January 5, 2025; Sunday Morning Worship

Order of Service

• Call to Worship — Psalm 100
• Hymn — O Day of Rest and Gladness
• Prayer of Invocation
• Confession of Sin
• Assurance of Pardon
• Scripture Reading — Exodus 12:21-28
• Pastoral Prayer
• Offering
• Hymn — Speak, O Lord
• Sermon
• Lord's Supper
• Hymn — How Deep the Father's Love for Us
• Benediction — 2 Corinthians 13:14
• Doxology

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Sermon Title: A Surprising Passage — The Boy Jesus in the Temple

Scripture: Luke 2:40-52

I. The Surprising Maturing of Jesus

A. Luke frames the passage with two parallel statements about Jesus' growth

1. Luke 2:40 — the child grew, became strong, and was filled with wisdom
2. Luke 2:52 — Jesus increased in wisdom, stature, and favor with God and man

B. The incarnation required genuine human growth and learning

1. The Son of God assumed a true human nature — body, mind, and soul — in every way except sin
2. As sinless pre-fall Adam still needed to grow and learn, so did the sinless Christ
3. The 12-year-old Jesus sat with temple teachers for three days — honestly listening and asking questions, not showing off

C. Christ's real growth enables him to sympathize with us

1. He knew weakness, temptation, sorrow, and ignorance according to his human nature
2. He is truly our elder brother, made of the same stuff, going before us
3. He put in the study; aided by the Holy Spirit, he increased in wisdom — so that Paul could say he "became to us wisdom from God" (1 Corinthians 1:30)

II. The Surprising Mission of Jesus

A. The context: Mary and Joseph make the annual Passover pilgrimage to Jerusalem (Luke 2:41-42)

1. A journey of roughly 80 miles over about four days
2. At the feast's end, Jesus quietly remains behind while his parents depart

B. After a day's travel and an extended search, his parents find him in the temple — the last place they thought to look

C. Jesus' first recorded words reveal his mission (Luke 2:49)

1. "Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?"
2. The Greek word translated must (δεῖ) runs throughout Luke's Gospel as a thread pointing to the necessary, decreed suffering and cross of the Messiah
3. The divine must of his mission controlled his entire life in complete harmony with his own will

D. Jesus stands in a unique relationship to the Father

1. Note the contrast: Mary says "your father and I" (Joseph); Jesus replies "my Father's house" (God)
2. The temple — with its sacrifices and furnishings — pointed ahead to Jesus himself and his atoning work
3. His obedience here is a foretaste of his obedience at the cross: "the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified" (Luke 9:22)

III. The Surprising Model of Jesus

A. Jesus used his temporary freedom faithfully — not idling or getting into mischief, but increasing in godly wisdom before the face of his Father

B. After being found, he returned to Nazareth and was submissive to his parents (Luke 2:51)

1. His trustworthy character of obedience had been established throughout his entire childhood
2. His perfect obedience was necessary to qualify him as the sinless, spotless Lamb

C. Christ's obedience is our model

1. To young people: use your free time to increase in godly wisdom; be submissive to your parents; your whole life is before the watchful eye of the Father
2. To adults: remember the chief end of life is the glory of God; order your priorities accordingly
3. Our mission — to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves — spans every sphere of life (Mark 12:30-31)

D. Application: trust in Christ who perfectly accomplished salvation; follow him as the perfect model — not to make ourselves feel more holy, but in grateful response to what he has done