Prime Example

Heard the most wonderful Mother's Day message today.  It was all about Jesus.  The passage was Luke 2:41-52.  I appreciate pastors whose messages cause me to think and this one certainly did.  In fact, I had to work very hard to concentrate (tic flare-up).  He seemed to be a little off kilter at first, but his subject was so profound and yet so simple the need to concentrate made it worth all the more to hear.

This passage of Scripture is the only passage that allows us to look into the childhood of Jesus.  Why is that important?  I have to admit I never thought about it before, but once he started preaching, I realized it is an important subject.  There's nothing unimportant in Scripture, but some things just go right over my head-until I hear a good message or the Scriptures grab my attention in a way it never has before.  How many times have I read a passage and thought, "Now, where did that come from?"  It had never seemed important before, but the Holy Spirit knows what I need to learn and when I need to learn it.  Today was one of those days.

If Jesus is God, surely He knows everything, so why does the Scripture speak of Him growing spiritually?  Why was He born as a baby?  Why did He have a mother and siblings?  Again, I never really considered it that important.  However, as the pastor spoke this morning, I realized Jesus went through the entire human process for the purpose identifying with us.  To be the example for us as to how we should live.  Granted, He is God and He does know everything, but how would we learn to live without His example? How could we draw close to a holy God without His death on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins?

Other gods have no use for humans.  Have no desire to love us and communicate with us. It's been said that Muslims would be offended at the idea of Allah having a son. But God-our God-is the One True God and He desires to have fellowship with us.  Therefore, Jesus became man and lived as as human being to show us how to live and, through His death, we can have fellowship with Him.

Therefore, Luke 2:52, in which the author tells us Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man, it is very important for us to understand why that verse is there.  Jesus not only knew all about mankind's lives because He is God, but He also experienced what we do-without sin.  It was even mentioned that His family didn't believe in Him until after the resurrection.  In other words, His family was not supportive and didn't want Him to follow the will of the Father.

I'm grateful for the this morning's message.  Grateful that Jesus not only came to be our prime example, but to die for us because He also knew we could not live a life worthy of heaven unless the penalty for sin was paid and He did that, too.  What an awesome God we serve.