9. Jesus lived with brothers and sisters. Mark 6:3
Although he was the first born son of Mary, Jesus was not the only child born to her. It is recorded in the scriptures that he had four brothers, James, Joses, Simon, and Judas, along with sisters. These children would have been fathered by Joseph. Although Jesus was the firstborn and legal heir, it was the Holy Spirit who moved upon the seed of the woman. Jesus was not fathered by Joseph. Still, Jesus’ lineage was of the line of King David through both parents.
Allowing Mary and Joseph to parent children after Jesus’ birth demonstrates God’s desire that they would partake of the blessings promised in the Old Testament.
Genesis 28:3 (TLB)
“God Almighty bless you and give you many children; may you become a great nation of many tribes!”
“God Almighty bless you and give you many children; may you become a great nation of many tribes!”
Surely God knew that Mary’s heart would break when her firstborn son was taken suddenly from her. What mercy He had in giving her other children to hold her and love her through pain and anquish.
For those of us who have brothers and sisters, knowing that Jesus too had brothers and sisters makes his humanity so much more real. Picture Christ as the big brother, telling stories to the younger siblings. Perhaps he entertained them by playing games. I can imagine him helping them learn the Hebrew scriptures and study their letters. After all, Jesus was filled with wisdom and knowledge that was heavenly inspired.
I suppose Jesus could have been an only child, but demonstrating the importance of family shows us that Jesus cared that we see a picture of a family that is represented by a father, a mother, and children. Jesus did that…
for you and me.
10. Jesus celebrated Passover at age twelve where he stayed behind to sit among the teachers. Luke 2:46
According to the account in Luke, “Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover festival.” The year he was twelve, when they set off for home, Jesus had stayed behind. Their journey took them back to Jerusalem where they found him in the Temple. There he sat conversing with the religious teachers, “listening to them and asking questions.”
You can imagine the dismay of his parents who had their journey interrupted and were quite distraught over having lost their son. When Mary asked, “Son, why have you done this to us”, Jesus’ reply was simply, “But why did you need to search?” He asked, “Didn’t you know I must be in my Father’s house?”
These words, recorded in Luke, are the first recorded words of Jesus. I am sure this story got retold at all the family reunions and became embedded in Mary’s mind. You would think it was Jesus who would recount, “Can you believe they left me behind?” Instead, he experienced no fear and was surprised at his parents chastening. Jesus was where he belonged. The temple was the place where the spirit of the Lord dwelled. It was “home” to Jesus.
When Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem, he showed us who he was by what he did. He is the only begotten son of the one true God who stayed in the temple to talk of his father’s world…
Jesus did that for you and me.
Before he began his ministry, Jesus learned a trade. He could have simply hung out around Nazareth, but he did something constructive. Jesus demonstrated the importance of our work on earth. He apprenticed under his earthy father, Joseph, while being prepared spiritually to go about his heavenly father’s work.
Matthew 13:55-58 (ASV) Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joseph, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things? And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honor, save in his own country, and in his own house. And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
After he was a carpenter, Jesus went about doing his Father’s work. Only where there was unbelief, he did not do the mighty works. What a shame that his own countrymen did not believe in the deity of Jesus. Was it because they saw him grow from childhood? Was it because he was first a carpenter? What would keep them from seeing this man for the God he was?
Nonetheless, as Jesus did work in his father’s workshop, chiseling the wood, crafting it into functional objects, sanding it smooth, oiling it to bring out the rich intensity of the grains, did he think of the tree from which it came? Furthermore, did Jesus think of that one tree already growing somewhere on the hillside of Jerusalem? Did a tear form in his eye as he thought of the destiny of that one cursed tree to which his own hands would one day be nailed?
Jesus went about the carpenter’s business under the direction of Joseph. He went about the messiah’s business under the direction of God. On the tree fashioned into a cross, his business was complete.
John 19:28-30 (ASV) After this Jesus, knowing that all things are now finished, that the scripture might be accomplished, saith, I thirst. There was set there a vessel full of vinegar: so they put a sponge full of the vinegar upon hyssop, and brought it to his mouth. When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up his spirit.
Jesus, the carpenter, finished the work he was sent to do…
Jesus did this for you and me.
No comments:
Post a Comment