Parenting the Perfect Child

Your minds eye. Jesus growing up as a boy in Nazareth. What kind of images that conjure up for you to discuss this with someone who ignores the implications of the incarnation are already born. Yeah I got became a man. Yeah we we know that you're thinking all along that Jesus is running around Nazareth like all the boys did in the custom of the day, but underneath is the Superman suit. The bullets will bounce off his chest through. That means that he experienced much of what we experienced he could believe he could feel pain. He probably fell and skinned his knees.

It's possible that he was even bowling and all of it. Jesus was sinless. So here's the question for you parents out there, what would it be like to be the imperfect parent of a perfect child were going to explore that question today here on wisdom for the heart with Stephen David this lesson is called parenting perfect child. Luke chapter 2 verse 52. I want you to turn their just one verse that will summarize what happened in this little village called Nazareth and Jesus. Luke writes kept increasing in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and men by the way, this is normal language for growth is really not all that unique. In fact, in the Old Testament account of Samuel's growth text is similar. It reads now the boy Samuel was growing in stature and in favor both with the Lord and men for Samuel 226 and loose account of John the baptizer's growth as a little boy. He writes in chapter 1 in verse 80 and the child continued to grow and became strong in spirit, if you look back in chapter 2, verse 40 here in Luke's gospel.

He writes of young Jesus, the child continued to grow and become strong increasing in wisdom and the grace of God was upon him. When you arrive at Luke chapter 2 verse 52 you. You enter a scene that provides even more mystery for us regarding the boyhood of Jesus as some would believe that the Jesus had all the wisdom he needed.

I when he was born in and he just simply increased along the way but he had it all.

Then, while Luke informs us that Jesus advanced, he increased in three ways.

In fact, you might circle the three nouns that appear in your text, he increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor I would agree with one scholarly scholar by the name of Lenski that these nouns are date of the relation and the imperfect tense Jesus kept increasing tells us not only that he had progressed. At this point, but that he would continue to progress in these attributes. The truth is we find it hard to believe going the Jesus ever developed in any way by making the point being the perfect child and must admit that his development was already perfected. It was the wisest 18 month old anybody had ever heard jabber away.

That would've violated the human nature that he had in the normal boy that he was yet without sin. The truth is, it would've been possible for Jesus to do something unwise without sinning.

Being unwise is not the same thing as sin and aren't you glad about that as you develop in your wisdom as you walk in the ways of God will talk a little bit about what that word means.

Jesus here is 100% human. That means as he progressed.

Luke wants us to know only by the was the doctor is a medical doctor and he and he's the one that gives us this kind of language in his gospel alone. Jesus is going to progress from immaturity to maturity. As I mentioned in our last discussion from silliness to sobriety. He will progress from night abatis to discernment. He he will move from uninformed actions that made Dom or even dangerous decisions is little boys often do, to informed actions. Jesus was not God humanized or a human deified the mystery of the incarnation is that he had a divine nature and human nature, intermingling, and that mystery he was 100% got a 100% man all at the same time he caught a cold.

Just like every child developing his immune system's nose. Ryan he sneezed. He stubbed his toe.

He smashed his finger. He might've needed a nightlight to. As he grew he would fight temptation like any young man.

The difference being, he would never fail one time, the author of Scripture doesn't want us to miss this. That's why you get into certain text and then it's a mystery when it speaks of him in ways anything what way the way the second yet understand. He's 100% human as well as 100% God he was tempted in every point. As we yet without sin. Hebrews 415 you discover the implications of that phrase he was tempted just like we were in every point and you discover somebody who can feel exactly what you feel somebody don't know me might think I'm denigrating the Savior. No, I want you to believe that fact as we understand more of even his boyhood.

It causes us to delight even more in the Savior. He understands what it means to to grow in wisdom and grace against the normal resistance of the human condition, with all its weakness that the age of 30 or so when he preached his first sermon in Nazareth.

Everybody said, isn't that the carpenter's son paraphrased. Who does he think he is. Nobody said we know it we would bow down to him since he was 14 when the clothing he always had on his body were to come from Meza we we we figured that out a long time ago know they did him.

