Don't Leave Jesus Behind

December 26, 2021 · Harmony of the Gospels

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Series · Harmony of the Gospels · Week 1 of 36

Scripture referenced 11 passages

The passage this message was preached from, in full, with every other passage it reached for.

Luke 1 Mary's song of praise, quoted at the opening of the service

1 Since many have undertaken to set in order a narrative concerning those matters which have been fulfilled among us,
2 even as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word delivered them to us,
3 it seemed good to me also, having traced the course of all things accurately from the first, to write to you in order, most excellent Theophilus;
4 that you might know the certainty concerning the things in which you were instructed.
5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the priestly division of Abijah. He had a wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.
6 They were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord.
7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they both were well advanced in years.
8 Now while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his division,
9 according to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to enter into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.
10 The whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense.
11 An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
12 Zacharias was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him.
13 But the angel said to him, “Don’t be afraid, Zacharias, because your request has been heard, and your wife, Elizabeth, will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.
14 You will have joy and gladness; and many will rejoice at his birth.
15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he will drink no wine nor strong drink. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.
16 He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord, their God.
17 He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to prepare a people prepared for the Lord.”
18 Zacharias said to the angel, “How can I be sure of this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.”
19 The angel answered him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God. I was sent to speak to you, and to bring you this good news.
20 Behold, you will be silent and not able to speak, until the day that these things will happen, because you didn’t believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.”
21 The people were waiting for Zacharias, and they marveled that he delayed in the temple.
22 When he came out, he could not speak to them, and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple. He continued making signs to them, and remained mute.
23 When the days of his service were fulfilled, he departed to his house.
24 After these days Elizabeth, his wife, conceived, and she hid herself five months, saying,
25 “Thus has the Lord done to me in the days in which he looked at me, to take away my reproach among men.”
26 Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man whose name was Joseph, of David’s house. The virgin’s name was Mary.
28 Having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, you highly favored one! The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women!”
29 But when she saw him, she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered what kind of salutation this might be.
30 The angel said to her, “Don’t be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
31 Behold, you will conceive in your womb, and give birth to a son, and will call his name ‘Jesus.’
32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father, David,
33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever. There will be no end to his Kingdom.”
34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, seeing I am a virgin?”
35 The angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore also the holy one who is born from you will be called the Son of God.
36 Behold, Elizabeth, your relative, also has conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.
37 For nothing spoken by God is impossible.”
38 Mary said, “Behold, the servant of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word.” The angel departed from her.
39 Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah,
40 and entered into the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.
41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
42 She called out with a loud voice, and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
43 Why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44 For behold, when the voice of your greeting came into my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy!
45 Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord!”
46 Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord.
47 My spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior,
48 for he has looked at the humble state of his servant. For behold, from now on, all generations will call me blessed.
49 For he who is mighty has done great things for me. Holy is his name.
50 His mercy is for generations of generations on those who fear him.
51 He has shown strength with his arm. He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
52 He has put down princes from their thrones. And has exalted the lowly.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things. He has sent the rich away empty.
54 He has given help to Israel, his servant, that he might remember mercy,
55 As he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and his offspring forever.”
56 Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her house.
57 Now the time that Elizabeth should give birth was fulfilled, and she gave birth to a son.…

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Luke 2

The story of Simeon at the temple, used during the offering

1 Now in those days, a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled.

2 This was the first enrollment made when Quirinius was governor of Syria.

3 All went to enroll themselves, everyone to his own city.

4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to David’s city, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David;

5 to enroll himself with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him as wife, being pregnant.

6 While they were there, the day had come for her to give birth.

7 She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a feeding trough, because there was no room for them in the inn.

8 There were shepherds in the same country staying in the field, and keeping watch by night over their flock.

9 Behold, an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

10 The angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be to all the people.

11 For there is born to you today, in David’s city, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

12 This is the sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth, lying in a feeding trough.”

13 Suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army praising God, and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, good will toward men.”

15 When the angels went away from them into the sky, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem, now, and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”

16 They came with haste, and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby was lying in the feeding trough.

17 When they saw it, they publicized widely the saying which was spoken to them about this child.

18 All who heard it wondered at the things which were spoken to them by the shepherds.

19 But Mary kept all these sayings, pondering them in her heart.

20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, just as it was told them.

21 When eight days were fulfilled for the circumcision of the child, his name was called Jesus, which was given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

22 When the days of their purification according to the law of Moses were fulfilled, they brought him up to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord

23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”),

24 and to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, “A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.”

25 Behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him.

26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.

27 He came in the Spirit into the temple. When the parents brought in the child, Jesus, that they might do concerning him according to the custom of the law,

28 then he received him into his arms, and blessed God, and said,

29 “Now you are releasing your servant, Master, according to your word, in peace;

30 for my eyes have seen your salvation,

31 which you have prepared before the face of all peoples;

32 a light for revelation to the nations, and the glory of your people Israel.”

