Greetings everyone and thanks for joining me for this edition of our Sunday School preview. This Sunday’s lesson is entitled “The Boy Jesus” and is found in Ecclesiastes 3:1, 7b; Luke 2:39-52.
Not much is known about Jesus’s life before His gospel ministry. The gospels provide a few snapshots into select period of His early life. The first of course is His natural birth. Both the Gospel of Matthew and Luke provide information about the circumstances surrounding the birth of Jesus. Every Christmas we focus on the events recorded in those gospels about Jesus being born into the world. There is not much more recorded about His life between His birth and the His ministry.
Today’s lesson provides one of the few details about His early life. It tells us that Jesus and His parents customarily travelled to Jerusalem during the Feast of the Passover. It also tells us that Jesus was raised by two parents in a city or town called Nazareth in a region called Galilee. As He grew, He was filled with wisdom and God’s grace.
At the age of twelve, Jesus accompanied His parents on their customary pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the Passover Feast. At the end of the days long feast, His parents started by home to Nazareth thinking that Jesus was among their family and friends. When they discovered Him missing, they returned and found Him among scholars.
The scripture describes Him as listening to them and asking them questions. It says they were amazed at His understanding for someone so young. His mother, on the other hand, appeared very upset with Jesus and asked Him why had He remained behind without telling them. Jesus response was that she should have known that He “would be about the things of His Father”.
At an early age Jesus was gathering information to prepare Himself for His divine mission nearly 18 years later. His parents didn’t understand the meaning of what He said but His mother continued to ponder them in her heart. After they found Him, Jesus returned with them to Nazareth and remained subject or obedient to them as He grew in wisdom and respect.
It is important for us as the followers and siblings of Jesus to follow His example of learning as much as we can about our Father and what He wants us to do with our life in His service. We are all heirs to the kingdom and are part of the Family business which is to seek and save the lost of mankind. In doing so, we like Jesus can grow in wisdom and maturity and favor with God and others.
Well, I hope you will be able to attend SS this coming Sunday and share your thoughts with your class. If you cannot attend your own Sunday School, you are invited to join us online at 9:00 am live and interactive at our website. If you have any comments or questions, be sure to place them in the comment section of this preview. So, until next time remember to fear God and keep His commandments.
Pastor Jordan
