LORD’S DAY, JANUARY 14
Luke 2:39-52
John 5:39-44

“Search the scriptures;
…and they are they which testify of me.”

AMONG THE PEOPLE

To His town folks, Jesus was just the son of a carpenter. Although the Bible is silent about the details of the childhood of Jesus, the people knew Him as the son of Joseph, a carpenter. Jewish children are trained according to the trades of their fathers. To His kindred, He was just an ordinary man. Jesus grew up under the care of His family. The boy Jesus lived a perfect life in subjection to His earthly mother and foster father. The boy waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom and increased in favour with God and man.

There was nothing taken from His glory even while He emptied Himself, and nothing subtracted from His divinity even while He chose not only to grow in body but also to make progress of mind. Calvin said, “Christ received, in his human nature, according to his age and capacity, an increase of the free gifts of the Spirit, that ‘out of his fullness’ (John 1:16) he may pour them out upon us; for we draw grace out of his grace.”

As a young boy, Jesus was unknown to the doctors in the temple. Knowledgeable of the Scriptures, these teachers recognized the excellent understanding of the young Jesus but they did not question His person. Similarly, many scholars today are interested in the teachings of the Bible but not the Person of the Christ of the Bible. Jesus said, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me” (John 5:39). They have the brain to know the facts and figures of the Scriptures but they do not have the heart to believe in His grace and glory!

Jesus did not grow up receiving the world’s commendations. He grew up in simplicity and obscurity. It does not matter what other people think of us Christians, “for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God” (Luke 16:15). Never be deluded to aspire to the world’s standard of excellence. Jesus kept a very low profile that we may learn not to go after the world’s accolades.

THOUGHT: Do I dream of becoming popular in the future?
PRAYER: Our glorious Father in heaven, Thou alone art worthy to receive all the glory and honour, now and for eternity.