The Childhood of Christ
INTRODUCTORY WORDS
We come now into the study of a Holy Child. He was a Child different from any other child ever born of woman. As preparatory to the study proper let us mark some of those things which prove the statement just made that Christ the Child was distinct from and different to all other sons of men.
1. No one in birth ever was heralded as the Christ Child was heralded. Far back, in the garden of Eden, when the first pair sinned, God came walking in the Garden in the cool of the day. It was there, as He faced the sinful progenitors of the human race, that the first mention of the birth of Christ was made. The Lord said, "I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head." That seed was Christ In Isaiah 9:6 it was written: "Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given." Then it was said, that "His Name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."
In Micah we are told the place of Christ's birth, "But thou, Bethlehem, * * out of thee shall He come forth."
In addition to the above an angel came and announced to Mary, the virgin, that Christ was to be born of her. Thus all must grant that no other child ever was heralded, in birth, as Christ was heralded.
2. No one in birth was ever honored as Christ was honored. Some may demur, saying that Christ was born in a stable and laid in a manger; that He came into the world, and the world knew Him not; that He came to His own, and His own received Him not. That is true, and yet, none but the Son of God, as an infant, was ever honored by the moving of a Heavenly body to mark His cradle. Jesus, however, was so honored. We read, "When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy."
Again, none but the Son of God ever had so great an acclaim by angel hosts. We read of the shepherds feeding their flocks by night, when, suddenly the glory of the Lord shone round about them. Then an angel gave the great annunciation, "Behold * * unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord." As the angel spoke, suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the Heavenly host praising God, and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."
3. No one in birth ever was hated as Christ in birth was hated. This may seem paradoxical to what we have just said, yet it is true. None was so honored; and yet, none was so hated. You remember how the wise men were warned of God to return to their home another way. Likewise Joseph was warned to flee into Egypt, "For," said the angel, "Herod will seek the young Child's life to destroy Him." The result was that in Ramah there was weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, and could not be comforted, because they were not.
We have seen briefly that Jesus Christ in birth was distinct from other children. We will now consider the Lord Jesus in His childhood, and bring out particularly those incidents which cluster around the Holy Child in His twelfth year, when He went up with His parents to the feast of the Passover at Jerusalem.
I. THE HABITS OF A HOLY CHILD (Luke 2:40)
It is a delight to study the child-life of the Lord Jesus. The opening verse of our study tells us that, "The Child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the. grace of God was upon Him." These are remarkable words to be spoken of a child under twelve years of age, but they were spoken of a special Child the Son of God.
The thing which we desire particularly to present, however, is found in verses forty-one and forty-two. "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."
Boys and girls need the preaching of the Word, and they need to experience the sacred manifestations of the Spirit of God which take place in the regular Lord's Day worship in the house of God.
Parents who love their children teach their children to enter the house of God early in life.
II. AN EPOCHAL VISIT (Luke 2:41-42)
We wish you to visualize the Feast of the Passover as it was held in Jerusalem from year to year.
1. The passover feast was one of five great typical feasts of the Jews. There was first of all the Feast of the Passover. Then came the Feast of the First Fruits. Following that came the Feast of Pentecost; then, the Feast of the Trumpets; and finally, the Feast of Tabernacles. Each of these feasts anticipated a great coming event in Israel's history as it related to the Lord Jesus Christ.
1. The Passover looked on to the death of Christ, where Christ, the Paschal Lamb, was to be slain.
2. The First Fruits foretold of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, where He became the Firstfruits from the dead.
3. Pentecost looked forward to the coming of the Spirit as the promise of the Father, and to the verification of Christ's having been seated at the right hand of God.
4. The Trumpets were a prophecy of that time when the Lord would call His people, Israel, from every nation under Heaven, and restore them to Jerusalem, and to Judea the land of promise.
5. The Tabernacles was in commemoration of that hour when Jesus Christ would reside among His people, being accepted by them and crowned as their King-Priest.
2. The feast of the Passover was in commemoration of the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt through the shedding of the blood of the passover Lamb. We all remember how the blood was sprinkled on the side posts and on the upper door post, and how, when God saw the blood, He passed over Israel sparing the. firstborn son in every home.