33 Joseph and his mother were marveling at the things which were spoken concerning him,

34 and Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary, his mother, “Behold, this child is set for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which is spoken against.

35 Yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

36 There was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher (she was of a great age, having lived with a husband seven years from her virginity,

37 and she had been a widow for about eighty-four years), who didn’t depart from the temple, worshiping with fastings and petitions night and day.

38 Coming up at that very hour, she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of him to all those who were looking for redemption in Jerusalem.

39 When they had accomplished all things that were according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth.

40 The child was growing, and was becoming strong in spirit, being filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.

41 His parents went every year to Jerusalem at the feast of the Passover.

42 When he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast,

43 and when they had fulfilled the days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. Joseph and his mother didn’t know it,

44 but supposing him to be in the company, they went a day’s journey, and they looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances.

45 When they didn’t find him, they returned to Jerusalem, looking for him.

46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the middle of the teachers, both listening to them, and asking them questions.

47 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 were anxiously looking for you.”

49 He said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?”

50 They didn’t understand the saying which he spoke to them.

51 And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth. He was subject to them, and his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.

52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

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Luke 2:40

The child grew and became strong, increasing in wisdom and the favor of God was upon him

40 The child was growing, and was becoming strong in spirit, being filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.

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Luke 2:41-42

His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of Passover, and when he was 12 years old

41 His parents went every year to Jerusalem at the feast of the Passover.

42 When he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast,

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Luke 2:43-45

The boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem and his parents were unaware, going a day's journey before searching

43 and when they had fulfilled the days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. Joseph and his mother didn’t know it,

44 but supposing him to be in the company, they went a day’s journey, and they looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances.

45 When they didn’t find him, they returned to Jerusalem, looking for him.

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Luke 2:46-47

After three days they found him in the temple sitting among the teachers, listening and asking questions

46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the middle of the teachers, both listening to them, and asking them questions.

47 All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.

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Luke 2:48

Mary says to Jesus, son, why have you treated us this way, your father and I have been anxiously looking for you

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 were anxiously looking for you.”

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Luke 2:49

Jesus asks why they were looking for him and did they not know he had to be in his Father's house

49 He said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?”

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Luke 2:50-51

They did not understand, and he went down with them and continued to be subject to them, and Mary treasured these things in her heart

50 They didn’t understand the saying which he spoke to them.

51 And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth. He was subject to them, and his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.

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Luke 2:52

Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and with people

52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

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Galatians 5:25

Used as the benediction, if we walk by the Spirit let us keep pace with the Spirit

25 If we live by the Spirit, let’s also walk by the Spirit.

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Recap

The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.

On the Sunday after Christmas, Pastor Mark walked the congregation through the one and only story of the boy Jesus in the canonical Gospels, Luke 2, covering the trip to Jerusalem for Passover when Jesus was twelve and the three anxious days his parents spent searching for him. The sermon pressed on a single honest observation: it is possible to leave Jesus behind without even noticing, and the story of Mary and Joseph shows that even people who know exactly who He is can do it.

What was said

Pastor Mark set the scene by pointing out where this story sits in Luke's account. After the eighth day, when Simeon held the infant Jesus at the temple, the next event Luke records is this one, when Jesus is twelve. Everything between those two moments, nearly twelve years, is simply not in the text.

The twelfth year mattered for a reason. At that age, a Jewish boy became a son of the commandment, responsible before God for himself rather than sheltered under his parents. This is the background for the bar mitzvah tradition still practiced today, and it is the lens through which the whole episode should be read.

Mary and Joseph were not careless parents. Pastor Mark made the point that traveling in a large caravan from Nazareth to Jerusalem and back was a community affair. The expectation was that a boy who had just come of age would be moving through the group with his peers. They went a full day's journey before they realized He was not with them, and then turned around and walked all the way back.

That detail became a direct application. You can leave Jesus behind, Pastor Mark said, and you might not realize it for a while. Your relatives and acquaintances, your whole social world, can all be present and accounted for, and Jesus still not be among them. When that happens, the response has to be to turn around and go back.

When they found Him after three days, Jesus was sitting in the temple among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and everyone who heard Him was amazed. Pastor Mark lingered on both of those words, listening and asking. Jesus was not making statements to make people look foolish. He was genuinely engaged, genuinely attentive, and the teachers responded in kind.

Mary's reaction when she found Him was not amazement but something closer to anger. She took personal offense, and Pastor Mark was straightforward about it. Even someone who had received angelic announcements, confirmation from shepherds, from the Magi, and from Simeon, could still slip into a very human moment of frustration when Jesus was not where she expected Him to be. Jesus answered her with a gentle question of His own, asking why they had been searching, since He had to be in His Father's house. Then He went home with them and was subject to them.

The sermon closed on Luke 2:52, that Jesus kept increasing in wisdom, in stature, and in favor with God and with people. The word translated favor is the same word used for grace, a directional word meaning to lean toward, to be disposed to bless. Pastor Mark tied it back to the whole Christmas story: God leaning toward us, choosing to dwell among us, and the boy Jesus growing up in exactly that posture toward the people around Him.

