The Hidden Years of Jesus

turn your Bibles to Luke chap 2 Luke chap 2 and veres 40-52 Luke chap 2 veres 40 through 52 we've been doing a series on the disciples called The Dirty Dozen and and I'm taking a break from that during the the time of Christmas here to preach some Christmas messages but as I as we take that break I want to remind you that disciples were really with Jesus only about a year and a half of of his life uh most of his life most of that period we don't know a lot about and most of his life we don't know a lot about as well we know about his birth and we know about his death and a little bit those last three years of ministry in the world and I want you to look at Luke Chapter 2 and beginning with

verse number 40 it says and the child grew and waxed strong and spirit filled with wisdom and the grace of God was upon him now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover and when he was 12 years old they went up to Jerusalem and the cust as the custom of the feast and when they had fulfilled the day as they returned the child jesus carried be behind in Jerusalem and Joseph's mother knew not of it but they suppored him Lo have been in the company when a Day's Journey and uh supposing him to have been in the company when a Day's Journey and they sought him among their kins folk and acquaintances and when they found him not they turned back again Jerusalem seeking

him it came to pass that after 3 days they found him in the temple sitting in the midst of the doctors both hearing them and asking them questions and all that heard him were astonished his understanding and answers and when they saw him they were amazed his mother said unto him son why hast thou dealt with us Behold thy father and I've have sought the the Sor Sorrowing and he said unto them how is it that you sought me were you not wish you not that I must be about my father's business and they understood not the saying which you spake unto them and he went down with them and came to Nazareth with subject unto them but his mother kept all these says in her heart and Jesus increased in

wisdom and his stature favor with God and man you know we know about the birth of Christ we're familiar with the wise men the Shepherds and and the manger and all the rest of that and we know about the death of Christ we know about his death his burial his resurrection and we know about the three years of ministry he had with his disciples in a time that he did all the Miracles and the healings and the teaching but there's a big gap between all that knowledge and and we don't know much about Jesus in those years in fact the only thing we know about him after he was a baby was this incident here where they had gone to the temple to fulfill U the function of of of presenting him as a young man

and and he he stay back and talk to the the the leaders there and and that's the only other time we know him as a boy right there in Luke Chapter 2 and verse 40 again the Bible says and the child grew and waxed strong in spirit filled with wisdom the grace of God was upon him but that's about all we know uh we we know about him as was a baby we know about him as a baby in the major and you know I don't know about you but I wonder what kind of baby was he did he cry was he ever KY did he sleep through the night because he was a baby in Hebrews chapter 4 verse number 15 it says for we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities who was in all points

tempted like as we are yet without sin so why did God come why did Jesus come as a baby rather than coming as a full grown man why was he born in the manger he came that he might not only save us from our sins but the Bible says that he has he was touched with the feelings of infirmities he knows what you and I have gone through in life he understands everything from from birth on up and he was fully man in 1 John 4: 2 and 3 it says hereby know ye the spirit of God every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God um and every spirit that confesses not that Jesus Christ has come to flesh is not of God and this is the spirit of antichrist whereof we've heard that it

should come and even now already is in the world you see we need we understand that Jesus did come in the flesh he was born of a virgin he became a man he was fully man but he was also fully God in Colossians chapter 2 and verse number N9 says for in him dwelleth all the fullness of the god gohe head uh bodily and he was he never stopped being God it's what we call the hypostatic union how you ever heard that word before the hypostatic union a few of you have maybe You' taken a doctor course somewhere along the line and the hypostatic union is a a fancy theological term that describes the fact that Jesus was fully God and fully man I want you to turn over to Philippians chapter 2 Philippians

chapter 2 he was not half God he was not half man he was not sometimes God and sometimes man he never stopped being God but he became man in the fullest extent as well in Philippians chapter 2 in beginning with verse number five it says let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus who being in the form of God thought it not robber to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men and be found and fashion his man he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the Cross where for God also ha highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name you see Jesus became man he

did not stop being God but at the same time he was fully man he was born in a manger he was born to a woman he was in a baby's body we also have something call we we call Christ kosis and the word kosis means that Christ voluntarily gave up independent use of his Divine attributes while on Earth Jesus never stopped being God he had all the attributes of God and omnics knowing all things the omnipotent power of God he never stopped being God but what he did is he voluntarily chose to limit the himself and not using those Powers remember he would call upon the father he could have done it himself he could have made those things happen but he always called upon the father because he voluntarily

