them. He did respect Him. 376 00:23:31,440 --> 00:23:36,040 Lastly, and this is the most important point, Jesus response 377 00:23:36,040 --> 00:23:40,160 to Mary was a profound recognition of His divine 378 00:23:40,200 --> 00:23:43,680 mission and His identity as the Son of God. 379 00:23:44,120 --> 00:23:46,960 So let me try to break this down as solely as possible so that 380 00:23:46,960 --> 00:23:50,560 nobody misses it. Jesus had an awareness, some 381 00:23:50,560 --> 00:23:52,960 would say that this is where he received the complete awareness 382 00:23:52,960 --> 00:23:57,840 of who he was and His divinity. And this awareness did not 383 00:23:57,840 --> 00:24:02,120 diminish his respect for those who God had chosen to be His 384 00:24:02,120 --> 00:24:06,400 guardians, but it does under score his primary allegiance. 385 00:24:06,880 --> 00:24:10,040 And his primary allegiance was to the Father. 386 00:24:11,760 --> 00:24:15,280 In other words, Jesus staying at the temple was not an act of 387 00:24:15,280 --> 00:24:17,560 carelessness. It was not an act of defiance, 388 00:24:17,560 --> 00:24:21,080 but rather of obedience to the will of God, which made him 389 00:24:21,080 --> 00:24:25,360 staying at the temple necessary for his preparation for the 390 00:24:25,360 --> 00:24:29,840 ministry. And so when you look at this, 391 00:24:29,840 --> 00:24:33,720 you realize, yes, this is a unique moment, but also 392 00:24:33,720 --> 00:24:35,720 foreshadow something that we're going to see over and over in 393 00:24:35,720 --> 00:24:39,400 the life of Christ, things that he will teach and things that he 394 00:24:39,400 --> 00:24:41,160 will do. And what is that? 395 00:24:41,560 --> 00:24:46,080 That his obedience to the will of the Father supersedes any 396 00:24:46,080 --> 00:24:50,880 social expectation and any family relationship that might 397 00:24:50,880 --> 00:24:54,360 seek to hinder him from doing what God called him to do. 398 00:24:56,720 --> 00:25:02,760 And he gently, even at the age of 12, he gently reminds Mary of 399 00:25:02,760 --> 00:25:06,720 that, saying how? Because remember she says, 400 00:25:06,720 --> 00:25:10,920 behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great 401 00:25:10,920 --> 00:25:13,080 distress. And look how he answers in verse 402 00:25:13,080 --> 00:25:14,600 49. And he said to them, why were 403 00:25:14,600 --> 00:25:16,840 you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be 404 00:25:16,840 --> 00:25:23,600 in my Father's house? In other words, yes, I am 405 00:25:23,600 --> 00:25:26,480 subject to you as earthly guardians, but can I remind you 406 00:25:27,240 --> 00:25:29,400 that I am ultimately the Son of God? 407 00:25:30,840 --> 00:25:36,320 This is profound. I am the Son of God and my 408 00:25:36,320 --> 00:25:40,400 allegiance is ultimately to Him. And even if you look at this 409 00:25:40,400 --> 00:25:43,800 from a cultural standpoint, the age of 12 was the pivotal point 410 00:25:43,800 --> 00:25:45,600 where a Jewish boy will become a man. 411 00:25:45,600 --> 00:25:46,920 That's from the cultural standpoint. 412 00:25:46,920 --> 00:25:49,640 So the fact that it's happening at 12 is significant even from 413 00:25:49,640 --> 00:25:52,520 that lens. But theologically, what we're 414 00:25:52,520 --> 00:25:58,600 seeing here is that Jesus is preparing Mary specifically for 415 00:25:58,600 --> 00:26:00,800 what's to come in a few short years, that he's going to 416 00:26:00,800 --> 00:26:03,640 separate and he's going to ultimately fulfill what God had 417 00:26:03,640 --> 00:26:07,280 sent him into the world to do. I must be about my father's 418 00:26:07,280 --> 00:26:09,320 house, some transitions. I must be about my father's 419 00:26:09,320 --> 00:26:14,000 business. And we see here that although 420 00:26:14,000 --> 00:26:16,320 there is a theological answer, there is also, as I've been 421 00:26:16,320 --> 00:26:20,560 doing throughout this study, a practical inspiration. 