Doing a Bible study?

Here is a guide we have prepared for you: the passages in order, questions for the group, and room to write.

Pastor Nathan pointed out that Mary and Joseph left Jesus behind without realizing it, and that all their relatives and acquaintances were with them but Jesus was not. Has there been a season in your own life when you assumed Jesus was with you and then realized he wasn't? What did that feel like?
When Mary finally found Jesus, she was upset and took personal offense, even though she knew who he was. Why do you think knowing the truth about Jesus did not protect her from that reaction, and what does that tell us about our own moments of frustration or fear?

and 3 more questions in the guide

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Speaker 2Merry Christmas, everybody. How are you? It's good to see you. It is good to see you. I just like the first sales the service, I'll say it again.

You are hearty folk. Hearty folk. From Luke one, this is Mary's song of praise. By the way, you've got the first service band here. Judy, Basie was not able to make it up from the canyon this morning.

So as a It's hard to get

Speaker 1on her driveway. Yeah. Canyon, she couldn't imagine. So, we we just kinda hung around the whole first b band and second service tenor over here. Scott's gonna sing with us too but we are glad that you're here.

We're glad to be here and we're gonna broadcast. We're broadcasting both services anyway. So, let's do it. Yeah. Would you stand with

Speaker 3us?

Speaker 2Yep. Luke one, Mary's song of praise. She says, my soul glorifies the Lord. My spirit rejoices in God, my savior. Good news of great joy.

Speaker 3This will be assigned to you, a baby born in Bethlehem.

Speaker 2Come and worship.

Speaker 3Come and worship. Do not be afraid. A company of angels, a company of angels, glory in the high earth. On the earth peace among those of whom this favor rests. Come and worship.

Come and worship. Do not be afraid. My soul magnifies the Lord. My soul, my soul magnifies the Lord. My soul magnifies the Lord.

Thanks me. Unto you. Unto you child is born.

Speaker 2Unto us, a son is given.

Speaker 3Every heart prepare his throne. Let every nation under heaven. Come and everlasting father, everlasting honor, wonderful counselor, wonderful lives.

Speaker 2And

Speaker 1Amen. Sweet, sweet. We've got y'all can have a seat. We have a couple of announcements. One of them are things we're not doing.

We're not going to have Monday nights at first beat tomorrow night. It's normal to have it on Monday nights but we have taken Monday off. We also are not having Awana. We're off this last week and this week but when school goes back in, Awana will be back on. We have a website for the church, firstbjackson.org and if you ever want to, you can tune in for messages.

They'll be on YouTube but they'll also be on firstbjackson.org and if you want an Email bulletin, let you know what's going on with church. You can sign up for it there. There is a congregational meeting in three weeks from today, January 16 and we'll do the normal budget meeting type stuff that you do but we have to tell you a month ahead of time that it's happening. So, it's happening, okay? If any of you would ever like to go through to help out in the nursery, we do child safety training and everything.

It's it's there is a filter but if you would like to help, we would like to set you up to win to be able to help in the nursery. Kristen Galloway is the one that's in charge of that and that's her number and I think that's all of the announcements. Nick, snowmobile retreat. We don't have a picture of it but just imagine whiteout conditions at two top over in Island Park, Idaho at the Old Faithful Christian Ranch. Last weekend in January, I believe it's when it is this year.

And if you'd like to sign up, go to firstbjackson.org. You can sign up for that on our website. $100, it's a steal, it's a great time. And if you want to rent a snow machine, you can do that up there. You can bring your own if you do that sort of thing regularly, but I think that's it.

$100, Old Faithful Christian Ranch, snowmobile retreat. Men's snowmobile retreat. I might better say that I saw Brooke jumping up and down. Yeah. That might be a little unusual for you but stand if you would and we're going to sing joyful, joyful.

We adore them. Glad to be here together this morning and by the way, I think the 11:00 service is ahead. Y'all have more people here at the eleven than we did at the nine this morning. It's been a while since that's happened, but we're glad to see every single one of you. Thank you for coming.

Speaker 3Alright. Joyful joyful we adore thee.

Speaker 2Let's sing. I I almost feel like we should slow down on that song and really savor it. But, really, wellspring of the joy of living. Thank you that that is what you are, Lord. When I look at these candles and I'm reminded every year, the advent wreath, love, joy, peace, the Christ candle, a missing one.

Hope. Thank you. These are this is what you are, the wellspring of the joy of living. Thank you, God. Thank you for the gift of your son.

We look back at at your first coming. We look forward to your

Speaker 3A new one such child is born. King of kings alone alone. He shall reign rivermore rivermore. And if I were

Speaker 2I'm just amazed, God, as we sing that song to thank you, the king of kings, the Lord of lords, left the glories of heaven to come down to earth to be with us. Amen. To be with us. God with us. God, you truly are the greatest gift at Christmas.

