Sermons
JESUS AMONGST THE RABBIS
Series: The Glory of ChristJESUS AMONGST THE RABBIS
Pt.3 - “The Glory Of Christ”
Sermon Outline By Terry Siverd
Cortland Church of Christ / February 01, 2015
If you have been doing your 5 X 5 X 5 Daily Bible Reading you will have finished the gospel of Mark (now in Acts).
This schedule spreads out the four gospels. In early April we’ll return in our reading to Matthew’s gospel.
And then toward the end of June we will be reading from Luke’s gospel.
And finally, in mid-October we will visit the gospel of John.
There is something about focusing our attention on “the glory of Christ”
(our current sermon series) that is both captivating and motivating.
We are intrigued by the process of incarnation - - how Jesus was both fully human and fully Divine.
But our interest is more than just to satisfy our intrigue.
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Our goal is to see that Jesus, in His humanity, was able to shine forth with the glory of God.
I wish that all of you could have been a part of our midweek Bible study this past Wednesday.
Our study in 2Pet.1 examined Peter’s declaration, that we (as disciples) as to be “partakers of His Divine nature”.
This “glory” is not just a Jesus thing.
Jesus came as a forerunner (pioneer or trailblazer) to show US the way to live.
Paul surely understood this when he penned the prayer that we find in Eph.3:20-21
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“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond all that we ask or think,
according to the power that works within us, to He be the glory in THE CHURCH
and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
The sacred Scriptures are certainly informative. But they are also transformative.
There’s a song we sometimes sing that encapsulates this idea.
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Oh, to be like Thee, blessed redeemer, this is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures, Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.
So, as we do our daily Bible reading our goal is not just to accrue information about Jesus and the early Christians.
Our goal is to open our hearts and minds and let the life and words of Jesus and the apostle transform us.
If we read all of the NT but come away un-changed that will be a sad outcome to our assignment.
These ancient words are all about “changing me and changing you.”
Today is family dinner day, so let’s get on with the sermon.
Please open your Bibles to Luke chapter 2.
Our sermon this morning spotlights the one event in the childhood of Jesus.
The NT tells us about His birth and a few events that follow shortly thereafter.
It also tells about the circumcision of Jesus on the 8th day after His birth.
And then a month or so later His presentation and dedication at the Temple.
Sometime after this, the Magi arrived in Jerusalem looking to honor the newly-born Jesus (Mt.2)
In the providence of God they arrived a little late, otherwise it would have been extremely dangerous
to venture into Jerusalem during the days and months immediately following Jesus’ birth.
So God directed Joseph & Mary to flee to Egypt to avoid Herod’s maniacal edict to kill those 2 yrs and younger.
Mt.2:19f tells us that when Herod died, an angel directed Joseph & Mary to return to Nazareth.
Other than these specific events connected to the birth of Jesus, Lk.2:41f records
the only incident that we know of from the childhood days of Jesus.
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Some of the teachings of Jesus (parables in particular) provide insight into the typical life of a Jewish child.
Children playing in the marketplace (Lk.7:32) - - play funeral or play wedding.
The growth of a tiny mustard seed (Lk.3:19.)
A woman using yeast in making bread (Lk.13:21).
A fisherman sorting his catch (Mt.13:47-50).
Read from Lk.2:41-52.
At the age of 12, a Jewish boy underwent “barmitzbah” - - he officially becomes a “son of /command or Law”.
There is debate as to whether this happened at age 12 or 13.
If it happened at 13, then this was a “dry run” in anticipation of the next year.
It was the Feast of Passover (a one-day) event and the Feast of Unleavened Bread (the following 7 days).
This was a high point in the life of event Jewish child - - to go to Jerusalem for Passover.
The focus of the story is on what happened on the way home.
Families often traveled in caravans - - sometimes the women & children would leave earlier & travel more slowly.
Then, the men would follow at a quicker pace catching up with their families.
Somehow Jesus became lost to Joseph & Mary.
Perhaps Mary thought he was with Joseph or other relatives and Joseph thought he was with Mary.
They realized this at their encampment after the first day’s journey.
Vs.45 says they returned to Jerusalem (day two).
Vs.46 notes that after three days, they found Him!
“…in the Temple, sitting in the midst of ‘the teachers’, both listening to them and asking them questions.”
Vs.47 adds 4 “all who heard Him were AMAZED at His understanding and His answers.”
Amazed = befuddled or “in a maze or labyrinth”.
It was common during the Feast for the Sanhedrin (the Jewish supreme court) to engage in public teaching.
This raises the question as to whether Gamaliel, Nicodemus or Joseph or Arimathea - - all members of the
Jewish “supreme” Council - - might have witnessed Jesus at the age of 12 and noted his depth of insight - - precociousness.
No doubt, they had never seen a child like Him before.
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Jesus was listening (respectfully no doubt).
He was also asking questions of them.
Jesus was also answering questions.
When Mary & Joseph found Him, they, too, were astonished (vs.48), and also somewhat disturbed (angered).
7 Mary said to Jesus 7
“Child/Son, why have you treated us this way? Behold, Your father and I have been anxiously looking for you.”
Now here in vs.49 we have the first recorded spoken words of Jesus.
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Jesus said to His parents 4
“Why is it that you were looking for me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business.”
Our first impression of this incident is that had we been Jesus and behaved this way and spoke this way, we
would have probably gotten two spankings: one for lagging behind and a second for being a smart mouth.
We can be sure that Jesus was not meaning to be disrespectful.
This is one of these “glory of Christ” moments that is profound and full of deep, deep meaning.
Vs.50 states4 “they did not understand the statement which He had made to them.”
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This tells us, first of all, that Jesus had lived a very typical childhood. This was not something they expected.
Vs.51b states that, “His mother treasured (pondered / Lk.2:19) these things in her heart”.
This might have been the very first time that Mary began to “connect the dots” (His birth to His Mission).
But secondly, and most importantly, Jesus was coming to realize His mission, even at this early age.
HE HAD TO BE ABOUT HIS FATHER’S BUSINESS.
On this occasion Jesus could have quoted to His parents from the Psalms of David.
Ps.26:8 / “O Lord, I love the habitation of Thy house, and the place where Thy glory dwells.”
Ps.27:4 / “One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: that I might dwell in the house
of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to meditate in His temple.
There is something about this Passover at the age of twelve that
serves as a foreshadowing of the Passover connected with His crucifixion.
Both have Jesus being questioned by the Sanhedrin in The Temple.
Both involved the absence of Jesus for three days.
Both events are filled with astonishment and fear.
Vs.51 tells us that Jesus returned to Nazareth and continued in subjection to His parents.
All we know about Jesus from the age of 12until the age of 30 is summed up in one verse - - Lk.2:52.
“Jesus kept I-n-c-r-e-a-s-I-n-g in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”
Whatever Jesus had come to realize at this point in His life, He would GROW greatly over the next 18 years.
If ever there was a case to be made for a boy-king, we might assume it would be JESUS.
But this was not the plan of The Father.
¢ Heb.2:17 states4 “He had to be made like His brethren in all things…”
¢ Heb.5:8 note4 “He learned obedience/submission from the things which he suffered/experienced.”
Now, one more practical observation and we will close in prayer.
If God saw fit to “school” Jesus for 30 years, we should not be discouraged in our Bible studies.
Sometimes we want to know it all in a short time, but that’s not God’s way of maturity or “perfection” (Heb.5:9).
I read once where someone had written that discipleship is, “a long obedience in the same direction”.[ts1] states
