Monthly Archives: December 2025

LUKE’S GOSPEL…NAZARETH – 7a

Bible Study, ,

“Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭4‬:‭14‬-‭17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus’ resolve to live by the words of His Father was quickly put to the test in His hometown, Nazareth. What better place to begin, where He had grown up under scrutiny, where He was best known by the community, so they thought. 

Once again, come Sabbath, Jesus took His place in the synagogue, however, not as a regular worshipper but as a recognised “rabbi”, a teacher of the law. He has become well-known in the region for His teaching and authority. 

Jesus stood up to read the Scripture for that day. He deliberately selected a passage that formed part of Isaiah’s prophetic picture of the Messiah. How fitting that Isaiah prophesied about the Messiah’s ministry of deliverance and healing for His broken people, an exact description of His mission which had already begun in nearby Capernaum. 

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” …He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.””

‭‭Luke‬ ‭4‬:‭18‬-‭19‬, ‭21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Well, that set the cat among the pigeons! Imagine the audacity of the man! One of their own villagers, a young upstart who grew up in front of them, claiming to be the fulfilment of their great prophet Isaiah’s immortal words!Who did He think He was? 

Jesus’ next words struck a raw spot. He made it clear that He already knew that He would be rejected. 

“Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ And you will tell me, ‘Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’ ” “Truly I tell you,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭4‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Using two stories from Israel’s own history, Elijah’s miracle for a Gentile widow in Zarephath and Elisha’s healing of Naaman, the Syrian, as illustrations, He foretold that His own people would reject Him because of His ministry to Gentiles! Well, that did it!

Before He even said any more, a heated debate broke out. Some were impressed…others were incensed. The mention of the Gentiles made their blood boil. Without giving any consideration to His message of hope, or His mission of mercy to all people, they unceremoniously threw Him out and even tried to eliminate Him. 

However, this was Jesus…and their murderous rage didn’t work. At least not this time. 

One thing was clear…little by little, Jesus began to determine who were willing to listen to His message and who were not. By rejecting Him, they were rejecting the Father who sent Him, and His gracious message of deliverance and redemption. 

This brings us to an important consideration at this point…

To be continued…

LUKE’S GOSPEL…TESTED – 6

Bible Study, ,

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry….When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time. Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭4‬:‭1‬-‭2‬, ‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭

The events between verses 2 and 14 in this story are hugely significant, highlighting the move from potential to actual in Jesus’ life and ministry. The Father gave His blessing to His Son…His love, His approval, and His affirmation…and set Him aside for His earthly ministry by anointing Him with the Holy Spirit. This was the crucial moment when Jesus entered His office as the Messiah. 

Luke described Jesus, when He came out of the Jordan River, as “full of the Holy Spirit”. This description implies, not a substance filling a container but a person under the full control of the Holy Spirit. 

Paul used the same imagery to urge Ephesians believers to allow the Holy Spirit to control their lives, leading to godly living, just liquor controls an alcoholic, leading to debauchery (…in the Bible, debauchery means excessive indulgence in sinful, sensual pleasures like drunkenness, sexual immorality, gluttony, and unrestrained revelry – Google AI). 

“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit,”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Anointed by the Holy Spirit, after His baptism as an act of obedience, Jesus was  equipped to begin His public ministry, which was revealing the true nature of the Father, in submission and obedience to the Father’s will, up to His death on the cross…

…or was He?

We have learned, especially, for example, from Joseph’s life that, just as he was subjected to rigorous testing before he became the second ruler in Egypt…

“He called down famine on the land and destroyed all their supplies of food; and he sent a man before them— Joseph, sold as a slave. They bruised his feet with shackles, his neck was put in irons, till what he foretold came to pass, till the word of the Lord proved him true.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭105‬:‭16‬-‭19‬ ‭NIV‬‬

…so also, Jesus had to be tested before He could be trusted with a great responsibility. 

So, the Holy Spirit shepherded Jesus into the wilderness, away from all human contact and creature comforts, for the final phase of His training. Did Jesus know why He was being driven into absolute isolation? Did He understand this unusual and unexpected separation from civilisation? 

I don’t think so. 

What were His thoughts during forty days of “solitary confinement”, held there by an invisible restraint, in the heat, cold, and misery of hunger and thirst. Were His thoughts concentrated on His uncomfortable circumstances or was He using the situation to commune with the Father, to listen to Him and to prepare Himself for His entry into a serious and seriously challenging mission?   

We don’t know! Let’s see what happens. 

Finally, after forty days…six weeks of silence… nothing happening…gazing at a sterile, barren landscape…the action begins. Was Jesus contemplating, during those long, lonely, uncomfortable days, how He was going to carry out His Father’s will on earth? After all, as much as He was the Son of God, He was also a man who had to live from moment to moment in an uncertain world with the next moment unknown. 