422 00:26:21,960 --> 00:26:25,400 What was Mary's mistake here? Mary's mistake was that she 423 00:26:25,400 --> 00:26:28,080 misunderstood the meaning of Jesus's actions. 424 00:26:28,120 --> 00:26:29,960 Don't mind the rumbling, You'll go away in a minute. 425 00:26:32,400 --> 00:26:36,120 Mary misunderstood Jesus's actions. 426 00:26:37,040 --> 00:26:41,200 And if we're not careful, we too can fall into the same trap of 427 00:26:41,200 --> 00:26:45,840 failing to understand what Christ is doing in times of 428 00:26:45,840 --> 00:26:49,640 distress. And maybe even in your own way, 429 00:26:49,960 --> 00:26:54,480 telling the Lord, why are you treating me as such? 430 00:26:56,880 --> 00:27:02,000 Why are you doing this? Why are you not doing this? 431 00:27:05,200 --> 00:27:08,240 You see Mary's misinterpretation as a tendency We all share in 432 00:27:08,240 --> 00:27:09,640 our human frailty. What is that? 433 00:27:10,280 --> 00:27:12,880 Especially when you're confronted with challenges or 434 00:27:12,880 --> 00:27:18,760 unmet expectations, things that are ruffled, things that kind of 435 00:27:18,760 --> 00:27:21,400 take you by surprise. Why? 436 00:27:22,400 --> 00:27:26,600 When in fact, God is doing exactly what he needs to do in 437 00:27:26,600 --> 00:27:31,200 perfect wisdom. So do you know how you and I can 438 00:27:31,200 --> 00:27:34,600 avoid that mistake? A mistake of looking at the Lord 439 00:27:34,960 --> 00:27:39,840 and, and, and putting him in a place of being questioned, which 440 00:27:39,840 --> 00:27:42,760 will honestly only add more turmoil to your trials and your 441 00:27:42,760 --> 00:27:48,440 test. The way you can limit that is by 442 00:27:48,440 --> 00:27:51,000 being more deeply acquainted with who God is. 443 00:27:54,240 --> 00:27:58,680 We're not told exactly how Mary came to this, but you can just 444 00:27:58,680 --> 00:28:03,040 imagine over the years how though she was visited by angels 445 00:28:03,440 --> 00:28:07,680 and she received prophetic utterances and she was visited 446 00:28:07,680 --> 00:28:11,040 by these amazing characters in the Bible at the birth of this 447 00:28:11,040 --> 00:28:14,200 boy. As the years went on, she 448 00:28:14,200 --> 00:28:18,040 perhaps didn't fully understand the significance of his destiny. 449 00:28:19,600 --> 00:28:22,680 That's why she can come to this place and say, why are you doing 450 00:28:22,680 --> 00:28:26,160 this? If you want to be more confident 451 00:28:26,160 --> 00:28:33,280 in God's ways, be more familiar with who he is, and there'll be 452 00:28:33,280 --> 00:28:39,320 less questions and more worship. I want to look more at what 453 00:28:39,320 --> 00:28:43,640 Jesus says in verse 49. And he said to them, why were 454 00:28:43,640 --> 00:28:46,560 you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be 455 00:28:46,560 --> 00:28:52,760 in my father's house? Wow, your father and I have been 456 00:28:52,760 --> 00:28:54,760 looking for you, but didn't you know that I would be in my 457 00:28:54,760 --> 00:28:59,000 father's house? You know what makes us even more 458 00:28:59,000 --> 00:29:02,560 impactful? These are the first recorded 459 00:29:02,640 --> 00:29:08,120 words of the Lord Jesus Christ, the first, the first in his life 460 00:29:08,120 --> 00:29:10,440 that's been given to us, and the first in the Gospel of Luke. 461 00:29:10,880 --> 00:29:14,000 And what makes us even more special is when you consider the 462 00:29:14,000 --> 00:29:17,640 last recorded words of Jesus before his death. 