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About a Boy - Luke 2:39-52

By Mike Osborne | May 21, 2007

Introduction:

J. Gresham Machen – d. Jan. 1, 1937 at the age of 56
● Professor at Princeton Seminary for 23 years
● Stood up against liberalism
● Broke from Princeton in 1929 and founded Westminster Seminary in Philadelphia
● Was instrumental in forming the OPC
● On his deathbed, in a telegram to John Murray: “I’m so thankful for the active obedience of Christ. No hope without it.”

What did he mean by “the active obedience of Christ”? And why did he say there’s “no hope without it”?
● 33 years between manger and cross
● Cross = passive obedience
● Life of Jesus = active obedience
● Without it, we would not and could not be saved. (More on that later.)

We don’t give much thought to the sinless life of Jesus Christ.
● Partly because we don’t know much about it, other than this brief passage in Luke.

What can we learn about the boyhood of Jesus? (2 things)

I. Jesus was an entirely normal little boy (not “typical,” but “normal”).

● He had a normal and relatively uneventful childhood. We learn this as much from what Luke does NOT tell as from what he DOES tell us.
● Birth (vv.1-21)
● Presentation in the Temple when Jesus was about 6 weeks old (vv. 22-38) – Simeon & Anna
● Set up house in Nazareth (vs. 39)
● Then Luke skips forward 12 years to this one event in the life of Jesus.
● The next time we meet Jesus he’s 30 years old (Luke 3).

Now that’s amazing!
● No mention of “Jesus the Superboy” – leaping tall palaces w/ a single bound…faster than a speeding camel…throwing ball 100 mph…etc.
o [There are some apocryphal writings that speak of lions & leopards bowing at his feet…speaking to a palm tree, “Bend down and give my mother your fruit”…modeling 12 sparrows out of clay, clapping, they fly away]

A. Jesus grew physically like a normal boy (vs.40a) …He went through the regular stages of growth

B. He grew intellectually like a normal boy (vss. 40b, 52a) – he had to be taught at home & school; he didn’t just automatically know everything…developed hobbies, skills, a vocation

C. He grew socially like a normal boy (vs. 52b) – when games were played, he was there…he joined in Jewish dances…he laughed, cried, felt emotions…he liked people

D. Now this is touching on a mystery about the incarnation: Jesus was 100% and 100% human.

o The pre-existent, eternal Son of God, about the year 5 B.C., became a human being.
o Without for a moment ceasing to be God, he took on something new: true humanity.
o The infinite God assumed the nature of finite man!
o As to his human nature he was finite: limited knowledge; thirsty; sleepy…when he was born, he didn’t have a halo over his head!…he cried in the manger because he was hungry & cold…when he scraped his knee he bled…”he learned obedience from what he suffered” (Heb. 5:8).
o But as to his divine nature he was omniscient, omnipotent, & omnipresent.

Meekness and majesty,
Manhood and deity,
In perfect harmony, the man who is God.
Lord of eternity dwells in humanity,
Kneels in humility and washes our feet.
O what a mystery,
Meekness and majesty,
Bow down and worship
For this is your God,
This is your God. (Graham Kendrick)

● Illus.: Gepetto thought it was a miracle when Pinocchio became “a real boy.” That’s nothing!
● The Bible says God became a real boy.
● That’s why we don’t read in the Scriptures of Jesus doing magic tricks or lifting trees out of the ground or creating live birds out of clay.
● He could have!
● But he chose not to…Phil. 2: “Although Christ existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself [became nothing…laid aside the glory & privileges of deity] being made in the likeness of men.”
● Take away the humanity of Jesus, and you take away the power of the cross.
● Why? Because only a man who was God could take away the sins of the world; but only a God who was man could die in our place.

II. Jesus was a (normal) deeply spiritual little boy.

● Wonder what it was like living under the same roof with the Creator of the universe?
o Never lost his temper
o Never cheated or lied or stole
o Never spoke unkindly
o James never got to tell on Jesus!
● Jesus was God…he was perfect (2 ways):

A. He was fully devoted to God. He was completely sold out to knowing God, worshiping God, seeking God, obeying God (vss. 41-49).