Suddenly, all hell broke loose…literally! The devil himself entered the scene, the “serpent” that he was, egging Jesus on with sssubtle sssuggestions! “You must be very hungry! Why don’t you just use your power to make some bread?” Why not! No one would know. 

Jesus caught that thought before it entered His soul. No! Doing that would cut right across His Father’s will. His choice? The Father’s word above Satan’s word.  Despite His gnawing hunger, He would not fall into the trap that ensnared the first man, Adam. 

His response was simple and uncompromising…”It is written…” 

And so, as the tests got closer to the bone…His mission…His submission to the Word… His union with the Father…so His resolve grew. He would do everything in His life, His public ministry, His choice and training of His disciples, His connection with people, friends and enemies, in union with the Father and in obedience to His Word.  

For Jesus, the Father’s word, not to manipulate but to trust and submit to in its truest context, took precedence in every situation. He took time, often many hours before dawn, to keep in touch with the Father, and to receive His instructions for each situation.

So, Jesus could declare with no fear of contradiction…

“For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.””

‭‭John‬ ‭12‬:‭49‬-‭50‬ ‭NIV‬‬

How significant for Jesus, then, to set in concrete His resolve and His chosen method of operation, to speak the word of God as His everything. God’s word was His weapon of attack in conflict with His enemies, as well as His meat and drink, His protection and defence, the reason for His presence and calling on earth, and His appeal to the Father’s prophetic word as His blueprint for being who He was, the Son of Man… 

If the Word of God was everything for Jesus, what of us, His followers? Should not God’s Word be to us what it was to Jesus, the power we need, appropriate for every situation, provided by the Holy Spirit as we trust in Him?

To be continued…

LUKE’S GOSPEL…THE SON OF MAN – 5

Bible Study, ,

“When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph, the son of Heli…the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭3‬:‭21‬-‭23‬, ‭38‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Luke’s careful research into the history of Jesus yielded some significant information about His initiation into His ministry and His genealogy as the human Jesus. 

We, of modern western persuasion, tend to read the story of Jesus’ baptism from our own particular religious perspective. Some denominations ignore the details and equate their practice of infant baptism by sprinkling as the counterpart of circumcision under the Old Covenant. For them, it is important to bring their children into the covenant before they can disqualify themselves through their choices. Once the little ones are in the covenant, it is the parent’s responsibility to ensure that they reach the age of “confirmation”, so that their destiny is secure. 

For other groups, baptism, or total emersion in water, is a statement of faith in Jesus, an act of obedience to Jesus’ command and example, and identification with and initiation into His death, burial, and resurrection. 

What did baptism mean to Jesus as a Jew?

To Jesus, the “mikveh”, ritual washing, was a practice connecting Him to His Jewish roots as a human, not a ritual connected to the New Covenant. 

Google says…

“To Jesus, as a Jew, the mikveh (ritual bath) was a familiar Jewish practice for spiritual purification, cleansing, and transition, similar to the water immersion he received from John the Baptist, signifying a new spiritual state or readiness for God, though Jesus’s baptism became a unique, one-time symbol of initiation into a new covenant rather than repeated ritual cleansing. His immersion connected him to ancient traditions of purity and prophecy, foreshadowing his unique role as the source of spiritual rebirth, as explained to Nicodemus.” 

There has special significance around Jesus’ age of thirty when He left His childhood home and presented Himself for baptism.

“Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry…”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭3‬:‭23‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Since Jesus combines in Himself the three major roles of leaders in Israel…prophet, priest, and king…He followed in the tradition of His human ancestors. 

  • “Numbers 4:3: States Levites from age thirty up to fifty were to perform service in the Tent of Meeting (Tabernacle).
  • Numbers 8:24: Later adjusted the entry age for Levites to 25 for general duties, but 30 remained significant for the priestly order.
  • David: Was thirty when he began to reign (2 Samuel 5:4).
  • Joseph: Was thirty when he began serving Pharaoh (Genesis 41:46).
  • Ezekiel: Was called as a prophet at age thirty (Ezekiel 1:1).
  • Jesus: Began His public ministry around age thirty (Luke 3:23), fulfilling this pattern. 

Significance of Age Thirty:

  • Maturity & Readiness: In ancient Israel, thirty marked the point of full physical, mental, and spiritual maturity, making one fit for major leadership and sacred tasks.
  • Symbol of Fullness: It signified vocational readiness, highlighting Jesus’ preparedness for His comprehensive mission as the ultimate Priest, Prophet, and King.”