463 00:29:19,480 --> 00:29:24,400 It's in the Gospel of Luke. Go to Luke 23 and look here with 464 00:29:24,400 --> 00:29:38,990 me at verse 46. Then Jesus calling out with a 465 00:29:38,990 --> 00:29:43,510 loud voice said, Father, into your hands I commit my spirit. 466 00:29:43,510 --> 00:29:45,750 And having said this, he breathed his last. 467 00:29:46,310 --> 00:29:49,310 What a glorious observation. Do you know why? 468 00:29:50,360 --> 00:29:54,160 Because between the first recorded words of Jesus and his 469 00:29:54,160 --> 00:29:58,240 last before his death, he emphasized his relationship with 470 00:29:58,240 --> 00:30:02,000 the Father. Father, do you not know that I 471 00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:04,640 must be in my Father's house? And there he is before he gives 472 00:30:04,640 --> 00:30:09,760 his final sigh. Father, into your hands I commit 473 00:30:09,760 --> 00:30:14,640 my spirit. I mean, this is awesome for many 474 00:30:14,640 --> 00:30:17,920 reasons, but the the principle that grips me the most is that 475 00:30:17,920 --> 00:30:23,240 from first to last, Jesus's life was defined by joyful obedience 476 00:30:23,240 --> 00:30:28,680 to the will of God. From first to last, everything 477 00:30:28,680 --> 00:30:31,280 was framed by this ultimate desire. 478 00:30:31,280 --> 00:30:35,680 I want to obey, live, love the Father. 479 00:30:39,200 --> 00:30:42,600 And some of you here have experienced the saving power of 480 00:30:42,600 --> 00:30:45,240 the gospel and have proclaimed Jesus Christ as Lord. 481 00:30:46,840 --> 00:30:48,960 This might have happened at a young age, others in the prime 482 00:30:48,960 --> 00:30:52,240 of your life, and some others may be at the midpoint of your 483 00:30:52,560 --> 00:30:56,680 life, whether it was 12/22 or 52. 484 00:30:56,680 --> 00:31:01,920 Can I ask you something, please? Is the desire to live for God 485 00:31:03,120 --> 00:31:08,080 strong today as it was when you first start walking with him? 486 00:31:09,440 --> 00:31:12,080 Because here is my model. Here's my example. 487 00:31:12,080 --> 00:31:18,760 Jesus at 12 said, Father, my father, and Jesus at the prime 488 00:31:18,760 --> 00:31:25,240 of his life while being executed could say, Father, I hope that's 489 00:31:25,240 --> 00:31:28,080 your ambition. If that ambition has been 490 00:31:28,080 --> 00:31:34,240 weakened, may reawaken with a new force in this new year. 491 00:31:34,920 --> 00:31:37,480 Finish strong. I I wonder how many of us in 492 00:31:37,480 --> 00:31:42,200 this place have it as our goal to finish well, to finish well. 493 00:31:42,200 --> 00:31:44,080 There was an old preacher who was a friend of mine who's in 494 00:31:44,080 --> 00:31:47,320 heaven today, and whenever I would ask him, how can I be 495 00:31:47,320 --> 00:31:48,880 praying for you? Do you know what he would say? 496 00:31:49,000 --> 00:31:54,920 Pray that I would die climbing. It's a very imaginative way of 497 00:31:54,920 --> 00:31:58,520 saying I want to finish. Well, it inspired me at least. 498 00:32:02,800 --> 00:32:12,000 Father at the start, Father when he finished what happens? 499 00:32:12,000 --> 00:32:14,800 Look at verse 50 of Luke 2 and they did not understand the 500 00:32:14,800 --> 00:32:19,680 saying that he spoke to them. They didn't fully make sense. 501 00:32:19,680 --> 00:32:21,160 They couldn't put the pieces together. 