1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:29,980 Let's pray. 2 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:59,980 Let's pray. 3 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:29,980 Let's pray. 4 00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:29,000 The week that's kind of feels like it's in between everything. 5 00:10:29,000 --> 00:10:34,000 I think I told somebody yesterday it's like the Bermuda Triangle of the year. 6 00:10:34,000 --> 00:10:40,000 That week between Christmas and New Year's, I heard that we don't really know what day it is. 7 00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:46,000 Calories don't count. You don't really do anything. Everything sort of happens to you. 8 00:10:46,000 --> 00:10:55,000 And so we are glad that you are here with us. And in many ways, as the church, we live between two times. 9 00:10:55,000 --> 00:11:06,000 We live between the reality of the advent and arrival of Jesus, who came and who died in our place to save us from our sins, rose again for our victory. 10 00:11:06,000 --> 00:11:13,000 But we also live in anticipation of the day when He will return. 11 00:11:13,000 --> 00:11:19,000 And so we live between, essentially, these two moments in history. 12 00:11:19,000 --> 00:11:23,000 And so we're going to pray, and then we're going to read from Psalm 98. 13 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:25,000 We're going to sing The World. 14 00:11:25,000 --> 00:11:34,000 And the interesting thing about Joy to the World is we think it's a Christmas song, but in many ways it is a return of Jesus song. 15 00:11:34,000 --> 00:11:41,000 Yes, it's joy to the world, the Lord has come, but also in this there is a picture of the time when He comes again. 16 00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:44,000 No more will thorns infest the ground. 17 00:11:44,000 --> 00:11:50,000 And so it's a perfect way to start this in-between Sunday in this moment. 18 00:11:50,000 --> 00:11:55,000 So we're going to pray, we'll read from the 98th Psalm, and then we'll sing Joy to the World. 19 00:11:55,000 --> 00:12:08,000 Father in Heaven, we thank You for Jesus, and we thank You for grace, and we thank You that we are able to gather this morning to encourage each other and to pray together and to read Your Word together, to sing together. 20 00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:11,000 Be with us as we open Your Word to study it. 21 00:12:11,000 --> 00:12:19,000 May You encourage and strengthen and help our hearts that You would help us to see Your goodness and Your grace for Your people. 22 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:25,000 And so be with us during this time. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. 23 00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:32,000 All right, let's stand, and we're going to read from the 98th Psalm about praising the goodness of God. 24 00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:37,000 So if you would, go ahead and read with me. 25 00:12:37,000 --> 00:12:44,000 Oh, sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done marvelous things. 26 00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:50,000 His right hand and His holy arm have worked salvation for Him. 27 00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:59,000 The Lord has made known His salvation. He has revealed His righteousness in the sight of the nations. 28 00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:04,000 This is the word of the Lord. Let's sing joy to the world. 29 00:13:14,000 --> 00:13:39,000 Let's sing joy to the world. The Lord is come. Let earth receive a King. Let every heart prepare Him. 30 00:13:39,000 --> 00:13:54,000 And heaven and nature sing. And heaven and nature sing. And heaven, heaven and nature sing. 31 00:13:54,000 --> 00:14:08,000 Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns. Let men their songs employ. 32 00:14:08,000 --> 00:14:27,000 While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains, repeat the sounding joy. Repeat the sounding joy. Repeat, repeat the sounding joy. 33 00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:54,000 No more let sin and sorrow grow. No thorns infest the ground. He goes to make His blessings flow. For as the curse is found, for as the curse is found, for as, for as the curse is found. 34 00:14:54,000 --> 00:15:17,000 For as the curse is found. For as the curse is found. He rules the world with truth and grace, and makes the nations bring the glories of His righteousness. 35 00:15:17,000 --> 00:15:36,000 The glories of His righteousness, and wonders of His love, and wonders of His love, and wonders, wonders of His love. 36 00:15:47,000 --> 00:15:49,000 Amen. 37 00:16:17,000 --> 00:16:19,000 Amen. 38 00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:54,000 Let's pray. 39 00:16:54,000 --> 00:16:57,000 Let's pray. 40 00:16:57,000 --> 00:17:02,000 Let's pray. 41 00:17:39,000 --> 00:18:00,000 Oh, star of wonder, star of night, star with royal beauty bright, best we're leading, still proceeding, guide us to that perfect light. 42 00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:21,000 Oh, frankincense to offer heaven, incense owns the deity night. Prayer and praising voices raising, worshipping God on high. Oh, star of wonder, star of night, star with royal beauty bright, best we're leading, still proceeding, and still proceeding. 43 00:18:21,000 --> 00:18:44,000 Guide us to thy perfect light. Prayer is mine, its bitter perfume, breathes a life of gathering glue, and still proceeding. 44 00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:59,000 It's bitter perfume, breathes a life of gathering glue. Sighing, sighing, bleeding, dying, sealed in the stone-cold tomb. 45 00:18:59,000 --> 00:19:10,000 Oh, star of wonder, star of night, star with royal beauty bright. 46 00:19:10,000 --> 00:19:20,000 Westward leading, still proceeding, guide us to the perfect light. 47 00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:31,000 Glorious now, behold Him arise, King and God and sacrifice. 48 00:19:31,000 --> 00:19:39,000 Hallelujah, hallelujah, sounds through the earth and skies. 49 00:19:39,000 --> 00:19:50,000 Oh, star of wonder, star of night, star with royal beauty bright. 50 00:19:50,000 --> 00:20:00,000 Westward leading, still proceeding, guide us to thy perfect light. 51 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:08,000 You may be seated. 52 00:20:08,000 --> 00:20:13,000 Okay, was he doing prayer? 53 00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:40,000 Let's pray. 54 00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:10,000 Let's pray. 55 00:21:38,000 --> 00:21:40,000 Let's pray. 56 00:27:10,000 --> 00:27:11,000 Amen. 57 00:27:38,000 --> 00:27:39,000 Amen. 58 00:28:08,000 --> 00:28:09,000 Amen. 59 00:30:08,000 --> 00:30:37,980 Let's pray. 60 00:30:38,000 --> 00:31:07,980 We're all in life and death, Christ alone, Christ alone. What is our only confidence? That our souls to Him belong. Who holds our days within His hand? What comes apart from His command? And what will keep us to the Lord? 61 00:31:08,000 --> 00:31:37,980 To the end, the love of Christ in which we stand. Oh, sing hallelujah. Our hope reigns eternal. Oh, sing hallelujah. Now and ever we confess Christ our hope in life and death. 62 00:31:38,000 --> 00:32:03,940 What truth can cause the troubled soul? God is good. God is good. Where is His grace and goodness known? In our great Redeemer's blood. 