LISTEN TO JESUS - INTRODUCTION AND FIRST WORDS

LISTEN TO JESUS

INTRODUCTION

We have decided to begin 2019 by looking at the words of Jesus, the words in red in many Bibles. We will follow that tradition by using red to denote words directly attributed to the God-Man, Jesus. We will present them in context with background information where needed. Then, in our usual Bible Study Ping-Pong style, we will discuss the passage, the quoted words of our Lord, and when appropriate, the applications we can make to our own lives in the 21^st century since Jesus’s birth on the earth. We plan to keep the daily post brief, so some days we may simply give the background of the words of Jesus to be discussed in the next post. We hope you will join us for the next few months as we “Listen to Jesus.”

FIRST WORDS – PART 1

And he said unto them,

How is it that ye sought me?

wist ye not that I must be about

my Father's business?

Luke 2:49

Susie: Baby’s first words. We cherish them, record them in a memory book, and tell the story of how they came about to anyone who will listen. However, God the Father chose not to record His Son’s first baby words. After the stories surrounding His miraculous birth found in the Gospels of Luke and Matthew, we are not given much information about Jesus’s early years. We read about the visit of the Magi to a house in Bethlehem when Jesus was probably a toddler, but if He spoke or was prompted to say, “Thank you,” for their gifts, we do not know. The first recorded words of the incarnate Christ are those of a boy on the verge of manhood in the Jewish culture. Let’s look at the passage containing these first recorded words of our Lord Jesus as the God-Man.

Luke 2:39-52 And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth. And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.

Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast.

And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it. But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him.

And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.

And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.

And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?

And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them. And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.

Susie: After His dedication in the Temple and a sojourn to Egypt to flee the murderous Herod, Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to Nazareth where Joseph was a carpenter. There are no direct quotes from His childhood years, but we are given a snippet of important information about them.

Susan: Let’s look at this description of His boyhood in a modern translation:

Luke 2:40 (VOICE) There Jesus grew up, maturing in physical strength and increasing in wisdom, and the grace of God rested on Him.

Susan: All the Bible tells us about Jesus’s early years is that He was healthy, that He was educated and applied what He learned wisely, and that God’s grace and favor were apparent in Him in greater measure than other children.

Susie: When Jesus was twelve, Joseph and Mary took Him to Jerusalem for a festival, possibly the Passover.

Susan: At twelve, Jesus would have been nearing Bar Mitzvah which literally means “Son of the commandment” which is celebrated on the day a boy turns thirteen. This commemorates his passage from boyhood to manhood in the sense that he begins to take full responsibility of obedience to the Old Testament Law. He would have received instruction in the Jewish Law beginning at five years old. (see commentary at https://biblehub.com/luke/2-42.htm for more information).

Susie: Some commentators believe Jesus may have had His thirteenth birthday during the seven days of the Passover Festival. Joseph and Mary did not know Jesus intended to stay behind in Jerusalem and were worried when they discovered Jesus was not in their caravan. They returned to find Him having discourse with the religious teachers at the Temple. It would make sense for Him to present Himself to the Rabbis to question and be questioned since He was at the dawn of manhood.

Susan: This reminds me of defending my paper before my professors in the process of my seminary training.

Susie: I remember my paper defense as well. However, Jesus probably did not even own a scroll of the Old Testament. He had memorized passages by rote recital under the teaching of a rabbi.

Susan: The boy Jesus presented thought-provoking questions and answers to those who would normally be His teachers. This kind of wisdom could only be attributed to a supernatural impartation by His Father, God.

Susie: Mary and Joseph arrive on the scene having been extremely concerned because Jesus was missing and find Him calmly discussing the Law with the teachers. Mary basically demands to know what He was thinking.

Susie: In our next post, we will examine Jesus’s reply to His mother, His first recorded words as the incarnate Son of God.