502 00:32:23,480 --> 00:32:27,080 And here's what's so moving about this is because I can't 503 00:32:27,080 --> 00:32:29,760 help but think how the Lord was misunderstood at all points of 504 00:32:29,760 --> 00:32:34,640 his life in ministry. Here he is at 12 saying why are 505 00:32:34,640 --> 00:32:36,720 you why are you surprised? I'm supposed to be in my 506 00:32:36,720 --> 00:32:38,880 father's house and his parents didn't get it. 507 00:32:39,640 --> 00:32:41,920 And and how much throughout his ministry in the Gospels do we 508 00:32:41,920 --> 00:32:44,560 see people not getting it? Even those who are under his 509 00:32:44,560 --> 00:32:46,240 apprenticeship, even those who were being trained to be 510 00:32:46,240 --> 00:32:48,320 apostles, they didn't get so many things. 511 00:32:49,520 --> 00:32:51,800 You say why you bring that? I'm bringing that up because 512 00:32:52,080 --> 00:32:57,360 despite the lack of awareness and the inability to catch up, 513 00:32:59,240 --> 00:33:06,920 he loves, He's committed, he's steadfast, he's so patient. 514 00:33:08,520 --> 00:33:11,520 He loved Joseph and Mary even in this. 515 00:33:13,760 --> 00:33:17,000 Jesus who knew more about himself than these parents, 516 00:33:17,000 --> 00:33:21,720 Jesus who was more aware of God's will than these earthly 517 00:33:21,720 --> 00:33:24,280 guardians. And yet he still loved them, 518 00:33:25,200 --> 00:33:30,200 saying, how did he love them? Because 51 says he went down 519 00:33:30,200 --> 00:33:32,720 with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. 520 00:33:34,800 --> 00:33:38,680 It's very hard for some people to submit to others whom they 521 00:33:38,680 --> 00:33:43,160 believed to be more experienced or more knowledgeable, more 522 00:33:43,160 --> 00:33:46,240 powerful. That was not Jesus. 523 00:33:46,240 --> 00:33:51,760 He had profound insight, and yet he understood that this is a 524 00:33:51,760 --> 00:33:54,200 part of the will of God, that I will honor and respect those who 525 00:33:54,200 --> 00:33:57,920 are in authority over me, and so I will submit to them and 526 00:33:57,920 --> 00:33:59,960 listen. This kind of steadfast love that 527 00:33:59,960 --> 00:34:02,920 Christ shows for imperfect people applies to all of us 528 00:34:02,920 --> 00:34:06,640 today. Most of us are slow in learning, 529 00:34:06,640 --> 00:34:14,960 including the preacher. And yet Christ loves, and he 530 00:34:14,960 --> 00:34:18,880 stays, and he goes with us, and he leads us, and he nudges us, 531 00:34:18,880 --> 00:34:20,560 and he protects us and He provides for us. 532 00:34:23,080 --> 00:34:25,800 We would all be in trouble if we had to have consistent as in our 533 00:34:25,800 --> 00:34:32,440 spiritual learning. What a powerful example this 534 00:34:32,440 --> 00:34:35,719 sets for each of us as we intermingle with one another, 535 00:34:35,719 --> 00:34:38,639 and especially if we have people in our lives that are over us 536 00:34:39,520 --> 00:34:43,040 and we're challenged in our flesh to honor them the way that 537 00:34:43,040 --> 00:34:46,400 God calls us to honor them. So both young and old here. 538 00:34:46,400 --> 00:34:49,040 You might even have parents that are limited in their thinking, 539 00:34:49,040 --> 00:34:51,960 limited in their ways of dealing with situations. 540 00:34:52,120 --> 00:34:56,280 Look at your example in Jesus and seek him for the strength to 541 00:34:56,280 --> 00:35:03,200 be able to worship God in the place of submission, mutual 542 00:35:03,200 --> 00:35:06,320 respect. That might be true for our 543 00:35:06,320 --> 00:35:09,200 spiritual leaders as well. Or any kind of authority, any 544 00:35:09,200 --> 00:35:10,920 kind of relationship for that matter. 545 00:35:13,080 --> 00:35:18,160 Christ even at 12 was far superior and he still submitted 546 00:35:19,040 --> 00:35:23,800 Humility, kindness and patience. This is the master. 