Nothing comes close. Just your presence alone is the greatest gift we could have. Thank you. In Jesus' name, amen.

Speaker 3Amen. In the darkness, we were waiting without hope and without light till from heaven you came running. There was mercy in your eyes to fulfill the God and prophets.

Speaker 2Here's what he did.

Speaker 3The cross. And gonna

Speaker 2And so we're gonna sing about his resurrection and then the establishment of the church in

Speaker 3his next two songs, in his thirst. The morning that you rose, all of heaven held its breath till the stone was moved for good. For the land had conquered death,

Speaker 2Let's sing the chorus again. Praise.

Speaker 3Praise the father. Praise the son. Praise the spirit.

Speaker 2You can have a a seat here for a minute. This is the worship through giving part of the service. I I I believe we've got a few ushers back there. And this is a a good word here from Simeon from Luke two. I just love the story of Simeon.

And he when Jesus is taken to the the temple to be dedicated, Simeon says, I've seen your salvation which you have prepared for all people. The spirit led Simeon to the temple to meet Jesus. And we know this, that we we actually, we don't know. We don't know if Simeon got to see the rest of Jesus' life, his death, his resurrection, the establishment of the We don't even know what he got to see. But he was there, and he held Jesus in his arms, and he received him.

And that kind of faith just it just encourages me. It said that he now you can you can release your servant servant in peace. Amen. I've seen your salvation. Ray,

Speaker 1would you pray? Yep. God, we thank you for all that you have done. Lord, I'm dumbfounded. I'm bewildered at times by how good you are and how great you are and what you've given.

I pray lord that you would that you would receive and bless that which we give back of the a portion of what you've given us, Lord, we're giving back saying we trust you to advance your gospel here on earth as it is in heaven. We wanna be a part of the solution, Lord, and not a part of the problem. So would you, Lord, spread the freedom of the gospel through us this morning? Would you let your light shine reflected off of us onto others in such a way that that they'd be drawn, to you? May we be carrying forth your word and your gospel, your hope, your peace, your joy, and your love lord in us with us through us.

Use us lord in Jesus name. We ask that you do your will and your way here among us this morning. Well, y'all are, thank you, band. Carl and Florine and Scott and y'all are in kind of a musical treat this morning. We don't do special music often but I'm going invite Maria and Brian Coulter.

They are sister and brother up here and they, she's gonna sing and he's gonna play I wonder as I wander, fits perfectly with what we're gonna talk about this morning. Thank you for being here. And this is the way traditions are formed. Maria came and sang not last year but year before with us and we'd love to have you back whenever. Thank you.

Wow. What must it be like around their house? That was great. So we are coming off of the Christmas season now, I guess. I know that it was just yesterday, but I'm gonna pick right back up kinda where we left off.

So, if you a lot of y'all are visitors. We have been going through a chronological study of the New Testament for almost nine years, and we've gone through all of the epistles, all through revelation. We've done all this and we're going back and picking up Matthew, Mark, and Luke all at the same time. We're doing a harmony of the gospels approach. So, now, we're going chronologically through the life of Christ and I skipped over and started with Jesus' public ministry.

So, we started in Luke three and Matthew three and Mark one but for Christmas, we came back to Christmas. The only thing left, there's one story and it's between the Christmas story and Jesus's public ministry. So, in between Jesus eight days old, what Carl talked about with Simeon and and Anna at the temple when Jesus was eight days old to be there to go by the tradition of the law to be circumcised and named at the temple. We're going from eight days to 30 years old. That's where it picks where the story picks up except for this is at the eighth day.

This is the very end of that story of Simeon, the very end of the Christmas story. It's on a white slide. So, we've covered it before but I want you to ramp up with this into the one story of Jesus' boyhood in the New Testament, okay? Here we are. And when his parents had completed everything in accordance with the law of the Lord, this is on that eighth day of Jesus' life, the trip to the temple.

And when his parents had completed everything in accordance with the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own city of Nazareth. Now the child continued to grow and to become strong, increasing in wisdom and the favor, charitas or chari charis, the grace, the favor of God was upon him. Now, that is eight days and then the next sentence says, his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of Passover. If you're wondering, when is the feast of Passover? There are three major feasts in the year where most devout Jews were expected to make the trip to Jerusalem to be at the temple court, at least, in in the temple.

And one of them was the feast of Passover. It happens in late March and early April. Most of y'all here that know us know our daughter is Pascal Grace McDaniel. Pascal is the this season, the Pascua season, the Passover season. And it's late May late March and early April.

Pascal's birthday is March 30. And so it's right in the middle of Teton County School District spring break every year because Teton County takes off the last week of March and the first week of April. So all of her friends are all over the world, and her birthday is right here. At the same time as the usual feast of Passover in Jerusalem, her, his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of Passover. This is saying again that his parents were devout practicing Jewish people.

