“And when they had performed
everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their
own city of Nazareth. And the Child
continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom; and the grace of God
was upon Him.
“And His parents used to go to
Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when He became twelve, they went up there
according to the custom of the Feast; and as they were returning, after
spending the full number of days, the boy Jesus stayed behind in
Jerusalem.
“And His parents were unaware
of it, but supposed Him to be in the caravan, and went a day’s journey; and
they began looking for Him among their relatives and acquaintances. And when they did not find Him, they returned
to Jerusalem, looking for Him.
“And it came about that after
three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers,
both listening to them, and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were astonished; and
His mother said to Him, ‘Son, why have You treated us this way? Behold, Your father and I have been anxiously
looking for You.’
“And He said to them, ‘Why is
it that you were looking for Me? Did you
not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?’ And they did not understand the statement
which He had made to them. And He went
down with them, and came to Nazareth; and He continued in subjection to them;
and His mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and
stature, and in favour with God and men.” Luke 2:39-52
Jesus had experienced so much
that was not typical of a child by the time He was twelve. His parents would likely have found a more
suitable place to live in Bethlehem before they fled to Egypt to escape Herod’s
wrath and then when it was safe to return to Nazareth. By then he would be hearing God’s Word from Joseph
and the men of His village; perhaps, there was even a Jewish teacher He would
have studied with as He grew up.
Can you imagine how excited He
must have been each time He travelled with Joseph to Jerusalem (men were to
travel there a minimum of three times a year once they were old enough to
reason).
There was no formal Bar Mitzvah
ceremony established yet (believed to have been formalised and observed from 16th
Century in Eastern Europe), but Jesus’ life would have been filled with
everyone around Him reciting and discussing accurately memorised passages of
the Torah from memory.
Only temple priests had copies of
the Torah to read, reason and teach from so being right there listening would
have been a rare opportunity for Jesus.
On this trip it seems He became so distracted by the readings, He forgot
to be obedient to His parents.
Did you ever wonder what He
thought about as everyone around Him was teaching about things from the Word to
the Living Word? To learn more about the
in-between time from the birth of Christ until He is baptised by His childhood
friend, John, please consider my gift.
Here is my present to
you, dear friend
and those who know or
seek for Christ:
Click on
the picture or copy and paste
This link
into your browser
or search
YouTube for
‘The
Chosen Special Christmas Episode’
Take care with love, especially
His! Your servant and friend in Christ,
who still prays for you each morning.
Darlene
PS: My statement of faith is found here: https://especiallyhislove.blogspot.com You can find the WeakDay Devotion online by
doing a Google search for “WeakDay Devotion”
(Also, there is an android “Google Blogger” app you can download to read
them on your phone.)
NEW PRAYER REQUESTS and UPDATES
- ·
Peyton
– 17-year old granddaughter of Jeff and Rachael, a professional dancer for 14
years has just broken her food and is devastated that she can’t compete in
dance completions and feels she is letting her teams down. She will be in a boot for 6 weeks. Please pray for complete healing, peace and
patience while she heals.
- · UPDATE – Fires in Australia being contained finally - but no rain in sight. New Year’s Eve day will be oppressively hot and there is a consideration to hold off on the fireworks until the fire danger is past. Pray they choose wisdom and safety over commercial gain, and postpone them as Sydney is a tinderbox. Many fires continue. Pray for the firefighters, those caring for those seeking shelter, for those suffering from and in the path of the fires, for those who have lost everything, the animals and the tragedy that accompanies this. Please pray for God’s mercy on this dry and sunburnt, burning land and that His people will rise up and show their extraordinary love and compassion at this time!
- · URGENT -USA - Pray the Lord would demonstrate His power in unexpected and uniting ways during these times of unrest and confusion. Help hearts settle and rest in Him alone. Let the truth of God’s Word and ways overcome the drive to destroy our founding, Bible-based values.
- · Chris H – recently lost his sister (the last of his family) and will be facing his first Christmas without her. Please hold him up with prayers as he walks through this time of change and pain.
- · Savannah – fifteen-year-old granddaughter of Cliff and Beth, is suffering from a psychological disorder that is difficult to treat and could lead to very serious consequences. She NEEDS all the prayers that can be said on her behalf.
- · Christine’s husband – broke his arm and wrist and is home recovering. Pray during this time that the Lord will speak to him through his loving wife and that they will have a Christ-centred relationship and family.
- · Doris (My Second Mom) – has had a wonderful 101 birthday - she is growing frail and sleeping more and deeply now. Pray for Patti, her daughter, as she remains so faithful in sacrificing time to demonstrate God’s love to her precious mother. Pray for Freddy, Doris’ son that he will be there with her more. Doris (and her husband, Owen, now waiting for Doris in Heaven) both prayed faithfully to bring me to the foot of the Cross from age 12.
- · SJ – as he struggles with circumstances he did not anticipate. Pray for his willingness to grow through this dark time and for wisdom of his counsellors. Pray for his ability to rest and forgive himself.
- · Lachlan –Has completed his seminary studies and now urgently needs to find housing for himself and his three children.
- · Paul –Pray for his ongoing resilience and that the Lord would allow him to find a role. He’s been unemployed since 2010. Most of all, pray his heart melts enough for the Truth to touch him where it hurts. Pray for my wisdom and patience as he stays here.
- · Patti – faithful daughter of Doris, wife of John -- a Proverbs 31 woman, who needs strength, energy and the ability to prioritise with grace and resolve and grows in confidence so she understands that ‘no’ is a perfectly acceptable response. Pray she enjoy precious time with John and that her heart is strong for her Mom.
- · Terri – her relationship of 13 years has just broken, and she needs prayers to travel through this journey.
- · Tracey – Pray Tracey finds a new role to satisfy her and allow her to grow and share her skills and wisdom.
- · Me – Please pray for the Lord to provide a new project for me.
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