IN MY FATHER'S HOUSE

Luke 2:39-52

Key Verse 2:49

"Why were you searching for me?" he asked. "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?"

This passage teaches us the necessity of our growth in the Lord, before getting anything great done.

It describes Jesus' boyhood as well as young adulthood, prior to his public service. Essentially it describes the years of his preparation, preparing himself for the work to be fulfilled. 

This passage inspires us to know how we too can be better prepared for a powerful, fruitful year to come.

1. Verses 38-40 describe Jesus' childhood in Nazareth.  The passage says that Jesus grew and became strong.  Yet in verse 40 it goes further to state, "he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him." What does this indicate about: 1) true strength; and 2) the boy Jesus? What prayer topics can we find for our own spiritual growth in the new year?

** True strength is dependant upon two things: 1) God's wisdom; and 2) God's grace.

1) Wisdom is the ability to make a right choice between two opposite courses of action (like lust vs. love, arrogance vs. humility, etc.) The expression "filled" indicates that Jesus' wisdom was complete, not partial. 

2) God's grace indicates that Jesus relied on God, so that he became strong through God's strength. 

** 1) The boy Jesus is the son of "God" who is perfect in wisdom love and power. Physically he had to grow up, but spiritually he naturally got filled with the wisdom of God. 

[Note: wisdom is the foundation of God's creation. 

Jeremiah 10:12 But God made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding.

Jeremiah 51:15 "He made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding.

2) Boy Jesus is the author and perfecter of faith. He maintained a perfect relationship with God the Father.

** We need to pray to grow in God's wisdom (until we are filled with it) by first relying on His love and power. 

Characteristically wisdom is a spiritual commodity, which comes from the spirit of wisdom. 

Isaiah 11:2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him--the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD--

This passage indicates that we need to pray to be filled with His Spirit who makes us wise, and strong. 

In order to be filled with God's Spirit, we need to repent, turn to God, and choose to do God's will, and actually do it. Then God fills us with His wisdom.

2. Read verses 41-45. What is the Feast of the Passover? What is the significance of the age twelve (v42)? Compare the expressions, "they were unaware of it [i.e., Jesus staying behind]" with what Jesus said to his mother in verse 49. In what respect was the boy Jesus different from his human parents? What can we learn from the boy Jesus who stayed behind "in Jerusalem"?

** It is recorded in Exodus 12-14 and other Bible passages such as Lev. 23. It is to celebrate the Israelites' release from the bondage to the slavery under Pharaoh (a type of the devil), to the freedom of worship in the Promised Land (which is in Jesus Christ). It was designed to teach the Israelites to continue to bear the blessing (salvation) by practically thanking God and living for His purpose.

** It denotes the threshold of one getting into adulthood, becoming a member of Jewish society such as synagogue. By this age, it is believed that (with all other conditions being equal) the faculty (built inside) to discern what is wrong from what is right matures, so that he starts being responsible for his decision/choice. For this reason even nowadays in Jewish society they put a boy through a ceremony called "bar mitzvah" (which mans son of the [Moses’] commandment). [For a girl, it is called Bat (meaning girl) mitzvah.]

** Jesus is from above, his parents from below.

** We learn from him his spiritual priority, that is, first priority was given to his personal relationship with God the Father.

3. Meditate on what Jesus did while in Jerusalem (vs46, 47). What do the following expressions teach us about the way for us to experience spiritual growth? 1) "in the temple courts"; 2) "sitting among the teachers"; 3) "listening to them"; 4) "asking questions"; and 4) "Everyone who heard him was amazed at his 'understanding' and 'answers.'"

** Personal growth comes in the context of the gospel, for the temple courts here denote the way for men to come to God as God ordained it. 

** Personal growth comes from learning from [spiritual] teachers who received God's training in regard to the word (also known as Torah). 

** Listening is the first step for personal growth.

** Asking questions is not only to find answers but also to overcome any possible misunderstandings or errors. It is also necessary to confirm what you already know. It was not only Jesus who asked questions, but the teachers who also asked Jesus questions (and thereby learned from him). 

** The word "amazed" indicates the level of Jesus' understanding. It is totally transcendental, going way above the human level. This expression 'amazed' tells us that we have a long way to go. 

4. Compare what Jesus' mother said in v48 to Jesus’ response in verse 49. Jesus asked his mother two questions.  What do they reveal about: 1) Jesus' parents; and 2) Jesus? What does Jesus' statement, "I had to be in my Father's house" teach us about: 1) the purpose of the temple; and 2) the priority for us to keep in planning for the new year?

** Jesus' parents were "ignorant" of (or at least for the past three days forgot) the origin of Jesus, that is, a man from the Father God. They were also mindful of their own [family] businesses. 

** Jesus is mindful of God's will, which is, for him to get into God's word, God's will, and do His will.

** It is the place where God's word must be honored, proclaimed, and flow into the four corners of the world. 

** Secure our relationship with God the Father first, then with our fellow brothers and sisters, then with the world. 

5.  Read verse 50. Supposedly Jesus' parents were "spiritual". Yet why didn’t they understand even after Jesus had tried to enlighten them? Yet, what can we learn from Mary (in verse 51b) who cherished what Jesus said?

** They did not understand because their spiritual eyes remained blind. They got their minds and hearts so filled with human thoughts on themselves and Jesus (like worries or anxieties of losing the boy Jesus) that they had no room to think about the meaning of what Jesus had said. 

** But Mary did a good job by cherishing what Jesus had said. This reminds us of Solomon's wisdom in Pro 22:17-18. 

6. Read verse 51a and compare what the boy Jesus did in Jerusalem and what he did at home. What can we learn from Jesus? 

** Jesus is different from many runaway kids. He is obedient to God and to men. A lot of people are obedient to men, but not God. But Jesus is different from them. So we learn from Jesus that we should not sleep on our duties to the members of our blood families, under the excuse of serving God. In the same way, we should not neglect our duties to God under the excuse of serving our family members.

7. Meditate on verse 52. How is growing "in wisdom" different from growing "in stature"? Why is it important to grow first in "wisdom" then in "stature"? Why is it important to have favor with God and men?  

** Growing in wisdom talks about spiritual growth, whereas the latter talks about physical growth.

** It is not to lose the balance between what is spiritual and what is physical, for it is when God's Spirit controls our body, that we can grow as normal human beings. If one grows physically strong but spiritually remain retarded, one will eventually render himself useless. Example: Samson. When he was ruled by the Spirit, he could be used as God's instrument. When he was ruled by lust, he became a slave to God's enemies. 

** We cannot separate God from men. Ultimately God saves us to save men. So it is very important for us to find first favor with God then with men.

The end

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