Twelve, going on Thirty

Yesterday we were in Luke 2, where Jesus had stayed behind in the temple, instructing the teachers by asking questions, and then doing the same when His parents questioned His decision to stay there  The next part of His life is summarized by two brief statements:  51 And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.  52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.

So early in His life we had all these proclamations, while May pondered all the special memories, then had to wait until Jesus actually began His ministry.  God was waiting for Jesus to be old enough and mature enough for people to take Him seriously.  As we look ahead to the coming year, there may well be some things you want to see happen right away. They may be things you know God has promised to you.  Move forward, but learn to wait.  Often the best things we wait for take the longest. Do not lose heart. 

The Boy Who Asked Questions

Luke 2:41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. 43 And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, 44 but supposing him to be in the group they went a day's journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, 45 and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.” 49 And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?” 50 And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. 

In the life of a Jewish young man, this would have been the trip to Jerusalem he had longed for. Having turned twelve he would have been taught, and held responsible to know, everything about His faith as a Son of Israel.  But for Jesus, this was more for the benefit of others, as while there He was able to call into question some of the ways they had interpreted the Scriptures. As we will see in his ministry later, Jesus liked to ask questions to elicit a response that would be instructive - many times a shocking response that challenged the person whom He asked.  That's what He does here with Mary and Joseph: "Why are you so surprised that I am here? This is the first place you should have looked for me."

The Favored One

Luke 2:39 And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.

This brief statement summarizes the first twelve years of Jesus life on earth.  And Luke says more than the other three Gospel writers. It's all we need know.  Mary and Joseph were obedient and submissive to God. Jesus grew up to be physically, mentally, emotionally, and morally strong. And the favor of God was upon Him. This is consistent with everything they had been told by those who encountered Jesus, even before He was born. Zechariah, Elizabeth, Simeon, and Anna had all pronounced this life of blessing and favor. In fact, the word used here is found in different form in the proclamation of the angel chorus:

14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” God's favor, His pleasure had come to earth when Christ came.  Jesus was the one people should have wanted to be with; His presence was something they should have been glad for. The same is true for us. May we seek His presence for strength, for wisdom, for God's favor and good pleasure.

The Prophetess

Luke 2:36 And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, 37 and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. 38 And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.

Anna was a prophetess; her job was to proclaim truth.  She had been doing that faithfully for years, day in and day out.  She was not an arrogant, boisterous woman; she humble and devout, depending on God to provide her needs and to speak through her.  She was always ready to have God use her and speak through her, so she was ready and waiting to give the announcement that the Redeemer had come.  It's interesting to see the varied responses of people here in Luke's Gospel, from Mary's "pondering in her heart" to Anna's proclaiming it to all.  What has your response been this year to the news of Christ's coming? has it been one of joy and thanksgiving?  Has it been something you've pondered and shared, or simply ignored?

Holding Hope

Luke 2:25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,

29 “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,

    according to your word;

30 for my eyes have seen your salvation

31     that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,

32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,

    and for glory to your people Israel.”

33 And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed 35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

The older I get, the more I appreciate this passage.  Here was Simeon, faithfully serving God, and waiting. He was waiting in hope of what God had said He would do, and finally it happened: He saw Christ come. Not only that: he held Him in his arms, and he had the privilege of praying over and for Him. He was holding light in the flesh, God's powerful means of salvation, the sword of the Lord that penetrates hearts. What an awesome privilege and hope received.  What hope are you holding onto today?

A Real Boy

We continue this week in Luke 2:

 21 And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. 22 And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, 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 first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.”

When Christ came to earth, He lived the life of a normal human boy.  He received the sign of the covenant with God; He was given a meaningful name - Jesus meaning savior or deliverer; He was taken to the Temple as a firstborn Son to present a special sacrifice of thanksgiving to God.  His parents were not rich or elite, as is shown by the sacrifice they were able to afford. His life in human terms was unspectacular. Yet this short description is meaningful.  The name choice was significant, indicating what His assignment was to be; He was a first-born Son, which carried with it not only greater honor, but greater responsibility; He lived on the earth in a place where it could truly be said he had no earthly advantages; everything He would do would come from within, not from the world around Him.  The world was waiting to see. 

Christ Has Come!

Luke 2:  In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest,

    and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

May we ponder these things in our hearts and praise God today!