63 00:32:03,940 --> 00:32:29,880 Who holds our faith when fears arise? Who stands above the stormy trial? Who sends the waves that bring us nigh unto the shore of the rock of Christ? Oh, sing hallelujah. 64 00:32:29,880 --> 00:32:41,880 Now and ever we confess Christ our hope in life and death. 65 00:32:41,880 --> 00:33:00,880 Until the grave, what will we sing? Christ he lives, Christ he lives. And what reward will heaven bring? Everlasting life with fear. 66 00:33:00,880 --> 00:33:17,880 There we will rise to meet the Lord. Then sin and death will be destroyed. And we will feast in endless joy. When Christ is ours forevermore. 67 00:33:17,880 --> 00:33:30,880 O sing hallelujah. Our hope springs eternal. O sing hallelujah. Our hope springs eternal. O sing hallelujah. 68 00:33:30,880 --> 00:33:55,880 O sing hallelujah. Our hope springs eternal. O sing hallelujah. Now whenever we confess, Christ our hope in life and death. Now whenever we confess, Christ our hope in life and death. 69 00:33:55,880 --> 00:34:02,880 Now whenever we confess, Christ our hope in life and death. 70 00:34:02,880 --> 00:34:24,880 As Peter begins his first letter to the churches in Galatia, he says this: 71 00:34:24,880 --> 00:34:30,880 "Blessed be the Father of our Lord God, Jesus Christ, according to his great mercy, 72 00:34:30,880 --> 00:34:38,880 he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 73 00:34:38,880 --> 00:34:44,880 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, 74 00:34:44,880 --> 00:34:53,880 kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed 75 00:34:53,880 --> 00:34:58,880 at the last time." And I love how, as Peter begins his first letter, 76 00:34:58,880 --> 00:35:07,880 he begins it by directing us to the power and the greatness of the blessings of God that culminate in a hope 77 00:35:07,880 --> 00:35:15,880 that doesn't wear out, that doesn't run out, that doesn't disappear, that doesn't tarnish, that doesn't fade, 78 00:35:15,880 --> 00:35:20,880 and cannot be, as he says, is kept in heaven, guarded for you. 79 00:35:21,880 --> 00:35:26,880 And so it's not just a hope, but it's a hope that is gone by the power of God. 80 00:35:26,880 --> 00:35:35,880 And so as we come to this moment in this table, we come to fix our eyes on this hope, 81 00:35:35,880 --> 00:35:42,880 the hope that caused us to be born again through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 82 00:35:42,880 --> 00:35:46,880 And what's interesting is that Peter doesn't just stop by talking about hope. 83 00:35:47,880 --> 00:35:57,880 He immediately begins to talk about trials and difficulties, and there's a picture of fire and of metal being refined and all of these things. 84 00:35:57,880 --> 00:36:07,880 And Peter is giving the church this perspective, that as you face the trials and the difficulties and the struggles that are found in life, 85 00:36:07,880 --> 00:36:15,880 that there is a hope that is bigger and greater than anything else you face. 86 00:36:16,880 --> 00:36:23,880 As we partake of the bread and the cup this morning, we want to fix our eyes on the hope that is found in Jesus. Let's pray. 87 00:36:23,880 --> 00:36:29,880 Father in heaven, thank you for the goodness that you have poured into our lives. 88 00:36:29,880 --> 00:36:45,880 We thank you for Jesus who came and who died in our place, that he took our sins upon himself, that it was for our transgressions 89 00:36:45,880 --> 00:36:51,880 and our iniquities that he suffered. We thank you that there is forgiveness. 90 00:36:51,880 --> 00:36:59,880 We thank you this morning for the resurrection and the power of hope, that in the midst of trial and difficulty 91 00:36:59,880 --> 00:37:07,880 and disappointment, that there is a hope that doesn't perish and that doesn't fade and that does not disappear. 92 00:37:07,880 --> 00:37:14,880 And so as we fix our eyes on Jesus, may you also encourage our souls with hope. 93 00:37:14,880 --> 00:37:20,880 We ask that you bless this bread and this cup. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. 94 00:37:20,880 --> 00:37:35,880 If you would, partake of the bread that Jesus shares, saying, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." 95 00:37:35,880 --> 00:37:43,880 If you would take with me the cup that Jesus says, "This is my blood that is poured out in a new covenant 96 00:37:43,880 --> 00:37:48,880 for you." Let's remember Jesus. 97 00:37:48,880 --> 00:37:56,880 In remembering, we find that when we're excited about things, and when we are transformed 98 00:37:56,880 --> 00:38:03,880 by things, they sort of overflow out of our life, and that is the call in this meal 99 00:38:03,880 --> 00:38:12,880 to see that hope and that joy overflow in our lives. And so, I'm going to be reading 100 00:38:12,880 --> 00:38:19,880 this morning from Luke 2. As we sort of talked at the beginning of the service, we are a 101 00:38:19,880 --> 00:38:28,880 little bit in between the times, and I want to go to a text of Scripture that's probably 102 00:38:28,880 --> 00:38:34,880 a story we all know, but maybe we never have sat down and considered as we find ourselves 103 00:38:34,880 --> 00:38:41,880 in that moment between the birth of Jesus, and then it seems sometimes Christmas ends suddenly 104 00:38:41,880 --> 00:38:48,880 and we're on to the new year, whereas historically the church prepares for Christmas through Advent, 105 00:38:48,880 --> 00:38:55,880 celebrates Christmas through, surprisingly, 12 days of Christmas, which evidently the gift is to give your 106 00:38:55,880 --> 00:39:03,880 loved ones as many birds as physically possible over those 12 days, and so Christmas celebration. 107 00:39:03,880 --> 00:39:10,880 So we're still celebrating Christmas, but I want to do so by considering Jesus not as an infant and 108 00:39:10,880 --> 00:39:18,880 not as an adult, but as a young man. So I'm going to read. These won't be on the screen this morning, 109 00:39:18,880 --> 00:39:24,880 but the text is in the handout and in the bulletin as well. So we'll read, and then we'll pray, and then we'll 110 00:39:24,880 --> 00:39:32,880 jump right into it. Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of Passover, and when he was 111 00:39:32,880 --> 00:39:39,880 12 years old, they went up according to custom. And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the 112 00:39:39,880 --> 00:39:46,880 boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, his parents did not know it. But supposing him to be in the group, they 113 00:39:46,880 --> 00:39:51,880 went a day's journey, and they began, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and 114 00:39:51,880 --> 00:39:58,880 acquaintances. And when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem searching for him. After three 115 00:39:58,880 --> 00:40:03,880 days, they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them 116 00:40:03,880 --> 00:40:10,880 questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. And when 117 00:40:10,880 --> 00:40:15,880 his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, "Son, why have you 118 00:40:15,880 --> 00:40:21,880 treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress." And 119 00:40:21,880 --> 00:40:26,880 he said to them, "Why are you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my 120 00:40:26,880 --> 00:40:32,880 father's house?" And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. And he went 121 00:40:32,880 --> 00:40:38,880 down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured 122 00:40:38,880 --> 00:40:44,880 all these things in the heart, in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and 123 00:40:44,880 --> 00:40:52,880 in favor with both God and man." This is the word of the Lord. Let's pray. Father in 124 00:40:52,880 --> 00:41:01,880 heaven, be with us this morning as we consider Jesus, as we see him in between his birth and 125 00:41:01,880 --> 00:41:06,880 his birth and his ministry, that you would encourage our hearts, that you would teach 126 00:41:06,880 --> 00:41:12,880 us something in this text that strengthens us and helps us. It's in Jesus' name we 127 00:41:12,880 --> 00:41:18,880 pray. Amen. So this is sort of a strange and fascinating account of the life of Jesus. 