Walking With Jesus - Volume 01 - Lesson 010

LOC – 010 – The Childhood of Jesus

Lesson Objectives

God is in full charge of Jesus life.

Jesus grows up just like any other human being.

Jesus exhibits extraordinary wisdom when He is only twelve years old.

Jesus is a role model in obedience to His parents.

Lesson Commentary

Read Matthew 2:19-23; Luke 2:39-52

Before we can get to the teaching ministry part of Jesus’ life, it is helpful to have a bit of an understanding of His beginning and significant events that prepare Him for His work. In this lesson, we are going to take Jesus from around two-four years old through age twelve. God is setting the final touches to the stage for the start of Jesus’ ministry. Something quite astounding happens when He is twelve years old. Let’s observe.

In the last lesson, three scenes were bound together by several factors. First, each move of the Christ child is undertaken by Joseph as the result of the appearance of an angel in a dream. Second, each section includes a fulfillment of and Old Testament prophecy. Third, the whole narrative is governed by a certain correspondence with the story of Moses and the Exodus. These points help to build Matthew’s premise that Jesus is the Messiah that the Jews have been looking for.

The Childhood of Jesus

Mt. 2:19 – Herod died about 4 B.C. in agony from diseases (if not also from his own madness.) Josephus describes the diseases as ulcerated bowels, maggots, putrid odors, convulsions, and foul breath. The smell was so bad that no one could stand to be around him. A somewhat fitting end for such an evil man. About five days before he died, he had another one of his sons killed in fear that this son would take the throne away from him. Pray that you never become obsessed with power or money as to be so ruthless with people.

Mt. 2:20 – Joseph is advised, for the third of four times by an angel in a dream. The angel tells him that it is time for them to return to his homeland. Herod the Great, who had sought Jesus’ life, is now dead. After Herod dies, his kingdom is divided by Caesar Augustus into four parts. These parts are distributed to three of Herod’s sons, and one other, who manages not to be murdered by their father. Archelaus rules over Judea, Samaria, Idumea. Herod Antipas is Tetrarch of Galilee and Perea and Philip will rule the territory to the east and north of Galilee.

Mt. 2:21 – Again, Joseph does not question God, but immediately obeys. If God were to speak to you today, could you obey as willingly and quickly? Joseph, Mary, and Jesus pack what they have of their belongings and start a journey back to Bethlehem. Since this is the last place they had lived, and it is closer than Nazareth, it will probably be cheaper to return and get re-established there. Joseph probably left some things behind in his hasty departure a couple of years earlier. Jesus is now probably between two and four years old.

Mt. 2:22 – Archelaus has a worse reputation than did his father. And the Jews hatred for him is even more violent. A son of Herod, Archelaus, rules over the territories of Judea, Samaria, and Idumea. At the petition of the Jews Augustus denies the title of king to Archelaus and gives him the title of ethnarch. Archelaus, noted for tyranny, murder, and instability, is probably insane as a result of close family intermarriages. His government is so unsatisfactory that he is deposed by Rome and exiled to Vienna in Gaul in AD 6 (He only rules from 4 BC to AD 6.) About AD 7, His kingdom is taken over by Herod Antipas, a brother of Archelaus.
This is the fourth time that God has spoken to Joseph, through an angel, in a dream. The angel advises Joseph not to return to Bethlehem, so Joseph and Mary go to Nazareth, which is out of Archelaus’ jurisdiction. Herod Antipas, who thirty-three years later will hear the Pharisees and Jewish Priests accuse Jesus of crimes in an effort to get Him crucified. God could have told Joseph where to go in the third dream, but that wasn’t important at that time. God often reveals His will to us on a “need to know” basis. That should be sufficient for us to obey.
Possible route of Joseph and Mary (bypassing Jerusalem) on their way back from Egypt to Nazareth.

Mt. 2:23; Lk. 2:39b – Nazareth, the city from which they had originally come – they have come full circle and returned to from their pilgrimage to Bethlehem some years before. Matthew references several prophecies. No specific prophecy is found anywhere in the Old Testament, but several prophecies appear to make inference to the fact. Nazareth houses a Roman garrison for the northern regions of Galilee. Many other Jews consider those from Nazareth to be compromisers who assist the Romans. The city is also known for its crude and violent ways. It is not a good neighborhood to be “from.” For a person to be called “a Nazarene” is considered a statement of contempt to the average Jew. This contempt will face Jesus later in His ministry. To some extent, Matthew portrays Jesus throughout the Gospel as a new Moses, the founder and lawgiver of the true Israel who in his career recapitulates the story of Moses and the Exodus. Who you are and who you can become has nothing to do with the reputation of the city you come from, the occupation of your parents or any event from your past!