gave up the use of his attributes as being God in John 17 verse number five it says and now oh Father glorify thee me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was you see he had to be carried he had to be fed Jesus God had to have his diaper changed he had to he had to learn how to walk and to eat he was just a little baby we have a little baby right here here in front I'm going to borrow the baby if I can't all right I was actually talking about I was actually talking about Ricky not the baby here see this is how Jesus had to come that to me is the amazing part you're my illustration you got to be good here all right all right there you go go back to Dad but

folks think about it God became man but not only he become man but he came as a baby but he never stopped being God could you imagine being limited to a baby's body with having the mind you have right now with having the knowledge that you have right now but yet you could not do any of that God humbled himself he humbled himself and took on the form of a Ser was made in the likeness of men he became not only a man but he became him a baby so that he could experience everything that you and I have experienced that he would be a high priest that understand all of our infirmities all that we've gone through in life that to me is an amazing part of the gospel story it's an amazing part of the

Christmas story that that he was born as a baby but that baby grew up became a boy we don't know much about that boy other there's some apocryphal stories stories that are outside the Bible there's a story about how Jesus made some clay and was making a little bird out of clay and then had it fly away and there's another story about how he stretched a piece of wood that was cut too short how many of you ever cut a piece of wood Too Short when you're building a project I I've done that you know the old saying uh cut once measure twice measure twice cut once or measure once and cut twice I I've done that cut once you know cut twice there many times and you could cut a board longer but you

can't cut it short you know you cut it shorter but you can't cut it longer and and there's a story about Jesus as a carpenter made the board longer and uh those are all apocryphal stories and we don't know that they happened it probably did not happen but what we do know about the boy is look at Luke Chapter 2 Luke Chapter 2 and look at verse number 52 Luke Chapter 2 and verse number 52 and Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and a favor with God and man Jesus was what I call a well-rounded Square he had balance in his life one of the things that you and I we struggle with in our life is keeping balance between all four parts of our Lives We Are Spiritual we are emotional we are physical

and we are mental and I don't know about you but many times I'll get out of balance in one of those areas or another and but Jesus had Perfect Balance he grew in wisdom he grew in stature he grew in uh in in favor with God and man he grew in all four areas of his life turn over to Proverbs chap 4 and look at verses 5-9 Proverbs chap 4 and verses 5-9 Bible says that he grew in wisdom and you and I want to grow in wisdom Proverbs 4:5 says get wisdom get understanding forget it not neither decline from the words of my mouth for forsake her not she shall preserve thee love her and she shall keep thee wisdom is the principal thing therefore get wisdom with all by getting get understanding exalt

her and she shall promote thee she shall bring thee to honor when thou do Embrace her she shall give thee to thine head an ornament of Grace a Crown of Glory shall she deliver to thee you see we want wisdom and that's something that Jesus grew he grew in wisdom and you and I need to grow in wisdom if you remember from a series we taught a while back wisdom is the ability to take the knowledge that we've learned and put into practice you may know how a car works but that doesn't mean you know how to work on a car you may know how to shoot a basketball doesn't mean you can shoot the basketball you see wisdom is putting into practice the things that we've learned in our lives and Jesus grew in

wisdom the Bible says in Luke 2: 46 and 47 and it came to pass that after three days they found him in the temple sitting in the midst of doctors both hearing them and asking them questions and all that heard him were astonished his understanding and answers you see Jesus wanted to learn he asked questions he was there to learn he was there to understand uh the Bible tells us in Proverbs chap 1 and veres 2-7 it says to know wisdom and instruction to proceive the words of understanding to receive the instruction of wisdom Justice and judgment and Equity to give subtle to the simple to the young man knowledge and discretion a wise man will hear and will increase learning and a man of

understanding shall attain onto wise counsels to understand a prover interpretation the words of the wise and their dark sayings you see we want to have a lifetime aspect of learning we want to always be asking questions be trying to learn more and more we can never learn enough here is Jesus the god the creator of all knowledge and yet he was listening he was learning he was asking questions and how much more do you and I need that wisdom not only did he ask listen and ask questions but he understood and answered in Luke Chapter 2 and verse number 47 it says and all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and anwers in 1 Peter 3: 15- 16 the Bible says but sanctify the Lord God

in your hearts and be ready always to give an answer to every man that ask you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear you and I we need to have answers for the world around us we need to have answers for for others that we are uh in contact with we need to be able to give them answers from the word of God and Jesus grew in wisdom but he also grew in stature in Luke Chapter 2 in verse 40 it says and the child grew and waxed strong in spirit filled with wisdom and the grace of God was upon him now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover and when he was 12 years old they went to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast so here he was he grew in