128 00:41:18,880 --> 00:41:24,880 It's the only account we get of the life of Jesus between his birth and the beginning of 129 00:41:24,880 --> 00:41:30,880 his ministry, being baptized by John. And it's strange, and it has some interesting 130 00:41:30,880 --> 00:41:37,880 details, but it may seem at first look to us that this isn't that important of an account. Why 131 00:41:37,880 --> 00:41:46,880 is this event, Jesus in Jerusalem at 12 years old, in addition to being left behind by his 132 00:41:46,880 --> 00:41:52,880 parents, why does it matter? One reason it matters is because this is all we know of 133 00:41:52,880 --> 00:41:59,880 Jesus' childhood. We've had the excitement of his birth, the flight to Egypt, the 134 00:41:59,880 --> 00:42:03,880 returning, and now this is the only glimpse we really get of the childhood of 135 00:42:03,880 --> 00:42:09,880 Jesus. And Luke writes with purpose. One of the reasons I love the Gospel of Luke so 136 00:42:09,880 --> 00:42:14,880 much is that he begins in his first words saying, "There's been a lot of people who 137 00:42:14,880 --> 00:42:21,880 have written, and I have, after thought, decided to write to you an orderly 138 00:42:21,880 --> 00:42:27,880 account." And he talks about witnesses, and he talks about his purpose being this, that 139 00:42:27,880 --> 00:42:33,880 we would have certainty. And so we know one thing is that if Luke includes it, it's 140 00:42:33,880 --> 00:42:41,880 part of his purpose that we would in some way have certainty about who Jesus is. And 141 00:42:41,880 --> 00:42:46,880 one of the interesting things is most scholars believe that one of Luke's main 142 00:42:46,880 --> 00:42:52,880 eyewitnesses was Mary, the mother of Jesus. He would have been in Jerusalem with 143 00:42:52,880 --> 00:42:59,880 Paul and in that area where Paul was imprisoned down the road for several years. And it's 144 00:42:59,880 --> 00:43:08,880 likely that Mary, the mother of Jesus, is one of the witnesses that Luke talks about when 145 00:43:08,880 --> 00:43:15,880 he talks about consulting witnesses. And there's some general reasons for it. One 146 00:43:15,880 --> 00:43:21,880 of those is that he says several times that Mary treasured all of these things in her heart. 147 00:43:21,880 --> 00:43:28,880 That as she's telling Luke these stories, and he's hearing the stories, that there are 148 00:43:28,880 --> 00:43:38,880 stories that stand out to Luke as something that Mary treasured about her time with Jesus. The 149 00:43:38,880 --> 00:43:45,880 other reason this text is important is that Scripture is important, right? God doesn't tell 150 00:43:45,880 --> 00:43:50,880 us things that don't have an impact on our life. But there's also another clue as to the 151 00:43:50,880 --> 00:43:57,880 importance of the text. In Jesus' day, books and texts were generally limited by the size 152 00:43:57,880 --> 00:44:02,880 of the parchment that you could read them on. Now, there were, at that time, some 153 00:44:02,880 --> 00:44:08,880 that were many feet long, but in general, Luke sort of caps out the readily available 154 00:44:08,880 --> 00:44:13,880 parchment. In fact, that's why he divided his book into Luke, his first letter, and 155 00:44:13,880 --> 00:44:19,880 the book of Acts, which is his second letter, both to Theophilus, and with space at a 156 00:44:19,880 --> 00:44:27,880 premium. Luke decides to include this account of the lump. And it's a strange 157 00:44:27,880 --> 00:44:34,880 story, but it's also kind of a very normal story, and also a little bit difficult 158 00:44:34,880 --> 00:44:40,880 to understand. And in a sense, it's normal because all parents are imperfect. Parents 159 00:44:40,880 --> 00:44:48,880 make mistakes. Sometimes we make big mistakes. But it's another thing, because the 160 00:44:48,880 --> 00:44:54,880 mistake that happens, or the incident that happens, is they forget their child, who's 161 00:44:54,880 --> 00:44:59,880 not just their child, he's the Son of God. And they travel an entire day away, spend the 162 00:44:59,880 --> 00:45:05,880 night, travel a day back, spend a day searching for him, right? This is a big 163 00:45:05,880 --> 00:45:10,880 deal. So in a sense, we see the reality that all of us who are parents know is that 164 00:45:10,880 --> 00:45:14,880 sometimes we make mistakes, but also it's really easy to be a little bit 165 00:45:14,880 --> 00:45:19,880 judgmental because if an angel had come to me and said that this is going to be 166 00:45:19,880 --> 00:45:30,880 the Son of God, I'm going to try not to forget him in Jerusalem. And so as we sort 167 00:45:30,880 --> 00:45:35,880 of walk through this text, I just want to sort of walk through it just a little 168 00:45:35,880 --> 00:45:42,880 bit at a time. We're going to begin in verse 41. "Now his parents went to 169 00:45:42,880 --> 00:45:46,880 Jerusalem every year at the feast of Passover, and he was 12 years old, and 170 00:45:46,880 --> 00:45:51,880 they went up according to custom." So there are three feasts that the Jewish men 171 00:45:51,880 --> 00:45:56,880 specifically were supposed to celebrate in Jerusalem: Passover, Pentecost, 172 00:45:56,880 --> 00:46:01,880 and Tabernacles. And Joseph and Mary decided to go to Jerusalem to celebrate 173 00:46:01,880 --> 00:46:05,880 Passover, and we see that this was according to their custom. So this is 174 00:46:05,880 --> 00:46:11,880 not a new journey for them, but it may have been the first time that Jesus 175 00:46:11,880 --> 00:46:16,880 gets to go with him. And in seeing that this was their custom to go to 176 00:46:16,880 --> 00:46:24,880 Passover, we see a picture of dedication to God. This is a long, it's an expensive, 177 00:46:24,880 --> 00:46:28,880 and it's a dangerous journey. And in doing so, and in making this 178 00:46:28,880 --> 00:46:33,880 journey customarily, we see that Mary and Joseph are both devoted to God, 179 00:46:33,880 --> 00:46:40,880 but they trust in him. This trip is somewhere between 70 and 80 miles, which 180 00:46:40,880 --> 00:46:48,880 to us may be an hour or a few minutes more, doesn't seem like that big of a deal 181 00:46:48,880 --> 00:46:54,880 until you have to walk that distance. And remember that for most people in this 182 00:46:54,880 --> 00:46:59,880 day and age, there's not a lot of margin financially, that you live very much a 183 00:46:59,880 --> 00:47:05,880 subsistence type of life. The money you earned that day would often be spent to 184 00:47:05,880 --> 00:47:09,880 buy your food that night, and the next day you would earn the money for