The Messiah must've bumped his head in the shop one too many times it is John the truth is the Jesus's life was so normal boy growing up so uneventful, so typical, so humble, so nondescript that when he made his announcement.

No one believed, especially those that had grown up with them but all the while that anybody really paying attention in Jesus and that mystery even coming into a fuller and fuller knowledge of it as a group. Something was happening in this text tells us that he was progressing in for will outline it this way for different aspects will call the first progression intellectual ability. Luke writes that Jesus kept increasing in wisdom Sophia Sophia for the believer is the appropriate application of God's truth to life is God's word lived out a wise person isn't somebody who knows more than everybody else in the church is the person who demonstrates the truth of their learning, so he would have had to have learned that as well. In order to demonstrate the right of course. Along the way would've learned the 2+2 equals foreign and it'll learn to read and write gospel writers indicate that he did both, so he had education but most importantly had to learn the sacred writings of the Old Testament and note during the days of Christ. In fact, for centuries before his birth, and after his birth Jewish child's education began in the home. His parents were his first teachers. They would have taught Jesus and the other siblings they had whenever they sat down on the house to talk whenever they sat at the table to eat whenever they went out of the way to walk or work or ride, and even before they lay down and got up in the morning.

Their lives were Giglio centric, so to speak God's truth, the Old Testament, which was what they had was laced into their conversation. It included God, then around the age of five or six Jewish child was sent to school to what they called in Jesus's day the house of the book of the school was attached to the local synagogue every village had a synagogue according to the law and every synagogue had its school better science classic work on the life and times of Jesus the Messiah that he presented to the faculty of Oxford in 1931 revealed from archaeologists findings and manuscripts asked Stanton historians living or days of of Jesus, the great care was given to the education of a child in the house of the book, typically taught by the leaders of the law. Rabbis who ever would be the officer of the synagogue typically affect I read that great care was taken not to send the child to early to school nor to overwork him when there are other my my school felt the same way yours right. History records for us that school hours were fixed and attendance was shortened during the summer months many ways the synagogue provided a foundation for the Western educational system. Although we would all agree that the Bible certainly not in the curriculum in most schools release of those promoted by her our Western world. The teacher was often elevated on a platform if we have enough sticks to put together and the students sat around him on the floor in a circle semicircle the classes, of course, would be small in a little village like this, it would've almost like having a personal tutor though the rabbis considered that half circle of students to be there crown.

It was their love in their life as they sat at the feet of being covered, the rabbis would speak with the wisdom that came from the dust of the feet courses explains, then Paul's comment or of him in acts chapter 2 verse three that he was educated at the feet of Gamaliel was literal for the first five years of a child's studies once he entered school. The Old Testament was the chief textbook.

They were taught to read and write their common language which would have been Aramaic, but more importantly the language of the law which was Hebrew for those of you that have learned the Hebrew language you may have found as I did that. It is a very difficult language to learn. Always envy my Jewish brothers and sisters here in the church. The are redeemed have come to faith in Christ was raised to know the Hebrew I was at the mall a couple of days ago what everybody else frantically finishing up and had I done my kids with me. In fact, it's a little tradition they for each other so that we know they can get what they want and then they buy surprises for the mother.

I was with one of my daughters of this particular juncture walking down, and in the main hallway. Of course the main aisle to have these kiosks and you can have even more opportunities to go in debt. As you walk down the mall and one lady at one particular booth had a tryout with little cups and I walked by. She held it out and I looked in and it was lotion was inedible. I was stuck at it than that but it it was lotion and she offered to me. She said something to me and I knew immediately.

Her language she was. She was from somewhere else and I asked her where were you from she was a Jewish she was raised in Russia and she lived in Israel and I said all I wish I knew Hebrew like you did in fact asked her what languages she spoke, she said Russian and Hebrew. I invited her to our church told her who I was, but I spent time slogging through the Hebrew language, you need to understand that for Jews living in Jesus today was probably just as convoluted.

