Remember the WWJD days? Lots of people were wearing bracelets remind themselves that it was important to think about how Jesus would handle the situation they are in. That was a great reminder, but I think there is an even more fundamental question to ask first, and that is, “What DID Jesus do?” So that’s where we are going today. We are going to look at five key things that happened to Jesus, and in the process of seeing how his life unfolded, we can see what He DID, and what the implications are for our lives.
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The first thing that happened to Jesus was that he was born. (Brilliant, I know…) Luke takes the geneology all the way back to Adam, but Matthew gives the geneology of The Son Of Man, and he starts with Abraham.
A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham:
Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab,Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon,
Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah's wife, Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa, Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram, Jehoram the father of Uzziah, Uzziah the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, Hezekiah the father of Manasseh,Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah, and Josiah the father of Jeconia aand his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon. After the exile to Babylon: Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, Abiud the father of Eliakim,Eliakim the father of Azor, Azor the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Akim, Akim the father of Eliud, Eliud the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob are the founders, so that’s impressive, but….
• Rahab was a Canaanite
• Bathsheba was a Hittite by marriage
• Ruth was a Moabite
• Tamar’s origin is unclear, but we do know she seduced her father-in-law by pretending she was a prostitute
• Jehoram killed all his brothers to secure his power and the Bible says he “abandoned God.”
• Ahaz offered his son to the god Moloch by burning him alive.
This family or origin tension hits even closer to home.
• PARENTS – Jesus was born into a family who, while morally strong, were viewed as morally weak. As far as people knew, Joseph and Mary had jumped the gun a bit in terms of getting family life started. It is almost certain there was a stigma attached there.
• Nazareth (“Can anything good come from Nazareth?”) James Strange, an American archaeologist, notes: “Nazareth is not mentioned in ancient Jewish sources earlier than the third century AD. This likely reflects its lack of prominence both in Galilee and in Judaea.” Plus, there was a Roman garrison there – seriously occupied enemy territory.
• His dad’s vocation was very ordinary and very hard.
Jesus has what would appear to be a family tree with a lot of shade by the standards of the world; Some embarrassing skeletons in the family closet; assumed to be conceived before his parents were married; lived in a nothing town; had an ordinary job. When the Bible says that Jesus ”made himself of no reputation,” it wasn’t kidding.
If the accounts of Jesus life are meant to give us insight into both Jesus and life, I suspect we have details like this recorded so that we will have hope as we build upon or overcome our family of origin.
“The fairest thing in nature, a flower, still has its roots in earth and manure.” (D.H. Lawrence. ) I am going to paraphrase: “You can’t have a flower without dirt, and sometimes some crap.”
If people dig into where our roots are, sometimes there is a lot of good soil….but sometimes its just dirty, and it stinks. Even Jesus had a family history that had to simultaneously be embraced and be endured.
If you are a person who struggles with your roots – your parents, your family, really anything about the formative parts of your past - the key is to learn how to embrace the good and admit the bad without shame. The Bible didn’t try to hide Jesus’ hurdles. I believe everything that is in the Bible is purposeful, and one thing God apparently wants us to know is that no one has to be ashamed of where they have come from. God can grows beautiful things out of crappy soil.
THE FIRST LESSON: WE MUST LEARN HOW TO GROW FROM THE EARTH AND THE MANURE INTO WHICH WE HAVE BEEN PLANTED.
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Here is God in the Flesh, and when he is 12 years old he gives this great line in the temple - “I must be about my Father’s business” – and then he disappears. So what did Jesus do during the 18-or-so year gap in the gospel records between the last record of his youth and his adult ministry? The Bible gives this vague explanation: “He increased in wisdom, and stature (physical maturity), and in favor with God and man.” (graciousness of manner; divine influence reflected in life; reputation.)
Jesus most likely remained in his father's (Joseph's) home and learned the family business. This was the most common path for Jewish lads to follow. In Jesus' case, it would mean he worked in his father's shop as an apprentice until he fully learned the trade. This trade is commonly been held to be carpentry, but was more likely stone cutting and building (the Greek text supports this point). As the oldest son, he probably was responsible for his mother after Joseph died (which is assumed by the time Jesus went to Calvary).
So what did Jesus do for 18 years? He lived a normal life. He was sent to earth to save the world, and how did he get ready? He just put one foot in front of the other, for 18 years.
