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Summary Gill Khoury Sermon 29/12/2018

Jesus Childhood begins with the advent story and ends with what initially seems to be a bland little story about a kid getting lost in a temple. However, within this story are a number of very important lessons for us.

The Boy Jesus in the Temple

41 Every year the parents of Jesus went to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival. 42 When Jesus was twelve years old, they went to the festival as usual. 43 When the festival was over, they started back home, but the boy Jesus stayed in Jerusalem. His parents did not know this; 44 they thought that he was with the group, so they traveled a whole day and then started looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45 They did not find him, so they went back to Jerusalem looking for him. 46 On the third day they found him in the Temple, sitting with the Jewish teachers, listening to them and asking questions. 47 All who heard him were amazed at his intelligent answers. 48 His parents were astonished when they saw him, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been terribly worried trying to find you.”

49 He answered them, “Why did you have to look for me? Didn't you know that I had to be in my Father's house?” 50 But they did not understand his answer.

51 So Jesus went back with them to Nazareth, where he was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 Jesus grew both in body and in wisdom, gaining favour with both God and man

Jesus at the Threshold

At 12 Jesus is beginning to move into puberty and is becoming aware of his role as the son of God. Just like our early days of conversion, everything gets put aside for the gospel

We can’t find Jesus

Mary and Joseph search frantically for Jesus. This image is a metaphor for how sometimes we also lose Jesus. That we go looking for him in all the normal places and he’s not there. The routine stuff doesn’t work for us or he seems silent and away. Yet we have a calling to follow which implies movement. Jesus doesn’t stay in the same place all the time.  Not a bad thing if Jesus moves you to new places. Like Mary and Joseph keep looking until you find him but be prepared to get out of your comfort zone.  We should all see development and change over the years. In the church and individually

Jesus in real life

What s the impact of Christmas in January?  What happens after all the Razamatazz has died down and the relatives have gone. Christianity really takes shape in the normality of life. Inspiring uplifting services and deep bible study are great but they need to play out in how we treat those around us. If we go to church on Sunday but are impossible to live with on Monday, we’ve missed the point. This story about Jesus is profound in it’s ordinariness’

Passage ends amazingly. Mary treasures all these things and Jesus is obedient for another 22 years to his parents before he resurfaces