She came to carry if you can imagine it via Russia and Israel. The Jews in Jesus day at a loss of their native tongue. They learn to speak Aramaic and Babylon that was the official language of their captivity did forgotten Hebrew their sons primarily had to be taught Hebrew for men destined to teach the Scriptures they had to learn to read and write in Hebrew so that they could then translated into Aramaic and teach it to people who could understand our Lord's discourses were for the most part in Aramaic so we know from his first sermon in Nazareth that he got up to read any read from the scroll.

And in Isaiah. That means he knew I read Hebrew. He learned and I also discovered that his first studies as a five-year-old in the house of the book.

It was their custom to begin the lessons in the Pentateuch, specifically in the book of Leviticus. The network through different sections of the Pentateuch and on into the profits they would not allow anybody to copy anything from the Scriptures, because they were so careful to preserve it, but they did make an exception for a teacher to be able to copy sections of it or teaching children how dedicated they were. So the very first lesson that little Jesus would have sat at the feet of his teacher in the house of the book would have been Leviticus. What we call chapter 1 verse one in a course for the sake of time I will have you turn to let me read you what his first lesson would have involved. Here's the text of Scripture. Leviticus begins God called Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, speak to the people of Israel. Tell them when anyone presents an offering to God present an animal from either the herd or the flock.

If the offering is a whole burnt offering from the herd present a male without defect at the entrance to the tent of meeting that it may be accepted by God, lay your hand on the head of the whole burnt offering, so that it may be accepted on your behalf to make atonement for you message and Jesus Christ first school lesson was on the unblemished sacrifice for the atonement and forgiveness of the sinful human race which he come to fulfill Jesus wasn't born with the ability to read and write in Hebrew advanced, he increased he went through his studies like you and I did. Secondly, Jesus advanced in physical maturity. Luke also writes in this verse that Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature you could render that age, or even more literally height so as any girl in our home. I three brothers and I might.

We had, you know, as we grew up we had one door frame and an it would be marked and we know still in our tiptoes do everything we possibly could somehow get closer to our older brother and I hated that because of the four boys I was the runt of the litter and I was shorter by at least a foot and 1/2 or my older brother and only inches above my other brother beneath me, who was four years younger than me, so I didn't really like it so I cheated every way I could to make it look like I was taller.

I wanted to grow up. I wanted to be. Imagine Jesus Christ feeling that to.

He wanted to grow up.

He flexed his muscles to his half-sister. He rustle his father. He race he'd run he tell his exploits of catching that fit although he be telling the truth. It was really just about that bigger fish there was in the right all-male Jews by the way, as they grew even those destined to be doctors of the law were expected to learn a trade. It was required that the Jewish father teaches sawn with the rabbis called I quote an honest craft for to fail in this is to teach him crime prepare for like a crime to the apostle Paul. I remember even though he is preparing to be a rabbi. He knew how to make what tends he learn the craft of tent making, probably his father's occupation. So Jesus was taught carpentry. This was the craft of his stepfather. He learned the size of a piece of wood like some of you can know exactly where to cut it. Knowing the problems might be. Maybe even bend it for carpenters and in Nazareth and in this first century.

The chief task would have been to carve plows for the farmers to use just for a moment slip into his sandal. Your 1617 18. You know who you are now. You know who your father is. Imagine between 12 and 38 teen years. He dropped sweat over the plank of wood is a sawed and sanded and nail could never demand just think he's in there easily. Nobody's looking wanted just twinkle his nose or snap his finger. There is a finished plow on a finished polished table. Imagine the business he could've cranked out for his dad.

I don't how Joseph does it. It's amazing. Was he a good carpenter yes and by the way, he didn't perform any miraculous signs until the hour of his announcement, which means he spent hours laboring in the shop. Third, Jesus increased in spiritual intimacy, Jesus. Luke writes kept increasing in wisdom and stature in favor with God and the translation can be misleading to an English student affect cults love this verse. The use it as a proof text that as Jesus grew up, he became more and more a favorite of God.

I was saying the word favor is Carissa or Grace. The next word. In fact, in the Greek text is the word par alongside of we use this word for power or parachurch ministry. He is in a ministry directly related or funded by a local church, but it is a ministry alongside the church is a compliment to the church.