The Feast of the Passover, moreover, looked forward to the coming of Jesus Christ whom John proclaimed as the Lamb of God who took away the sin of the world.
III. TARRYING BEHIND (Luke 2:43)
When the Feast of the Passover had been fulfilled and Joseph and Mary were returning to their home in Nazareth Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem. Here is a matter of no small significance.
1. The Lord Jesus even in His twelfth year put God first in His life. He tarried behind in Jerusalem, not because of any disrespect to His mother, but because He was "doing business" for His Father. We will discover, a little later, that Jesus, as a Child, was subject unto His mother and unto Joseph. His obligations to the Father, naturally preceded those to which He subjected Himself by reason of home ties.
In all things God should be first. Children are Divinely instructed to obey their fathers and their mothers in the Lord. When it is necessary, in full obedience to God, we must be ready, if need be, to leave even father or mother.
2. The Lord Jesus still tarries behind where He is not wanted and not sought. We remember, in after years, as the disciples were going to Emmaus, the Lord Jesus came and walked along with them. As they came near to the journey's end, and the two disciples were about to turn into their home, Jesus made as though He would go further. The Lord was willing to tarry with the two disciples and to enter into their home with them, but He would not press Himself upon them.
IV. A STARTLING SUPPOSITION (Luke 2:44)
1. They supposed Him to be in the company with them. In verse forty-four we read of the company returning homeward from the Feast. They had taken a day's journey, and, missing the Lord Jesus, the child of twelve years, they sought for Him among their kinsfolk and acquaintances, but found Him not. Verse forty-four says that they supposed that He was in the company.
It is difficult to imagine Mary and Joseph going on without Christ; merely "supposing" that He was with them, and yet, this is what they did.
They sought for Him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance, but He was not there. Perhaps there are some today who want to find Christ, and they are seeking Him among their relatives and close friends, but they find Him not. These friends may be churchmembers, of course, but they know not how to show Christ unto the one who is seeking Him. Many young boys and girls have longed to be saved, but they found no help at home to show them the way.
2. They found Him not. We wonder if the time will ever come when some of you who read these words will vainly seek for Christ and find Him not? Are you building your faith on a hope-so religion? Are you satisfied to merely think you are saved? In our heart of hearts we believe that many are going religiously to hell. The Bible describes some who will at last say, "Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy Name? * * and in Thy Name done many wonderful works?" But the Lord will reply, "I never knew you."
Before we take another day's journey let us assure our hearts that Christ is journeying with us. If He is not there, it is better to find it out now while we may still turn back and seek Him, than it is to find it out when it is forever too late.
V. SEEKING THE LOST CHILD (Luke 2:45)
1. Let us note that Mary and Joseph found Him not. It must have been startling indeed, when, after full inquiry and faithful search they woke up to the fact that the Child Christ was not with them in the caravan.
It is sad enough to lose any child, but to lose such a Child was sad indeed! We can better afford to lose anything under Heaven, than to lose Christ, and in losing Him to lose our own souls also.
There is a little passage in the Old Testament which says, "As thy servant was busy here and there, he was gone." We wonder if that was not the case with Mary and Joseph.
2. Let us note that they sought Him sorrowing. We have often said that a tear is a wonderful telescope through which to see the Lord. We know that a broken and a contrite spirit God does not despise. We know, moreover, that when we search for Him with all our heart we will find Him. Does sorrow of soul encompass you? Do you hunger and thirst after Christ? We believe you, too, will soon find Him.
VI. IN THE MIDST OF THE DOCTORS (Luke 2:46-48)
1. The ignorance of the doctors of the law. We are willing to grant that the doctors with whom the infant Christ spoke were wise men after the flesh, and they were noble. We would not deny that they knew much of the letter of the Law. However, we are just as certain that they utterly failed to grasp the real spiritual message of the Word of God.
We read in another place how Christ said, "Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me." They knew the Bible, but they knew not its message. They sought the Scriptures, but they saw not the Saviour.