The Youth of Jesus

Luke 2:40ff – Jesus has to grow up just like anybody else. He has to be potty trained, told not to play with the hot fire, or touch something that is hot that could burn Him. He has to be told to put a coat on when it is cold. He plays the same games and with the same toys that other Jewish boys play with. He has to go to school and learn to read, write and do arithmetic just like everyone else. He has to learn how to care for Himself more and more as He gets older. Doctor Luke tells us that He grew up strong, which is a reference to his physical health, filled with wisdom, a reference to His mental growth, and in the grace of God, which refers to Jesus’ spiritual development.

The Feast of the Passover When Jesus is Twelve Years Old

One incident in the childhood of Jesus, from the Gospel of Luke, is all we have about His growing up. Only Luke considers mentioning it. This is significant in showing to the Greeks that Jesus is 1) human and 2) Godly minded (Spiritual).

Lk. 2:41 – Attending the feast of the Passover in Jerusalem is a command God requires of every Jewish male after they reach the age of twelve (see Deuteronomy 16:1, 16). Surely Jesus looks forward to these trips as do Joseph and Mary. The one-day Passover is followed by a seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread (Exodus 23:15; Leviticus 23:4-8; Deuteronomy 16:1-8). The entire eight-day festival is called the Passover. There is nothing in Jesus’ childhood that is any different than any other Jewish boy.

Lk. 2:42 – Jesus is twelve years old. Jewish boys become “Sons of the Law” at age twelve. Jesus will accompany His father to the Temple for the customs according to the Law of Moses. There are three feasts every year that Jews are expected to make 1) Passover, 2) Pentecost and 3) Tabernacles. Jesus is obeying the law that He will later do away with (He will replace the Old law with a New one.) There is some debate among Jewish scholars of Jesus’ day as to whether women and children are required to attend. After age twelve, Jesus will have to go because of the Law and because of the desire of His own heart to learn the ways of God more fully! Why do you attend Bible study and Worship services at your church?

Lk. 2:43 – The feast ends at sundown. We have no knowledge whether Jesus stays behind intentionally, or is simply inadvertently left behind. Does He miss the group leaving because he is involved in an important discussion and lost track of time or because His parents assumed He is with the group and left with out Him? Whole villages will caravan together to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. Joseph and Mary will be with a rather large group and can easily and mistakenly assume their children (especially Jesus) are present and protected. The traffic out of Jerusalem will be somewhat like the crowds leaving a major sporting or entertainment event of today. Using public transportation, one can easily lose track of a child until they were a ways down the road. Jesus will not have knowingly and willingly disobeyed His parents. He is trustworthy, dependable and obedient. Either way, His parents aren’t aware of his absence until a day’s journey down the road towards home. Route between Jerusalem to Jericho.

Joseph and Mary Search for Jesus

Lk. 2:44 – Joseph and Mary think Jesus is in the crowd and don’t worry about Him, because He is a well-behaved and trustworthy son. He’s just running and playing with some of the other children in the caravan. They are probably close to Jericho before they realized He isn’t with them. They cross the Jordan River before going north and then will cross it again just below the Sea of Galilee to head back west to Nazareth. (Jericho is about thirteen miles northeast of Jerusalem.) Here they are, responsible for the parenting of God the Son, and they lose Him on a simple human oversight. How would you feel if you had driven all day on a trip back home only to find out that your child was left behind?

Lk. 2:45 – Joseph and Mary search through all of the people that they are traveling with, trying to find their Son. It is late, now, so they will rest for the night and then return to Jerusalem on the following morning (day 2).

Joseph and Mary Find Jesus in the Temple

Lk. 2:46 – It is late when Joseph and Mary arrive in Jerusalem, and they may do some preliminary looking for Jesus, but it is not until the third day that they find Him in the Temple grounds. Is there some significance with this event and the three days that Jesus will be in the tomb? Jesus was involved in an intellectual/theological discussion with the teachers (priests). The temple courts are often full of every persuasion of Jewish (and non-Jewish) thought. They spend hours debating one another on philosophical differences. Now they are centered around a twelve year old child who is questioning and teaching them.

