THE CHILD, JESUS

Like all Jewish parents, Mary and Joseph knew their chief responsibility was to teach the faith to their children. They diligently taught Jesus. He went with them to synagogue every Sabbath. Like all Jewish mothers, Mary began teaching Him from the cradle. As soon as He could talk, Joseph had to begin His instruction. He surely did so, for if he failed to impart knowledge of the Law to his son – even to Jesus — he would be considered a useless father.

Jesus watched Joseph and Mary go off to Passover each year – that was part of His education too. At age 6, Jesus began at the local synagogue school. The teacher sat with his students in a circle around him. These students were considered the teacher’s “crown of glory.” Imagine, Jesus not in the center but forming only a small part of a human teacher’s crown of glory! Yet it was so. Jesus was learning and growing in His understanding of the Word of God.

As they journeyed to Jerusalem for this Passover, Mary and Joseph must have been full of thoughts about how special this trip was, the first Passover after Jesus’ 12th birthday. Now He was considered a “son of the Law.”

We’re about to see an “epiphany.” The name for this season means “shine forth.” It’s about Jesus’ glory as God. It was kept hidden these 12 years. He’ll continue to hide it, keep from fully using His glory. In this season we see these “epiphanies,” when we see a sudden flash of His glory. This is the first.

Sermon Text, Luke 2:41-52 (v. 46-49, 51). Now so it was 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. And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.” And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them.

Lord, this is Your Word and these are Your words. Sanctify us by the truth. Your Word is truth. Lord, by our hearing of Your Word, make us Your holy children. Amen.

In the name of Jesus, whose worship in the Father’s house makes our worship and our faith perfectly acceptable to God, dear saints:

This story is about Jesus’ childhood, so it is about the 4th commandment: to honor our parents and to be in submission to earthly authorities. We heard that Jesus “went down with them … to Nazareth, and was subject to them.”

But since the setting for this narrative is a chief worship festival, the Passover, this is also – maybe especially – about the 3rd commandment: “You shall keep the day of rest holy.” In our catechism we learn, this command is really about hearing God’s Word: “that we do not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it.” The main action here is Jesus hearing God’s Word and amazing the esteemed teachers of the Word.

This is a big moment. The Child whom Herod was seeking to kill Him, and who has been living safely and quietly for 12 years in out-of-the-way Nazareth where nobody in the wide world notices Him, finally Gets Noticed: “They found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers.”

But actually, what Jesus says to the teachers of the Law is not the epiphany here. Jesus is still humbly learning. The epiphany is what He says to Mary and Joseph: “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” This epiphany is for them. Only they see it.

This happens in His Father’s house, in the place of worship, which defines who they are as a family. The epiphany is the Boy Jesus’ awareness that He’s the only Son of the Father.

As we hear that Joseph and Mary “did not understand the statement which He spoke to them,” this provides us with a full picture of Jesus’ life in Nazareth. What was Jesus’ statement that they didn’t understand? The one about “My Father’s business.” Mary has just said to Jesus the words that she often said at home – “your father and I,” meaning Joseph – but Jesus follows up with “My Father’s business,” meaning: not Joseph. Jesus is saying: Joseph is not My father. God is My Father. I am the Son of God. Remember?

So well has Jesus carried out His mission from the Father, even as a child, that now Mary and Joseph don’t even understand. It truly is an epiphany for them. His glory is shining on them, and they realize it. They see Him revealed not only as their dear child, but as the Father’s holy Child, their Savior.

We shouldn’t miss where this first epiphany takes place: in the temple, the place of worship, which the adult Jesus calls “My Father’s house.” This is His first epiphany – one He wants to repeat with us perpetually.

Don’t you need His glory to shine on you? It’s why He wants us to come to church. It’s why He gives us our children: to bring them to Him. The first thing He wants us to do is bring our children to church and to be baptized. How many children – even you in your childhood – don’t know what coming to church is like without having your parents next to you! The earliest memories of going to church include parents.

The Lord shines His glory on us through this, but He doesn’t make it this big, daunting, imposing thing. He makes it easy. It’s just going to church with people you know well in a building whose every corner and crack you know. This familiarity and easiness is a gift. Like all gifts, it can be misused, taken for granted, forgotten – like Mary and Joseph were lulled into forgetfulness.

You’re at worship but your mind wanders. You don’t come dressed as if you’re meeting a King. Or if it’s not how we’re dressed, this carelessness is there in our attitude as we come into His house. You look around at others. You know their faults. You use the service to find something to criticize instead of humbly receiving the gifts God is giving you. Or if you are in church and do your best to honor God in how you listen, sing and pray, you confine your spiritual life to church and separate it from the rest of your life. How do you fail to worship God and honor Him in your body, in your words, in your use of money or of time, in what you read, watch, listen to. You worship God not just in your words; your life shows if you praise Him.

There is a lot that can be lacking in how we do our worship. But this is the reason for Jesus’ epiphany in His Father’s house. His worship is about your worship, making you and your worship of Him clean, pure and acceptable.

An important part of Jesus’ saving work is His “active obedience” – what He did to fulfill the Law for everybody by living a perfectly righteous life.

Why did Jesus need to learn anything, become wise, and have His faith increase? Not for Himself but for you. His worship of God, His perfect trust in the Father, saves you. You’re saved not by how good your faith is, but that Jesus’ perfect faith counts for you. His faith saves you! Your faith, which you receive as a gift, is the means by which you’re saved, for through faith you benefit from how perfectly He trusted, worshipped, and put God first. He did it for you. Your faith, your worship, is acceptable to God for Jesus’ sake.

We can learn from Jesus’ conduct. There was nothing lacking in His worship. See what He was like with the teachers of the Law. Jesus is not showing up the teachers, or debating them He is still humbly learning. The teachers are impressed even by His questions, which are filled with love of the Scriptures, and especially fear and love of God.

We learn from Jesus to love the Father’s house so it never gets old for us. We learn from Jesus to love His Word and feel that a day can’t end until you open your Bible and read it. You learn to call worship my Father’s business so you commune with Him personally and let nothing keep you from it.

But this isn’t just a good example. He was doing this for you. Your worship isn’t about you and how you do it and what it feels like; it’s about Jesus and what He does. You come here to find Him, to be in His Father’s house, because here He makes you worthy to be in His Father’s house.

Our worship, what we offer Him, even at our best, on our own is lacking. But Jesus’ worship, His love for the Scriptures, His perfect faith and trust in God, is what He offers to the Father to count as your worship, your love for His Word, your trust in Him. Your worship and faith is acceptable, for Jesus’ sake. He makes it so you can just enjoy God, as He takes joy in you.

Just like Mary and Joseph, aren’t you surprised with joy how He is shining His glory on you through such easy, familiar, even lowly means? May His glory keep shining on you until, through His grace, you arrive where His glory never fades and you see it isn’t only His glory but yours! Amen!