the next 185 00:47:09,880 --> 00:47:14,880 night, that in many ways there's not a lot of margin to take days off work. 186 00:47:14,880 --> 00:47:19,880 And in fact, God knows that, and He promises to provide for His people so much 187 00:47:19,880 --> 00:47:27,880 so that He says, "I want you to take a Sabbath." And they're doing so, they're 188 00:47:27,880 --> 00:47:32,880 putting their finances in the hands of God saying, "I trust that it's okay for us to 189 00:47:32,880 --> 00:47:37,880 take this time, and that you will provide, and that you will care for us, but also 190 00:47:37,880 --> 00:47:41,880 that you will protect us as we walk these mountain 191 00:47:41,880 --> 00:47:45,880 roads." There's a reason that they're traveling in a big group because 192 00:47:45,880 --> 00:47:49,880 it is dangerous. It's not just because long trips are made easier 193 00:47:49,880 --> 00:47:53,880 by having you, it's because these kind of trips could be dangerous 194 00:47:53,880 --> 00:47:57,880 from robbers and bandits who would take what you have and maybe 195 00:47:57,880 --> 00:48:01,880 in some cases even kill you. 196 00:48:01,880 --> 00:48:05,880 And what you find is that people would travel in a group that includes their 197 00:48:05,880 --> 00:48:09,880 family, their extended family, their extended, extended family, and in the case of 198 00:48:09,880 --> 00:48:13,880 Nazareth, it may have been a majority of the town that is in this 199 00:48:13,880 --> 00:48:17,880 group, and Jesus is 12 years old. 200 00:48:17,880 --> 00:48:21,880 And what you find is in Jewish culture, a boy 201 00:48:21,880 --> 00:48:25,880 at 13 would become responsible for keeping 202 00:48:25,880 --> 00:48:29,880 his covenant with God, and at the age of 12, he would start 203 00:48:29,880 --> 00:48:33,880 learning how to take that seriously and begin to prepare. 204 00:48:33,880 --> 00:48:37,880 And in Jesus' day, that involved a trip to Jerusalem, 205 00:48:37,880 --> 00:48:39,880 usually to celebrate 206 00:48:39,880 --> 00:48:41,880 Passover. 207 00:48:41,880 --> 00:48:43,880 And one of the wondrous things that would 208 00:48:43,880 --> 00:48:45,880 happen as they began to approach 209 00:48:45,880 --> 00:48:47,880 Jerusalem is that the 210 00:48:47,880 --> 00:48:49,880 crowds would be singing from the songs 211 00:48:49,880 --> 00:48:51,880 of ascent, Psalm 120 through 212 00:48:51,880 --> 00:48:53,880 Psalm 134. 213 00:48:53,880 --> 00:48:55,880 Hundreds of thousands of people descending 214 00:48:55,880 --> 00:48:57,880 on Jerusalem from this feast. 215 00:48:57,880 --> 00:48:59,880 All of these strangers that you don't know 216 00:48:59,880 --> 00:49:01,880 and you're from a town of 500 217 00:49:01,880 --> 00:49:03,880 and you're coming into a town 218 00:49:03,880 --> 00:49:05,880 that's big and it's large 219 00:49:05,880 --> 00:49:07,880 and there's hundreds of thousands of visitors 220 00:49:07,880 --> 00:49:09,880 and you're all singing the same song 221 00:49:09,880 --> 00:49:11,880 and your heart would swell 222 00:49:11,880 --> 00:49:13,880 because you'd realize you're a part of 223 00:49:13,880 --> 00:49:15,880 a community that's bigger than you can even 224 00:49:15,880 --> 00:49:17,880 begin to imagine. 225 00:49:17,880 --> 00:49:19,880 And so here 226 00:49:19,880 --> 00:49:21,880 they come to Jerusalem. 227 00:49:21,880 --> 00:49:23,880 And we don't know anything about the feast 228 00:49:23,880 --> 00:49:25,880 other than this. Picking up in verse 229 00:49:25,880 --> 00:49:27,880 43. When the feast was ended, 230 00:49:27,880 --> 00:49:29,880 as they were returning, 231 00:49:29,880 --> 00:49:31,880 the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. 232 00:49:31,880 --> 00:49:33,880 His parents 233 00:49:33,880 --> 00:49:35,880 did not know it, but supposed him 234 00:49:35,880 --> 00:49:37,880 to be in the group when they went a day's journey 235 00:49:37,880 --> 00:49:39,880 but they began to search for him 236 00:49:39,880 --> 00:49:41,880 among their relatives and acquaintances 237 00:49:41,880 --> 00:49:43,880 and when they did not find him 238 00:49:43,880 --> 00:49:45,880 they returned to Jerusalem 239 00:49:45,880 --> 00:49:47,880 searching for 240 00:49:47,880 --> 00:49:49,880 him. 241 00:49:49,880 --> 00:49:51,880 So Luke skips the feast 242 00:49:51,880 --> 00:49:53,880 entirely and we come to this question 243 00:49:53,880 --> 00:49:55,880 how can you forget 244 00:49:55,880 --> 00:49:57,880 Jesus? 245 00:49:57,880 --> 00:49:59,880 Remember this is a large group that is 246 00:49:59,880 --> 00:50:01,880 traveling and it would have had 247 00:50:01,880 --> 00:50:03,880 close relatives 248 00:50:03,880 --> 00:50:05,880 and friends of both Mary and 249 00:50:05,880 --> 00:50:07,880 Joseph and in addition 250 00:50:07,880 --> 00:50:09,880 this large group of men and women 251 00:50:09,880 --> 00:50:11,880 often times would sort of travel 252 00:50:11,880 --> 00:50:13,880 in the same group but separately 253 00:50:13,880 --> 00:50:15,880 and so the women would be 254 00:50:15,880 --> 00:50:17,880 traveling together, walking generally 255 00:50:17,880 --> 00:50:19,880 in the front, the men would be traveling 256 00:50:19,880 --> 00:50:21,880 a little further back, kind of keeping 257 00:50:21,880 --> 00:50:23,880 an eye on things, making sure nobody was coming 258 00:50:23,880 --> 00:50:25,880 up to attack from behind 259 00:50:25,880 --> 00:50:27,880 and he would spend time with men 260 00:50:27,880 --> 00:50:29,880 in one part of the group and women in the other 261 00:50:29,880 --> 00:50:31,880 and so it would have been so easy 262 00:50:31,880 --> 00:50:33,880 to go, "Where's Jesus?" 263 00:50:33,880 --> 00:50:35,880 "Well, he's with aunt so-and-so, 264 00:50:35,880 --> 00:50:37,880 he's playing with his cousins, he's with his dad, 265 00:50:37,880 --> 00:50:39,880 his dad's like, he's with his mom 266 00:50:39,880 --> 00:50:41,880 and in the hustle and the bustle to leave 267 00:50:41,880 --> 00:50:43,880 they don't realize 268 00:50:43,880 --> 00:50:45,880 that Jesus isn't with 269 00:50:45,880 --> 00:50:47,880 anybody." 270 00:50:47,880 --> 00:50:49,880 And then they get to their 271 00:50:49,880 --> 00:50:51,880 overnight stop and they go, "Have you seen 272 00:50:51,880 --> 00:50:53,880 Jesus today?" "I haven't seen Jesus today." 273 00:50:53,880 --> 00:50:55,880 "Have you?" "No." "Let's talk 274 00:50:55,880 --> 00:50:57,880 the ants." All of a sudden 275 00:50:57,880 --> 00:50:59,880 they realize that Jesus doesn't seem to be 276 00:50:59,880 --> 00:51:01,880 in their group. 277 00:51:01,880 --> 00:51:03,880 And what happens is they can't 278 00:51:03,880 --> 00:51:05,880 just turn around and go back. 279 00:51:05,880 --> 00:51:07,880 They've walked an entire day away 280 00:51:07,880 --> 00:51:09,880 from Jerusalem, and they've done 281 00:51:09,880 --> 00:51:11,880 so in a group to protect them 282 00:51:11,880 --> 00:51:13,880 from the robbers and the bandits 283 00:51:13,880 --> 00:51:15,880 that frequently plagued some of these roads 284 00:51:15,880 --> 00:51:17,880 that surround Jerusalem. So now 285 00:51:17,880 --> 00:51:19,880 they have to spend the night 286 00:51:19,880 --> 00:51:21,880 before they can safely journey back. 287 00:51:21,880 --> 00:51:23,880 And that has 288 00:51:23,880 --> 00:51:25,880 to be 289 00:51:25,880 --> 00:51:27,880 a sleepless night. 290 00:51:27,880 --> 00:51:29,880 Where is Jesus? Is He okay? 291 00:51:29,880 --> 00:51:33,880 How has this happened? 