So they went to the festivals like they were expecting. And when he was 12 years old, and I'm gonna stop about every phrase all the way through this today to explain a couple of things. And when he was 12 years old, there's a significance to the twelfth year of a Jewish boy's life. This is where he would become a son of the commandment in his own. Rather than being under his parents umbrella, under his parents tutelage really, at this point, a young boy would be a son of the commandment or a son of the law.

This is still practiced in Judaism in the bar mitzvah. A bar mitzvah is usually announced the thirteenth birthday, somewhere very near there. It's when they have had their childhood and are entering into adulthood where they are responsible. If there is such a thing as the age of accountability, this is it. This is the place where you're accountable for yourself before God, and there's a celebration of that.

So when Jesus was 12 years old, they went up to Jerusalem. And when it says up, it's because Jerusalem is 3,500 feet above the Jordan River Valley, below Jericho, below. 3,500 feet. So they went up there according to the custom of the feast. Now Nazareth is pretty high too above sea level, but Nazareth almost everybody that was in the party going from Nazareth would go down the hill from Nazareth down to the Jordan River Valley to avoid Samaria, walk all the way up the Jordan River down south down the Jordan River, and then they'd walk up the hill, and it would be like walking from here to the top of the pass.

That's about Jericho, the turn at the Jordan River. Up is the top of Teton Pass, 3,500 feet feet of vertical and about this many, 11 miles or so. When he was 12 years old, they went up there according to the custom of the feast. Now the feast of Passover was a week long feast, so it took seven full days. There was the killing of the Paschal lamb on the fourteenth day of Nisan, and then it was a full week of Passover celebration, Celebrating the time when God delivered his people.

This is a significant event especially since we're considering the last thing we saw Jesus was on the eighth day, probably in the same season of the year. I know we celebrate Christmas on December 25, but the way that the gospels present the story from Luke and Matthew, it sounds like the time when the shepherds would have been in the fields doing what they were doing. It's late March, early April. So, Jesus, after having completed his twelfth year, he's now a child of the law or a son of the commandment. And they were there as they were returning, it says, after spending the full number of days required.

So there's a question among commentators, seven days, there's no doubt about that. Seven days of Passover, that's normal. But if you stay to the halfway point, you got credit for it. So some people say the required there, the full name number of the days required, you'll notice that's in italics. Anytime that the text is in italics in the New American Standard Version, it means that the word has been added because of the English okay, to make it make more sense.

So the full number of days could be seven, but it could have meant that they had completed what was expected of them by being there through the third day. Wednesday at lunchtime, they could head out. Spending the full number of days that were required, it was lawful for them to leave. That's also because we know the story, right? You all know what happens next.

I'm trying to slow us down and just go through it a little at a time. After spending the full number of days required, it could have been that Mary and Joseph said, well, we did what we needed to do. We've completed the requirement of the law, and we're going back. But Jesus is gonna hang around, isn't he? The boy Jesus.

Now, I say the boy Jesus because this is the only time we see the boy Jesus. In scripture, we see the little baby boy and baby Jesus, we talk about a lot, especially this time of year. And then we see the young man, 29, 30 year old Jesus starting his public ministry, 33 year old crucifixion. We see that, but there's only one in the canonical gospels. There's only one instance of the boy Jesus.

Now, when I was in seminary, I was required to read a bunch of stuff that I don't believe, and they told me to read it just for exercises. This is called the forgotten or the lost books of the Bible. They're apocryphal. It's basically fan fiction for the Bible. It's pretty terrible but I read it.

The Bible and the forgotten books of Eden And it talks a lot about the boy Jesus because we tend, as people, we tend to wanna know what we don't know. Right? And so if it only mentions the boy Jesus once and it's this story, it just feels like, I wish I knew more about that. Well, people will make it up and fill in the gaps. Y'all saw Star Wars at some point, didn't you?

Right? How many of those things are there? How many Marvel comics are there? You know, they just keep on going back and retelling backstory after back story after backstory and filling in detail. Well, it's a comic book character, that's okay.

But as Jesus, the boy Jesus, we have one story. We don't have a whole bunch of them. This one talks about when he's learning his ABCs and he's questioning his his tutor that was teaching him the ABCs and he baffled him to the point of killing him. That's not Jesus. Okay?

Let's listen to what this this story says, so covered that. The boy Jesus. The boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. Jerusalem is a very center point of Judaism, and it's the center point of where God started his work, with Abraham, Mount Moriah. Right?

Even with Jesus at the crucifixion, but the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, and they had begun returning. And it says, and his parents were unaware of it. Now at this point, when you read the story, you go, how could they be unaware of it? Really? That's not the way we operate, is it?

We we, especially today, they're helicopter parents. They're all over their kids all the time. They're hovering above them all the time. That's not the way honestly, that wasn't the way it was when I grew up. Y'all go play outside until dark.

Come back in. They didn't know where we were. We were playing in a sawmill. Carl's throwing rocks in the Iron Range Of Minnesota. He's throwing rocks at his brother.

That's there's a community of people. Right? His parents were unaware of where he was, and that's not to say anything ill of them, but they didn't know what was going on. Sorry. It's a Christmas movie.

