Tag: Parents

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So grownup for twelve.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

When they couldn’t find him, they went back to Jerusalem to search for him there. Three days later they finally discovered him in the Temple, sitting among the religious teachers, listening to them and asking questions. All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. His parents didn’t know what to think. “Son,” his mother said to him, “why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching for you everywhere.” “But why did you need to search?” he asked. “Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?” But they didn’t understand what he meant. ‭‭Luke‬ ‭2‬:‭45‬-‭50‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Luke tells us that Joseph & Mary continued doing everything according to the law – “When Jesus’ parents had fulfilled all the requirements of the law of the Lord, they returned home to Nazareth in Galilee. There the child grew up healthy and strong. He was filled with wisdom, and God’s favor was on him” Luke‬ ‭2‬:‭39‬-‭40‬. This finishes Jesus summary of his childhood. The next stage would be the teenage years, but in Judaism, a Jewish boy is considered a man, or an adult, at the age of 13, when he becomes Bar Mitzvah.

Luke gives us a glimpse into Jesus life and mindset at 12 years old. At 12, Jewish boys were expected to participate fully in religious observances, including attending Passover in Jerusalem. This would be Jesus’ final year of preparation before he entered full participation in the religious life of the synagogue. But Jesus did far more than just attend the activities in the temple – he stayed there for three days!

At the same time that Joseph & Mary are discovering Jesus’ disappearance, the religious teachers are being quizzed by the Son of God. Every one of the religious leaders in the temple were amazed at his grasp of understanding God’s law AND the answers that the leaders were asking of him. It is always amazing when a student impresses the teacher with their understanding. For Jesus, it was hunger – driven by his relationship with God and grasping the mission set before him. How do we know that? Because of the answer Jesus gave his mother. When Jesus’ parents showed up looking for him, they asked him, “Why have you done this to us?” They were frantic and seemed to blame Jesus for wandering off and not telling them. Totally understandable from a parent’s perspective. Why three days? There has been a lot of discussion about this three days missing. One was the fact that families travelled together and often cared for each other’s children while on a trip. Three days seem excessive, but at twelve, the assumption is that he knows what he’s doing and whoever has him in their family unit also would assume that Jesus’ parents were completely aware of his absence – which they were not.

Think about this, even at 12, Jesus was gone for 3 days – 3 days is certainly reflected in Jesus time in the tomb! This “missing” time serves well as an early mission reminder of what will eventually take place 21 years later.

Jesus’ comments back to his parents may seem disrespectful, but actually he was letting Mary know that he has figured out a very important piece of understanding. Jesus understood his special purpose within the Temple. Listen to the depth of wonder and certainty in his words, “Didn’t you know – that I must be in my Father’s house?” Luke tells us they didn’t understand, but I’m pretty sure Mary had some chills go down her spine as she heard Jesus say, “my Father.” In the very next verse it says, “And his mother stored all these things in her heart.” Even though Jesus would be in Jerusalem several times, he was only in the temple a few of those times. It was critical, hopeful and endearing for Jesus to be in his Father’s house!

Prayer

​Dad,
What an amazing sense of determination and duty that Jesus felt. To be drawn, not just visit, but to stay for three days. It is in this passion that I am able to see my own drive and duty not to be in a building, but to gather together with Your Church, the body of Christ. It feels right to be among the same mission driven folks that love and serve you. Since the pandemic, I have seen the awful results of people’s decisions to stop gathering with fellow believers. They seem to be weaker in their faith and stronger in their odd beliefs and conspiracy theories! And for those who are parents, it feels irresponsible to not have their children present where believers gather. I believe it is critical to their children’s faith. I also know as things come to the end, that people’s passion to gather, to be the church, grows cold. I wish it weren’t so, but it’s now a reality. Thank you for Your Church, where together, we still hunger and thirst for You!

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Parents doing things right.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

”Eight days later, when the baby was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel even before he was conceived. Then it was time for their purification offering, as required by the law of Moses after the birth of a child; so his parents took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. The law of the Lord says, “If a woman’s first child is a boy, he must be dedicated to the Lord.” So they offered the sacrifice required in the law of the Lord—“either a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭2‬:‭21‬-‭24‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Jesus was the firstborn in more than one way – Paul said that Jesus is the “firstborn of all creation” in Colossians 1:15 . There is so much information out there about birth order. There are studies, stats, science and lots of controversy. I often wonder if it always comes back to the old B.F. Skinner theories – is it nature or nurture. Are we born with specific traits and characteristics? Or are these personality quirks brought about by our family of origin and the influence of siblings.

Luke, the doctor, is very specific about Jesus’ beginnings. Here in this passage Luke makes sure we know that Joseph and Mary followed the law perfectly. “It was time for their purification offering.” God instructed Moses about the firstborn, “The Lord said to Moses, “Consecrate to me every firstborn male. The first offspring of every womb among the Israelites belongs to me, whether human or animal” Exodus‬ ‭13‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬. The New International Version correctly translates “firstborn,” as firstborn male. “Bakar,” meaning “to be born first” or “to bear early fruit,” is “prototokos,” in New Testament Greek. As mentioned, in the New Testament it refers to Jesus as the “firstborn” over all creation (Colossians 1:15) and the “firstborn from the dead” (Revelation 1:5). Not only is this firstborn son theme an echo of of the death of every firstborn male in Egypt, it is also seen in the entire sacrifice/offering system that God set up to teach humanity all about both the penalty, but also the consequences of sin.

Jesus, was circumcised and dedicated, completely fulfilling Old Testament requirements. In this purification offering, there is fulfillment of prophecy and the future picture of completion for all of us. GotQuestions.org writes, “In the Old Testament, purification was associated with ceremonial cleanliness. The Law of Moses included numerous rituals and sacrifices to achieve purification from physical and spiritual impurities. It [symbolizes] both the cleansing and liberation from impurity.

What effect do you think Jesus’ parents, Joseph and Mary, doing everything right, had on Jesus? It was critical for Jesus’ life and mission. Being the Son of Man and Son of God meant that Jesus’ parents played an important role in his early formation. God trusting Mary to carry, deliver and care for His only Son is pretty crazy! Then relying on Joseph to father Jesus as a foster dad, following every detail of what is required in the Jewish Old Testament Law. That’s a lot of pressure to get it right. There are only a few glimpses into the young life of Christ. But what we do see is Joseph and Mary doing everything humanly possible to give Jesus a wonderfully, normal, orthodox Jewish upbringing. What a difference it makes when parents do things right in raising their children! I have seen the difference in the way my wife, Robin, was raised and the way I was raised. Her parents raised her in a Godly environment and followed God, mine did not.

Prayer

​Dad,
Even though I did not have the benefit of having godly parents or even an attempt at giving me an understanding of who you are, you watched over me. Even as I heard your voice at fifteen, I had a vague sense that I recognized it. There was a strange recollection of familiarity. That gave me comfort and definitely increased the odds of me listening and saying “yes” to you. Robin had a completely different experience with her parents raising her in Godly ways. So we were quite the mixed-marriage when it came to raising our own children. Thank you so much for her parents and her upbringing! I am grateful that you have fathered me all along. And, gave me the opportunity to be a father to our own children. Your grace was more than sufficient!