The Family Business
Today we talk about Fathers and Sons - Family
Family business - painting, machine shop, college (dad taught school before I did) My kids teach
Jesus - son of Joseph the Carpenter (only one occasion called a carpenter)
The bond between father and son
Rarely easy - often marred by crossed signals, high hopes and a sense of failure. Most men in prison have a horrible or nonexistent relationships. Even in the best of homes, with the best of intentions, the relationship can be rocky between father and son. Some of the most accomplished men have been driven by an inner urge to gain their father’s approval.
Name some Famous Fathers and Sons
Archie - Peyton and Eli Manning, Bobby and Barry Bonds, Dale Ernharts Jr & Sr. - Kirk & Michael Douglas, Carl & Rob Reiner, Henry & Peter Fonda, the George Bush’s, and Adams’ - Sanford and Son
God the Father - Jesus - or for this story - Joseph and Jesus.
Joseph’s Prayer by Max Lucado
Lose your kids stories? - Tie a rope on them
Some Background on Luke 2
New year celebration - Passover for ancient Jews
EX 12:1 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, 2 "This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. 3 Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household. 4 If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat. 5 The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. 6 Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the people of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight. 7 Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. 8 That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast. 9 Do not eat the meat raw or cooked in water, but roast it over the fire--head, legs and inner parts. 10 Do not leave any of it till morning; if some is left till morning, you must burn it. 11 This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the LORD's Passover.
So Passover was a New Year’s celebration for Israel
Start over - begin again, remember your roots
Father role in the Passover meal
EX 12:24 "Obey these instructions as a lasting ordinance for you and your descendants. 25 When you enter the land that the LORD will give you as he promised, observe this ceremony. 26 And when your children ask you, `What does this ceremony mean to you?' 27 then tell them, `It is the Passover sacrifice to the LORD, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.'
Read Luke 2:39-52 LK 2:39 When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.
41 Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. 42 When he was twelve years old, they went up to the Feast, according to the custom. 43 After the Feast was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. 44 Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you."
49 "Why were you searching for me?" he asked. "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" 50 But they did not understand what he was saying to them.
51 Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.
Bar mitzvah - son of law-
Be about my fathers business,
not carpentry -
Jesus at the feet of the Teachers -
What could have amazed them - 12 year old boys knew the Torah
But that a 12 year boy knew the Torah inside out, understood it’s meaning
Lamb slain from the foundation of the world
LK 9:34 While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 A voice came from the cloud, saying, "This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him."
Jesus grew in wisdom and stature = favor with God and man.
Understanding Incarnation - Emptying - filling, subject to flesh - culture - just like your kids are supposed to grow
A holy stewardship
Gumball Rally - two losers drive a Rolls across the country - not good stewards!
Parents - Never forget that this child is not yours
Your child is a precious stewardship - more than any Rolls Royce or earthly possession
At the end of your life - you will have some ‘splaining to do’ -
If you want to toss out your own life, fine, but not this one!
LK 17:1 Jesus said to his disciples: "Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come. 2 It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. 3 So watch yourselves.
Next Step - Dare me to be like Jesus
Will this year be different? How?