292 00:51:33,880 --> 00:51:35,880 And so 293 00:51:35,880 --> 00:51:37,880 let's continue on 294 00:51:37,880 --> 00:51:39,880 in Luke chapter 2. 295 00:51:39,880 --> 00:51:41,880 After three days, 296 00:51:41,880 --> 00:51:43,880 now that three days is 297 00:51:43,880 --> 00:51:45,880 Mary and Joseph have traveled 298 00:51:45,880 --> 00:51:47,880 a day, they've spent the night, 299 00:51:47,880 --> 00:51:49,880 they've traveled back, and now 300 00:51:49,880 --> 00:51:51,880 the third day they've spent the day searching. 301 00:51:51,880 --> 00:51:53,880 Three days they found Him in the temple, 302 00:51:53,880 --> 00:51:55,880 sitting among the teachers, 303 00:51:55,880 --> 00:51:57,880 listening to them and asking them 304 00:51:57,880 --> 00:51:59,880 questions, and all who heard Him 305 00:51:59,880 --> 00:52:01,880 were amazed at His understanding 306 00:52:01,880 --> 00:52:03,880 and His answers. 307 00:52:03,880 --> 00:52:05,880 Where is Jesus? 308 00:52:05,880 --> 00:52:07,880 And He's sitting among the teachers. 309 00:52:07,880 --> 00:52:09,880 Now I want you to understand a little bit about what's happening. 310 00:52:09,880 --> 00:52:11,880 Jesus is not in the 311 00:52:11,880 --> 00:52:13,880 temple, preaching 312 00:52:13,880 --> 00:52:15,880 and teaching like we will see Him 313 00:52:15,880 --> 00:52:17,880 do later in His 314 00:52:17,880 --> 00:52:19,880 ministry, right? He's not center 315 00:52:19,880 --> 00:52:21,880 stage at this point. He has joined 316 00:52:21,880 --> 00:52:23,880 a class and is participating 317 00:52:23,880 --> 00:52:25,880 in that class. 318 00:52:25,880 --> 00:52:27,880 Jesus also 319 00:52:27,880 --> 00:52:29,880 is not just sort of parroting things 320 00:52:29,880 --> 00:52:31,880 back to these religious leaders. 321 00:52:31,880 --> 00:52:33,880 It's like 322 00:52:33,880 --> 00:52:35,880 the person who in class 323 00:52:35,880 --> 00:52:37,880 and the teacher would ask a question 324 00:52:37,880 --> 00:52:39,880 and they give him the paragraph, right? 325 00:52:39,880 --> 00:52:41,880 Just sort of memorized right from the book 326 00:52:41,880 --> 00:52:43,880 and you always kind of rolled your eyes at those people 327 00:52:43,880 --> 00:52:45,880 because they haven't really learned it. They've just kind of 328 00:52:45,880 --> 00:52:47,880 memorized a fact and 329 00:52:47,880 --> 00:52:49,880 given it back. 330 00:52:49,880 --> 00:52:51,880 Jesus isn't just parroting what he 331 00:52:51,880 --> 00:52:53,880 knows and he's also not being obnoxious 332 00:52:53,880 --> 00:52:55,880 like Brandon 333 00:52:55,880 --> 00:52:57,880 at this age in Sunday school who was 334 00:52:57,880 --> 00:52:59,880 removed from Sunday school 335 00:52:59,880 --> 00:53:01,880 because when our teacher was teaching 336 00:53:01,880 --> 00:53:03,880 about Noah and the ark 337 00:53:03,880 --> 00:53:05,880 she got like the order of 338 00:53:05,880 --> 00:53:07,880 birds that Noah releases 339 00:53:07,880 --> 00:53:09,880 to check from Grant and I was like, well 340 00:53:09,880 --> 00:53:11,880 actually if we go back to the text 341 00:53:11,880 --> 00:53:13,880 and she's like, go sit with your mom 342 00:53:13,880 --> 00:53:15,880 and for like the next four years 343 00:53:15,880 --> 00:53:17,880 I sat in big church and wasn't allowed 344 00:53:17,880 --> 00:53:19,880 to go back to Sunday school 345 00:53:19,880 --> 00:53:21,880 because I was super obnoxious. I was 346 00:53:21,880 --> 00:53:23,880 right, but 347 00:53:23,880 --> 00:53:25,880 not in like, there's a way to be right 348 00:53:25,880 --> 00:53:27,880 but also dead wrong. Like that's 349 00:53:27,880 --> 00:53:29,880 how I, that's what I was doing. 350 00:53:29,880 --> 00:53:31,880 That's not what Jesus is doing here. 351 00:53:31,880 --> 00:53:33,880 What Jesus is doing is remarkable. 352 00:53:33,880 --> 00:53:35,880 The temple is this massive 353 00:53:35,880 --> 00:53:37,880 36 acre complex 354 00:53:37,880 --> 00:53:39,880 and it would have 355 00:53:39,880 --> 00:53:41,880 businesses which we learn Jesus deals 356 00:53:41,880 --> 00:53:43,880 with later in his ministry. 357 00:53:43,880 --> 00:53:45,880 It has places of worship, 358 00:53:45,880 --> 00:53:47,880 places to buy sacrifices, 359 00:53:47,880 --> 00:53:49,880 but also Jewish rabbis 360 00:53:49,880 --> 00:53:51,880 would set up under these porticoes 361 00:53:51,880 --> 00:53:53,880 and they would teach 362 00:53:53,880 --> 00:53:55,880 classes and they would 363 00:53:55,880 --> 00:53:57,880 do so by asking 364 00:53:57,880 --> 00:53:59,880 and answering questions. 365 00:53:59,880 --> 00:54:01,880 And what 366 00:54:01,880 --> 00:54:03,880 Jesus does is essentially 367 00:54:03,880 --> 00:54:05,880 shows up, 368 00:54:05,880 --> 00:54:07,880 sits in on one of these 369 00:54:07,880 --> 00:54:09,880 classes every day 370 00:54:09,880 --> 00:54:11,880 for these three 371 00:54:11,880 --> 00:54:13,880 days. We go, "Oh, 372 00:54:13,880 --> 00:54:15,880 yeah, Jesus in the temple learning, but where did 373 00:54:15,880 --> 00:54:17,880 he eat during these three days?" 374 00:54:17,880 --> 00:54:19,880 Like, where did he sleep, right? 375 00:54:19,880 --> 00:54:21,880 Have you seen the movie Home Alone? 376 00:54:21,880 --> 00:54:23,880 This is like the original Home Alone 377 00:54:23,880 --> 00:54:25,880 except Jesus is left in 378 00:54:25,880 --> 00:54:27,880 his father's house, and it's like, 379 00:54:27,880 --> 00:54:29,880 how does he get stuff to eat? Where does he 380 00:54:29,880 --> 00:54:31,880 sleep at night? Do you just go home 381 00:54:31,880 --> 00:54:33,880 with somebody and stay with them? Does he curl up 382 00:54:33,880 --> 00:54:35,880 in a corner of the temple? 383 00:54:35,880 --> 00:54:37,880 Right? We don't know. 384 00:54:37,880 --> 00:54:39,880 Just know for three days, Jesus 385 00:54:39,880 --> 00:54:41,880 12 years old is on his own 386 00:54:41,880 --> 00:54:43,880 in the temple. 387 00:54:43,880 --> 00:54:45,880 And I want you to think of something 388 00:54:45,880 --> 00:54:47,880 that you may never have considered 389 00:54:47,880 --> 00:54:49,880 with this account before. 390 00:54:49,880 --> 00:54:51,880 That some of these religious leaders 391 00:54:51,880 --> 00:54:53,880 that are teaching, these rabbis, 392 00:54:53,880 --> 00:54:55,880 that in 18 years 393 00:54:55,880 --> 00:54:57,880 they're going to be a little older 394 00:54:57,880 --> 00:54:59,880 and a little grayer, 395 00:54:59,880 --> 00:55:01,880 but they're going to meet Jesus 396 00:55:01,880 --> 00:55:03,880 in this temple again. 397 00:55:03,880 --> 00:55:05,880 And the one who answered 398 00:55:05,880 --> 00:55:07,880 their questions in an astonishing 399 00:55:07,880 --> 00:55:09,880 way is going to ask 400 00:55:09,880 --> 00:55:11,880 them questions 401 00:55:11,880 --> 00:55:13,880 that they will be unable 402 00:55:13,880 --> 00:55:15,880 to answer. 403 00:55:15,880 --> 00:55:17,880 And it may be that some of these 404 00:55:17,880 --> 00:55:19,880 very religious leaders 405 00:55:19,880 --> 00:55:21,880 that at 12 years old Jesus 406 00:55:21,880 --> 00:55:23,880 is talking to and participating 407 00:55:23,880 --> 00:55:25,880 in these classes 408 00:55:25,880 --> 00:55:27,880 will shout for his crucifixion 409 00:55:27,880 --> 00:55:29,880 18 years from now. 410 00:55:29,880 --> 00:55:31,880 There's a lot of foreshadowing 411 00:55:31,880 --> 00:55:33,880 that goes into this account. 