547 00:35:23,880 --> 00:35:28,880 I I want to be like Jesus. Who knew that a 12 year old 548 00:35:28,880 --> 00:35:34,720 could inspire? He's the Messiah, and not just 549 00:35:34,720 --> 00:35:36,200 that. I see his patients in another 550 00:35:36,200 --> 00:35:38,800 way. He was patient with his parents, 551 00:35:38,800 --> 00:35:42,040 yes, but he was also patient with the will of God. 552 00:35:42,840 --> 00:35:46,560 Think about it, at 12 years old, he understands I am the Son of 553 00:35:46,560 --> 00:35:50,120 the Father in heaven. He's comprehending his divine 554 00:35:50,120 --> 00:35:53,200 mission. He's growing into that. 555 00:35:53,560 --> 00:35:59,120 The awareness is there. And yet what He waits 18 years 556 00:35:59,120 --> 00:36:00,600 before he starts his public ministry? 557 00:36:01,400 --> 00:36:05,840 Imagine the temptation of being a 12 year old prodigy going on 558 00:36:05,840 --> 00:36:08,200 those preaching crusades and confounding these. 559 00:36:08,200 --> 00:36:12,400 Oh, you would, surely you would get a bigger crowd, the 12 year 560 00:36:12,400 --> 00:36:14,680 old out there preaching, doing miracles. 561 00:36:16,520 --> 00:36:21,080 He didn't. Year by year he goes by and he 562 00:36:21,080 --> 00:36:25,440 grows, he matures, he goes to school, he submits his parents 563 00:36:25,720 --> 00:36:28,920 perfect without sin. Until God said now is the time. 564 00:36:29,640 --> 00:36:34,720 The Father said now is the time. Oh, he was in step with the will 565 00:36:34,720 --> 00:36:37,520 of God. How I want to be like Jesus, 566 00:36:38,080 --> 00:36:41,920 patient with people, patient with God's plan for my life. 567 00:36:45,320 --> 00:36:50,760 So let me end here. What is the purpose of Luke 568 00:36:51,520 --> 00:36:53,960 including this story in his Gospel account? 569 00:36:54,240 --> 00:36:56,520 I think there are three quick summaries that we can make. 570 00:36:56,520 --> 00:37:01,040 One is to show that Jesus was truly human. 571 00:37:01,920 --> 00:37:06,040 All right, so look at verse 52. And Jesus increased in wisdom 572 00:37:06,040 --> 00:37:09,040 and in stature and in favor with God and man. 573 00:37:09,840 --> 00:37:12,000 So he was really human, though without sin. 574 00:37:12,000 --> 00:37:16,920 He grew, He was hungry, he went to bed, he experienced 575 00:37:16,920 --> 00:37:20,000 temptation. He was truly human. 576 00:37:20,000 --> 00:37:22,360 And we're reminded of that. And that's important for a 577 00:37:22,360 --> 00:37:25,760 reason I'm going to get to. But not only was he truly human, 578 00:37:25,960 --> 00:37:29,720 but he was aware at a very early stage of his life of his 579 00:37:30,160 --> 00:37:33,160 divinity that he was the Son of God. 580 00:37:34,360 --> 00:37:37,520 So this wasn't something that his followers later on conjured 581 00:37:37,520 --> 00:37:42,120 up about his identity, nor is it something that he accepted 582 00:37:42,280 --> 00:37:47,520 because of the claims of the crowd who were longing for a 583 00:37:47,520 --> 00:37:50,720 Messiah and decided to just put that on him. 584 00:37:50,720 --> 00:37:52,080 And that's something that he worked with. 585 00:37:52,080 --> 00:37:55,760 No, Jesus knew he was the Son of God many years even before he 586 00:37:55,760 --> 00:38:00,640 ministered as the Son of God. And lastly, a. 587 00:38:00,640 --> 00:38:03,440 Question after the question why Luke included this? 588 00:38:03,720 --> 00:38:07,720 Have you ever wondered why the plan for our salvation could 589 00:38:07,720 --> 00:38:13,200 have been a much quicker ordeal? Send the sun into the world and 590 00:38:13,200 --> 00:38:15,480 let the next day come by where he is crucified. 591 00:38:16,320 --> 00:38:21,360 Let him shed his blood, conquer the grave, resurrect, ascend, 592 00:38:21,680 --> 00:38:26,960 and purchase our salvation. If you've ever thought that. 593 00:38:27,640 --> 00:38:30,320 Then I say respectfully. Then you have an incomplete 594 00:38:30,320 --> 00:38:32,440 understanding of what our salvation entails. 