Lk. 2:47 – Others are evidently listening in and all were amazed at Jesus’ understanding and answers in this dialogue. (They aren’t as impressed with His questions as with His answers to their questions.) It’s like He was teaching them. Imagine the reactions of the priests in the Temple, and of Joseph and Mary to see their son teaching them.

Lk. 2:48 – Joseph and Mary are astonished. They are extremely relieved at finding their son (the one GOD entrusted unto them to raise!). They are also in awe at where He is at and what He is doing. They are astonished at His ability to understand these “educated” theologians and at how He is teaching them. The text implies that Jesus is both student and teacher. Jesus is presented as the teacher at the center of a circle. Jesus has been taught the Torah and understands its interpretations; in no way is He in opposition to Jewish Law and practice.

Joseph and Mary confront Jesus for not being with them when they left and express their great anxiety over Him. “Anxiously” is an understatement. Can you begin to imagine the trauma that a parent might go through if a child is missing? Has the child been kidnapped, molested, abused, or killed? One would think that God would spare the parents of His own Son of any anxieties of this world. No wrong was actually done, but a lot of worry was had over the situation. How would you feel if this were your child?

Lk. 2:49 – A better translation is “...I must be about my Father’s business.” Where else would you expect a child to be? Jesus says, in essence, not to worry, this is what I am supposed to be doing. His parents probably have instilled much of the Law of Moses in Him and much of the importance of learning and obeying that Law. Most children taking such training seriously might be inclined to linger with the teachers in order to learn more about the Law. Is Jesus beginning to realize who He is and maybe develop some understanding of His life’s mission?

It is hard for us to understand the humanity of Jesus. This is partly because we so tightly equate “human” with sin that we have difficulty seeing one without the other. Luke is trying to help us realize that Jesus is human, but He does not sin.

Lk. 2:50 – Joseph and Mary don’t understand their son’s words and behavior. Up to now, Joseph has had the title “Father”. Now Jesus is using it in reference to God. How does that make Joseph feel towards his stepson? Is this the beginning of the “cutting of the apron strings?”

Lk. 2:51 – Jesus isn’t a person of disobedience. Obeying your parents is the first of the Ten Commandments with a promise – (See Deuteronomy 5:16). “Mary ponders these things in her heart.” Something a mother would be more inclined to, especially when Joseph is technically only the stepfather. Mary finds Jesus at His work. He is not simply her son, but also God’s Son. He has been sent on a mission in which she finds Him totally involved. This probably causes her some sorrow or mixed emotions, for it means their relationship won’t be like that of other children and their mother or father. This is the last reference to Joseph in the Gospels. It is a tribute to him as a father who is caring for Jesus; who, in turn, is obedient to him as His (earthly) father. How are you helping your children to learn the vital importance of learning to obey you? Looking northwest towards the modern city of Nazareth. Photo courtesy of Glen & Sylvia Copple

Lk. 2:52 – Again, we have a statement on Jesus’ growth. He grows in wisdom – mentally, - wiser and smarter! He grows in stature – physically, to that of a mature adult male. And He grows in favor with God – spiritually, and man – socially!

In the next couple of lessons, we are going to look into events surrounding the life and ministry of John the Baptist. Then it will be time to look into the actual ministry and teachings of Jesus. Lets see how God is preparing the world for His Son and how that impacts our lives!

Read Matthew 3:1-12; Mark 1:2-8; Luke 3:1-18.


“Walking With Jesus”

Lesson Commentary

LOC – 010The CHILDHOOD OF JESUS!
How to Be the Kind of Parent God Uses

I grew up in Council Grove, Kansas. I played in the woods with my brother and the neighbor kids. Mom & Dad couldn’t always know see where I was. But I always knew how to be home in time to eat!

We have an amber alert. A child is missing! What kind of parent would lose their child? This is not just any child, but a very special child, the Son of God. Did you ever lose a child in a store? Did you ever get lost from your parents? Can you remember how you felt or what you thought about the incident? How can we be the kind of parent God would use?

Our study comes from Matthew 2:19-23; Luke 2:39-52.

