Wednesday, January 13, 2016
Luke 2:46-47 After three days they found Him in the temple courts sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard Him was amazed at His understanding and His answers.
THE YOUTHFUL JESUS: YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS
Jesus not only bore the guilt of our falling short of God's holy law, He also fully did God's will in all the places where we fail so often. He did it for us--in our stead.
He was not only our Substitute in His dying, but in His living as well. Through faith this righteousness of Christ (evident already as a 12-year-old) God credits to every believer. That means our record before God reflects Jesus' doing instead of our failures.
So, Jesus was representing you, when at the age of 12 He gladly went up to the Passover festival in Jerusalem together with Joseph and Mary. He was there for you and for me when He thoughtfully reflected on God's grace and mercy in the promise-filled events the Passover commemorated. With a grateful heart Jesus gave thanks for the Father's redeeming love--and, in effect so did we.
Because Jesus' participation in the temple "Bible studies" was so remarkable, many artists leave the impression Jesus "took over" those classes and became the teacher. But that's not what the Scripture says. By inspiration Luke instead relates how Jesus received the word in His Father's house as His Father's word. He listened thoughtfully. He asked insightful questions. He wanted to know more, to understand better. He followed the example of His mother Mary and pondered what was revealed in God's Word.
Don't forget that Jesus, like us, had to deal with temptation when He took up the Word. And He did. His heart-focus honored His Father, revealed His glory, strengthened His own faith (He truly trusted His Father) and provided us sinners with perfect righteousness-- a righteousness unreachable except through faith in Him.
Jesus was the wondrous Savior we needed-- His whole life through!