Right? Jesus was not home alone. Actually, was. He's his father's house. Right?

But when they wandered off, were they inattentive? Well, there was an expectation that the community would help to raise the child. And if he is now a responsible adult, which is hard for us to think of at 12 years old, right, we do things differently than that. We barely can turn him over at 18 or 25 or 26. But there was an expectation that he would be running and responsible with his buddies.

Instead, what they thought that he was somewhere in the caravan now. Sorry, nineteen eighty three. That was a Dodge Caravan. Instead, they thought he was somewhere in the caravan. There's a big group of people that are going from Nazareth to Jerusalem.

And then when it's time to come back, there's a big group of people. Some of them leave three and a half days out. Some of them leave seven days out. Instead, they thought he was in the caravan somewhere. It said they went every year.

This is a normal thing. I mean, I know every stop we used to make on the way to Panama City when I was little. Right? We'd go to the Eufaula McDonald's, that's where we stopped to eat and use the bathroom, and then we'd go on down to Panama City. They know how this goes.

They thought that he was somewhere in the caravan, and they went a day's journey. A day's journey. That's about 20 to 25 miles at that time. They figure that a mule, a pack mule, can walk about three miles an hour in an eight hour day is what they count. So twenty, twenty four, 25 miles ish.

The bigger the group, the slower the journey. But they went a day's journey without seeing him. And then when they recognized it, they began looking for him where he should have been among their relatives and acquaintances. As far as they're concerned, that's where he should have been. The expectation was there that he would have been there.

But I want you to think about something. It's kind of an application point. I don't think I'm squeezing the text too hard. You might leave Jesus behind. Okay?

You might just be running with your group, and you might just leave Jesus behind. And you might not even realize you left Jesus behind. And that's a scary situation to find yourself in when you think he's with you and you start looking for him and he's nowhere to be found. All your relatives and acquaintances are there. All of your Facebook friends are there, but Jesus is not there.

That was convicting for me this week. Among their relatives and acquaintances, that's where you'd start the looking and they didn't find him. And when they did not find him, then they turned around. They returned to Jerusalem looking for him. Now think about that.

You just walked from the top of the pass to Jackson, 3,500 feet of downhill, 11 miles, and then started up the Jordan River about 10 or twelve, fifteen maybe more miles up the Jordan. You're heading on a 70 something mile journey, and then you realize we got to turn around and go back and walk up the pass again. They're looking for them. That word looking right there is anxiously and carefully searching. Like, it's looking for it with intent.

And then after three days, so probably one day going out, the realization was there, one day coming back, and one day looking for him in Jerusalem. After three days, they found him in the temple. That's interesting. Now the other night, not all of y'all were here on Christmas Eve, but some of you were, and you heard me talk about Herod. Herod was known for two things.

He was known for building projects and brutality. So he was a bad, bad guy who was very prolific in building things. The temple where Jesus would have been sitting outside in the courtyard when they found him was known as Herod's Temple. Took forty six years to build. It was a splendor.

It was just absolutely fantastic, magnificent, beautiful. It was the place where God was believed to have dwelt and it was the locus, the center point of all Judaism, but this puppet king Herod, king of the Jews at the time, had built this temple and that's where they found him. It is Jesus' father's house, but after three days they found him in the temple. Think about that. Now, the slaughter of the innocents happened and it was Herod who did that too.

Building projects and brutality. So it's twelve years later after Jesus has, you know, they escaped to Egypt and then they came back. They lived in Nazareth and certainly they would have known what's going on with this brutal king. And he's 12, now he's a son of the commandment himself. And when they find him, he's sitting in the temple and he's sitting in the midst of the teachers.

Now at this time, there are some pretty well known rabbis mentioned in the Bible. We don't have a list of who was there, but Hillel was almost a 100 years old, and he was a very benevolent rabbi. Most people refer back to him and say he was a very gracious and loving and caring guy who read the law with some grace in there. And there was Shmuel or Shmuel, and Shmuel was a younger guy who, though he respected Hillel, disagreed with him on almost every point as rabbis do. There was Gamaliel, probably Paul's teacher was most likely there, and he's sitting right there in the midst of all these teachers during the Pax Romana at this time.

He's just sitting there in the midst of these teachers. And it says, he was both listening to them, this is good, and asking them questions. So listening to them and asking them questions. Both. Both of those things.

How often today do we see people who are not listening and they're not asking any questions, they're just making statements? If they are asking questions, they're asking them to make somebody look silly. Both listening and asking them questions. The young 12 year old boy, Jesus, sitting in the midst of the teachers listening and asking questions and it says, all who heard him were amazed, that's a positive term, at his understanding and at his answers. So they're asking him questions and he's answering them, and he's asking them questions and they're answering him.