stature he was growing as a young man I want you to turn over to 1 Timothy chapter 4 1 Timothy chapter 4 as I said earlier God wants us to learn how to be well well-rounded squares those of you that are parents raise your children to be well-rounded squares and and that means we need to balance all four areas of life anything that's out of balance is going to wear out quicker if you have a tire that's out of balance is going to wear out and so we need to learn balance with the physical part of our life along with the spiritual and the mental and and the emotional and Jesus grew in stature in 1 Timothy Chapter 4 verses 6-9 it says if you if you thou put the brother in remembrance of these

things thou shall be a good minister of Jesus Christ nourished up in the words of faith and of good Doctrine wherein to thou Hast attained but refuse profane and old wise fables and exercise theirself rather unto godliness for bodily exercise profit little but godliness is profit on to All Things having promis of the life that now is and of that which is to come and that this is a faithful saying worthy of all expectation you see God wants us to take care of our physical bodies he wants us to grow physically to to be in physical shape to take care of our bodies as well but he also grew in favor with God in 1st Samuel 2:26 it says the and the child Samuel grew on and was in favor both with

the Lord and also with men in Luke Chapter 2 and verse 40 it says that he was strong in the spirit and the grace of God was upon him and so as we as we learn more about the Child Jesus we want to grow we want to grow in our knowledge and understanding wisdom we want to grow physically we want to grow in favor with God and with man in 1 Peter chapter 2 and verse 12 it say having your conversation honest among the Gentiles that where as they speak against you as evildoers they may by your good works which they be Shall Behold glorify God in the day of visitation you see we we need to live our lives in such a way that we're not an offense to the gospel but we're a blessing to those around us

turn over to Matthew Chapter 13 Matthew chapter 13 13 and verses 54-58 Matthew Chapter 13 and beginning with verse number 54 the Bible says when he was come into his own country he he taught them in the their synagogue as much as the day as that they were astonished and said whence hath this man this wisdom and these Mighty works is not this the carpenter son is not his mother called Mary and his brotherr James and Jose and S and Judas and his sisters are they not all with us when that then hath this man all these things and they were offended in him but Jesus saith unto him a prophet is not without honor saved to his own country and in his own house and he did not me and he did not many

mighty works that there because of their unbelief you see here Jesus was and and he was presenting himself to the people around him you know Jesus uh it's interesting that Jesus had Brothers he had at least a uh if you look there in verse number 55 he had his brother James and hoseus and Simon and Judas so he had four brothers and at least two sisters and none of them believed in him none of them believed in him go over to John chapter 7 John chapter 7 look at verses 3-5 John chapter 7 and beginning with verse number three his brother therefore said unto him depart hence and go into Judah and the disciples Also may see the works that thou doest for there's no no man that doeth anything in

secret and he himself seeketh to be known openly if thou do those things show thyself to the world for neither did his Brethren believe in him so Jesus had four brothers and two sisters and and none of them believed in him you know you think it would be nice to have Jesus as a brother how many of you have an older brother or sister raise your hand could you imagine having Jesus as your older brother could you imagine what your mom would be saying to you all the time why can't you be like Jesus he's good all the time why can't you be like Jesus he never does anything bad you know it'd be hard to have Jesus as your older brother wouldn't it because uh he's so perfect my older brother was

bigger than I was he was smarter than I was he was better looking than I was and I was always being compared when I was in school I was always Danny's brother I was never Wayne you know and it was rough to live up to that standard and maybe that's why they didn't like Jesus I don't know later on they did come to know the Lord and they did come to believe in him but you know Jesus grew up as a boy we don't know a lot about him we know that he grew in wisdom even though he was God in man's body even though he had all the power and the knowledge of the godhead he still listened and learned and asked questions and that'll reminds you and I how much we need to listen and learn he grew in stature

he grew to be a young man and took care of himself he grew in favor with God and with man he was also subjected to his parents look at Luke Chapter 2 and look at verse number 51 Luke Chapter 2 and verse number 51 he went down with them and came to Nazareth was subject unto them but his mother kept all those sayings in her heart he was subject to his parents now if you look back at verses 48- 50 when you remember how he got lost and his mom was upset with him and says you know we were worried about you where were you and he said I have to be about my father's business in Hebrews chapter 5: 8-9 it says though he were a son yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered and be made

perfect became the author of Eternal salvation unto all them that obey him you see he understood the responsib possibility obeying your parents but he also understood his purpose the reason he had come is to obey his Heavenly Father you know you and I as parents we need to remind our children that the Bible tells us look at Ephesians chapter 6 and turn over there with me Ephesians chapter 6 and look at verses 1-4 the young people here remember that the Bible says this it says children obey your parents in the Lord for this is right honor thy father and thy mother which is the first commandment with promise that it may be well with thee and now mayest live long on the earth Jesus set a good

