Luke 2:41-52

⁴¹ Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. ⁴² And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. ⁴³ And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, ⁴⁴ but supposing him to be in the group they went a day’s journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, ⁴⁵and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. ⁴⁶ After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. ⁴⁷ And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. ⁴⁸ And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.” ⁴⁹ And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” ⁵⁰ And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. ⁵¹ And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart. ⁵² And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

The Gospels, of course, tell us about the life of Jesus, our Savior. But other than the first two chapters of Luke, the Gospels mainly focus on the three-and-a-half-year public ministry of Jesus which Luke tells us began when He was about 30 years old (Lk. 3:23). And about one-third of the content of each of the Gospels deal with the week of Jesus’ crucifixion. Every last word of the Gospels is holy, inspired, and given to us by the Holy Spirit to learn about Jesus, but this text is unique. It is the only account we have of our Savior as a youth. All of that is to say that this text is precious and has a lot to teach us.

Today, we are going to focus on the holy family of Jesus, Joseph, and Mary. And please don’t be offended that I call them ‘the holy family.’ I’m using that term 1) because it’s more efficient that saying, ‘Jesus, Mary, and Joseph,’ and 2) because they truly are a holy family. Jesus is holy, and Joseph and Mary are also holy because they believed in Jesus and through faith in Him received the holiness and forgiveness He won for them. So, as we consider the holy family, we want to see God’s good and gracious gift of the families He has given us.

First, we have to start with the simple, obvious fact that God provided Jesus with a family during His time on earth. When God comes in the flesh to save us, He had a mother, Mary; an earthly, adopted stepfather, Joseph; and brothers and sisters. (Whether those brothers and sisters were children of Joseph and Mary after Jesus is up for debate, but we’ll leave that for another time because, in the end, it doesn’t really matter to our salvation.)

Through His parents, Jesus, the eternal Son of God, was provided for and protected. God warned Joseph in a dream that the wicked King Herod was seeking to destroy Jesus shortly after His birth, so Joseph and Mary were directed to take Jesus to live safely in Egypt (Mt. 2:13-23). After Herod’s death, Joseph and Mary moved Jesus back to Israel and lived in the city of Nazareth where they did the godly work of raising Jesus so that He grew and became strong. They also taught Jesus so that He grew in wisdom (Lk. 2:40).

You fathers and mothers, just as God called Joseph and Mary to do this for Jesus, He has given you the high and holy calling to do this for your children. You can know that this is holy work because the first Commandment that God gives us regarding other people is the 4^th Commandment, “Honor thy father and thy mother.” Parents, you work and provide for the children God has given you. You put food on the table and in the cupboards. You maintain a roof over your children and provide a safe, warm place for them to grow and mature. You teach them at home and give them an education so they can grow up and become productive adults. All of this is your God-given, holy calling as parents.

Do you always do this perfectly? Of course not! Not every meal has the ideal balance of fruits, vegetables, and a proper protein. Not every room in your house is clean and decluttered. At times, you might discipline your kids too harshly. There have probably been times when your child needed you in the middle of the night and you regret the fact that you are a parent. But still, in each of those situations – when you throw a bunch of frozen fish sticks or a pizza into the oven; when your house is a mess but still intact; when you correct your children; and when you change the wet, soiled sheets and pajamas and clean up the vomit in the middle of the night while grumbling under your breath – in each of those moments, you are still serving the one God has given you to serve. Outward obedience, even when it is soiled by a sinful heart and selfish attitude, meets the needs of your children and is still pleasing in the sight of God. It is holy work. And there is forgiveness for your sinful attitude while doing it. So, be absolved, forgiven, and freed.

And children, recognize the gift God has given you in your parents. You know your parents aren’t perfect, and they know they aren’t perfect. So, kids, give your parents grace, and parents, give your kids grace. When you sin against each other, ask for forgiveness, and when forgiveness is requested, extend it. To live in this world is to constantly need and constantly extend forgiveness. Because God has forgiven you of all your sins, you are free to spread that forgiveness to others.