When Joseph and Mary saw him, they were bewildered. That's what it says. Now everybody else was amazed, and it's a very positive turn. In this, bewildered is shocked to the point of being stricken with panic, amazed, astonished, bewildered, to strike out of one's senses with the outcome of being utterly amazed and dumbfounded, left at a loss from witnessing something that is incredible. This causes the viewer to gape in astonishment.

That's I just give you the straight definition for it. Ex pleso, and for you grammar nerds, eros, passive indicative third person, plural from, ek pleso. Okay. We had to do that every day on our translations in seminary. They were bewildered, dumbstruck.

And then it says, after that, his mother said to him, this is, oh, Mary. Mary says to him, son, why have you treated us this way? Now I said a minute ago that you might, if you're not careful, you might just wander off and leave Jesus behind. And you know what? When when you catch back up to him, you might do just like Mary and be mad at it.

She's ticked off. She's ticked off that he wasn't where she thought he ought to have been. Son, why have you treated us this way? She took personal offense to it. It says, behold, your father and I have been anxiously looking for you.

That small f right there is about Joseph. This is the last we see of Joseph in the New Testament. Joseph probably was an older man and passed on not long. In between twelve and thirty, something happened. Joseph's no longer with Mary.

But Mary last all the way through the crucifixion and carried on with the apostles. Behold, your father and I have been anxiously looking for you. And Jesus 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? Now the capital f there says that that's his father.

Now, I've mentioned a couple times in the past few weeks about the adoptive nature of Joseph's relationship to Jesus. Jesus was adopted by Joseph, but Jesus still was influenced by his father. He still was walking in the power of the Spirit every day. He still was grateful to have his heavenly father. Although we'll see in a minute, he was submissive and subject to his earthly father.

This, as now a son of the commandment or a son of the law where he's responsible for his own, why would he not have been in his father's house? Did you not know that I had to be in my father's house? So that distinction stands out. And yet on their part, they did not understand the statement which he made to them. They didn't get it at the time.

Now what's interesting is we saw already one time when the shepherds and the and the when the magi came, it said, and Mary treasured these things in her heart. You remember that? That's already been said one time in the statement in Luke two. Right now, she's gonna is gonna say it again. And yet, on their part, at that time, they did not understand the statement which he had made to them and he, Jesus, went down with them, down the hill through Jericho, up the Jordan River Valley, back up the hill to Nazareth, and he continued to be subject to them because he was their kid.

Right? He was he was there with them, and he was respectful. And his mother treasured all these things in her heart. She contemplated that. Have you ever lost something?

Have you ever lost a kid? And and you didn't know that they weren't with you. I I mentioned in the first service, actually, somebody asked me a question afterwards. I got left behind at a gas station in Takoa, Georgia one time. I went in to use the restroom.

We were on a camping trip. You know, we had, five cars going, and I was riding in one of them. And when I came out of the door, none of them were still there. And I'm looking around, and I saw the Buick that I was supposed to be riding in, and my dad's sitting in the passenger seat. My uncle was driving, and my dad turned.

I was running for all I was worth as fast as I could across the gas station, across this grassy area, and I was running full speed, and my dad turned and saw me and said, Stop. He didn't yell, he just said, Stop. And I hit the brakes and I stopped and the transfer truck went by right then. I would have been in the middle of that intersection. And it was a green light, they have been going, but they left me behind.

Now, when they look back on that, they treasure that up in their heart. So do I. That story is something that the grandkids will probably hear. His mother treasured all these things in her heart. I had somebody ask in the first question, why is it that she if she treasured it in her heart, she knew he was Jesus.

She knew the angel's announcement. She knew all this stuff. Why is it that she wasn't keeping a better watch on the guy? It shows how easy it is to lose sight of Jesus. This is the last verse we're going over today.

Luke two fifty two. This is the end of chapter two, and we'll go straight in. It'll skip forward to Jesus' public ministry. Jesus kept increasing in wisdom. That's hard for us to think about because he's been around.

Father, son, and Holy Spirit. They've been around since time immemorial, eternity past. And yet, the boy Jesus kept on increasing in wisdom. That's the expectation is that one would continually be in a growth pattern. Jesus kept increasing in wisdom, Sophia wisdom, and in stature.

He grew up. If you don't see a kid for a while, I see Zach's got this baby laying right there on the lap. If we didn't see that baby for twelve years, it would be go, wow. How big? This is great.

He grew up. That's hard for us to imagine too. It's hard for us to think about, but Jesus lived in the power of the spirit, surrendered to God his father. He was tempted in every way just as we're tempted and had the possibility of succumbing to that temptation, and that's hard for us. But he kept on growing because he kept on listening and he kept on asking questions.

He increased in wisdom and in stature, and he also increased in favor. This is pretty awesome too. I'm gonna give you the definition of karate. Karate, it looks like charity, doesn't it? Charis, grace, kindness, favor.

It's favor. To be disposed towards, to be inclined towards, to be favorable towards. It's directional. Properly, it is the grace of God, unmerited favor, preeminently used of the Lord's favor. It's freely extended to give himself away to people because he's always leaning towards you.

