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A Layman's Commentary on the Gospel of Luke: Lesson I, Part VI
By: T.O.D. Johnston

Verse 33. Even though Joseph and Mary had been told by Gabriel of the Holiness of their child, His supernatural conception, plus the glorious message of the shepherds that He was the promised Messiah, they were not able to fully grasp the importance and potential of the Child’s divine mission.

The inspired words of Simeon bring further information about the divine majesty and the universal significance of His Coming, and made the couple ‘marvel’.

Verse 34. Simeon then prays for blessings upon them. He then turns to Mary and for the first time she is told of the coming struggle and suffering. Jesus will be as a stone over which some will trip, fall, and die, but others will be enabled to rise up and be saved. Those who rely on their own strength and merit, and are proud, do not know their own need and condemnation. Others who humbly realize their sin and need for a Savior, will come to Him and be raised up by His gift of forgiveness and reconciliation with God.

The climax of resistance to the Savior was seen in His Crucifixion. Afterwards judgment came upon the Jewish nation and they ceased to exist as a nation.

Verse 35. Certainly for Mary to watch Jesus’ crucifixion was the sword piercing her soul. The coming of Jesus will cause “the thoughts of many hearts to be revealed”. A person’s true motives or desires will be revealed by whether they accept or reject the Savior.

Verses 36,37. Another true believer in the God of Israel is drawn to the Child. She is Anna, a prophetess, through whom God has revealed this gift to men. She was of the tribe of Asher (one of the so-called lost ten tribes). When Anna had only been married for seven years, her husband had died. The rest of her life she remained unmarried. Her approximate age was over 100 years. She spent most of her time in the Temple in prayer and fasting.

Verse 38. She also lived in expectation and longing for the promised Redeemer. When she saw the Child, she knew He was the Christ, and praised God as the Faithful One who brought to pass what He had promised - the redemption though the Messiah. She readily shared this revelation among the faithful.

Verse 39. Luke does not mention the Wise Men’s visit, or the flight of Joseph and Mary to Egypt (Matthew 2). After the death of Herod, they were warned by God, to return to Nazareth. Luke skips over these events and records their return to Nazareth.

Verse 40. The first 12 years of Jesus’ life are summarized in this verse. As a human child, He passed through the normal processes of physical and spiritual growth, and maturity. His intellectual, moral, and spiritual growth was equally real as His physical growth. His growth and maturity took place without the influence of sin or defect. He was the first perfect example of what man was designed to be. The true wisdom and grace of God was guiding, protecting, and supporting Him.

Everyone at some point must choose for or against the Gift of Jesus Christ.

Verses 41-52. Jesus among the Doctors in the Temple.
The teaching of the Apostles dealt mostly with Jesus’ public ministry, from His baptism of John through the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. Only gradually did these early events become known mostly through the witness of Mary. Only this record found in Luke records this event in the young life of Jesus.

Verse 41. By this time, most Jews only went to the Temple to celebrate the Passover in Jerusalem each year. Joseph and Mary followed this custom.

Verse 42. When Jesus was 12, He went with His parents. The following year He would join the religious community as a responsible member (Bar Mitzvah - which takes place when the Jewish boy is 13).

Verses 43,44. When the 7 festival days were over, Joseph and Mary left with a company that had gone from their area around Nazareth. Joseph may have thought Jesus was with Mary, she also supposing He was with Joseph. At the end of a day’s journey, it was the custom to gather together for the night at a normal stopping place. At that time the parents came to realize that Jesus not among the company, and that He must have stayed in Jerusalem. They had trusted Jesus to be where He was supposed to be. They had not thought that He would stay at the temple to learn from the doctors there.

Verses 45-57. The following morning, they returned to Jerusalem, arriving that night. The next morning, they discovered that He had stayed in the temple. He was sitting in one of the courts where a number of Jewish doctors gathered to give opinions among themselves as was customary after festivals. Jesus was attentive during these disputations, then asked questions, and sometimes questions were asked of Him. This was the traditional way to receive instruction - asking and answering questions. His questions and answers showed exceptional insight and understanding so that the doctors were quite surprised at one so young to be so perceptive, without pride or arrogance.

Verse 48. Mary especially worried when Jesus was not found among their fellow travelers. She is first to express her concern and motherly affection and anxiety: “Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? Behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.”

They, as normal human parents, reacted as any parents would, even though their Child was the Christ of God. It was possibly not until after His resurrection and Ascension that Mary realized fully who He is.

Verse 49. Jesus replies in amazement. He had not been worried that He hadn’t seen His parents for a few days. He therefore did not think they would be worried about Him. He at this early age was self-reliant and intellectually curious. He expresses surprise that they didn’t know where He would naturally be - in the Temple finding out about the concerns of His Father. He wanted to know about the Scriptures, the Temple service, and the understanding and knowledge among the doctors of the Law. Jesus identifies himself as the Son of God, not the son of Joseph.

To the child Jesus, His calling is the most important - that of serving His Father. He is surprised that Joseph and Mary had not realized it.

Verse 50. In their humanity, the couple could not take in the actual meaning of Jesus’ words.

Verse 51. He did go with them, returning to Nazareth and remained obedient to them, fulfilling the God-given requirement as stated in the 10 Commandments. This event was kept in Mary’s heart, and therefore only she could relate this to Luke.

Verse 52. Luke here again summarizes the next 18 or so years of Jesus until He began to appear publicly.

Apparently, He grew up with several brothers and sisters (Mark 6:3). Joseph as a carpenter would train Jesus in that vocation. During this period, Joseph died. It is assumed that Jesus took over, providing for the family, until the beginning of His ministry. In those times, this would include building houses, making furniture, an other household items, and farm implements such as ploughs and yokes. In Jesus’ parables we see many indications of His familiarity with these things: the foundations of houses; hands turned to a plough; taking up His yoke, which makes the load light, etc.

Luke’s summary of these years: “Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and thus also in favor with God and man.”

Article Source: http://www.ArticleJoe.com

The author taught from the Gospel of Luke at Paran Baptist Church on Highway 341 / Johnsonville Hwy in Lake City, South Carolina. This commentary is based on the notes he took in preparation for the lessons. He now enjoys spending his time with his family, and at his art studio on 118 Sauls St., Lake City, South Carolina. The above lesson was excerpted from his online Holy Bible Commentaries.

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