Not all Christmas presents are ready to use the moment they are unwrapped. Whether it is a toy influencer’s top pick, or an Ikea must have, for a multipiece present to have its joyous and functional outcome requires understanding the directions. Looking at the wrapping paper or at the blank brown interior of a box will not help you put together Christmas presents. Instead, looking at the picture on the outside of the box and the directions included with the item will give a clear understanding of the path to put together the present.
“Some Assembly Required” leaves us feeling a wide range of emotions, but realizing Jesus was not with the assembly after leaving the Passover festivities in Jerusalem left Mary and Joseph with even worse feelings. In our Gospel reading from Luke 2, we hear, 41 Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. 42 When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. 43 After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. 44 Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him.
The Festival of the Passover was one of three annual festivals the Old Testament required all male Israelites to observe. This year, Jesus had reached a milestone now that he was twelve years old having celebrated his bar mitzvah meaning “son of the law.” Jesus had been instructed in the Old Testament Scriptures for many years as a young Israelite, but now he was responsible for his continued spiritual growth. Once the Passover was over, Mary and Joseph experienced a scene somewhat like that of Kevin McCallister in Home Alone. It was an honest mistake that Jesus was left behind, but the incident did allow Mary and Joseph to grow in their understanding of the child entrusted to them by God.
Jesus had good reason to remain in Jerusalem. Jesus was not lost and worried wandering around Jerusalem with a dead cell phone and no more money on his preloaded debit card like Mary and Joseph may have been picturing as we hear in Luke 2, 46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.” 49 “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” 50 But they did not understand what he was saying to them.
Jesus stayed in Jerusalem to grow in his understanding, which helped grow the understanding of others. He was sitting with the teachers, not teaching with them, but submitting to them, respecting their position and recognizing it was not his time. His heart was eager to learn and discover more about the plan he was born to carry out. Jesus knew who he was, so he was eager to grow in understanding his role as the Messiah. When his parents found him, he responded to their questions with similar ones to get them to understand that he was not only their son, but also God’s Son. Despite what Mary and Joseph heard and saw from the angels, shepherds, wise men and Scriptures, they still did not understand all the Father’s will for his Son.
We have good reason to remain in Scripture. We can easily drift away from understanding Jesus. Like Mary and Joseph, we can forget to have Jesus with us each day. We can also go searching for Jesus in the wrong places when we realize that we have left him behind. Jesus cannot be replaced with warm holiday feelings or a change of scenery. We cannot blame him when things do not go our way. Jesus is found in the unchanging, inspired Word of God. There is one source for understanding who he is. When we stop growing our understanding of who he is, our faith suffers. When our relationship with him suffers, we risk losing the benefits of all he did for us.
After Mary and Joseph found Jesus, he submitted to them. Submission in this context is to voluntarily put oneself under the authority of and obey another. Jesus continued to submit to his parents as those God had placed over him as we read in Luke 2, 51 Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. As Jesus grew physically, mentally and spiritually, he was good and without sin.
Year after year, Jesus continued to go to the Passover Festival in Jerusalem until he went there for the last time with his disciples understanding that he would be the innocent sacrifice for the sins of the world, betrayed, beaten and hung on the cross. For Jesus, reading the words of our Old Testament reading from Isaiah 50, would have encouraged him despite the pain he would endure at the hands of men and being rejected by his Father in heaven. From our position in history, we can see the events that occurred after Jesus celebrated the Passover meal with his disciples in these words from Isaiah, 5 The Sovereign Lord has opened my ears; I have not been rebellious, I have not turned away. 6 I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting. We see Jesus’ suffering here, and his submission to God’s plan because he knows God is with him, 7 Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame. Countless ignorant lambs were sacrificed during hundreds of Passover Festivals, but Jesus, the Lamb of God, went knowing that he was giving his innocent life as a sacrifice for our sins. He also understood that he would be raised to life, and through him we would receive the benefits of forgiveness, innocent righteousness and eternal life.
Jesus’ questions help grow our understanding of him. We can take the two questions Jesus asked his parents in Luke 2, 49 “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” And change them to, “Why are you not searching for him?” and, “Don’t you know he is in his Father’s word?” We are God’s people, brought into his family, with Jesus as our brother as we read in our New Testament reading from Hebrews 2, 11 Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.
With this understanding, we ought to be quick to recognize when Jesus is not in our lives and quick to find him in the Word of God. As parents of all ages, we do this by teaching and retelling our children what Mary and Joseph heard and saw from the angels, shepherds, wise men and Scriptures about Jesus. Parents bring your children whether they live in your house or are visiting for a holiday to Bible study and worship. Take seriously your responsibility to not only make sure your kids are with you when you leave the grocery store, park or extracurricular activity, but to make sure you have not abandoned your children’s growth in understanding Jesus. Make sure your children see you reading your Bible, praying and talking about God.
And children, submit to your parents, learn from them, respect them, ask them questions before you ask Siri, Alexa, TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, friends, coaches and teachers. Ask questions about God, Jesus and the Bible. Sit and listen and pray. Come to kingdom kids, Bible study and worship. Parents and children, understand the power, encouragement and reality of these words from our New Testament reading from Hebrews 2, as you do these good things, 14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death… 18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
Jesus understands what you go through each day as a child of God. Search the Scriptures to better understand how he has saved you, and how he is with you to live in submission to the good will of our Father in heaven.
Of course, the wrapping pager and blank brown inside of the box do not tell us how to put together Christmas presents. Instead, we look at the directions and the outside of the box. When Mary and Joseph realized Jesus was not with them after leaving Jerusalem, their search ended with him in the temple courts according to his Father’s will. Jesus lived in submission to his parents and God the Father to return to Jerusalem during the Passover Festival as the innocent sacrifice for our sins. As God’s child, you know where to find Jesus, in the Scriptures grow in understanding Jesus’ submission to God for you. Amen.
Gunnar Ledermann, Pastor Divine Peace Church
Gunnar Ledermann
I’m passionate about Rockwall’s vibrant community and actively engage with local non-profits and community organizations, including the Rockwall Chamber of Commerce, the City of Rockwall, and the Downtown Rockwall Association. My background includes a bachelor’s degree in Classical Languages and a master’s degree in divinity. Currently serving as a pastor at Divine Peace Church in Rockwall, I also enjoy spending time with my wife, Marinda, and our three children.
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