Sermon: Where is Jesus? – Luke 2:41-52

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon: Where is Jesus? – Luke 2:41-52
Occidental Presbyterian Church
December 27, 2009

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Merry Christmas! Our time of waiting is over. Our savior has arrived. This is a glorious time for the church when we experience God with us.

Although we, here in America, begin celebrating Christmas as early as Thanksgiving for many people around the world Christmas doesn’t begin until December 25th and continues for twelve days ending at the great feast of Epiphany on January 5. That makes this the third day of Christmas which a popular song immortalized with “three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree.”

Today we will be looking at the only place in scripture where we see Jesus as a boy growing up. There are other apocryphal stores about the young Jesus, but this is the only story in the Bible that talks about Jesus as a youth and gives us a glimpse of the relationship between Jesus and his parents. In this story Jesus stays behind in Jerusalem after the Passover celebration without telling his parents. They become extremely worried when they discover that Jesus is missing. And a missing Jesus is something to worry about.

Let us pray. Lord Jesus, we come into your presence today as we gather around God’s Holy Word. We ask that you be our teacher today and though the work of the Holy Spirit help us to understand today’s scripture and apply it to our lives. And may the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord and our Redeemer. Amen.

Luke 2:41-52 41 Now every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. 43 When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. 44 Assuming that he was in the group of travelers, they went a day's journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, "Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety." 49 He said to them, "Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" 50 But they did not understand what he said to them. 51 Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor.

A Palestinian Christian is worshiping in his church in Palestine this morning. He has just read the scripture for today and is thinking about Mary and Joseph and their desperation in looking for Jesus. But his mind begins to wander and he thinks of all the problems Palestinian Christians have as a persecuted people. He thinks that Jesus seems to be missing from Palestine today.

Labib is a Christian living in Palestine. I met him nine years ago when I stayed in his home with his family and worshiped with them at their church. When Labib was young he came to America for school and stayed with brother, a Catholic priest serving a congregation in Texas. But Labib returned to Palestine to take care of his mother with Alzheimer’s disease. Today he lives with his wife, two daughters and one son. Life is difficult for Labib and his family. Since 1967 his community has been occupied by the Israeli army. Their land has been taken for settlements. And today their village is surrounded by a wall. They are imprisoned by Israelis who fear Palestinian violence. And Labib has to ask the question: Where is Jesus?

A homeless man is worshiping in Eagle Rock this morning. Later today he will be cooking a meal for 80 hungry people who come to the church every Sunday night looking for a meal and fellowship. I met Dirk when I first came to Eagle Rock. He was sitting on a wall next to the Nazarene church. So I invited him to come to church and I helped him to start a small business with a grant from the Self Development of People program of the Presbyterian Church. Today Dirk is fighting a cold which won’t go away probably because his in living in the park. As he worships God this morning his mind wanders and he thinks that Jesus seems to be missing from Eagle Rock.

Dirk was a prominent businessman. His security company was hugely successful. But he had a legal dispute with a former girlfriend over child support. It had not gone his way. He lost his license to do business and it closed. His assets were confiscated and he lost his home. He and his dog lived in his truck until it was impounded by the police. Today they live in the park. Life is difficult for Dirk and his dog. They get by on $200 per month of General Relief and some food stamps. Dirk too must be asking the same question as Labib: Where is Jesus?

A pastor served a church in Los Angeles. The congregation was getting older and smaller. It was getting tougher to pay the bills. Although the church was growing there was no way he could financially remain. He has been looking for another church for several months, and has some leads. So he prays to God for a church and is confident that God will act. But so far God has not called him to a new church. And sometimes he is beginning to wonder the same question as Dirk and Labib: Where is Jesus?

We have all wondered, from time to time, where Jesus has gone. Sometimes this happens to us when we lose a job, or a loved one dies, or a doctor gives of some bad news, or a relationship ends. We pray for our jobs, and our families, and our health, but sometimes it seems that our prayers are not being heard, it seems that Jesus is missing.

Mary and Joseph were on their way back to Nazareth after the Passover festival. As obedient Jews they went annually to the Temple in Jerusalem for sacrifices and the Passover meal. The ancient festival of Passover and Unleavened Bread lasted for seven days. But most people came for a couple of days and then went back to work. On the second day of the trip back home Mary and Joseph could not find their twelve year old son Jesus. He was supposed to be with the aunts and uncles and cousins, but he was no where to be found. Jesus was missing.

So his parents were worried and went looking for their absent son. They returned to Jerusalem to search for him. They retraced their steps, frantically looking for Jesus. Three days had passed and he still could not be found. They asked the same question we often ask: Where is Jesus?

Their frantic search ended at the Temple in Jerusalem. There they found their son, Jesus, sitting with the Teachers and discussing this God’s Holy Word. And according to Jesus this was just where he was supposed to be. Jesus had experienced his calling from God as a teacher of the Bible. No longer was he Mary’s little boy growing up quietly in Nazareth. No longer was he Joseph’s son preparing to be a carpenter. Jesus was going to be a teacher of scripture speaking with the full authority of God. Once Jesus did what God had called him to do to, by beginning his study of scripture, the relationship that he had with his parents improved. He became obedient to their wishes and the family lived in harmony. We see from this that obedient children and harmonious families are a direct result of study of the Word of God.

So whenever we fear that Jesus may be missing, we know where to find him. Jesus is always right here with us whenever we are gathered around God’s Word. This is what worship is all about. We live our lives each week becoming increasingly fearful that Jesus is missing, but we can always find Jesus each time we open our Bibles and begin to read. And this is why it is so important that we meditate on God’s Word every day and gather around God’s Word in worship every Sunday. This is where we find Jesus, right here in scripture. Our terror of being without a savior is washed away when we worship and when we rest in the confident faith that Jesus is right here with us.

As we read the Bible daily and attend worship weekly something amazing happens to us: we become wiser. Bible study and worship fills us we wisdom which we can apply to our lives. And this wisdom affects our behavior so that we have more harmonious relationships with our families and friends and teachers and coworkers and people in church. This is why it is so important for families to study the Bible and worship together because it is the source of wisdom that leads to obedient children and harmonious family relationships.

Today Labib and his family and his church in Palestine have found Jesus. As Labib read God’s Word in worship Jesus was found and the church rests in the confidence that their savior is on the way. No matter what oppression is facing them now they can persevere until the day that Jesus returns and makes all things right. They are sustained by their faith which is a gift from God activated by the wisdom they found in scripture. And churches around the world are just now beginning to pray for Palestinian Christians as they endure oppression. With all of this Labib can be assured that Jesus is found.

Today Dirk is worshiping at Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church. As he worships he can rest in the confidence of the presence of Jesus Christ in the church. In his cooking this afternoon he knows that he is responding to God’s call on his life. And tonight at 5:30 the very poor of North East Los Angeles will also find Jesus in worship and in the fellowship meal. But Dirk’s church is struggling to feed all of the hungry people who will come to the church this evening. So I challenge you, Occidental Presbyterian Church to help them out. They need volunteers to cook and clean up. They need money for the food. I urge anyone here that is able, to go down to Eagle Rock Pres this evening and offer to help. I can assure you that if you do this Jesus will be found.

And the pastor looking for new church is flying to Washington DC this week. He will be preaching at a church in Virginia and meeting with a Pastoral Nominating Committee from a Maryland Church. He is confident that in worship and in the study of God’s word Jesus will be found.

Lord Jesus, we are looking for you. As we experience problems in our lives you sometimes seem to be missing. But we thank you for the gift of worship and scripture where we find the wisdom we need to find you. So we thank you for being right here with us today. Amen