Sermon Title
Scripture References
Luke 2:40-52
The Boy Jesus in the Temple
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. 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.
1 Kings 3:4-15
Solomon’s Prayer for Wisdom
4 And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. 5 At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.” 6 And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit on his throne this day. 7 And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. 8 And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. 9 Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?” 10 It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. 11 And God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, 12 behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. 13 I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days. 14 And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.” 15 And Solomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream. Then he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered up burnt offerings and peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants.
Ephesians 1:3-14
Spiritual Blessings in Christ
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. 11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
Sermon Script
Son Of Man
Here we are, another New Year upon us. A time to examine what we can change and accept the grace of what we cannot. I think about that as it seems like just moments ago when we held our Living Nativity to remind the community of the true “reason for the season.”
In the aftermath, as we packed things away, there was a sense of relief that we would not need to set all this up again for another year. Yet, at the same time, rejoicing over the experience and analyzing what might be changed or added to enhance the experience.
I thought of these things as I reviewed the Gospel lesson given to us today at the end of Luke chapter 2. The reason I bring this up is because much of the narration for the Nativity play… come from the first part of Luke chapter 2. I was drawn to review the portion in the narration when Mary was in the Olive Grove and the birth of Jesus is foretold. This is where the Narrator reads the following, “And thus, through a simple girl, the Lord’s divine plan for the Salvation of Humankind was set forth: The Son of God would become…. The Son of Man!”
Son of Man or Son of God?
The Son of Man… or is Jesus the Son of God? Those who pack away the “reason for the season” along with all the Christmas decorations for another year could very well be left wondering the answer to this question. Truth to be told, as you are well aware, Jesus is both God and Man.
But I often wonder who among us stops to think about that connection and why it matters. While the Bible truly reveals Jesus to be God, it also makes a definite case for His full humanity. We can read from the Gospels that in addition to Jesus performing spectacular miracles, He also gets hungry, He gets angry, He gets tired, He cries, He gets heartbroken, He bleeds, and ultimately, He dies… all very human attributes.
What Child is This?
Today we take a closer look at the Son of Man, incarnate into the full scope of human life. We find that He did not just sample human life… He dove into the pond… all the way to the bottom in his crucifixion and death. He did not live his life in strength and power, but in humility and initially through the gentle cry of an infant humbly born in a manger… Just like you and I, He was a real child who was loved by his parents, who like all children, grew and matured.
If you are like me, childhood was quite some time ago. But not long enough ago to where I cannot recall the time when I was convinced in my own mind that I was all grown up. Oh yeah, looking back I was just a boy who thought I knew it all… ready to venture out on my own. I’m thinking some of you can relate.
There is that point in adolescence where that sense of being all grown up was inviting us to leave the nest.
In the Gospel of Luke today, we learn that Jesus is 12 years old. Far from the age in our understanding of being ready to leave the nest. But in Jewish culture, that age was about the time when that did in fact happen.
Jesus Grew In Wisdom
Let me direct your attention to an interesting transition in Jesus’ adolescence in two verses recorded in Luke’s Gospel account. The setting was in the Jerusalem temple courts, where Jesus was listening and asking the teachers questions. These verses, 40 and 52, act as bookends to our lesson for today.
Let’s first look at verse 40, which reads… “And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom and the grace of God was upon him.” Ok, now take a listen to verse 52, “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”
Did you hear the change? At the beginning of this section, Luke says the child grew and became strong and it ends with Jesus grew in wisdom and stature… Something important happens in this scene which Luke wants us to realize about this child. This same child who was wrapped in swaddling clothes just 12 short years prior, is quickly maturing and ready for the next step in His life.
The Son of Man grew in wisdom and is now clearly aware that He is the Son of God.
We know this after Mary and Joseph realized Jesus was not with them as they journeyed back home to Nazareth… Taking three days of backtracking to find Him in the Jerusalem Temple, Jesus replied to His parents in verse 49, “Why were you looking for me, did you not know I would be in my Father’s house?” On this day, Mary and Joseph realized Jesus was growing up… in divine wisdom and stature.
Wisdom vs Knowledge
I am leading a Men’s Bible Class here on Sunday mornings where we are studying the book of Proverbs. It’s not too late to join if you men out there want to fulfill a New Year’s resolution. At any rate, our group have relational conversations about wisdom and knowledge.
One of the first things we discussed in chapter one is the difference between knowledge and wisdom. A good way to remember this contrast is that knowledge is the correct understanding of the world… and wisdom is knowing how to apply that rightly.
That is why we are given the Old Testament lesson on this day from 1 Kings chapter 3. As was read earlier, the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream and said, “Ask what I shall give you.” Now, Solomon could have asked for anything under the sun. But he chose to be given wisdom. So, that is what the Lord thus give him, and with this wisdom Solomon went on to write the book of Proverbs. A book to let those seeking knowledge increase in wisdom by learning.