o 3 annual Jewish feasts held in Jerusalem: Passover, Pentecost, Tabernacles
o Only males 13 yrs. and up were required to go, but Mary & Joseph were in the habit of going together.
o This year, for the feast of Passover, they took Jesus along.
o He was 12 (vs.42). The next year he would be a bar mitzvah (a “son of the law”) – the age of maturity.
o After they did their thing in Jerusalem, they headed back to Nazareth.
o They traveled in a caravan, with women & children up front, and men in the rear.
o Joseph & Mary each thought Jesus was with the other.
o The first night they realized Jesus was not there.
o So the next day they went back, and on the 3rd day they found him.
o vv. 46-47
o Understandably, Joseph & Mary are put out with their son.
o Vs. 48: “What’s the big idea? Why have you treated us like this? Didn’t you even look at the clock? Didn’t it for a moment cross your mind that we might be a little worried?”
o “We haven’t slept a wink for 2 nights! You could have been kidnapped, for all we know. Your picture could be on a milk carton!”

Jesus’s reply (vs. 49) is direct, simple, and profound: “Why is it that you were looking for me? Didn’t you know that I had to be in my Father’s house?”

o “Didn’t you realize that I must be about my Father’s business? …that I’m here on a mission, and it compels everything about me?”
o “Mom, Dad, my concern for the things of God…my love for the house of God…my interest in the people of God…my commitment to the book of God are so great, that these things come first…they come before my safety, they come before my friends, and Mom & Dad, they even come before you.”

It’s no wonder Joseph and Mary didn’t understand what Jesus was saying (vs. 50).
o That degree of commitment is rare if not nonexistent.

Is this how you feel about the things of God?
o Does God come first in your life?
o Do you put a priority on worshiping and serving the Lord, or does church just fit in when it’s convenient?
o O, for more of this mentality: “I must be about the affairs of my Father. I must be at work for the Lord.”

So Jesus was fully devoted to God.

B. But notice this: He was also fully devoted to his parents (vs. 51).

o Kids: Have you ever felt like your parents don’t understand you? They’re not on your side…they just don’t relate?
o If there ever was a person who could have felt that way it was Jesus!
o Yet, we find that he submitted to his parents’ authority.
o “subjection” = a military term referring to soldiers who by an act of will decide to put themselves under their commanding officer
o Jesus must have often said to himself: “I am the Son of God. My parents make mistakes, they don’t even know who I really am, yet as their son I am going to submit to them.”
o Kids, students: Your parents are sinners. But they’re still your parents. God says, “Honor them. Do what they say.”
o Sure, there ought to be dialogue and discussion. Parents, don’t just lay down the law. But still, ultimately kids, you need to come to the point where you say, “Lord, as an act of obedience to YOU I hereby put myself under the authority of my parents.”

Now in this text today you have words of both challenge and comfort. Let’s take the challenge first.

Challenge

Jesus models for us here what our goal should be:
● Full commitment to God: “I must be about my Father’s business.”
● Full commitment to others, especially those God has put over us…parents, grandparents, teachers, pastors, elders, government officials, bosses, community leaders, etc.

We begin a new year tomorrow…what will it look like for you to be “about the Father’s business” in 2007?
● Giving?
o $7/week (to land fund) in 2007 = $364
o 364 x 250 = $91,000
o More than what we need to buy that land
● Becoming a member of UPC? (Discovery Jan. 12-14)
● Getting into a LIFE Group?
● Read the Bible? (www.bibleonradio.com)
● Helping one person trust Jesus in 2007
o Students…

● How are you possibly going to do it?

Comfort

Remember what I said earlier about the active obedience of Jesus Christ?
● Here it is. (point to Bible)

Let me explain something to you.
● Do you realize that if Jesus had merely died for you on the cross, you would not be God’s child today? …that you would go to hell?
● See, the death of Christ solved only half our problem.
● We’re sinners…we’re guilty…we need to be forgiven…Jesus secured our forgiveness on the cross.
● But we need something else in order to be God’s children and go to heaven…we need righteousness.
● And Jesus secured your righteousness by his active obedience…by his perfect life.
o Illus.: my granddaughter in gift store at Disney World

● When Jesus was a loving toddler, He was a loving toddler for you.
● When he was a kind little boy, He was a kind little boy for you.
● When he was 12 years old, about His Father’s business, he was about his Father’s business for you.
● And when he settled in Nazareth and obeyed his parents, he obeyed his parents for you.
● Because you and I are not always loving…kind…about our Father’s business…obedient to those over us.
● Jesus lived for you AND he died for you.

This is why you and I can say, with J. Gresham Machen:

“Thank you, God, for the active obedience of Christ. No hope without it!”

Topics: Luke |

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