595 00:38:34,320 --> 00:38:37,360 His death is paramount. It is necessary, but so was his 596 00:38:37,360 --> 00:38:41,760 life. So was his life, because what 597 00:38:41,760 --> 00:38:46,560 the Bible teaches here is not that we have our debt paid by 598 00:38:46,560 --> 00:38:50,360 His death, it's that also we receive His perfection because 599 00:38:50,360 --> 00:38:55,800 of how He lived. So in Jesus, who lived a perfect 600 00:38:55,800 --> 00:39:00,880 life even from the age of 12, by honoring the law, by submitting 601 00:39:00,880 --> 00:39:04,440 to the will of God, by resisting temptation, by conquering all 602 00:39:04,440 --> 00:39:06,280 these things before He conquered death. 603 00:39:06,920 --> 00:39:09,680 What happens now is that when you believe on the Lord Jesus 604 00:39:09,680 --> 00:39:11,000 Christ, you know what takes place. 605 00:39:11,560 --> 00:39:14,200 He takes your guilt and He gives you His perfection. 606 00:39:15,560 --> 00:39:19,680 His life was necessary to accumulate the righteousness 607 00:39:19,840 --> 00:39:24,240 that would be ascribed unto you and placed into your account. 608 00:39:25,200 --> 00:39:27,240 That is the divine exchange of the gospel. 609 00:39:27,240 --> 00:39:31,640 That is the beauty of this message, that in a way God 610 00:39:31,720 --> 00:39:36,800 treated Jesus, not that he sinned, but as a sin bearer. 611 00:39:37,120 --> 00:39:42,920 And in turn he looks at you and treats you like Jesus as though 612 00:39:42,920 --> 00:39:46,240 you have never sinned. That's where we find the 613 00:39:46,240 --> 00:39:51,200 confidence in our faith and the understanding of the gospel. 614 00:39:52,320 --> 00:39:55,200 You know, I wasn't planning to end this way, but allow me to. 615 00:39:56,280 --> 00:39:59,600 Just before the service, there's a prayer that I like to pray 616 00:39:59,600 --> 00:40:01,600 from the book of Isaiah. I don't need to share that part, 617 00:40:01,600 --> 00:40:04,840 but I thought after looking at that verse to just kind of read 618 00:40:04,840 --> 00:40:06,600 on because it deals with the Messiah. 619 00:40:06,960 --> 00:40:08,920 And here's our final text in Isaiah 50. 620 00:40:08,920 --> 00:40:19,020 Look at verse 9. This deals with. 621 00:40:19,020 --> 00:40:21,660 Messiah. This deals with Jesus Christ 700 622 00:40:21,660 --> 00:40:24,520 years before His entrance into the world, and there's all these 623 00:40:24,520 --> 00:40:26,720 wonderful prophecies of what He would be like and what He would 624 00:40:26,720 --> 00:40:28,800 do and what He would accomplish. But let's hear. 625 00:40:28,800 --> 00:40:31,680 Let's begin here at verse 7. Actually, just to prove it, 626 00:40:31,680 --> 00:40:33,840 let's look at verse 5. Get to get the context. 627 00:40:34,080 --> 00:40:36,680 So you're convinced, at least I hope, if this is foreign to you, 628 00:40:36,880 --> 00:40:39,800 that this is about Messiah. Isaiah 50, verse 5. 629 00:40:39,800 --> 00:40:43,520 The Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious. 630 00:40:43,720 --> 00:40:47,360 I turned not backward. I gave my back to those who 631 00:40:47,360 --> 00:40:51,760 strike and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard. 632 00:40:52,040 --> 00:40:54,640 I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting. 633 00:40:54,640 --> 00:40:57,160 That's talking about the suffering, the torture that 634 00:40:57,160 --> 00:40:58,960 Christ experienced. But it doesn't end here. 635 00:40:58,960 --> 00:41:02,000 He goes on. Messiah says, but the Lord God 636 00:41:02,000 --> 00:41:04,400 helps me, therefore I have not been disgraced. 