One of the hardest things to do is wait, especially in a culture of instant gratification. But the reality is, it is in the times that we think are wasted that God does some of his best stuff. If you are in a place in life where you feel like you are spinning your wheels, be content. Perhaps this is the time for you to increase in wisdom, and to find favor in the eyes of God and others. If you are surrendered to God, there is no wasted time. The Kingdom of Heaven is full of people who have learned to be content with God’s timing.
THE SECOND LESSON: WE MUST SEE EVEN THE MOST ORDINARY OF MOMENTS AS OPPORTUNITIES TO BECOME WISE AND BUILD REPUTATION.
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Luke 4:1 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He became hungry.
And the devil said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread." And Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE.'"
And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
And the devil said to Him, "I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours." Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD AND SERVE HIM ONLY.'" And he led Him to Jerusalem and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here; for it is written, 'HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU TO GUARD YOU,' and, 'ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP, SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.'" And Jesus answered and said to him, "It is said, 'YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.'" When the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time.
These three temptations mirror what 1 John 2:16 calls the “lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.”
• The lust of the flesh: the desire of the natural body to indulge in things –perhaps even good things - at the wrong time or in the wrong way. There are natural cravings that will draw us to experience something about God’s creation in improper ways.
• The lust of the eyes: the desire for forbidden things. Greed for things we do not or should not have.
• The pride of life: arrogance. Building identity, achieving status or demanding respect because of the things that I have acquired.
Jesus met these head on.
• “You are really hungry; make bread!” (Lust of the flesh)
• “Don’t you want this glittery, beautiful world?” (Lust of the eyes)
• “And then you can demonstrate your power in front of everybody!” (The pride of life)
THE THIRD LESSON: WE MUST BE READY FOR THE DESERT
• Pray that God helps you learn the art of self-control (lust of the flesh)
• Pray that God gives you contentment (the lust of the eyes)
• Pray that God gives you humility (the pride of life)
Even people with the best backgrounds, and the greatest increases in wisdom and reputation face tremendous desert experiences where these three desires seems overwhelming. Be faithful; the one who withstood them all is with you.
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Luke 4: 14-16 And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district. And He began teaching in their synagogues and was praised by all. And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read…”
THE FOURTH LESSON: YOU WILL HAVE A MINISTRY
1. Your effectiveness comes from the Holy Spirit (“in the power of the Spirit”) Don’t forget that it’s not about you. If you minister to people with effectiveness and authority, thank God, because He is empowering you. There is a world of difference between “God needs me” and “I need God.” You are a vessel that God is preparing to use to carry Him to others. When you arrive at your destination – when you realize that you are at the place where God plans to reveal himself through you – get out of the way.
The death of our effectiveness is confirmed any time we find ourselves saying or thinking something along the lines of, “Do you know who I am?” All that matters is who God is, and the rest of us are in the same category – jars of clay, in desperate need of God to fill us.
2. Your audience is closer than you think (“Galilee…surrounding district”) Don’t look so far away for a mission field that you overlook your yard. If we are not careful, we become bifocal Christians – we are almost always looking far away for a mission field, and when we look close to home we adapt a posture of looking down our noses. (“We are going to JPUSA to work with the homeless…Safe Harbor? I can’t stay up all night!) ( I’m going to Costa Rica to work with children in the villages…Sunday School in my own church? I can’t send out cool Christmas letters about that!)
There is nothing wrong with going some distance if God calls you there; but I think more often than not, He wants you to start by ministering to your kids, your spouse…your neighbor…your parents…your friends…the people and ministries in your church.
3. Your habits lay a foundation (“The synagogue, as was his custom”) Someone once said, “First we form habits, then they form us.”
When Jesus was 12, he was in the temple. When we see him again at 30, he is going to the temple. What did he do between those two events? Developed a custom. We are what we do, and we become what we consistently do.
4. Your authority comes from God’s Word (“and stood up to read.”)
The first words of Jesus that are recorded after he began his official ministry are from the book of Isaiah. If proclaiming God’s Word is a good starting point for Jesus, I have to think it’s a good starting point for us. And it wasn’t just a random reading. It was purposeful. Jesus knew what he was doing. We are the followers of the Word become flesh; we need to be people of the Word.
THE FIFTH LESSON: YOU WILL NEED TO DIE (TO SELF), BECAUSE THERE IS NO RESURRECTION WITHOUT CRUCIFIXION.