Luke 2:40–52

⁴⁰And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.

⁴¹Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover.

⁴²And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom.

⁴³And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it,

⁴⁴but supposing him to be in the group they went a day's journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances,

⁴⁵and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him.

⁴⁶After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.

⁴⁷And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.

⁴⁸And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress."

⁴⁹And he said to them, "Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?"

⁵⁰And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them.

⁵¹And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.

⁵²And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.

If you think it is hard enough to raise an unruly, little kid, one who is always getting into things, running around causing commotion, making a lot of noise and can't seem to settle down and behave, well, then, just try raising a perfect little child who is always right. We might imagine the following conversations: "Here is your dinner, Jesus, a well balanced, nutritious meal." "No, mom, please add three peas and trim off that little piece of fat from my lamb chop, then it will be a well balanced, nutritious meal." Or, "Jesus, come out to my carpentry shop and I'll teach you how to make a table? See this one I just finished." "Dad, this leg is slightly off. Here, let me fix it for you." It can't get much harder to raise a son than if you are always wrong and he is always right.

"Dad, wake up, it's time to go to church!" I wonder who enforced the Third Commandment in the Joseph household. Or, "Mom, hurry and light the candle, it's time for family prayer." I wonder who enforced the Second Commandment.

Well, here we see Jesus at the age of twelve. His parents frantically searching for him, thinking he was lost, worried sick about him; and there he was all the time, in church; "in his Father's house." Is this just a glimpse into daily life in Mary and Joseph's household? Is this just a cute story about a little boy growing up? Something you might see it on "Youtube?" Perhaps St. Luke, in fact, find out about this on Facebook.

It's a whole lot more than just an anecdote from Jesus' childhood. What we see here is a twelve-year-old boy, about confirmation age, who so completely loves God that his greatest and only desire is to be with Him in church; at worship in word and sacrament. A boy driven by a hunger and thirst to be with his Dad; to be held in his Father's arms, to obey his Father and please him in every detail of his life and being. "I must be in my Father's house," he said. There is no other good that I desire. There is nothing else that I love more than being wrapped up in the presence of God, my Father. I yearn for him; I cannot be happy without him. I can do nothing other than love him day and night. To obey God, my Father, is the very purpose of my life; the very reason for my existence. Years later this was still his passion as we hear him cry in the midst of his greatest agony and pain, "Father, not my will, but yours be done."

The first three commandments are about loving God above all things, with all your heart, mind and strength. They are God's requirements for your lives. Anything that departs from them is sin and requires God's judgment. Justice will be done.

Fear, love and trust God above all things; pray without ceasing and do not despise the preaching of God's word, but eagerly hear, learn and study the Word. That is why Jesus must be here in his Father's house. We observe his complete, unrelenting devotion to God, his Father. He could not keep away from worship in word and sacrament. That is what this 12-year-old Jesus was doing in his Father's house; the house of God.

This is the same love that is required of us. This same fear of God. The same trust in God above all things, without which we are condemned sinners. But we hardly ever keep these commandments. We have the idea that being in church every Sunday is for religious fanatics, and we don't want to be a fanatic. We have the impression that Bible classes and daily Bible reading is just for the super saints, religious people who don't have their feet firmly planted on the ground. This isn't for real people. This is only an ideal; what it would be like in a perfect world, but there is no such thing as a perfect world, and so we are exempt from the first three Commandments.

The reality is that God's Commandments are required of you. Anything different from this is sin and will be judged. Like looking into a mirror, these commandments show us the truth about ourselves, that we are foul creatures. Instead of loving God above all things, we often love the world and become oblivious to loving Him. Instead of fearing God above all things, we often sin willingly without fear of his punishment and judgment. Instead of trusting God above all things, our heart wavers and we nervously and anxiously doubt in difficult situations. Instead of obeying God above all things, our stubborn flesh opposes God and wants to be independent of him, thus taking us captive to sin. Our thoughts ought to be holy and our desires pure, but often we are disturbed by conceited and impious thoughts. Instead of desiring and longing to be in his house where he comes to be with you in the word preached and in the sacraments, you are often lazy and too tired to get out of bed on Sunday morning. Instead of calling on him with your whole heart, your mind wanders while praying and is anxiously troubled. How negligent you are in prayer and how feeble in trust. How often you completely forget the kindness God shows you every day, and do not pour forth thanks. God's word is the Spirit's word, but how often you ignore it, don't pay attention to it and refuse Bible study, thus frustrating the work of the Spirit in you and hindering the word from bringing forth fruit in your lives.

