A Powerful Life

A Powerful Life

Words of Faith 3-6-18

Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2018

Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com

Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL

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Luke 2

   [51] Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. [52] And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

       Jesus was clearly a son of the Covenant. He was coming of age and able to be in charge of His life. Yet Jesus was OBEDIENT as a child to his earthly parents. He not only honored His earthly father and mother as the Law commanded, He was obedient. He knew the importance of obedience. He was learning the walk of obedience in His earthly life. Eventually, Jesus would be obedient even to the point of death on a cross.

       But for now, these were things Mary was treasuring up. She was not talking about all that she knew. She was watching and rejoicing in the way that God was bringing these things to pass just as promised.

       And He grew in wisdom, strength, in favor with God and men. Probably there was a Sabbath when Jesus was Bar Mitzvah and He was called officially "aliyah" or "called up" to come and read from the Law. He would have strapped a phylactery onto His head that had the little verse in it -- Shema Yisraeil: Adonai Elohienu, Adonai Echad! Baruch sheim kevod malchutoleolan vaed! Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One. Love the Lord your God with all your heart mind soul and strength!

         Jesus grew in every important way. He continued to go each year to Jerusalem. We sometimes think that when Jesus entered Jerusalem to cleanse the Temple that it was the first time He had seen the money changers and the corruption. He had seen it since His childhood.

   So what is the point? Why does Luke give us this information?   Luke is the most Gentile of the Gospel writers, but for some reason he wants to be sure we know how Jewish Jesus is. There is a temptation to make Jesus into a "Gentile Savior" instead of the Jewish Messiah. Jesus came to save the whole world, but He came through a particular chosen people.

     There is a temptation to strip away much of who Jesus really is and Luke wants to be sure we do not do that. Luke is inviting us to get to know Jesus, the REAL Jesus. Even more, he invites us as Gentiles into the world of the Jewish Messianic hope. He invites us to that same hope. We may go searching and searching for the Savior and not realize He is in His Father's house, the fabric of Judaism.

       Lord God, thank You for revealing to us the real Jesus. Thank You for revealing Your plan of redemption that is through the Covenant people of Judaism. Thank for coming to us as the Messiah to redeem us. In Jesus' name.