example for us now remember Jesus was probably the only teen who ever actually knew more than his parents because doesn't that most teenagers think they know more than their parents isn't that where the problem comes in and Jesus he knew more than his parents and yet he was subject unto them he obeyed them because he understood that biblical principle so we we know about Jesus the baby we know about the story of the WIS men and the Shepherds and the Little Drummer Boy and all the rest of that we know about those stories but when you see that baby in the manger remember that's God God incarnate God In the Flesh God who humbled himself and became obedient was made in the form of a servant

became not only a man but even became a baby so that he could die on the cross for us Jesus is also a boy we don't know much about him but we do know he grew in wisdom and we need to grow in wisdom that's why we come to church that's why we come to Sunday school that's how we read our Bible because we're always learning and if Jesus could learn how much more do you and I need to learn he grew in stature and a favor with God and man he grew in understanding his responsibility to obey the word of God obey his parents but then we see Jesus as a man go to John chapter 21 John chapter 21 and look at verse number 25 John chap 21 and verse number 25 there are also many other things which Jesus did

the which if they should be written everyone I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written amen we know a lot about Jesus life but we really don't know anything about the years from age 12 to age 30 when he started his ministry we really don't know anything we call them the silent years look at Luke chter 3 look at verses 21-23 Luke 3: 21-23 says now when all the people were baptized it came to pass that Jesus also being baptized and praying the heaven was opened and the Holy Ghost descended in bodily shape like a dove upon him a voice Came From Heaven which said th Thou Art my beloved Son whom I well pleased and Jesus himself began to be about 30

years of age uh being as it was supposed the son of Joseph which was the son of heli so here he began his ministry at the age of 30 and was crucified at the age of 33 so we know about those years we know about the baby years we know a little bit about him as a boy but we all know almost nothing about him from that point forward in Galatians chap 4: 4 and 5 it says but when the fullness of time was come God sent forth his son made of a woman made under the law to redeem them but were under the law that we might receive the adoption of sons Jesus came at just the perfect time in history Jesus came at just the right moment to be born in that manger but also to die upon the cross to give his

life for us and God had a plan and God had a purpose and sometimes it's hard to wait in Psalms 27: 13-4 says I had fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of living wait in the Lord be of good courage and you strengthen the heart wait I say in the Lord I wonder sometimes about Jesus from the age of 12 to the age of 30 what his thinking was I wonder if he was anxious to get into the ministry if it was anxious to get out and do the work of the Lord I wonder if it was hard just to wait during those years I wonder what those years were like for him we do know he worked as a carpenter the Bible says in Mark 6 and verse number three is not this the carpenter the

son of Mary the brother of James and Joseph and of Judah and Simon are not his sisters here with us they were offended at him so we know that he was a carpenter the Bible tells us in 2 Thessalonians chap 3: 10-13 for even we with you this we commanded you that if any would not work neither should he eat for we hear that there were some which walk among you disorderly working not at all but are busy bodies now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ that with quietness they work and eat their own bread but ye Brethren be not weary in well-doing you see Jesus during those years that we hear very little about him we do know that he was working with his Dad he was

working as a carpenter he was keeping busy now you would think that God why why would God have him work as a carpenter all those years instead of him out preaching all those years if he' been preaching from the age of 12 or even the age of 20 and and had those 10 extra years how much more could he have done and we don't understand all of God's plan but what we do know is that Jesus God had a purpose and Jesus was fulfilling that purpose and during that time he didn't just sit around and do nothing he didn't sit around and wait he worked he worked with his hands so as I think about the Christmas season I want to challenge you it's good to talk about the baby in the manger it's good to set up

the nativity scenes and all the angels and the Shepherds and the wise men and all the rest of that it's also good to think ahead and realize that the reason he came was what we celebrated Easter he came to die he came to sacrifice his life he came to be our savior look at John chapter 20 John chapter 20 and verses 30 and 31 John chapter 20 and verses 30 and 31 and many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples which are not written in this book but these are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ the son of God and that believing you might have life through his name we don't know a lot about Jesus in his early years we know he's born in a manger we know

that they took off to Egypt for a short time period and then came back we know that they went to the temple and then it's silent all we know is he worked with his dad in his carpenter shop until he was 30 years old and then he showed up and began to preach and began to teach began to do Miracles and in three short years he turned the world upside down and we don't even know all what he did we've got some of the stories but we don't know everything but we do know this that he came to be our savior look at 1 John chapter 1 1 John chapter 1 and verses 1-4 1 John chapter 1 and verses 1-4 it says that which was from the beginning which we have heard which we' have seen with our eyes which we have