But Jesus, the same age as children in our catechism classes, can't get enough of God's word. He is excited to spend time with his Father, to be in his house, to ask questions, to learn from his teachers, and to talk to his Father in prayer. This 12 year old boy puts us all to shame.

So dedicated was he to his heavenly Father, so committed he was to obeying the Commandments, that he "could do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the son does likewise." John 5:19.

And what the Father does is to love you and me. Jesus saw the infinite love of the Father sending his only begotten Son into the world to die, so that all who believe might be saved. Out of love for us and devotion to his Father, he faced cruel suffering and pain. He didn't turn his eyes away from the cross. He set his face toward Jerusalem to die on the cross for you. He did not flinch or waver as he accomplished his Father's plan. Even when that plan for your salvation became grueling agony and pain for him, He remained steadfast. He rejected any temptation and notion that he should abandon his mission. Even when His agony was so great that he sweated drops of blood, his only prayer was: "Father, not my will but thine be done." And so Jesus died on the cross, to pay for your sins. He paid for your lack of complete love and devotion to God. He poured out his blood on you in Baptism and washed you completely. His love is greater than your lack of love. His devotion to God is stronger than your resistance to God's will.

You have never yet suffered such agony and pain. You have never yet faced such torment and pain. Never have you so earnestly prayed that you sweat blood. You have never yet seen such hatred, such scorn, such reviling, yet every day you turn from the course set out for you by your Father. Every day you abandon your Father's will to do your own. Instead of submitting to God's will unto death, as soon as the going gets rough you abandon God and chose your own paths. You don't even wait for the pain, but daily you seek to satisfy your own desires; your own lusts; seek your own pleasure and comfort regardless of God's will. God has protected you from such suffering, pain and sorrow and you will never experience it because Jesus experienced it in your place.

But in spite of all God's goodness to you, you have yet to run to God's house with the zeal that Jesus had. You have yet to burn with such desire to read and study God's word. You have never loved God so completely.

Repent and seek his mercy. You have failed to fear, love and trust God above all things. You deserve his temporal and eternal punishment. You have not lived up to God's demands.

That is exactly why Jesus, at the age of 12 was in his Father's house and could not be anywhere else; he did it for you. He loved God with all his heart, mind and strength in your place and on your behalf. Jesus was there loving God perfectly for you. Here is Jesus fulfilling all righteousness so he could become your righteousness. Jesus loved his Father so that his love would be credited to your account on the last day. He did it so that when you were Baptized you would be covered with the garment of Christ's righteousness. "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ." At your Baptism God placed Christ on you like a clean, garment, holy and without spot or stain. Jesus' love for his Father now covers your sinful lack of love. When God looks at his Baptized believers, he now sees the love of Jesus and counts Jesus' love to your record. Jesus was in his Father's house that day so that on the day of judgment, he would be judged in your place, and because of his perfect love for God, you would be declared innocent.

You have nothing to offer to God; no good to show for your life when you stand before God's judgment, except the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ. It is his perfect love for his Father that will redeem you. It is his ardent desire to be in his Father's house that you will be judged on. Because Jesus could not be elsewhere, his love for his Father on that day will stand in place of your lack of love. You will be declared innocent and righteous because Jesus fulfilled the commandments for you.

This is not just another endearing story about a little boy growing up in Nazareth. This is Jesus at work. This is Jesus saving you from your sins, so that you can stand righteous and holy before the judgment seat of God.

Amen.