Today’s
Readings: Exodus 23:14-17 / Deuteronomy
16:16 / Luke 2:41-52
As
we near the end of our daily look at the story of the first Christmas during
this season of Advent, it is only fitting that we take a peek at “the only passage of story recorded concerning
our blessed Savior, from his infancy to the days of his showing to Israel at
twenty-nine years old…” (Luke 2:41-52 Matthew Henrys Commentary on the
Whole Bible) It is interesting to note
that this incident takes place when Jesus was about the same age as His mother
when the angel Gabriel originally appeared to her as a young teenage girl.
Many
years had passed since the miraculous set of events had occurred to Joseph,
Mary and the baby Jesus in Bethlehem.
Jesus as a young man of twelve, was at the age when “boys began preparing to take their place in the religious community
the following year.” (Luke 2:42
footnote in NIV Study Bible) But there
was something different about this lad that separated Him from others his
age. I believe that this unique quality
that set Him apart is the key to understanding this portion of scripture.
Jesus
had a hunger for more of God. He was
also at the age where He was beginning to develop greater cognitive abilities
and understanding of the world around Him, as well as seeing the first light of
dawn concerning His divine purpose. His
retort to His mother after she had shared Joseph’s and her concern for Him was
not one of rebellion, but simply an honest answer as seen through the eyes of a
typical Middle School boy! He was so
focused on the revelation that was beginning to unfold to His understanding
that I believe, He did not even consider the worry and anxiety that His actions
had caused His parents. He was beginning
to see that He had a job to do and decided that He would do it!
Jesus
walked in the footsteps of David as He marveled and sought after the Lord’s
precepts. (See: Psalm 119:99-106) And
like the Apostle Paul who would come after Him, He sat at the feet of the
rabbis who were the experts in Judaism, absorbing their every word like a
sponge absorbs water! (See: Acts 22:3)
But as the realization of the unveiling of His calling was beginning to
come to Him, Jesus was also “an obedient
child, whatever sense He also had of another relationship unconnected in itself
with subjection to human parents.
Consciousness of the one did not injure His perfection in the other.”
(Luke 2: 41-52 John Darby’s Synopsis)
Jesus duly obeyed the word of His earthly parents, went back home with
them to Nazareth and “grew in wisdom and
stature, and in favor with God and man.” (Luke 2:52 NIV)
The example for us to draw from this final portion of our story is Jesus’ hunger for the things of God. His pursuit and obedience to His father’s Word was the foundation for everything He became in life. Every action that He took was based on His intimate knowledge of His father’s love and faithfulness to His Word. That is also the key to yours and my success in the New Year ahead. Jesus was the ultimate gift given to the world on that first Christmas over 2000 years ago. It would be quite a shame to leave a gift of that magnitude unopened under the tree this year!
Think
about the look of excitement and adventure that must have been glowing in the
eyes of Jesus as He sat at the feet of the religious scholars while they
expounded the truths of the scriptures to Him!
You can experience that same excitement, peace and joy that will lead
you through every adventure that you face ahead. 2 Timothy 1:7 declares that “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but
of power (or ability) and of love and of a sound mind.” (NKJV) All the tools and all the answers are to be
found in His Word… and they are all very
user friendly!
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