2. The enlightenment of Christ. It is almost astounding to see a twelve-year-old Boy asking questions which challenged the scriptural intelligence of Israel's great men. No wonder that the doctors were astonished at His understanding, and His answers. No wonder that even Mary was amazed when she beheld Him with the doctors. The doctors, perhaps, afterward discussed Jesus as a Jewish prodigy, as a coming Rabbi. We know that He was God, that He was taught of God, and that He knew God.
Do you remember how the hearts of the disciples burned within them by the way, as Christ opened up unto them the Scriptures?
VII. AN ILLUMINATING QUESTION (Luke 2:49-50)
1. Christ's question revealed His personal knowledge of His Deity. The parents of Christ turned back seeking Him. It was after three days that they found Him in the Temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them and asking them questions. As the mother drew near she said unto Him, "Son, why hast Thou thus dealt with us? behold, Thy father and I have sought Thee sorrowing." In answer to this query, the Child Christ, Himself, asked a question: "How is it that ye sought Me? wist ye not that I must be about My Father's business?"
The question which the twelve-year-old Christ put to His mother, seemed a loving and tender rebuke of her forgetfulness. Joseph, as Mary's husband, had, for twelve years, showed toward Christ the part of father. Therefore Mary spoke of Joseph as, "Thy father." Jesus quietly reminded His mother that His Father was God. Mary had sought Christ sorrowing; therefore Christ reminded her of her knowledge as to His birth and Deity; and He said, "Wist ye not that I must be about My Father's business?" In this Christ called God His Father.
2. Christ's question revealed the ignorance of both Mary and Joseph to the Deity of Christ. This may seem, and does seem strange. Mary had known all about the annunciation of the angel; all about her own virginity; and about the visit of the Magi, and the star that guided them; all about the visit of the angels, and the angelic magnificat which the shepherds had heard, yet Mary marveled.
Mary knew all about Herod's attack upon the young Child; all about Joseph's being warned in a dream; she knew that Jesus Christ was begotten of God, yet Mary marveled.
Mary knew all about Elisabeth, and the birth of John. She knew how Elisabeth had said unto her, "Whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come?" She heard Elisabeth's magnificat, and she also remembered the words of her own exaltation, and yet she, Mary, marveled.
Mary knew all about the prophecies of Zacharias upon the birth of John. She remembered how the aged Simeon took the infant Christ in His arms, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Israel. She remembered the words of the aged Anna and her remarkable prophecy, and yet, Mary marveled.
Why then did Mary marvel? Why was she amazed? Why is it that she understood not the saying which Christ spake unto them? We have but one answer. Her mind could not grasp the mystery that God was manifest in the flesh. Her mind could not comprehend the height and the depth of what she knew was true that she was the mother of One who was God.
We do not teach that Mary denied these things. We merely teach that at this time her amazement and her failure to understand suggests that she could not grasp the depths of the mystery "God manifest in flesh."
We know that in after years the deeper meaning of the birth, the life, the death, and the resurrection of Christ was her exultant joy. We remember that she was with them in the upper room. She herself was numbered among those who believed in Christ as Son of God, and Saviour of men.
Let us examine our hearts that we may discover if we have any doubts as to the Deity of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
AN ILLUSTRATION
We remember how, after preaching a sermon in a Georgia city upon the eternity of our Lord, we were accosted the next day.
In our sermon we had told of how Christ had come forth from the Father and had come into the world. We told that, afterward, when He had completed His earthly task He had gone back to the Father, and to the glory which He had with Him before the world was.
The next day we were en route, abroad train, when a gentleman of marked intelligence sought an interview. This is the substance of what he told us: "I have been a prominent churchman and member of a church from my boyhood, but I never knew until I heard you preach last night that Jesus Christ ever existed before He was born of the Virgin Mary."
In a Northern city in a prominent Bible Conference we told of this occurrence. Following our message a prominent Christian woman, who must have been in her seventies, astounded us by saying that she had never heard, and never knew that Jesus Christ was God in the eternities past. She thought of Him as having a beginning when He was laid in the manger at Bethlehem.
We ask the readers that greatest of all questions, What think ye of Christ, whose Son is He?