Jesus… the Son of Man… knew that before He could become wise… He needed to learn. He knew that the element of becoming a teacher… was to be teachable…
Like Solomon who taught profound knowledge and understanding, Jesus proceeds to engage with scholars, foreshadowing His mission of remarkable teachings and guiding humanity towards principles of love, compassion, and divine truth. The wisdom displayed in his formative years heralds the timeless truths he would share with the world.
Is that not what the goal in our lives is as well? Gaining knowledge so we may do well to apply wisdom. However, as we have discussed many times in the men’s Bible study, folly can look more attractive than wisdom.
The Easy Path of Folly
The temptation of taking a path of folly that drives self-centered thoughts and actions. Letting wants and needs turn to greed… placing roadblocks in our spiritual path.
That reminds me of a humorous story about a farmer who found an old lamp in his field. After picking it up and rubbing the dirt off to see what it was, a genie popped out. The genie tells the farmer he has 3 wishes but they must be 3 months apart.
So, the farmer wished for $6.00 corn and “poof” it shot up there. But sure enough, corn soon went back down to $4.00 where it was… so once again three months later he wished for $6 corn. “Wala” it was granted but soon the price fell once again… Then it comes time for his final wish three months after that… and you guessed it… he wished for $6 corn. The genie finally asked, “why would you waste all three wishes on the same thing? What will you do different this final time?” The farmer replies “Well this time I am going to sell it.”
How often does the folly of greed control us?
Not only greed but many other paths we take that lead to the destruction that folly delivers… such as pride, adultery, anger, untruthfulness, drunkenness, laziness… and many other directions we get tempted to go that lead us away from God.
Chosing The Right Path
As humans, in our sinfulness, we tend to make the same mistakes time and time again. Choosing the right path is not always easy. Relationships are complicated. Decisions are often difficult. Sin is real. In our journey of crossroads and dead ends, opportunity does not offer us a genie and three wishes to get it right.
Solomon writes in Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” As many times as we take the wrong road, if we put our trust in our Triune God, He will make our paths straight again.
This narrative in Luke of Jesus’ childhood serves as a lesson in choosing the right path… a reminder that our faith through divine wisdom goes beyond age and experience. Jesus’ example challenges each one of us to seek understanding, knowledge, and communion with God from a young age. Just as Jesus grew in wisdom and stature… you and I as believers are encouraged to nurture our spiritual growth and seek a deep relationship with Divine Wisdom… the Son of God… Jesus Christ.
WWJD
Remember the bracelets and keychains from the 90’s with the initials WWJD? Those were designed to be a reminder of “What Would Jesus Do.”
And a pretty good reminder really, when faced with life’s spiritual complexities, questions, and pains that separate us from having a personal relationship with Him. What would Jesus do in my difficult situation? How can I imitate His strength to overcome my adversities?
Modeling the life of the Son of Man as a way, to keep our hearts and minds on the right path… A reminder to spend time in His Word, pray, and live like Jesus would, as an ultimate goal to become Christ like.
Through this personal relationship we develop with Him is why Jesus’ humanity matters. This is why we celebrate Christmas with reverence and awe. That is why the Son of Man come in such mean estate. Because God wants to make an eternal connection with you, I, and all people.
Our Chains Are Gone
This story today is about a child who was obedient to His parents and God His Father. This lawful obedience, which is not going to be easy and will sometimes almost seem foolish, is the life to which God is calling us to live. An eternal path given to us with justification through faith. All this we see in the life of that boy we call Jesus… and what God will see in us on the last day.
All because, the Son of God would become… the Son of Man. That is the Jesus who ultimately suffered and died on the cross which broke the chains which sin has put upon us. That is why Paul boldly says in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
With this confidence we can start out this new year refreshed that God has taken off the limits of our fallen humanity… the chains which sin has put upon us… That means Jesus… indeed the Jesus who lives in us… is not constrained by the chains which Satan has forged for us in the fall. Through faith we can confidently say… “because of Christ who lives in me, the rules of acceptable behavior… the shackles of buy and sell… the bondage of depressing expectations… can no longer control me.
By doing what Jesus would do I can hang around with the outcasts, I can give and receive freely, I can dwell in a world in which the sins are forgiven, the hungry fed, and the downtrodden are lifted-up,” Yes, we could keep adding grace upon grace.
We can not only dream of these things, but we can start acting on that dream and living in that world today by what we say and do. All because… the Son of God… who become the Son of Man… Jesus Christ…. Lives in you every step of the way. Let His light shine through you in this New Year.
And may the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Amen