looked upon and our hands have handled the word of life for the life was manifest we've seen it and bear witness and show unto you that eternal life which was with the father and was manifested unto us that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you that you also may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the father and with his son Jesus Christ and these things we write unto you that your joy might be full could you imagine what it must have been like to be a disciple of Jesus Christ could you imagine what it must been like to walk with him and to listen to him preach and to watch him do those Miracles could you imagine what it was like to be there at the cross and

watch him crucified and then 3 days later to see the resurrected Christ what an amazing thing that would have been look at second Peter chapter 1 second Peter chapter 1 and look at verses 12-9 wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things though you know them and be established in the present truth yeah I think of meat as long as I am in this Tabernacle to stir you up by putting you in remembrance knowing that shortly I must put off this my Tabernacle even as our Lord Jesus Christ has showed me moreover I will endeavor that you may be after my depart decease to have these things always in remembrance for we have not followed kindly devis fables we made

known unto you the power and the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ but were eyewitnesses of his majesty for received from God the Father honor and Glory when there came such a voice to him from the excellent um Glory this is my beloved Son whom I'm well pleased and this voice which came from heaven we heard when we were with him in the Holy Mount we have also a more sure word of Prophecy where unto you do well that you take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place until the day Dawn this day day star rise in your hearts see Peter and John wanted to make sure we knew the story of Jesus but don't let it become a story that's so familiar that you don't pay attention anymore many of us in

this room have heard the Christmas story year after year after year our entire life we've heard message after message we've heard read the story in Luke and the story in Matthew over and over again we know about the wise men we know about the Shepherds we know about the angels singing Glory to God but do we really know Jesus there's so little the Bible tells us about him but yet what it does tell us is so that we can know him in John 3:16 the Bible says for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life folks we need to believe not just in the baby and the manger but we need to believe in the Savior upon

the cross in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 turn over there with me if you would just a couple more verses and we'll close 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and beginning with verse number one down through verse number four this ISS moreover brotherr I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you which also you received and where in you stand by which also you are saved if you keep in memory what I preached unto you unless you believed in vain for I delivered unto you first of all that which also received how that Christ died for our sins Accord according to the scriptures and that he was buried that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures see that's the gospel that's the message

of Christmas it's not just a baby in the major but it's God himself coming in the flesh who became a man so that he could die upon the cross to save you and to save me from our sins he came that he would he would be able to understand the infirmities of our flesh to be understand everything that we've gone through in life and he be able to be that high priest that when when we pray we know that he's been there he understands that and that's the Jesus that we need to believe in John chapter 1 John chapter 1 how many of you have opened your Christmas presents already all right there's some of you that are not telling the truth you've already snuck out there and Tak a look in there but the fact

is you're not going to open those presence till December 25th now if I asked that same question the next Sunday after December 25th every hand would go up because you would have received your gift and opened it in first John chapter I'm sorry in John chapter 1 and beginning with verse number nine the Bible says that that was the True Light which lith every man that cometh to the world he was in the world and the world was made by him the world knew him not he came onto his own of his own received him not and but as many as received him to them gave the power to become the sons of God even to them that believe on his name which were born not of the not of blood nor the will of the flesh nor

the will of man but of God you see you and I need to understand that this is a gift that God gave us the gift of not just a baby in a Manger but the gift of a a boy who grew up to become a man just so he could die upon the cross to give us eternal life and he is the gift the gift of salvation the gift of eternal life the gift of putting our faith and trust in Jesus Christ do you have that gift today have you received the gift of Salvation have you received Jesus Christ as your savior in 1 John chap 5: 12 and 13 it says he that hath the son hath life he that hath not the Son of God hath not life these things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the son of God that you may know

that you have eternal life and that you may believe on the name of the son of God as many's received him on Christmas morning you're going to receive gifts from people who love you and you're going to open that gift up and accept it and receive it to yourself and you need to receive God's Gift of Salvation in Ephesians 28:9 it says for by grace are you saved through faith then not of yourself it's a gift of God not of Works L A man should boast you know gifts don't have to be paid for they don't have to be earned they just have to be received and the same is true of the gift of Salvation as we come into the Christmas season we all know the story the baby and the manger we don't know a lot about that little boy as he grew up and has became a man but we know he grew in wisdom and his stature and favor with God and man but then at 30 years old he came into the world and he began to preach and he presented himself at 33 to be the sacrifice upon the cross to save us from our sins