412 00:55:33,880 --> 00:55:35,880 The journey 413 00:55:35,880 --> 00:55:37,880 from Nazareth and Galilee 414 00:55:37,880 --> 00:55:39,880 into Jerusalem. 415 00:55:39,880 --> 00:55:41,880 Jesus set his face to go to Jerusalem. 416 00:55:41,880 --> 00:55:43,880 That first trip down 417 00:55:43,880 --> 00:55:45,880 Bethany, from Bethany 418 00:55:45,880 --> 00:55:47,880 down the mountain into Jerusalem 419 00:55:47,880 --> 00:55:49,880 singing the songs of ascent 420 00:55:49,880 --> 00:55:51,880 that one day would be sung to him 421 00:55:51,880 --> 00:55:53,880 and about him as he 422 00:55:53,880 --> 00:55:55,880 comes into Jerusalem as a king. 423 00:55:55,880 --> 00:55:57,880 Questions and answers 424 00:55:57,880 --> 00:55:59,880 in the temple, and it may have even been 425 00:55:59,880 --> 00:56:01,880 on the same days of the week that Jesus 426 00:56:01,880 --> 00:56:03,880 did this. Because of the end 427 00:56:03,880 --> 00:56:05,880 of Passover and how things 428 00:56:05,880 --> 00:56:07,880 worked. And here 429 00:56:07,880 --> 00:56:09,880 is Jesus answering questions 430 00:56:09,880 --> 00:56:11,880 in the temple. Then his mom and dad show up. 431 00:56:11,880 --> 00:56:13,880 And when his parents 432 00:56:13,880 --> 00:56:15,880 saw him, they were astonished 433 00:56:15,880 --> 00:56:17,880 and his mother said to him, "Son, why 434 00:56:17,880 --> 00:56:19,880 have you treated us so? Behold, your father 435 00:56:19,880 --> 00:56:21,880 and I have been searching for you in 436 00:56:21,880 --> 00:56:23,880 great distress." Right? 437 00:56:23,880 --> 00:56:25,880 Jesus' mom is really good at 438 00:56:25,880 --> 00:56:27,880 making you feel bad, right? "Your father 439 00:56:27,880 --> 00:56:29,880 and I have been worried sick 440 00:56:29,880 --> 00:56:31,880 about you. Don't you know, son, 441 00:56:31,880 --> 00:56:33,880 what you've been doing to your mother 442 00:56:33,880 --> 00:56:35,880 while you have been missing?" 443 00:56:35,880 --> 00:56:37,880 And their reaction is understandable, 444 00:56:37,880 --> 00:56:39,880 right? There's relief. There's 445 00:56:39,880 --> 00:56:41,880 grief. There's confusion. 446 00:56:41,880 --> 00:56:43,880 They're probably a little mad. 447 00:56:43,880 --> 00:56:45,880 I'm glad you're safe, 448 00:56:45,880 --> 00:56:47,880 but you're in a world of trouble. 449 00:56:47,880 --> 00:56:49,880 Just wait till 450 00:56:49,880 --> 00:56:51,880 we're out of sight of all of these people. 451 00:56:51,880 --> 00:56:53,880 Your father and I are 452 00:56:53,880 --> 00:56:55,880 extremely, extremely 453 00:56:55,880 --> 00:56:57,880 upset. 454 00:56:57,880 --> 00:56:59,880 And then it 455 00:56:59,880 --> 00:57:01,880 seems to us, reading it through 456 00:57:01,880 --> 00:57:03,880 the lens 2,000 years later, 457 00:57:03,880 --> 00:57:05,880 that Jesus doesn't seem to make it much better, 458 00:57:05,880 --> 00:57:07,880 although his response 459 00:57:07,880 --> 00:57:09,880 is wonderful and righteous. 460 00:57:09,880 --> 00:57:11,880 He said 461 00:57:11,880 --> 00:57:13,880 to them, "Why are you looking for me? 462 00:57:13,880 --> 00:57:15,880 Did you not know that 463 00:57:15,880 --> 00:57:17,880 I must be in my father's house?" 464 00:57:17,880 --> 00:57:19,880 And they did not understand 465 00:57:19,880 --> 00:57:21,880 the saying that he spoke to. Imagine 466 00:57:21,880 --> 00:57:23,880 not finding your child for 467 00:57:23,880 --> 00:57:25,880 three days. You finally find them, 468 00:57:25,880 --> 00:57:27,880 and all of a sudden they go, 469 00:57:27,880 --> 00:57:29,880 "Look, did you know where I was going to be? Why'd you leave 470 00:57:29,880 --> 00:57:31,880 without me?" 471 00:57:31,880 --> 00:57:33,880 Everything in this account 472 00:57:33,880 --> 00:57:35,880 points to these verses. 473 00:57:35,880 --> 00:57:37,880 And what Jesus 474 00:57:37,880 --> 00:57:39,880 is doing is, he's not being disrespectful, 475 00:57:39,880 --> 00:57:41,880 and he's not being 476 00:57:41,880 --> 00:57:43,880 rude, and he's not belittling his 477 00:57:43,880 --> 00:57:45,880 mom and dad with his words. 478 00:57:45,880 --> 00:57:47,880 What he is doing is, gently 479 00:57:47,880 --> 00:57:49,880 reminding them of who 480 00:57:49,880 --> 00:57:51,880 he is and what he has come 481 00:57:51,880 --> 00:57:53,880 to do. 482 00:57:53,880 --> 00:57:55,880 "Didn't you know I would be in my father's house?" 483 00:57:55,880 --> 00:57:57,880 And one of the reasons 484 00:57:57,880 --> 00:57:59,880 this text is so important 485 00:57:59,880 --> 00:58:01,880 is because at 12 years old 486 00:58:01,880 --> 00:58:03,880 Jesus knows both his identity 487 00:58:03,880 --> 00:58:05,880 and his mission. 488 00:58:05,880 --> 00:58:07,880 He knows who 489 00:58:07,880 --> 00:58:09,880 he is, and 490 00:58:09,880 --> 00:58:11,880 he knows what he has come 491 00:58:11,880 --> 00:58:13,880 to do. 492 00:58:13,880 --> 00:58:15,880 To be about his father's business 493 00:58:15,880 --> 00:58:17,880 as some translations will say. 494 00:58:17,880 --> 00:58:19,880 "And he went down with them to Nazareth 495 00:58:19,880 --> 00:58:21,880 and was submissive to them." 496 00:58:21,880 --> 00:58:23,880 And notice Mary, 497 00:58:23,880 --> 00:58:25,880 upon reflection, she's not mad. 498 00:58:25,880 --> 00:58:27,880 She treasures this 499 00:58:27,880 --> 00:58:29,880 in her heart. 500 00:58:29,880 --> 00:58:31,880 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature 501 00:58:31,880 --> 00:58:33,880 and in favor with God and man. 502 00:58:33,880 --> 00:58:35,880 And the question is, what can we 503 00:58:35,880 --> 00:58:37,880 learn from all this? It seems like good trivia. 504 00:58:37,880 --> 00:58:39,880 But is there 505 00:58:39,880 --> 00:58:41,880 something for us today, 506 00:58:41,880 --> 00:58:43,880 2,000 years later, 507 00:58:43,880 --> 00:58:45,880 that can 508 00:58:45,880 --> 00:58:47,880 encourage and help our hearts? 509 00:58:47,880 --> 00:58:49,880 The first thing is this: God 510 00:58:49,880 --> 00:58:51,880 provides for his people 511 00:58:51,880 --> 00:58:53,880 through his word. 512 00:58:53,880 --> 00:58:55,880 In the writing of this, Luke writes somewhere 513 00:58:55,880 --> 00:58:57,880 in the end of the 50s, 514 00:58:57,880 --> 00:58:59,880 beginning of AD 60. 515 00:58:59,880 --> 00:59:01,880 And he's 516 00:59:01,880 --> 00:59:03,880 interviewed and he is 517 00:59:03,880 --> 00:59:05,880 researched. 518 00:59:05,880 --> 00:59:07,880 And go back to that moment where 519 00:59:07,880 --> 00:59:09,880 he is speaking to her and she goes, 520 00:59:09,880 --> 00:59:11,880 "Here's a moment I treasured in my heart." 521 00:59:11,880 --> 00:59:13,880 And Luke, through the power 522 00:59:13,880 --> 00:59:15,880 of the Holy Spirit and the guidance 523 00:59:15,880 --> 00:59:17,880 with the Holy Spirit 524 00:59:17,880 --> 00:59:19,880 adds this to his gospel 525 00:59:19,880 --> 00:59:21,880 letter to Theophilus. 526 00:59:21,880 --> 00:59:25,880 A few hundred years later, 527 00:59:25,880 --> 00:59:33,880 58 to about AD 60, 528 00:59:33,880 --> 00:59:35,880 this short 529 00:59:35,880 --> 00:59:37,880 account, 530 00:59:37,880 --> 00:59:39,880 these verses become one of the great 531 00:59:39,880 --> 00:59:41,880 defenses 532 00:59:41,880 --> 00:59:43,880 against false teaching 533 00:59:43,880 --> 00:59:45,880 in the church. Because in the 5th 534 00:59:45,880 --> 00:59:47,880 century there was this argument 535 00:59:47,880 --> 00:59:49,880 and this misunderstanding about 536 00:59:49,880 --> 00:59:51,880 how Jesus is both 537 00:59:51,880 --> 00:59:53,880 fully man and fully God, 538 00:59:53,880 --> 00:59:55,880 his humanity and his divinity, 539 00:59:55,880 --> 00:59:57,880 and how does it fit together? 