And The Grace Of God Was Upon Him
SCRIPTURE: “And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.” Luke 2:40
Introduction
When you look back over the road you have traveled, what accounts for your journey? There are many who credit their journey to a variety of sources including: education, opportunity, intellectual ability, connections, politics and hard work. There are some who attribute their journey to just plain luck. Many began this year praying for luck, hoping that they would be lucky enough to survive any hard times they may encounter. They also hoped they would be lucky enough to be successful in their careers and varied personal pursuits. When they reach this point they say, “I was lucky.”
Was it luck that you survived the storms of life so far this year?
Was it luck that you overcame that family problem that plagued you and you are constantly dealing with?
Was it really luck that landed you the job that you sought?
The new housing opportunity that became available to you, was it by pure luck?
Some never realize the real source of their good fortune. I’m reminder of a story about a man called “Ungrateful Gary”. Ungrateful Gary was a man who never gave his wife any credit for the love she had shown him over the years; it made her sad but she loved him anyway. One day Ungrateful Gary took sick and remained in coma for several months. His loving wife stayed by his bedside every day. She read to him, cared for him and loved him back to life. One day he awakened and saw her sitting by the bed holding his hand and motioned for her to come near. He whispered, “While I was in my coma I finally figured something out. When I lost my job, you were there. When I filed bankruptcy and lost the house you were there. When I was fired off my job, you were there. When I totaled the car and ended up in this coma you were there. I have finally figured it out.” The wife became so excited because it finally appeared that Ungrateful Gary saw how much she loved him. Then he said, “What I found out is that every time something bad happened to me you were there. Now, I wake up out of this coma and the first face I see is yours; if I could get rid of you, my luck would change.” He was so ungrateful that he could not acknowledge that without her his luck would surely change-for the worse.
While there a few who attribute their journey this year to the black eye peas and hog maws they ate on New Year’s day or to the lucky rabbit’s foot they rubbed or the horseshoe they placed over their door, or the four leaf clover they found; there are others who know that it wasn’t luck at all. It was nothing but the grace of God.
The grace of God surrounds and strengthens us. God’s grace places someone by our side in times of trouble to help us. The grace of God causes a full plate to be placed on our table when we hunger. The grace of God puts us in the hands of the right doctor, teacher, coach and mentor. Some call it luck, but those who know the Lord know that it’s the grace of God.
As Christians, we reflect on the journey we have shared and often peek into the future. We know that it wasn’t luck because it was grace that brought us thus far and it will be grace that will see us through.
Exposition
This text focuses on the Christ Child after Christmas; showing how the grace of God was upon his young life. After Christmas, Mary and Joseph obeyed the Mosaic Law and presented themselves to the temple. They brought the Christ child to be dedicated, blessed and circumcised according to the Mosaic Law. In addition they came to bring their offerings of two turtledoves or two pigeons. They were met by Simeon an older man who did not see death until he had seen the savior. He was also blessed to encounter Anna the prophetess before leaving Bethlehem.
In this text the word “Grace” is translated from the Greek word “charis” which refers to the divine influence upon the heart and life of an individual in a way that is reflected in its direction and purpose. The definition seems to suggest that the recipients of God’s grace are those whose hearts and lives are being directed to achieve a divine purpose.
Thus when Luke says “and the grace of God was upon him” he indicates that the life of the Christ child would be divinely influenced and directed to achieve a divine purpose.
It explains how this child was protected in the days after Christmas from soldiers of Herod who sought to kill him.
It explains how, with hundreds of soldiers searching for him, his parents were able to slip him out of the country to live in a foreign land.
It explains further, how Joseph, a poor man was able to survive and provide for his family in Egypt. Moreover, it explains how the wise men found them in Nazareth, almost two years after his birth, and brought them enough funds to carry them for many years.
All of these events were evidences of the divine influences in the child’s life to help him achieve a Godly purpose.
When we follow the life of Christ, we get a clear idea of what it means to have the grace of God upon our lives.
GRACE OF GOD SERVES A DIVINE PURPOSE. When the grace of God is upon us it is for a divine purpose. Dr. H.W. Beecher relates the story of the traveler who came upon a bridge in a storm. Despite the howling winds he rode across the bridge to find lodging in an inn. The next morning he was asked how he was able to cross the bridge. The man answered he just rode across. The inn keeper took him to the bridge site and showed him that the bridge washed out days earlier. Only a strip of plank lay across the raging river and he managed to cross it in the middle of a storm, without missing a step. The traveler nearly fainted when he saw the 100 foot drop that could have been his fate. Then the innkeeper asked, "Where are you going?"He answered, “I’m delivering a vaccine to the hospital across the valley; without it hundreds will die.” –The innkeeper then answered, “Now you know why you were able to do the impossible, grace carried you across the bridge because you are an answer to someone’s prayers.”