Understand the Legacy You Leave Matthew 2:19

After Herod “the Great” dies an ugly and horrible death, an angel tells Joseph in a dream (this is the third of four times an angel has appeared in the life of Jesus) to take Jesus and Mary and go back to their homeland. This time, the urgency isn’t an issue. They have time to pack, organize and say goodbye to their friends before setting out. Jesus is between two and four years of age. As parents, you are building your legacy through your children. How you raise them is important!

Be Responsive to God’s Call and Command Matthew 2:20

Joseph obeys God and heads home to Judea and learns that Herod’s son is now in power. Archelaus is worse than his father. He is noted for tyranny, murder and instability. He is later deposed by Rome in AD 6 to Vienna in Gaul. When we truly trust God, obedience is not a problem. The challenge is to know when God is speaking to us.

You are Responsible for Your Child’s Spiritual Development Matthew 2:21-23; Luke 2:39b-42

Joseph is afraid of Archelaus and for the safety of Jesus and Mary, so the angel appears one last time telling him to take the family to Nazareth.This fulfills another Old Testament prophecy! Joseph and Mary have now come full circle and are back to Nazareth from where they had started!

God often reveals His will no a “need to know as you go” basis. God also trusts you with the spiritual development of your children. How are you being responsible for your children’s physical and spiritual development?

God’s Training will cover your mistakes Luke 2:43-51

Luke is the only writer to tell us anything about Jesus as He is grown up. This story is when Jesus is 12 years old. The family is going to the Feast of the Passover in Jerusalem as all Jews are supposed to do. This is relevant to Luke’s Greek audience to show that Jesus is human, yet Godly minded! According to the Mosaical Law, Jewish boys become “Sons of the Law” at age 12 and are required to attend the Feasts of Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles. That is in contrast to our voluntary involvement in worship every SONday! This is not Jesus’ first visit to the Temple, but it is special and will be a significant event before it is through.

At the end of the feast, Joseph & Mary head for home with a caravan of other Jews from Nazareth and Galilee. They assume that Jesus is playing in the caravan with the other Jewish boys and are not worried about Him. He has always been a very obedient and trustworthy child. After traveling for a full day, they look for Jesus and realize that He is not anywhere with the crowd. Naturally alarmed, they search frantically. Failing to find Him, and it being too late to travel, they get a night’s rest. Then, after a day to travel up the Jericho Road to Jerusalem to see if they can find their son. They arrive in Jerusalem too late to search more than one or two places. Another night of rest and they can have the full day to search for him – the third day!

God has entrusted you with the job of raising your children in a way that will honor Him. What kind of anxieties would you be feeling if you had lost a child and traveled a day’s journey before you realized it?

Joseph and Mary finally find the Son that God has entrusted them to raise! Can you imagine their relief at finding Him safe and sound and their astonishment to see what He is doing? Jesus has spent the last three days involved in an intellectual/theological conversation with the teachers (priests).What is the reaction of the priests to have a youth asking such challenging questions and posing answers beyond their level of learning! People are amazed at His level of understanding and the answers that He poses to those who are supposed to be the “teachers!” They confront Jesus, but He replies that He was only being obedient to His true Father! Already, Jesus has a sense that His life on this earth has a very important and special mission. He is eager, willing and diligent to seek it out and complete it! How does Joseph feel hearing his son refer to God as His “Father”?

Isn’t it good to know that you aren’t the only parents who make a mistake? If God can trust Joseph and Mary with Jesus, in spite of their mistake, could He not also trust you to raise your children in a way that will please Him? How are you helping your children to fulfill their purpose in life?

Godly parenting produces balanced growth Luke 2:52

Jesus grows strong in wisdom, stature and favor with God and man! He will do well in school, be healthy and respected by all. A worthy goal for all of us!

How much would it mean to you to know in advance that your child is never going to suffer serious harm mentally, physically?We assume our child will not die before becoming an adult, but we have no promise. How would you feel if you could know without a doubt that your child will grow strong, healthy and smart and do something great for God and mankind?

CONCLUSION

God also trusts you with the spiritual development of your children. Are you helping your children fulfill their purpose?

NEXT WEEK, we are going to look into the life and preaching of John the Baptist as he prepares the world for the Messiah.Who is this man in the wilderness?

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