(Source: Google AI)

Let’s turn again to Google AI for a better understanding of Jesus’ baptism against the backdrop of Jewish religious ritual.  

“Meaning of Mikveh in a Jewish Context

For Jews in the Second Temple period, mikveh was a common practice for achieving a state of ritual purity (tahara) after experiencing certain forms of ritual impurity (tum’a), such as after a menstrual cycle, childbirth, or contact with a corpse. 

  • Purity, not Cleanliness: It was a spiritual, not physical, cleansing; one had to be physically clean before immersion.
  • Symbolism of New Life: Immersion symbolized a change of status, a transition, or a “new birth,” such as for a convert to Judaism or a bride before her wedding.
  • Source of Water: The water had to be “living water” (mayim hayim), from a natural source like a spring or rainwater, and not held in a vessel. John the Baptist performed his immersions in the flowing Jordan River, a natural water source. 

“Significance of Mikveh/Baptism for Jesus

While the common reasons for a mikveh were for purification from sin or uncleanness, Jesus’ immersion had unique significance: 

  • Fulfilling All Righteousness: When John the Baptist initially objected to baptizing Jesus, Jesus responded, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15). This meant participating in the purification rituals required by the Jewish law and culture of his time.
  • Initiation of Ministry: Jesus’ immersion in the Jordan River marked a major milestone and the beginning of his public ministry as the Messiah and Rabbi. (As the Prophet, Priest, and King, in the new order, mikveh was also an act of initiation into His three roles…my addition). 
  • Identification with Humanity: By being baptized alongside repentant sinners, Jesus identified himself with humanity and God’s plan to save them, even though he was sinless.
  • Divine Affirmation: Immediately after his baptism, the heavens opened, the Spirit of God descended on him, and a voice from heaven declared, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:16-17). This affirmed his divine identity and mission.
  • Symbolic of Death and Resurrection: For Christians, Jesus’ immersion is a powerful foreshadowing of his death, burial, and resurrection, which later became the central symbolism of Christian baptism. 

In essence, Jesus’ mikveh was a transformative public declaration and a symbolic “new beginning” for his life’s mission, rather than a cleansing from personal sin.”

Can you see, then, how Jesus’ baptism formed the bridge between His Jewish roots and the new order in which Jew and Gentile would signify through baptism, their identity with Him in His person, His roles, and His redemptive work. 

Luke, in his careful historical record, presents Jesus, not only as a true descendant of Adam, as the Son of Man meaning a human being as well as a Messianic figure, according to Daniel 7…

“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”

‭‭Daniel‬ ‭7‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

…but also the son of God by the affirmation of the Father…

“When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.””

‭‭Luke‬ ‭3‬:‭21‬-‭22‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Luke ensured that he presented an accurate record of Jesus’ credentials. Jesus presented Himself to John to do what was culturally, religiously, and spiritually the right thing, to subject Himself for mikveh, at the appropriate age of thirty, as a witness to His readiness to take office as prophet, priest, and king, and to initiate a new order, culminating in a new covenant, signed in His own blood.

Jesus’ bloodline, traced through David and Abraham to Adam, the first human, created by God, also affirms His true  humanity.  

LUKE’S GOSPEL…THE COVENANT – 4b

Bible Study, ,

Jesus’ life, from birth to mature adulthood, was one of steady growth in body, mind, and spirit. Since there is no record of any breach in His upbringing or behaviour, we can safely conclude that Jesus, under the watchful eye of Joseph and Mary, safely navigated these crucial years without faltering. Had He once failed, Luke would have been under obligation to report it. Jesus Himself later testified to His own perfect obedience to Father…

“The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.”

‭‭John‬ ‭8‬:‭29‬ ‭NIV‬‬

and His sinless life…

“Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me?”

‭‭John‬ ‭8‬:‭46‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Peter testified of his Lord, after observing the way Jesus handled the greatest test of His sinlessness, the terrible injustice of His crucifixion…

“He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭2‬:‭22‬-‭24‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Now, let’s go back to Jesus and the Mosaic Covenant. Why was it imperative that He live in perfect obedience to the covenant? The Law of Moses was the constitution that guided Israel’s government. God’s laws were an expression of His nature and His requirements for those who lived under His rule. The kings were to rule by the laws of His covenant. Despite the fact that Israel failed and rejected God’s covenant, Jesus, as a Jew, was still obliged to keep it as their human and divine king and the representative of humanity. 

Jesus came not only to fulfil the law so that it would eventually become obsolete, but also to demonstrate to His people how to obey the law, not only in letter but also in spirit. 

