Coming of Age:
Luke 2:49 "...And
he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know
that I must be in my Father’s house?...”
Context:
- Parents went to
Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover.
- They went up according
to the custom when Jesus was twelve.
- They left without
realizing Jesus wasn't with them.
- After three days, they
found Him in the temple with the teachers, amazing everyone with His
understanding and answers.
How much do we expect out
of twelve year olds?
At 12, Jewish boys
received intense instruction in anticipation of reaching 13, the age
of responsibility when they became a man.
Bar Mitzvah translates to
"son who is subject to the law" (Bat is daughter)
Do our seventh graders have a
lot of understanding and answers?
There was a time when an
eighth grade education was the norm.
When do kids reach the
age of accountability? What factors encourage or prevent the
development of responsibility?
What did Jesus know at
the age of twelve?
- the literal Greek
translation for Luke 2:49 is "I must be in the of my Father",
which doesn't specify a place or activity.
- Jesus knew His heavenly
Father.
- Jesus knew truth.
- Jesus knew His place.
Baptism:
Matthew 3:15 "...But
Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for
us to fulfill all righteousness...”
Context:
- John the Baptist was
preaching repentance and baptizing those who confessed their sins.
- He challenged the
Pharisees that trees that don't bear fruit consistent with repentance
are cut down and burned.
- He proclaimed that
Jesus would be baptizing with the Holy Spirit and fire, gathering
wheat and burning chaff.
- Then Jesus insisted
upon being baptized by John.
Why was it necessary for
Jesus to be baptized?
- He hadn't sinned.
- He was fulfilling the
Father's will.
- it was fitting to
fulfill all righteousness.
What did He mean when He
said "to fulfill all righteousness"?
- the law didn't have any
reference to baptism.
- John was pointing to
the Messiah via repentance and baptism.
- Jesus identified
Himself with this process.
Was Jesus circumcised?
Luke 2:21 "...And
at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised,
he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was
conceived in the womb..."
Matthew 5:17 "...Do
not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the
Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to
fulfill them..."
What two things happened
immediately following His baptism? (Matthew 3:16,17 Mark 1:10,11
Luke 3:22 John 1:32)
- the Holy Spirit
descended on Him.
- the Father voiced His
love and pleasure.
- a revelation of the
Trinity occurred at the beginning of Jesus ministry.
- the fullness of the
Trinity was involved in launching the ministry of Jesus on planet
earth.
In His ministry, we will
find the truth about sin, righteousness, and judgment.
Temptation:
Matthew 4:1 "...Then
Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be
tempted by the devil..."
Why would the Spirit lead
into the wilderness to be tempted?
- Did God lead the
Israelites into the wilderness where they were tempted?
- How did they do?
- How did Jesus do?
Does the Spirit lead us
into temptation?
- Matthew 6:13 "...And
lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from
evil..."
- James 1:13-14 "...Let
no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God";
for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He
Himself does not tempt anyone. But each
one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by
his own lust..."
What is temptation?
- offer to meet a
legitimate need in an illegitimate way.
Temptation 1
Context:
- Jesus had fasted for 40
days and nights.
- The tempter said "IF
you are the Son of God", turn these stones into bread.
Matthew 4:4 "...But
he answered, “It is written, “ ‘Man shall not live by bread
alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’
...”
Luke 4:4 "...And
Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread
alone.’... ”
Are we most tempted
following highs ("...in whom I am well pleased...") or
following lows ("...He then became hungry...")?
- Peter was praised for
properly identifying Jesus as the Messiah and almost immediately
turned right around and set his mind on the things of man instead of
the things of God (Matthew 16:13-23)
How does a knowledge of,
and focusing on, the Word of God help during temptation?
- the IF be a
distraction, turning the focus on us instead of the Word.
Why is EVERY word
important?
- a word wrongly applied
is exactly the strategy of the devil. It can lead to death.
- every word is needed
for life.
Temptation 2
Context:
- the devil tempted
Christ to throw himself down from the pinnacle, that angels might
bear Him up.
Matthew 4:7 "...Jesus
said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put
the Lord your God to the test.’ ...”
Luke 4:12 "...And
Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your
God to the test....”
What is the underlying
perversion with which the devil was attempting to entice Jesus?
- testing God's ability
to save, rather than trusting while obeying.
Can you think of any
examples of this in our day?
- snake handlers,
claiming the protection which Paul had.
- any promise claimed
without surrender to His greater purposes.
Temptation 3
Context:
- the devil offered all
the kingdoms of this world.
- the cost? devil
worship.
Matthew 4:10 "...Be
gone, Satan! For it is written, “ ‘You shall worship
the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’...”
Luke 4:8 "...And
Jesus answered him, “It is written, “ ‘You shall worship the
Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’...”
Were the kingdoms of this
world Satan's to give?
Luke 4:6 "...and
said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their
glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I
give it to whom I will..."
Daniel 4:32
Nebuchadnezzar "...shall be driven from among men, ... until
you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and
gives it to whom he will.”
Psalms 8:4-6 "...what
is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care
for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly
beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given
him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put
all things under his feet,..."
What are the two things
Jesus said were for God only?
- worship: What
alternatives have been offered for worship?
- service: What
alternatives exist for service?
Is it possible to worship
ONLY God? To serve ONLY God? Are people who are committed to this
viewed as radical?