And the Christmas story is God saying, I'm gonna dwell among you. I'm gonna know exactly how it is to be here. It answers directly to the Old Testament kana. Kana is grace. It is an extending towards.

So it refers to God freely extending himself, his favor, and his grace. And it's interesting that it says that Jesus grew in the grace or he continually was increasing in the grace of God. It's reaching towards people because he's disposed to bless them and be near them. It is sometimes rendered thanks. You see that sometimes like when we're saying the blessing before a meal, some people call it grace.

It's cheris. The core idea is favor, an extension towards. Jesus kept on increasing in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and with people. He was winsome. He listened to them and he questioned them.

And we see that multiple times in scripture too about how he listened to what people had to say and asked them questions to see it return. Now that's all I have to say. And in the first service, this is kind of weird. In the first service, people started asking questions. They listened to point number two.

You know? For point number one, you can leave Jesus behind. Don't think you can. His mama did it. His daddy did it.

Right? You can leave him behind. Second point is he was sitting there in the midst of the teachers, he was listening, and he was asking questions. And so after the sermon part was over, right before we sang the song, Brian McCooley raised his hand and asked a question. Does anybody have a question?

I'll open it up. Open the floor. Did I did I not cover something? Anything you want to say? A little gospel conversation on a Sunday morning.

I see a lot of eyes, but no no hands. As I went today, I answered every question that people ask in the first service, so I might have covered it a little better. But I I think that this is really helpful. I also think that this is helpful for a different reason. This is this lets us see that sometimes we fill in gaps and we make Jesus out to be who we want him to be.

Being upset with the teachers to the point of killing one of them in his divine power by his brilliance. That's that's not the way Jesus is. He's leaning towards with grace and love. If you read more, there are stories of this, and I don't recommend it, but it's like Jesus Jesus built clay pigeons and he had them in his hand and he threw them at the air and then, phoop, they just flew off because he's constantly creating. Well, the Bible doesn't say that.

These this fan fiction comic book does. But don't we don't have to fill in more than is there. This teaches us a lot. What's there is plenty. Anybody got anything?

Sure? Well, how about just hey. There's one. Connie. Yep.

So Connie says Connie Taylor says that it makes her feel better that Mary, although she seems a little bit harsh, that I have to say this over because they can't hear you. They can only hear me. Sorry. That Mary, knowing that he's the son of God and having had that experience as a child and had it confirmed by shepherds and have it had it confirmed by the Magi and God's gift of a dream after a dream after a dream to Joseph, all of that confirmation. And then in those twelve years, she she is worried about him to the point of being anxiously looking and slipping into this very human kind of wagging finger.

Right? A mama. That's right. Mother. That's right.

There's a hand over here. Gene? After I was left at the station, Gene is admitting that they did the same to Joni. She said it's taken Joni years that after an experience where she was left behind to say, don't forget me each time. I don't remember that ever being it was not a normal matter, of course, that that happened, obviously, but we had traveled.

It was a great trip, actually. And we went on this supposed to be a fishing trip, turned into a swimming trip because the fish weren't biting. And we we were headed back home, and we had been out there for about this long. It had been about a week, and it was we were all a mess. We were in four or five different vehicles, we were swapping vehicles, so nobody knew I was left behind.

Don't remember it ever coming back up again except for to say, Listen to what daddy says, because if I had not listened to him, if I had questioned him, Hey, you left me. If I had questioned him and not stopped, I would have gotten hit by a truck. So there's good and bad in there.

Speaker 2I

Speaker 1do think Jesus right here. Scott Humphries says, do you think Jesus is saying, don't forget about me. Don't forget about me. Yeah. I think he is.

Also, I didn't hit it as hard in this service, but it says after he said, well, didn't you know this is where I'd be? He it says, and he went back down with them, and he continued to be subject to them because they were his parents. You know? And he was respectful, and he was tried and tempted in not every way just as we're tried and tempted, yet he was without sin. So anybody else?

This is fun. I don't know we'll do it every Sunday, but I'm open. You know? Would you stand up and I'll ask Carl to come up and we'll sing. I think it is comfort and joy.

We're gonna sing about the comfort and joy. Tidings of comfort and joy.

Speaker 3Alright.

Speaker 2God rest ye merry gentle.

Speaker 1Amen. Now, the benediction is this. It's from Galatians five twenty five and it says, since we are living by the spirit, let us follow the spirit's leading in every part of our lives. Actually, technically, the grammatical straight up is if we walk by the spirit, let's walk by the spirit. That's what it says.

If we walk by the spirit or if we claim to, let's keep pace with the Holy Spirit. Don't let him get ahead of us but certainly don't leave him behind, okay? If we, since we are living by the spirit, let us follow the spirit's leading in every part of life, our lives. God, would you have your way with us, in us, and through us, lord? Share your good gospel through the way that we live our lives led by the spirit.

Amen.

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Boy Jesus Temple Growing In Wisdom Leaving Jesus Behind Losing Faith Mary And Joseph

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