Jesus at Jerusalem

John 5:16-30 Luke 2:41-52
This sermon is part of the places and events in the life of Jesus. 1/3 of the Gospel is concerned with the last 7 days before the crucifixion. Only ten verses deal with the first 30 years.
WHAT WAS IMPORTANT TO JESUS’ PARENTS? – verse 41
Joseph and Mary belonged to the people of God. They sought to follow the law of God. Jewish men were commanded to go to three feasts: The Feast of Unleavened bread (Passover), The Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) and the Feast of Booths. By the time of Jesus, after the return from exile, the men only had to go up to Jerusalem for the Passover. They came from all over Israel and the Roman world. It was important that they obeyed God’s commands, for their spiritual good. That Mary came showed that was very devoted. It was tiring and costly and needed careful organisation to be away for two weeks. They knew there was blessing in obedience. As a family they sought to please God together. Cousins and other relations gathered together, for the only time in the year. We are commanded to gather together regularly and on the Lord’s day. There is great blessing in coming together. We are keeping a command by doing this today. To Joseph and Mary this really mattered. It is good to get together and there is great reward in doing this. Do we encourage our children and other family members to come? We should want to join in and not miss out. It trains us for eternity and what is after death.
WHAT WAS IMPORTANT TO JESUS? – verses 43 to 48
He was only twelve years old, a child, very young. He went willingly with his mum and dad. He stayed longer than anyone else because he so loved the Bible. He may have undergone his Bar Mitzvah as he was twelve, an initiation, a coming of age, the age of responsibility. You could not make excuses – I do not know or understand. People travelled in groups called caravans, people often gathered in age groups. At the end of the first day his parents could not find him. They had to go back to Jerusalem to find him. That they had not looked in the day showed they had absolute trust in him, that he would not do anything wrong. When they could not find him they probably felt panic. After 3 days they found him in the temple courts discussing things with the teachers. They told him they were out of their minds with worry. He was showing a maturity far beyond his years. These men spent all their lives studying God’s word. It was important for Jesus to go to the temple in a thirst for truth, to learn from the Word and engage in spiritual discussions with other believers. He chose not to go to the market or seek out entertainment.
WHAT WAS IMPORTANT TO GOD THE FATHER? Verse 49
Jesus was not being insubordinate but asking them why they did not come straight to the temple. Often parents underestimate their children’s spiritual growth. He was not being careless or disrespectful. We all need a relationship with God. Jesus draw a distinction between Joseph, his earthly father and God, his heavenly father and his heavenly father’s will was most important. He wanted to serve God.
a) It is important His child learns of Him. Jesus’ motive in staying behind was not carelessness or disrespect but love of God.
b) It is important His child relates to Him. Jesus’ answer reveals his sense of self-identity, Jesus draws a gentle, but distinct, line between Joseph as His earthly father and God as His true father. He shows that the latter relationship has priority over the former.
c) It is important His child obeys Him. Jesus understands his unique calling requires devotion that takes precedence over all.
d) It is important His people understand. His parents do not comprehend what God is doing. We can forget God’s promises, time can dull the memory of what God has said to us. We need to please God but we do need to be dutiful to our earthly parents in all that we do. His parents needed to remember Jesus’ divine calling – they had forgotten what the angels had told them about Jesus.
WE LEARN WHAT IS IMPORTANT FOR US – verse 51
a) Jesus the Son of God, set us an example in dutifulness. His heavenly sonship didn’t excuse him from his earthly sonship. He fulfilled in learning from the teachers at the temple. You would think he had wanted to stay there but he has to go back to Nazareth. He bided God’s time, the God who might also make us wait. Joseph and Mary were humble but faithful in following God. We may have a lowly calling in life but we need to be faithful and excel in our ordinary life and please God.
b) Jesus reminds us that if Mary could lose him then we must all face the possibility that we might lose touch with the Lord Jesus Christ. In a place with believers, singing, the reading of scripture and things to remind them of God, they were unaware that Jesus was not with them. It is possible for you to go worship, come from a Christian home, have Christian friends and not be with the Saviour. They assumed all was well but there was no contact. They forgot that every relationship is two way. They did a lot of right things but lost closeness to Him. Eventually they found him in God’s house. That’s the most likely place you will meet him. Here He will speak to you as you reach out to Him.
We can know all about him and yet not know him. We can take it for granted all is well but we are responsible for making sure that we keep in touch. Yesterday’s blessings are past blessings. We can grow cold very easily. Joseph and Mary renewed their contact by getting worried and seeking out the Lord Jesus as we should if we have lost contact with him.