637 00:41:04,600 --> 00:41:07,920 Therefore I have set my face like Flint, and I know that I 638 00:41:07,920 --> 00:41:11,800 shall not be put to shame. He who vindicates me is near. 639 00:41:12,040 --> 00:41:15,320 Who will contend with me. Let us stand up together. 640 00:41:15,400 --> 00:41:18,400 Who is my adversary? Let him come near to me. 641 00:41:18,400 --> 00:41:21,160 And this is the part that struck me, verse 9. 642 00:41:21,840 --> 00:41:25,040 Behold, the Lord God helps me, who will declare me guilty? 643 00:41:26,160 --> 00:41:28,200 Behold, all of them will wear out like a garment. 644 00:41:28,200 --> 00:41:32,640 The moth will eat them up. You see what Messiah is. 645 00:41:32,640 --> 00:41:35,400 Saying he's not just describing the fact that he will indeed be 646 00:41:35,400 --> 00:41:40,480 tortured, he will be punished, but in his punishment is there 647 00:41:40,480 --> 00:41:44,040 no indication that he was wrong, but he did anything to actually 648 00:41:44,040 --> 00:41:49,000 receive that punishment justly? He voluntarily received. 649 00:41:49,000 --> 00:41:52,640 Yes, God's punishment, but from a human standpoint he was free. 650 00:41:53,240 --> 00:41:55,080 There was nothing that they could pin on him. 651 00:41:55,240 --> 00:41:57,840 So he says here in verse 9, behold, the Lord God helps me 652 00:41:57,960 --> 00:42:02,920 who will declare me guilty, and even before that, who is my 653 00:42:02,920 --> 00:42:04,440 adversary? Let him come near to me. 654 00:42:04,640 --> 00:42:06,920 Does does that language sound familiar to you? 655 00:42:08,840 --> 00:42:11,040 On your own time. Look it up in Romans chapter 8, 656 00:42:11,040 --> 00:42:15,520 where Paul makes allusions to these words where he says, who 657 00:42:16,600 --> 00:42:22,960 shall condemn the elect? Who can condemn those who 658 00:42:22,960 --> 00:42:25,320 belong? It is God who justifies. 659 00:42:26,360 --> 00:42:29,600 So even Paul, obviously a scholar familiar with the Old 660 00:42:29,600 --> 00:42:31,840 Testament, makes allusions to these words. 661 00:42:31,840 --> 00:42:34,480 I believe. And here's what's so beautiful. 662 00:42:34,720 --> 00:42:37,560 It began with Messiah saying, who can declare me guilty? 663 00:42:37,680 --> 00:42:40,960 And then Paul borrows such words for the Christian. 664 00:42:40,960 --> 00:42:42,640 Why? Because the Christian when he 665 00:42:42,640 --> 00:42:46,720 puts his faith is in Christ. So when Messiah says, who can 666 00:42:46,720 --> 00:42:49,120 declare me guilty because of his perfection? 667 00:42:49,120 --> 00:42:52,560 Now the Christian can say, who can declare me guilty because of 668 00:42:52,560 --> 00:42:55,360 his perfection? That has been imputed to you by 669 00:42:55,360 --> 00:42:59,280 faith. Do you see that this is the 670 00:42:59,280 --> 00:43:03,840 Christmas message that God has given us His inexpressible gift 671 00:43:04,600 --> 00:43:07,160 and it is free and it is available to any person in this 672 00:43:07,160 --> 00:43:10,480 room that if you realize that you are a Sinner, that you have 673 00:43:11,600 --> 00:43:15,960 dishonored, violated God's law, that can all change Your status 674 00:43:15,960 --> 00:43:18,920 from guilty to innocent can take place this afternoon. 675 00:43:19,520 --> 00:43:22,720 Your eternal standing before God can be shifted when you 676 00:43:22,720 --> 00:43:24,440 understand what the Savior has done for you. 677 00:43:24,440 --> 00:43:27,800 And what does that look like? It looks like you acknowledging 678 00:43:27,840 --> 00:43:30,840 that you are a Sinner and recognizing that He is your sole 679 00:43:30,840 --> 00:43:33,760 Savior and that you would receive His righteousness. 