Day 22! December 22nd! Three days till Christmas!
After getting up, packing and safely traveling down to Hood River, Oregon, Sarah and I got to end the day reading the final words from Luke's account of Jesus' birth.
"And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him." Luke 2:39-40
Jesus returned to Nazareth, a humble town a few days journey north of Jerusalem. It wasn't a popular town, it wasn't noted for much of anything. In fact, the saying was thrown around by some, "can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Apparently it wasn't a place you would assume the Son of God to be raised, but He was. This was His town. He knew the people, the places, the culture and community.
Jesus grew up like all of us. He learned wisdom, made decisions about life, money, finances and more. He was a carpenter, with strong, skilled hands. He understood the value of working hard at something, and also found that things fall apart and break. He understood that work was hard, difficult and frustrating. But in all of his growing up years He never sinned. He never lied, never became jealous, never showed disrespect, never committed any of the sins we commit. As my sister put it so well in her own blog, "the King of kings and Lord of lords came as a servant... He grew weary, but never impatient; tired but never irritable; accused but never defensive..." He was God's Son, perfect Son, sinless Son, sent to grow up in Nazareth, a small town noted for nothing. Yet, here He was, sent to save His people from their sin.
Sadly however, we find out through reading John 1:11 that His own people did not receive Him. Luke also records this as well, as Jesus prophecies to His own town. The good news would not sink into the hearts of His own people in the synagogue, but others far away and far removed from Nazareth This set Nazareth ablaze with anger towards Him, and His own words became true that day, "Truly, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown." (Luke 4:24, 28-30)
This is why it was vital for Jesus to know one thing amidst all of this: God's favor was upon Him. (v. 40) This kept Him going, this gave Jesus boldness, courage, hope and perseverance. This is how Jesus was able to live for 33 years and then die a bloody death for our sins on the cross. He knew He was doing His Father's will. He knew God was smiling down on Him in approval. He knew that He was completely loved by God. God's grace was upon His Son, from day one! This is how He continued on, when his own people rejected Him.
Do you know that this is true for you and I? In Jesus Christ, God is smiling down at you in approval. In Jesus Christ, God completely loves you and will never love you less. In Jesus Christ, God is for you and will see your life to completion! This is how Sarah and I can continue on, even if everything else is up in the air, mysterious, and unknown. What a peace and rest this brings during a season that promises peace from everything else but Jesus. May you cling to Jesus this Christmas and find your identity, value and worth is secure in Him!
"For our sake he made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5:21
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