540 00:59:57,880 --> 01:00:01,880 And there are several groups that come up 541 01:00:01,880 --> 01:00:03,880 with ideas 542 01:00:03,880 --> 01:00:05,880 and differences. 543 01:00:05,880 --> 01:00:07,880 And one of the ways 544 01:00:07,880 --> 01:00:09,880 that the church is brought back on track 545 01:00:09,880 --> 01:00:11,880 are these verses 546 01:00:11,880 --> 01:00:13,880 in Luke chapter 2 547 01:00:13,880 --> 01:00:15,880 that show Jesus knowing both 548 01:00:15,880 --> 01:00:17,880 his identity and 549 01:00:17,880 --> 01:00:19,880 his purpose, and you say, "Well, how does that help me?" 550 01:00:19,880 --> 01:00:21,880 It's a little bit of church history, and it's an 551 01:00:21,880 --> 01:00:23,880 interesting anecdote. 552 01:00:23,880 --> 01:00:25,880 If God in his 553 01:00:25,880 --> 01:00:27,880 providence 554 01:00:27,880 --> 01:00:29,880 inspires this account 555 01:00:29,880 --> 01:00:31,880 to be included in Luke's Gospel, 556 01:00:31,880 --> 01:00:33,880 and it might seem to us like a 557 01:00:33,880 --> 01:00:35,880 humorous anecdote, but this account 558 01:00:35,880 --> 01:00:37,880 that Luke is inspired to 559 01:00:37,880 --> 01:00:39,880 include is a defense 560 01:00:39,880 --> 01:00:41,880 for the church hundreds of years 561 01:00:41,880 --> 01:00:43,880 later against false teaching. 562 01:00:43,880 --> 01:00:45,880 Don't you think that the 563 01:00:45,880 --> 01:00:47,880 Word of God can defend you, 564 01:00:47,880 --> 01:00:49,880 can answer your doubts, 565 01:00:49,880 --> 01:00:51,880 can calm your fears, 566 01:00:51,880 --> 01:00:53,880 if God can use 567 01:00:53,880 --> 01:00:55,880 in his divine power 568 01:00:55,880 --> 01:00:57,880 and his mighty providence 569 01:00:57,880 --> 01:00:59,880 this story about Jesus 570 01:00:59,880 --> 01:01:01,880 being lost for three days 571 01:01:01,880 --> 01:01:03,880 that we so often 572 01:01:03,880 --> 01:01:05,880 think is silly 573 01:01:05,880 --> 01:01:07,880 to defend the church 574 01:01:07,880 --> 01:01:09,880 against heresy 575 01:01:09,880 --> 01:01:11,880 about the reality 576 01:01:11,880 --> 01:01:13,880 and identity of Jesus, 577 01:01:13,880 --> 01:01:15,880 that he can give rest to your weary soul 578 01:01:15,880 --> 01:01:17,880 through this Word, 579 01:01:17,880 --> 01:01:19,880 that he can strengthen you 580 01:01:19,880 --> 01:01:20,880 and help you 581 01:01:20,880 --> 01:01:21,880 and defend you 582 01:01:21,880 --> 01:01:23,880 as well. 583 01:01:23,880 --> 01:01:25,880 One of the great historical 584 01:01:25,880 --> 01:01:27,880 testimonies of this text 585 01:01:27,880 --> 01:01:29,880 is that God provides 586 01:01:29,880 --> 01:01:30,880 for his people 587 01:01:30,880 --> 01:01:33,880 through his Word. 588 01:01:33,880 --> 01:01:35,880 And this may be for those 589 01:01:35,880 --> 01:01:37,880 who are younger, 590 01:01:37,880 --> 01:01:39,880 but one of the remarkable things 591 01:01:39,880 --> 01:01:41,880 about this is that Jesus 592 01:01:41,880 --> 01:01:43,880 knows what it's like to grow up. 593 01:01:43,880 --> 01:01:45,880 And I was thinking about our kids 594 01:01:45,880 --> 01:01:46,880 here this morning, 595 01:01:46,880 --> 01:01:47,880 as I was reading this, 596 01:01:47,880 --> 01:01:49,880 because you hear about Jesus' baby 597 01:01:49,880 --> 01:01:50,880 and Jesus as an adult, 598 01:01:50,880 --> 01:01:51,880 but here's Jesus 599 01:01:51,880 --> 01:01:53,880 at 12 years old, 600 01:01:53,880 --> 01:01:54,880 and he knows 601 01:01:54,880 --> 01:01:55,880 what you're about to face 602 01:01:55,880 --> 01:01:57,880 and what you have been through 603 01:01:57,880 --> 01:01:59,880 and the struggles 604 01:01:59,880 --> 01:02:00,880 and the difficulties 605 01:02:00,880 --> 01:02:02,880 of what it's like to grow up. 606 01:02:02,880 --> 01:02:05,880 And Jesus knows. 607 01:02:05,880 --> 01:02:07,880 I don't know that I would use 608 01:02:07,880 --> 01:02:09,880 Jesus' defense 609 01:02:09,880 --> 01:02:11,880 when you get in trouble with your parents. 610 01:02:11,880 --> 01:02:13,880 I must be about my father's business. 611 01:02:13,880 --> 01:02:17,880 But Jesus knows what it's like to be where you are. 612 01:02:17,880 --> 01:02:18,880 He knows what it's like to grow up. 613 01:02:18,880 --> 01:02:21,880 It's also a call to humility. 614 01:02:21,880 --> 01:02:25,880 Mary and Joseph have been with Jesus now for 12 years. 615 01:02:25,880 --> 01:02:28,880 They've seen some amazing things, 616 01:02:28,880 --> 01:02:30,880 heard prophecies from angels. 617 01:02:30,880 --> 01:02:32,880 They've seen God's provision 618 01:02:32,880 --> 01:02:34,880 and his protection. 619 01:02:34,880 --> 01:02:36,880 However, you find them in this text 620 01:02:36,880 --> 01:02:38,880 with an assumption about who Jesus is, 621 01:02:38,880 --> 01:02:41,880 and what he should be doing. 622 01:02:41,880 --> 01:02:44,880 And it's easy for us 623 01:02:44,880 --> 01:02:46,880 to make assumptions about Jesus 624 01:02:46,880 --> 01:02:48,880 rather than truly seeing his identity 625 01:02:48,880 --> 01:02:50,880 and mission. 626 01:02:50,880 --> 01:02:52,880 It's very easy for us to think, 627 01:02:52,880 --> 01:02:54,880 "Well, this is what Jesus would do, 628 01:02:54,880 --> 01:02:56,880 or this is what Jesus would want, 629 01:02:56,880 --> 01:02:58,880 or this is the mission 630 01:02:58,880 --> 01:03:00,880 without ever consulting 631 01:03:00,880 --> 01:03:02,880 Jesus ourselves." 632 01:03:02,880 --> 01:03:04,880 In many ways, in this account, 633 01:03:04,880 --> 01:03:06,880 we're Mary and Joseph, 634 01:03:06,880 --> 01:03:08,880 we have an idea of where Jesus should be 635 01:03:08,880 --> 01:03:10,880 and what he should do 636 01:03:10,880 --> 01:03:12,880 and how he should be doing it, 637 01:03:12,880 --> 01:03:14,880 and we want to tell him 638 01:03:14,880 --> 01:03:16,880 what he should do 639 01:03:14,880 --> 01:03:16,880 and where he should go 640 01:03:16,880 --> 01:03:18,880 and how he should be. 641 01:03:18,880 --> 01:03:20,880 And one of the great calls in this text 642 01:03:20,880 --> 01:03:22,880 is to humility, 643 01:03:22,880 --> 01:03:26,880 to see and to listen to Jesus 644 01:03:26,880 --> 01:03:28,880 and to understand 645 01:03:28,880 --> 01:03:30,880 that sometimes we get it backward. 646 01:03:30,880 --> 01:03:34,880 Just because we've been around Jesus for a long time, 647 01:03:34,880 --> 01:03:38,880 we still need to continually see him. 648 01:03:38,880 --> 01:03:40,880 That's why the author of Hebrews, over and over again, 649 01:03:40,880 --> 01:03:42,880 to Christians, people who have been around Jesus for a while, 650 01:03:42,880 --> 01:03:50,880 say, "Consider Jesus. Fix your eyes on Jesus. Remember Jesus." 651 01:03:50,880 --> 01:03:54,880 And in Luke 2:47, we find this: 652 01:03:54,880 --> 01:03:58,880 "All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers." 653 01:03:58,880 --> 01:04:02,880 This morning, I want you to consider the words of Jesus. 654 01:04:02,880 --> 01:04:07,880 Because in this text, there is a call to hear the words of Jesus. 