680 00:43:33,800 --> 00:43:38,160 I believe that apart from you, I'm damned, that I need your 681 00:43:38,160 --> 00:43:40,680 perfection if I'm to stand before God with confidence. 682 00:43:40,920 --> 00:43:43,920 And I need you to take care of this debt lest I pay it myself. 683 00:43:44,920 --> 00:43:50,000 And Christ willingly, willingly wants to make that transaction 684 00:43:50,000 --> 00:43:52,360 with you. You just have to believe it. 685 00:43:53,000 --> 00:43:57,040 He extends that gift to you on December 15th of 2024. 686 00:43:57,400 --> 00:43:59,680 I hope you would take it. If you've never received it, I 687 00:43:59,680 --> 00:44:01,760 hope you would not reject that. I hope you would not swat his 688 00:44:01,760 --> 00:44:03,680 hand away. I hope today that you would put 689 00:44:03,680 --> 00:44:06,560 your hand in hand with the living Christ because the one 690 00:44:06,560 --> 00:44:11,720 that I preach about, who was at one point 12 years old, is alive 691 00:44:11,720 --> 00:44:16,400 today. He died, He was buried, he 692 00:44:16,400 --> 00:44:18,280 raised. And as Pastor Mark opened the 693 00:44:18,280 --> 00:44:21,040 service. He's coming back and he's going 694 00:44:21,040 --> 00:44:24,320 to redeem those who put their faith in Him in their lifetime. 695 00:44:24,320 --> 00:44:28,040 Would you do it today, believer? I hope that. 696 00:44:28,040 --> 00:44:30,920 You feel a great. Confidence surging up in you 697 00:44:30,920 --> 00:44:34,440 once more that it's because of what Christ has done in this 698 00:44:34,440 --> 00:44:38,080 rescue mission of coming into this world on your behalf that 699 00:44:38,080 --> 00:44:40,600 you should be joyful. Let's rejoice together. 700 00:44:55,340 --> 00:44:58,820 Indeed, Lord, we see that. Even in this text of the boy 701 00:44:58,820 --> 00:45:04,180 Jesus at 12 years old. You have provided for us A. 702 00:45:04,180 --> 00:45:07,920 Banquet. Thank you for showing us. 703 00:45:07,920 --> 00:45:12,440 Just a glimpse of the extent of his sacrifice of subjecting 704 00:45:12,440 --> 00:45:17,560 himself to the limitations of humanity in order to redeem 705 00:45:17,560 --> 00:45:21,880 humanity. Lord, today we we feel the joy 706 00:45:21,920 --> 00:45:24,440 of our salvation. If it's not true for anyone 707 00:45:24,440 --> 00:45:26,800 here, may they taste it for the first time. 708 00:45:27,520 --> 00:45:31,320 And for those who have tasted in it, may there be a freedom in 709 00:45:31,320 --> 00:45:34,080 their hearts to know that they can make a fresh commitment to 710 00:45:34,080 --> 00:45:37,480 you If they have not been as zealous as they should have 711 00:45:37,480 --> 00:45:42,200 been, if they have missed the mark, if they, like the story 712 00:45:42,200 --> 00:45:48,000 has told us, have walked ahead of Jesus or have delayed where 713 00:45:48,000 --> 00:45:52,160 Christ has went ahead. We pray that if it's been a day, 714 00:45:52,160 --> 00:45:55,400 a week, a month, a year where closeness with Christ has not 715 00:45:55,400 --> 00:45:57,800 been enjoyed and realized, that today would be the turning 716 00:45:57,800 --> 00:45:59,480 point. Only your Spirit can do that. 717 00:46:00,240 --> 00:46:02,960 So we rejoice in you, Lord, we pray that there be rejoicing in 718 00:46:02,960 --> 00:46:05,800 heaven because of repentance in this house, and we give you 719 00:46:05,800 --> 00:46:08,520 glory and thanks that the confidence of our salvation is 720 00:46:08,520 --> 00:46:11,320 in Christ alone. In Jesus name we pray. 721 00:46:11,760 --> 00:46:13,760 Amen. If the praise team can join us 722 00:46:13,760 --> 00:46:20,040 and help us glorify the Son of God who became a man so that men 723 00:46:20,040 --> 00:46:21,320 could become born again.