THE CUSTOM OF THE FEAST

Luke 2:39 And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth. 40 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him. 41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover. 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. 43 And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it. 44 But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day’s journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. 45 And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him. 46 And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. 47 And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. 48 And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. 49 And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business? 50 And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them. 51 And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.

The Holy Spirit stamps this passage, both at the beginning and the end, with the awareness that this was a time of the Lord’s maturing in wisdom and stature. We see that in verses 40 and 52. And to make sure we don’t miss this, we see Him supplying the word “Nazareth” in both verses 39 and 51 as well. For to obtain this portion of his maturing, he had to leave Nazareth, as it afforded him no such opportunity as did Jerusalem.

For  only there was the physical city that typlified the spiritual city of Sion, the church! And as we see him “in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors” (of the law), so we find him in the Revelation “sitting in the midst of the throne,” surrounded by his church! (5:6). Mary and Joseph pose a threat to spirituality here in natural Jerusalem, but none shall do so in the spiritual city! (Heb 12:22-23).

It has only been 12 short years since heaven had literally showered Mary and Joseph with more miraculous revelations than any one person had before seen! They had the angel Gabriel, God’s personal messenger; they had the shepherds, with their account of the angelic host; the eastern dignitaries that stirred up all of Jerusalem, providing them with the richest of gifts, and their account of a special star; they had the  confirmation of Simeon and Anna in the temple, upon their presentation of the holy child to the Lord; and Mary had the glorious account of her visit with her cousin, Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist! BUT! – now these two were so given to only the social aspect of “The Custom of the Feast,” that they lost Christ!

I’m sure that these two had been the center of attention at all the social and religious events for the past 12 years! Surely Cousin Sue, and Uncle Jake, and Aunt Sally had them  to tell again and again the description of the wise men, both their appearance and gifts! “And Mary, go get the box that the gold was presented to you in! Let everyone see the workmanship of the eastern craftsmen!”

The Lord Jesus wondered that they had to seek him  for three days in order to find him! Had they not lost their spiritual edge by attending too many social, religious meetings they would have known that “the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple.” (Mal. 3:1). Now she rebukes the Godman for not dealing properly with “us!” And just who was that “us?” It was “thy father and I!” She meant Joseph and herself! She had even grown dull concerning the virgin  birth, and she was that virgin!

Let us be careful in all our religious meetings that we seek not the warm fuzzy feelings of social acceptance, for by doing so we  lose our spirituality! For strangers were blessed by his every word! But Mary and Joseph could not understand his sayings! (vs. 47 & 50).

Pastor Gene Breed

CALLING A SON OUT OF EGYPT

Matt. 2:14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: 15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son. 16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, 18 In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not. 19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child’s life. 21 And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee: 23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.

1. Out of Egypt have I called my son! The Lord Jesus Christ is the pattern of every believer. So His being called out of the iron furnace of Egypt is a picture of the believer’s call out os sin’s darkness.

And they, like unto Him are called out because they are sons! Gal. 4:6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. They are not yet sons in the experience of justification and righteousness. But they are sons in God’s sovereign election of them in Christ! Eph. 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: And those whom he did predestinate, them he also called! (Rom. 8:30).

2. Saved by a different birth! In verses 16 through 18, listed above we find that only infants born of the flesh and not, as he was, born of the Spirit were under the threat of death! Rom. 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Rom. 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

The first Adam brought death upon all his offspring. But Christ, the last Adam, provided life for all those chosen in him. Rom. 5:17 For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)

3. It was essential that the wicked king die! There could have been no entry into Israel until something was done concerning Herod. For he was determined to destroy this child! We see that both concerning the life of Christ and the spiritual lives of all believers!

Of Satan’s determination to kill the Christ child, we read: Revelation 12:3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. 4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. 5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. 6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

And in order to deliver the adopted sons of God, we read: Hebrews 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

The destruction of Satan’s power of death took place at Calvary! John 12:31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. 32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. 33 This he said, signifying what death he should die.

We see this event in the spiritual realm in Revelation 20:1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. (The 1000 years is the church age!)

4. The offspring of the wicked king was used to direct the child’s dwelling place!

The death of King Herod, picturing the defeat of Satan at the cross, brought forth the calling of God to bring his son out of the Egyptian darkness! But Herods son, Archelaus was now on the throne in Judaea. (See verse 22 listed above.) Thought Satan’s power of death is destroyed, he still has power to affect us, as we are still in the world, and are still influenced by our carnal man. But God is sovereign over sin! For although we are commanded to abstain from the very appearance of evil, yet sin is God’s servant, that he uses in order to exalt his marvelous grace! Rom. 5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:

And we know that The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. (Psa. 37:23). So God used the son of the wicked king to guide Joseph, by fear, (just as Noah was moved by fear), to the specific city where he would have his son to live! This had already been “spoken by the prophets!”

Prov. 3:6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. 7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. How did this passage state that God would “direct out paths?” Is it not by our “departing from evil?

And we read in 1 Corinthians 6:18 to “flee fornication!” Also in 2 Timothy 2:22 we read that we should “Flee youthful lusts!” This is what God used in another Joseph’s life to wind him up in the next devised stage of God’s purpose for him! He fled from his master’s adulterous wife by the directing hand of God, and he wound up in prison where he learned more of patience. There he also made the connection to have God bring him into Pharaoh’s attention and on to the very rule of Egypt! For we read in verse 22 above, that in the life of this Joseph, the husband of Mary, that it was both by his fear of Archelaus and his warning from God that he went to the city of Christ’s further humiliation, exactly as God had planned!

John 1:45 Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. 46 And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see. Our Lord was certainly despised and rejected of men! Bless His Holy Name!

Pastor Gene Breed