655 01:04:07,880 --> 01:04:14,880 And in Isaiah 50, there is this promise, and this prophecy made about Jesus. 656 01:04:14,880 --> 01:04:19,880 The one that we might be the most familiar with is in Isaiah 50. 657 01:04:19,880 --> 01:04:24,880 The prophecy is this: "The Redeemer set his face like flint." 658 01:04:24,880 --> 01:04:30,880 And it parallels Luke 9:51, where Jesus set his face to go to Jerusalem. 659 01:04:30,880 --> 01:04:33,880 But just a few verses before that, we hear these words: 660 01:04:33,880 --> 01:04:44,880 "The Lord God has given me the tongue of those who are taught that he has given me a way of speaking that is educated in knowledgement for this reason: 661 01:04:44,880 --> 01:04:53,880 That I may know how to sustain with a word him who is weary." 662 01:04:53,880 --> 01:05:01,880 Morning by morning, he awakens. He awakens my ear to hear as those who are taught. 663 01:05:01,880 --> 01:05:14,880 The prophecy about Jesus in Isaiah 50:4 is that he knows how to sustain with a word those who are weary, who are tired. 664 01:05:14,880 --> 01:05:21,880 The word weary here can also signify not just that you're tired, but the picture that you've come in from a long journey, 665 01:05:21,880 --> 01:05:29,880 and that you're thirsty, and you need nothing more than refreshment and strength. 666 01:05:29,880 --> 01:05:37,880 And here in Isaiah 50, there's a promise to those who are weary with sin, 667 01:05:37,880 --> 01:05:45,880 who are weary with the troubles, who are weary of the battle, who are weary as they seek righteousness, 668 01:05:45,880 --> 01:05:55,880 who it feels like everything is falling apart around them. And here comes Jesus, and He says, "I have a word for you. 669 01:05:55,880 --> 01:06:04,880 To all of you who are weak and heavy laden, I come and I will give you rest. Your sins are forgiven. Go and sin no more." 670 01:06:04,880 --> 01:06:10,880 In the midst of the storm, His message and His words are that He's with you. 671 01:06:10,880 --> 01:06:18,880 Jesus comes with a word for the weary, and as we hear Him answer with such wisdom to these teachers, 672 01:06:18,880 --> 01:06:23,880 we're reminded He doesn't just answer them. He answers you. 673 01:06:23,880 --> 01:06:27,880 In your struggle, and in your hurts, and in your uncertainties, and in your difficulties, 674 01:06:27,880 --> 01:06:31,880 in your fight against sin, in your struggle and striving for righteousness, 675 01:06:31,880 --> 01:06:38,880 that Jesus has a word for those who are weary. 676 01:06:38,880 --> 01:06:45,880 So to the weary, I would encourage you to come to Jesus, to the sinful, to see His forgiveness. 677 01:06:45,880 --> 01:06:48,880 Maybe it feels like you've been fighting a battle and you're tired. 678 01:06:48,880 --> 01:06:54,880 I want you to hear and be sustained by Jesus. 679 01:06:54,880 --> 01:07:01,880 His words to the saint, and to the sinner, to the tired, to the weeping, and to the weak. 680 01:07:01,880 --> 01:07:08,880 Words that come to those who are thirsty and refresh them. 681 01:07:08,880 --> 01:07:21,880 Father in heaven, may we see how Your Word protects and provides us with needs we don't even know that we have yet. 682 01:07:21,880 --> 01:07:27,880 But needs that You knew as these words were written and inspired by Your Spirit. 683 01:07:27,880 --> 01:07:37,880 We thank You for the power of Your Word. We thank You that You know what it's like to be where we are and the struggles that we face. 684 01:07:37,880 --> 01:07:46,880 And we ask for humility, that we would seek to see You truly rather than so often our opinions and ideas about who You are. 685 01:07:46,880 --> 01:07:53,880 We ask mostly that we would be strengthened with a word for the weary and for the thirsty. 686 01:07:53,880 --> 01:07:57,880 It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. 687 01:07:57,880 --> 01:08:00,880 We're going to stand and sing "Living Hope." 688 01:08:13,880 --> 01:08:25,880 How great the chasm that lay between us! How high the mountain I could not climb! 689 01:08:25,880 --> 01:08:38,880 In desperation, I turned to heaven and spoke your name into the night. 690 01:08:39,880 --> 01:08:52,880 Then through the darkness, your lovingkindness tore through the shadows of my soul. 691 01:08:52,880 --> 01:09:06,880 The work is finished, the end is written. Jesus Christ, my living hope. 692 01:09:07,880 --> 01:09:22,880 Who could imagine so great a mercy? What heart could fathom such boundless grace? 693 01:09:22,880 --> 01:09:35,880 The God of ages stepped down from glory to wear my sin and bear my shame. 694 01:09:36,880 --> 01:10:03,880 The cross has spoken, I am forgiven. The King of kings calls me his own. Beautiful Savior, I'm yours forever. Jesus Christ, my living hope. 695 01:10:04,880 --> 01:10:32,880 Hallelujah. Praise the one who set me free. Hallelujah. Death has lost its grip on me. You have broken every chain. There's salvation in your name. Jesus Christ, my living hope. 696 01:10:32,880 --> 01:11:00,880 Then came the morning that sealed the promise. Your buried body began to breathe. Out of the silence, the roaring lion declared the grave has no claim on me. 697 01:11:00,880 --> 01:11:28,880 Then came the morning that sealed the promise. Your buried body began to breathe. Out of the silence, the roaring lion declared the grave has no claim on me. 698 01:11:28,880 --> 01:11:56,880 Yours is the victory. Hallelujah. Praise the one who set me free. Hallelujah. Death has lost its grip on me. You have broken every chain. There's salvation in your name. 699 01:11:56,880 --> 01:12:16,880 Jesus Christ, my living hope. Jesus Christ, my living hope. Oh God, you are my living hope. 700 01:12:20,880 --> 01:12:35,880 We are thankful that you are here with us this morning. There is no Wednesday night Bible study this week on New Year's Day. We do wish you a Happy New Year, and we are grateful for you being here. 701 01:12:35,880 --> 01:12:44,880 We'll be back next Sunday in the month of January, and we are excited to worship together next week. 702 01:12:44,880 --> 01:12:52,880 So pray, and then we'll read a verse of Scripture, and then we will sing a chorus of "Go tell it on the mountain and be dismissed." 703 01:12:52,880 --> 01:13:04,880 Father in heaven, we thank you for Jesus and for His grace poured out to us, that while we were still sinners, He came and He died for us. 704 01:13:04,880 --> 01:13:12,880 And so we ask you to help us see this reality, to understand that there is hope and there is strength and there is peace through you. 705 01:13:12,880 --> 01:13:21,880 May your Spirit be at work on us and in us and through us during this week. It is in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. 706 01:13:21,880 --> 01:13:30,880 Paul ends Ephesians like this, "Peace be to the brothers and love with faith from God the Father, the Lord Jesus, and the Lord Jesus Christ. 707 01:13:30,880 --> 01:13:36,880 Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with a love incorruptible." 708 01:13:36,880 --> 01:13:40,880 We're going to go ahead and sing a chorus of "Go tell it on the mountain." 709 01:13:40,880 --> 01:14:02,880 Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere. Go tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born. 710 01:14:10,880 --> 01:14:12,880 Amen. 711 01:14:40,880 --> 01:14:42,880 Amen. 712 01:15:10,880 --> 01:15:12,880 Amen. 713 01:18:10,880 --> 01:18:30,440 God bless you.