#DailyDevotion Jesus Obeys The 4th Commandment For You

Luke 2⁴⁸They were amazed to see Him there. “Son, why did You do this to us?” His mother asked Him. “See how anxiously Your father and I have been looking for You!” ⁴⁹“Why were you looking for Me?” He asked them. “Didn’t you realize I must be in My Father’s house?” ⁵⁰But they didn’t understand what He told them. ⁵¹Then He went back with them to Nazareth. And He obeyed them. His mother kept all these things in her heart. ⁵²And Jesus grew wiser and taller and won the approval of God and of people.

Mary didn’t have an old photo album to break out when Luke interviewed her to embarrass Jesus with all his wacky photos (like our mothers do us), but she did keep all these things in her heart. I know my mother remembers the several times my older brother got left in one place or another (probably due to my or my younger brothers activity at the time). Upon figuring our Jesus wasn’t there with the family Mary and Joseph hurry back to Jerusalem to find Jesus. They were amazed to find him at the temple. I don’t know why they were surprised to find him there. It was the largest attraction in Jerusalem. Nevertheless Mary was quite frayed, as any mother would be, by these incidents and lets the child Jesus know in no uncertain terms about it.

Jesus’ response is I guess giving us a look as to what is to come in his life. “Didn’t you realize I must be in My Father’s house?” Jesus questioned. Yes, in the midst of being left by his earthly by himself in Jerusalem Jesus went to his Father’s house. He knew God was his Father. On the one hand God was his Father because he was a good believing Jews. He knew God was his Father as Luke’s gospel genealogy of Jesus takes back to Adam who was God’s son. Jesus also knew God was his Father from all eternity as the only-begotten of the Father. Jesus is where the Father is and the Father is where Jesus is. He is the Word of God who was with God and is God made flesh.

Jesus has come, the only begotten of the Father to bring humanity back under the Fatherhood of God. The first man, God’s son, Adam, rebelled against God and did not trust or do what the Father wanted. The one from heaven, God’s Son from eternity, Jesus submitted himself to the Father’s will and trusted him in everything.

So we see tween Jesus here who goes back to Nazareth with Mary his mother and Joseph his supposed father. There he obeyed them in everything. Though Jesus is the Lord of heaven and earth and Mary and Joseph’s Creator, he submits himself to the Law, honor your father and your mother. He obeys them for it is pleasing to the Father above for him to do so. He fulfills the Law for us meriting us his grace and righteousness.

And as we noted yesterday, Jesus grows in wisdom and physically (in a rather normal fashion) winning the approval of God and of people: A very normal life of a good boy in a good home just doing what he’s supposed to do. At best Jesus would only be notable among mothers who chide their children, why can’t you be more like Jesus. Jesus grows up like us, with us and for us so we may know he understands our predicament and have mercy on us.

Heavenly Father, through your son Jesus Christ you have made known to us your desire to have us as your loving, trusting children. Grant to us your Holy Spirit that trusting that Christ Jesus has done all things for us we may walk in his footsteps in life that wins your approval in Christ. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.