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

In His conflict with the Pharisees, Jesus accused them of being so preoccupied with the letter of the law that they ignored its true meaning…

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭23‬:‭23‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus showed by His words and behaviour, that the whole law is summed up in one commandment…

“Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭13‬:‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus’ selfless love, culminating in His death, is the perfect fulfilment of the Mosaic Covenant with all its rules and rituals. 

The other, equally important reason for Jesus to obey the law was that its picture of Him, as the tabernacle/temple worship with its priesthood and sacrifices revealed, had to be carried out to perfection. Everything about the redemption from sin that Jesus came to provide is presented to His people in the rules and rituals of worship and the sacrificial system. 

The writer to the Hebrews, in chapters 7 to 10, culminating in the declaration and invitation…

“Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭10‬:‭19‬-‭22‬ ‭NIV‬‬

…shows how Jesus, through His life and death, according to prophecy, perfectly fulfilled every type and shadow of Himself in the Old Testament. So, the writer could conclude…

“The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship…First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”—though they were offered in accordance with the law. Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭10‬:‭1‬, ‭8‬-‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The outcome of Jesus’ obedience to the Mosaic Law is the new dispensation of grace, allowing sinners to approach a holy God boldly and freely because the law has been satisfied and the sinner forgiven, cleansed, and justified. The way is open for us to come to the Father as dearly loved children. 

“Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭10‬:‭19‬-‭22‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.”

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭4‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

On this tiny, newborn baby boy, the son of Mary and the Son of God, rested the destiny of all mankind. His life and death, accomplished under the law of Moses, were to provide salvation from sin for all who believe in His name. 

“Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭2‬:‭25‬-‭32‬ ‭NIV‬‬

To be continued…

LUKE’S GOSPEL…THE COVENANT – 4a

Bible Study, ,

“When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”…When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭2‬:‭22‬-‭24‬, ‭39‬-‭40‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I could say a lot about the two old people, Simeon and Anna, who were the only ones to acknowledge Jesus’ birth when Joseph and Mary presented their newborn son to God at the temple. Old, devout, and faithful, they were privileged to be let into God’s secret. 

This bonny, beautiful baby boy was God’s final answer to all the wrongs and ills of the world. The two old “soldiers” in God’s spiritual army rejoiced as they looked into the tiny face, placid and peaceful, in His mother’s arms, and praised God for His faithfulness. They were willing to demobilise, ready to leave this world, content to know that, in this little life was locked up the destiny of humanity. 

Let’s turn our attention to Jesus’ parents. In their hands lay the task of raising this little boy in faithful observance to the terms of God’s covenant. 

Jesus was not exempt from living under the covenant because He was the Son of God. In fact, it was even more imperative that He, as representative of the human race, obey the law perfectly. In Him lay the task of fulfilling the law, both in the letter and spirit, of the Mosaic Covenant. 

Never, before Jesus came, had any person among God’s covenant people perfectly obeyed the law. Everyone was guilty of disobedience. Therefore, the law was in force for every person, and everyone came under judgment for breach of contract. The law had to be enforced until someone perfectly lived in obedience to all its terms and regulations so that it could be abolished and a new covenant take its place. 

Jesus’ parents started Him off on the right track by fulfilling all the regulations concerning childbirth, including the sacrifices required  and the circumcision of the child. All of these provisions guaranteed that He was a member of God’s covenant people. When they had fulfilled all the requirements, they returned to Nazareth to set about the task of raising Him as a true Jew. 

Remembering that Luke’s purpose was to highlight Jesus’ humanity, it is right that he record the story of this God-man from the beginning. From day one, then, before He could make decisions for Himself, Joseph and Mary faithfully instilled into Him the Word of God. 

Did they succeed? The outcome  was a resounding “Yes!” Luke affirmed the child’s progress in one profound observation. 

“When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭2‬:‭39‬-‭40‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Fast forward to the age of twelve. Jesus was ready for the next phase of His nurturing…His first participation in the major celebration of Israel, the feast of Passover, the miracle of redemption from slavery in Egypt. 

This was a milestone event…their firstborn son was to take His first big step into manhood. Did something begin to stir in Him? Passover…redemption…how did He fit into the story? What occupied His mind as He sat with the sages of Israel instead of returning home with His parents? 

“After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.” “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭2‬:‭46‬-‭49‬ ‭NIV‬‬

His response to His mother’s rebuke speaks volumes about what preoccupied Him most…not the temple (His Father’s house, according to many translations) but His Father, (“pater”). At this early age, Jesus already recognised that His connection with the Father took precedence   over all human ties. However, as He continued on into adulthood, He expressed His obedience to His Heavenly Father even more clearly by His submission to His earthly parents. 

“Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭2‬:‭51‬-‭52‬ ‭NIV‬‬

To be continued…