Seeking Jesus
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Greetings…
The theme for this year here on Sunday mornings is, as you know, “The Life Of Christ.”
Up to this point we have examined…
God’s providence in bring about the fullness of time.
God becoming flesh, i.e., Jesus’ conception and birth.
God in the flesh’s mother, Mary.
Jesus, as he would later say, came to “seek and save the lost” (Lost 19:10).
However, before he even began his ministry people were all ready “Seeking Jesus.”
It’s these three instances we are given “before Jesus’ ministry beings” wherein we find people seeking him that I want us to examine and learn from the lessons therein given to us by God almighty.
So, with that in mind let’s study these three “pre-ministry” times people were “Seeking Jesus.”
The Shepherds
The Shepherds
Their Account.
Their Account.
Read Luke 2:8-20.
8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” 15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.
17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
Why did God place this text in here?
What is it about this we should understand and know.
In other words, what are our lessons here?
The first lesson is…
The Shepherds Heard & Searched.
The Shepherds Heard & Searched.
These shepherds not only heard that the Messiah had been born but they went and searched for him.
Remember, the angel didn’t tell the shepherds exactly which place and which manger the Messiah would be found in.
They no doubt searched high and low in a very crowded Bethlehem before finding him.
There are lots of people that “hear the good news that there is a Messiah but not everyone, upon hearing that great news, searches high and low for him until they find him.
Yet we are told “if we seek, we will find.”
10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.
Everyone is responsible for seeking Jesus, their Messiah.
He is eagerly waiting for them to seek, find, and let him in.
The second lesson is…
The Shepherds Told The Good News.
The Shepherds Told The Good News.
When these shepherds found the Messiah, they could not help but “tell the good news” that had been given to them about him.
Some have called these shepherds the “first gospel preachers.”
When we seek Jesus and then find Jesus that news ought to be so precious and so wonderful that we cannot help but let others know.
10 I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart; I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation.
9 If I say, “I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,” there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot.
16 For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!
Summary
Summary
As soon as the shepherds heard the good news they sought their Messiah out and taught the good news they had heard concerning him.
As we “hear God’s word,” through our study, let it make a resounding impact on our lives so much so that nothing can stop us from telling others about our Messiah.
Our second group to seek Jesus out before his ministry began is…
The Magi
The Magi
Their Account.
Their Account.
Read Matthew 2:1-12.
1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: 6 “ ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’ ” 7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.”
9 After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.
Again, after reading this we must ask the question, “Why did God place this text here?”
In other words, what are the lessons we can learn from this text?
The first lesson is…
The Magi Sought The King
The Magi Sought The King
These magi were not Jews but Gentiles which makes their “Seeking of the Jewish King” all the more interesting as they obviously had insight into scriptures such as Isaiah 9:6-7 which prophesied about a pending king.
Though our text doesn’t say where they came from secular tradition says they came from Persia.
This would make sense considering the Jews were captives of the Persians for a time having even their king Cyrus knowing the Jewish God.
Oh, how providential that these “wise men” would have access to the Jewish prophesies concerning the Messiah.
Upon seeing the star, “not being told by angels” they set out on a long journey.
What a long journey, leaving their family, friends, and comforts behind to seek this “foreign king.”
When we seek Jesus, we too must be willing to follow him wherever it may lead and leave behind whoever might be hindering us from seeking.
As Jesus said, following him might lead to a loss of even our most precious loved ones.
34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household.
37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
The second lesson we can learn is…
The Magi Worshiped The King
The Magi Worshiped The King
The purpose of their journey to find this king was to adore this new child and welcome the new king.
Nothing was going to interfere with that worship.
Not inconvenience, hardship, danger, or cost.
They were not going to be denied this opportunity.
Oh, that we learn this lesson in our daily lives as we look and behold the amazing creation of God.
Worship carries the idea of awe, praise, submission, and wonder.
The magi looked at the star, they knew worship was required.
When we look around at the majesty of God in his creation, do we have an awe about it that leads to our wonder, praise, and submission to our God?
7 “But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you; 8 or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you. 9 Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? 10 In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind.
20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
I also hope we learn this lesson from a collective sense.
As no inconvenience, hardship, danger, or cost was going to stop them from worshiping so too I hope that is the case with us when it comes to assembling with the saints.
Too often we allow the things of this life to hinder us from worship our king together and stirring up each other to love and good works.
24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
We allow inconveniences, hardships, danger, and cost to hinder our assembling but in reality, this is when we need to the most.
This is when we can be “stirred up to love and good works through encouragement.”
The third lesson we can learn is…
The Magi Gave To The King.
The Magi Gave To The King.
Inseparably tied to worship is the idea of giving.
The gifts given by the wise men were “gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”
This has led some to believe there were three magi but there is nothing to suggest such as it could have been two or more than three.
However, what these gifts represent has some significance.
The gold represents a gift of precious metal for a precious king.
The frankincense represents a gift of temple incense for a king worthy of worship.
The myrrh represents a gift of death for a king that would one day have spices brought to anoint his “thought to be still dead body.”
When we come to worship, we come offering our gift of worship to God.
Our full attention.
1 Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil.
When we come to worship we must guard our steps to make certain we are ready to worship so as to give God our full attention.
Our full trust.
25 The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.
Our full selves.
27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”
Summary
Summary
What can we learn from the magi or wise men?
That we must seek and follow Jesus wherever he leads us.
That we must not let anything hinder us from worshiping our king daily and collectively.
That we must give our all to our king.
Our third group to seek Jesus out before his ministry began is…
The Parents
The Parents
Their Account.
Their Account.
READ: Luke 2:41-52.
41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. 43 And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, 44 but 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,
45 and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 And 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.”
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?” 50 And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. 51 And 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. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.
So we ask the question for the last time today, “What lesson or lessons is there to be gained from studying this text?”
The lesson is…
The Parents Sought What They Lost.
The Parents Sought What They Lost.
When Joseph and Mary found out that Jesus wasn’t with them, that he was “lost” so to speak, they search frantically for him three days.
They eventually found him in the temple and when confronted we remember Jesus’ famous words, “Did you not know I must be in my Father’s house?”
When sin entered the world, it brought with it a reality that still haunts us today.
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
Because of this we can “loose Jesus” as Jesus himself points out to Ephesus in Revelation 2:5.
5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.
Like Jesus’ earthly parents, we must go about seeking Jesus if we lose him and there are some points here, we find worth considering.
Jesus’ parents didn’t allow shame of loosing him stop them.
Sometimes we can feel so ashamed we don’t seek forgiveness, but this isn’t what God wants.
10 Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Jesus’ parents didn’t stop searching him until they found him.
The “man who had his father’s wife” in 1 Corinthians 5, I’m sure, had many who thought he would never find his way back to God and yet we see from 2 Corinthians 2 he not only found his way back to God but was living a faithful life.
6 For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough, 7 so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8 So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him.
Summary
Summary
Jesus’ earthly parents, when they lost Jesus didn’t allow shame to stop them from finding him nor did they stop searching until they found him, even though it took them three days.
That must have felt like an eternity, which it should to us as well when we have lost Jesus and are seeking to find him again.
Let us however, never loose heart in our search because if we seek, we will find once again.
Conclusion
Conclusion
We can learn a lot from these three groups that were “Seeking Jesus.”
Let us apply these in our lives and help others do the same.
Invitation
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.
8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.