In the same sense, God’s grace is upon us for a reason. You may be the answer to someone’s prayers. We were saved from the fire for a reason. We survived the hardships of the past year for a reason. The accident we encountered should have been fatal but we survived for a reason. The conflict in your family should have destroyed your spirit but it didn’t, for a reason. The people you have met have helped you out of all others, for a reason. There has been divine influence in the affairs of your life, not by chance or luck, but that you might achieve a divine purpose.
THOSE WHO ASSIST A DIVINE PURPOSE SHARE ITS GRACE. All of the people who helped the Christ child seemed to have been blessed. Simeon and Anna were blessed in their old age; the inn where he was born has blessed the town of Bethlehem for 2000 years; even the town in which he lived was blessed because it was the town of his childhood. Everyone who helps accomplish a divine purpose is blessed. We frequently refer to a widow woman in the Old Testament whose barrel never ran out of meal because of faith action. She was an example of a person being blessed because of divine purpose. The prophet Elijah was being used by God for a divine purpose. When the woman sought to help him, she found that her barrel never ran dry. She was blessed because she tried to help a man on a divine mission. Rahab hid the Jewish spies in the Promised Land; she was later blessed because she helped them.
Today, there are many people who are the recipients of residual grace, because they helped achieve a divine purpose. Those who rang the Salvation Army bells, served food to the homeless, helped the less fortunate, visited the sick, cared for wayward children or gave a helping hand many small ways are people who helped achieve a divine purpose. Many are the recipients of God’s grace because they helped advance the kingdom of God in hundreds of small ways that seem insignificant but yet important to God’s purpose.
THOSE WHO RECOGNIZE GRACE ARE HUMBLE: Those who realized the influence of God’s grace in their lives are humble. They do not brag or consider themselves great in their own eyes because they know that without God’s divine influence they would be nothing. So they are not quick to boast; they know they are empty without him. In 1 Corinthians 15:10 Paul said, “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” He made it clear that whatever success he had achieved was only through the grace of God, not his own genius. He said God’s grace was “bestowed” or given to him, not earned, but freely given. The Christian recognizes that he/she has been guided to this point in life, not by our own knowledge but by the wisdom and intervention of God himself. That knowledge should humble us to know that we are what we are only by his Grace.
When Grace is upon you
Finally, brothers and sisters, we must consider what happens when God’s grace is upon you.
We know that God’s grace has a divine purpose. We know that those who help in that divine purpose share in his grace. Moreover, we know that the recipients of God’s grace should remain humble. But what happens when God’s grace is upon you?
How does your live change when the grace of God is upon you?
When the grace of God is upon us, the wise will recognize that is not luck, but the hand of god gently nudging us in right direction.
That’s when we should know that it’s time to stop playing around with our lives; its time to begin to live out our purpose.
When the Christ child grew up he recognized the he was being blessed for a purpose. Even at the tender age of 12 he said “It’s time for me to be about my father’s business.”
When grace is upon us we are about our father’s business.
When grace is upon us we will be busy doing good in his name.
When grace is upon us we know that God smiles on what we do.
God smiles on us because of the children that we help along the way.
God smiles on us because of the elderly spirits that lift every day!
God smiles on us because of broken hearts we help to mend on our journey
When god’s grace is upon us, it means God is smiling on us and is guiding our footsteps.
Maybe that’s why the song writer wrote, “Guide me oh thou great Jehovah, pilgrim through this barren land. I am weak but thou art mighty, hold me with thy powerful hand!”
I don’t know about you, but I’m glad that God has smiled on me.
When God smiles on us, he gives us:
--STRENGTH when our burdens become heavy.
--ASSURANCE when everything seems to go wrong.
--INSPIRATION when difficulties arise.
--COMFORT when disaster strikes.
Because of God’s grace we are able to:
--Keep on going, when our road gets rough.
--Keep on singing, even though our pain becomes intense.
--Keep on working, even when our body gets weary.
Because God smiles on us, we have:
--Joy in spite of our sorrows: Peace in spite of our problems
--Contentment in spite of our burdens; assurance in spite of our frustrations
--Comfort in spite of our pain; Victory in spite of our defeats
No wonder the song write declared, “God has smiled on me. He has made me glad!”
I’m glad that He is a wonder working God!
I’m glad that He is a favor giving God!
I’m glad that He is a soul saving God!
I’m glad that one day he decided to pick up an old rugged cross!
I’m glad that He carried it to Golgotha’s hill!
I’m glad that He died for me out on Calvary!
But Early Sunday morning he arose from the grave with all power in his hands!
