In My Father's House
The only story we have in the Bible about Jesus from the age of 3 until He was 30 is the trip His family took to Jerusalem when He was 12 years old. They went every year for the Passover, but this trip was different, because when they left, Jesus stayed behind, and they were not aware He was going to do that. Therefore, they returned to frantically look for Him, finding Him in the Temple speaking with the teachers. When Mary asked why He had done that and made them so anxious about Him, Jesus was surprised. He turned the question on her asking her why they were looking for Him, and why did she not know He had to be in His Father's House. (Luke 2:49) They did not understand what He meant by His questions to them, but He went home with them and grew up in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man. Let's consider why this story happened this way.
It is easy to forget who Jesus is. Even Mary and Joseph, who were amazed by the appearance of the angel to them and the other events surrounding the birth of Jesus, did not really remember who He was by the time He reached 12 years old. They had grown complacent in their lives, and they were going on with life as usual. However, they were raising the Son of God. They must have seen the difference between Him and His siblings, but they soon became used to those things, too, and thought of Him like the others. It never dawned on them that the Temple was His Father's House. It never occurred to them that Jesus was learning, so He could carry out the will of His Father in Heaven.
In much the same way we can forget that Jesus is the All-powerful, All-wise, Lord and Savior, who saved us and is changing us into His image by the power of the Spirit. Therefore, we should have the same desire Jesus had to be in the company of Bible teachers and the family of God, the church, so we can fulfill God's purpose for us. We forget because we get complacent, and we just go about life as usual. We must not allow that to happen to us, but we must focus on Jesus and His Word every day, so we can obey Him.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Luke 3-5.
It is easy to forget who Jesus is. Even Mary and Joseph, who were amazed by the appearance of the angel to them and the other events surrounding the birth of Jesus, did not really remember who He was by the time He reached 12 years old. They had grown complacent in their lives, and they were going on with life as usual. However, they were raising the Son of God. They must have seen the difference between Him and His siblings, but they soon became used to those things, too, and thought of Him like the others. It never dawned on them that the Temple was His Father's House. It never occurred to them that Jesus was learning, so He could carry out the will of His Father in Heaven.
In much the same way we can forget that Jesus is the All-powerful, All-wise, Lord and Savior, who saved us and is changing us into His image by the power of the Spirit. Therefore, we should have the same desire Jesus had to be in the company of Bible teachers and the family of God, the church, so we can fulfill God's purpose for us. We forget because we get complacent, and we just go about life as usual. We must not allow that to happen to us, but we must focus on Jesus and His Word every day, so we can obey Him.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Luke 3-5.