Jesus is not gaining grace from God. You can translate the phrase Jesus grew in grace all along the side of as he walked beside God the father is the meaning so the relationship between Jesus the son of God, and God the father was a growing relationship marked by Carissa, marked by grace couldn't help but think of how Christ reflects our desire and he also reveals her failure, but he models her future perfect fellowship unbroken by selfishness and sin. One day, eternally unbroken, unselfish, uncluttered, unending, transparent intimacy with God our father.

We see it as Jesus grows pulls away many times to spend the night in prayer with his father grew in this he developed this overtime. Fourthly, he increased in social integrity. Luke writes Jesus grew in favor with man alongside a man he demonstrated grace. By doing this doesn't mean that he he grew more popular with people that I just the opposite is true.

He grew in his graciousness alongside of people's offensive behavior.

He withheld the full display of his power judgment he submitted to the agony of the cross.

Why because he would fulfill his very first lesson is a boy in Leviticus chapter 1 he would be the unblemished atoning plan. If we had Joseph and Mary here today, what would you ask them who is alike to raise the perfect child. Imagine being given the task of teaching the living word. Imagine referring the prophecies of Scripture to the one who come to fulfill them. God effectively told a migrant worker, not a doctor of the law. Carpenter, I want you to teach the one who will become the greatest teacher to ever walk the planet you prepare for that he, like every parent in this room would've said I am not capable. I'm not qualified. I get it wrong when you think about that that the record of Scripture. I wonder Joseph ever thought why why Joseph of Nazareth. When I Joseph of Arimathea he was wealthy, trained that access to tutors. He he was looking. The Bible says, for the kingdom of God. He love the law. The Bible says he was a righteous man.

He was a member of the Sanhedrin. There is a man qualified that someone attacked one of the storks got it wrong Joseph of Nazareth. It was supposed to have been Joseph of Arimathea I wonder if he felt that way would you ask Mary, Mary, were you ever up to this task now. Now the legends in the Apocrypha and in centuries of church tradition would've said all she knew everything and she was perfectly qualified. No. In fact, as we study together. Her first recorded words to 12-year-old Jesus were an ill-timed undeserved unwise scolding of Jesus. She probably thought later on I got that wrong, but this is great news because of God would choose them to parent Messiah. Maybe he knows what he's doing is he asks us to do what is asked us to do and whom has he chosen in this age may paraphrase Paul's writings to the Corinthians. Think about your appointment. Think about your calling, whatever it is, consider the place where God is appointed you, have you noticed God did not choose among the brilliant, not many with noble upbringing.

Not many with powerful connections.

He has chosen the ordinary students to teach the brilliant he has chosen the weak and insignificant people in the eyes of the world to radically impact those who seem to be on top of. That's how God I love the words of the song writer Mary did you know that your little boy will one day walk on water. Did you know that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters. Did you know that your baby boys come to make you new this child that you've delivered will soon deliver you. Mary did you know that your baby boy will give sight to a blind man.

You know that your baby boy will call the storm with his hand, if you know that your baby boy has walked were angels trodden when you when you kiss the little baby your little babies kiss the face of God, the blind will see the death will hear the dead will live again, Elaine will leave the dumb will speak praises of the Lamb. Mary did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation. Did you know that your baby boy one day nation. Did you know that your baby boy is heavens perfect Lamb of the sleeping child you're holding is the great I you having studied carefully. These texts I can say with certainty that Mary did not not falling to Joseph, the boyhood of Jesus was a mystery to them and they were unlikely candidates to parent this perfect child. Sometimes I wish that the Bible taught us about Jesus childhood than it does have you ever thought that the little snippets that we do have are powerful, catching a glimpse of the perfect son of God. Growing up in a Jewish home and keeping the customs and the laws that he came to fulfill is meant to both challenge us and encourage us and I hope it encouraged you today.

This message is called parenting the perfect child and it's the fourth and final sermon in Stephen's series entitled beyond Bethlehem. This is wisdom for the heart.

Our office is closed today but there are still some ways you can interact with us. Our website is wisdom online.org and you can replay today's broadcast access Stephen's sermon archive and more. You can write to us that wisdom for the heart PO Box 37297, Raleigh, NC 27627. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and thanks for listening to wisdom