Sermon for Christmas 2
January 4 2009
Luke 2:40-52
Pastor Curt Dwyer, St. John’s Lutheran Church, Lafe AR

Grace, mercy and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Dear Friends,

   As a parent, one of the questions that lingers in the back of my mind is, “What will my kids do when they grow up? What kind of job will they have?” There are all sorts of worthwhile occupations that will ensure that our kids will be able to support themselves as adults; don’t you wonder, or did you wonder, which one your child would choose? I have some guesses about my own kids; as parents you may also have some inkling about it, especially the older they get. Some kids like the outdoors, so it would be reasonable to expect that they might pursue an occupation that involves working outdoors. Some kids show an aptitude for the arts, so it seems reasonable to help them discover ways they might use those gifts to earn a living. Maybe you see in your child’s fascination with numbers a future accountant or math teacher.
But do you notice that our musings about career opportunities often seem to spring from some particular personality trait or other? In other words, our answer to the question of “What will our child do?” often spring from our answer to the question, “who is this child?” We see possible occupations that directly result from their individual, unique identity. We first need to know who they are; what they will do often follows.

   Joseph and Mary no doubt had these same sorts of questions. On the one hand, it was a very common practice for sons to follow in their father’s footsteps, especially if the father knew a skilled trade. Joseph, we know from other scripture, was a carpenter; and while we don’t know the details about what he did, we know that this was the sort of trade that was passed down from father to son. It would have been expected for Jesus to already have begun learning how to help Joseph in the workshop, even by the age Jesus was at the time of today’s gospel lesson.

   But, on the other hand, Jesus’ identity seemed to point in a different direction, one that they only had a vague knowledge of at this point. This is the season of Christmas still, for a few more days, and the Christmas story helps us to see just who this child is. This Christmas season, followed by Epiphany, help us understand Jesus’ identity. (Lent will help us see what Jesus does).

   Jesus’ identity was revealed even before His birth. The Angel Gabriel appeared to Joseph and Mary, and told both of them that this child would be special. Joseph found out that the child would be conceived by the Holy Spirit and that He would save His people from their sins. Gabriel told Mary that her baby boy would be called the Son of God and that He would also be a king who would rule forever. Then, at His birth, the Shepherds were told that this baby they would find in Bethlehem was the Savior, the Messiah.
Because of this identity, there were certain things Jesus had to do (or have done to him). First, of course, as a child belonging to the nation of Israel he had to be circumcised. At the appropriate time, Jesus had to be presented at the Temple in Jerusalem where an offering had to be made on His behalf. And then, as He grew, He had to accompany Joseph to the Temple for the prescribed religious festivals. That’s why we have the incident in ourlesson today. As a Jewish boy on the verge of official adulthood, Jesus was required by God’s law to worship in the temple during the Festival of the Passover.

   This visit when Jesus was 12 years old is the only account we have of Jesus as a child. We know about his birth and shortly after, and other than this short account we don’t know anything else about Him until He is about 30 years old. But this little story is pivotal, because it reinforces to us just who Jesus is. After His parent’s frantic search for Him, Jesus replies to t hem, “Why were you searching for me? Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” In these first words of Jesus’ ever recorded, we find out much more about His identity; He is the Son of the heavenly Father and He knows He is the Father’s Son. It only stands to reason, then, that He will be concerned with the matters of His father. Because of His identity, what He needs to do becomes clearer and clearer. At this point, things are still a little murky for Joseph and Mary. Our text says that Mary treasured up all these things in her heart. Essentially, she was probably asking the same sorts of questions any parent would ask, “who is this child and what will he do?” What they could only see hints of, we know fully. Because this child is God’s only Son, truly God in human flesh, we know that He came to save the world. We know that His perfect life will be offered as a sacrifice to atone for each and every mistake and each and every deliberate sin that we have ever committed. We know that He will continually return to His Father’s house until that building is replaced by a new temple; the temple of His own body, the Temple comprised of each of His people, built together into a spiritual house of worship. Who He is ­ Jesus, the Son of God ­ culminates in what He does ­ save His people from their sins.

   The question we leave with this morning isn’t about who Jesus is or what He does. We know that. The stories we have about Christ’s childhood tell us that. Christmas tells us who Jesus is. Rather, the question for us this morning is more personal. Who am I? And what does that mean for what I do?
Our identity is clear; it was established in our baptism when God chose us in Christ to be His people. Our baptism and the faith God has given us establish us as forgiven sinners, holy people with an eternal place in God’s family. We are no longer strangers to God, but we are His beloved children, members of His own family. And because we are all His children, we are also each other’s brother and sister in Christ.

   And who we are has a direct impact on what we do. No, we don’t all have the same occupation and role in life. But we do share the same identity, which will show itself in whatever we do. As God’s holy people, we try to lead lives of holiness in this world. We often fail miserably, and must fall back on God’s gracious forgiveness every day; but that doesn’t mean we don’t try. When we see lies, we expose them with the truth. When we see hatred, we conquer it with love. When we see despair, we offer encouragement and hope. When we are cursed, we return a blessing. When someone is in need, we supply what is lacking. When we sin against our neighbor, we ask for forgiveness; and when we are asked we forgive freely and generously. And, like Jesus, we spend time in our Father’s house, in worship and in study, not out of obligation or duty, but because it simply follows from who we are.

   This little story, this hint of Jesus’ childhood, fills in a huge gap in our understanding of Jesus’ identity. It shows us that Jesus, because He is God’s own Son, had to be about His father’s business. That story helps us remember that we, because we are God’s holy people, must be about our Father’s business. Who we are drives what we do.

In Jesus’ name. Amen.