So, the first thing is to recognize that a family is a good gift from God, and God has given you incredibly holy callings within your family.

The second thing to consider about families comes from how this text begins. “[Jesus’] parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover.” Joseph and Mary placed a high priority on Jesus’ spiritual care and nurturing by going to the Temple in Jerusalem each year to celebrate the Passover. Even though Luke doesn’t explicitly say this, I don’t think there is any reason to doubt that even while they lived in Egypt the holy family would make the trip each Passover to be in Jerusalem despite the danger.

Again, King Herod had issued the demonic decree that all the infant boys of Bethlehem be killed. So God had the holy family flee to Egypt where their ancestors had been enslaved centuries before. But each year, for the Passover, the holy family would come up, out the land of slavery to return to the Promised Land which was ruled by people who were seeking to kill Jesus. They went to celebrate God delivering His people.

Parents, of all the things God has called you to provide for your children, their spiritual care is first and foremost. God has called you to teach your children the Word of God. The church is here to help and assist you in teaching your children the faith, but the task is your responsibility. According to Dt. 6:7, parents are to teach their children God’s Word as you sit in your house, as you walk by the way, and when you lie down and when you rise. Don’t be so foolish as to think that bringing your children here for Sunday School and service for two hours each week is enough.

Fathers, according to Scripture, this responsibility mainly falls to you (Eph. 6:4). God has called you to be doing this not only daily, but throughout the day. Scripture’s clear teaching on this is enough, but the most recent surveys show how important your involvement is as well. Studies show that when both parents are involved in the church, 72% of children will remain involved in the church when they are grown. When only the father is involved, the total drops to 55%. When only the mother is involved, it plunges to 15%, and when neither parent is involved, it drops to 6%. So, mothers, support your husband in this.

Children, this is the one area where you have God’s permission to boss your parents around. If you are getting made fun of at school, are worried about something, or are afraid, ask your parents to pray for you. Tell them to teach you Bible stories and point you to Jesus. Ask them questions about the Scriptures. If your parents are sleeping in on a Sunday morning, wake them up so your whole family can go to church together.

To build up your family, continually be pointed to what Jesus, your Messiah, has done. That is likely the conversation that Jesus was having with the teachers that day in the Temple.

Jesus is true God and true man. As true God, Jesus has always been omniscient (which means He knows everything). But Jesus chose to humble Himself, so even though He possessed all His divine attributes that He had as true God, He did not always take full advantage of them. Jesus chose to learn and grow. He chose to live the life that the Law required of us. That means that Jesus would learn from God’s Word as He was in the Temple.

When Joseph and Mary found Jesus in the Temple, He was sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Since it was the time of the Passover, it isn’t far-fetched to conclude that some of that questioning revolved around the Passover – about the enslavement of God’s people, about the judgment of wicked Pharaoh, about the lambs, and about the blood covering the doorposts that delivered from the angel of death. Because Jesus and those teachers were in the Temple, some of the questioning might have revolved around the things and practices of the Temple – about sacrifices, the incense, the bread of the presence, the holy and most holy place, and the Ark of the Covenant. All these were things God had given His people to point them to the Messiah.

And even though Jesus didn’t do any miracle there in the Temple, everyone was amazed at His understanding and answers. He had come to be that Messiah. He had come to shed His blood to cover the door of your heart. He had come to deliver you from slavery to sin. He had come to earth and bring God’s gracious presence to fallen humanity.

In our Old Testament lesson (1 Kgs. 8:6-13), you heard what happened when God’s glory entered the Temple after it was built by Solomon. The cloud and thick darkness was so holy and awesome that it drove the priests away. Then, God’s glory was threatening, but it served a buffer between God and man. But God’s truest glory appeared that day in the Temple in the flesh of a twelve-year-old boy, and that glory drew people near to Him.

That same glory is here now. Jesus is here with us in this place. All the fullness of God was pleased to dwell in Jesus, and He dwells with you, His people. His holiness comes to you and makes you holy by His grace. So may that same holiness fill your homes and bless your families today and every day as you grow in holiness as a family. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.