LOSING JESUS
“So when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking Him. Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions.” Luke 2:45-46.
Though Mary and Joseph had lost Jesus, their relationship to Him was not changed. Notice, they lost Jesus…Jesus did not lose them.
I. THEY HAD LOST SIGHT OF JESUS
Mary and Joseph had become so busy with other matters that their thoughts were not focused on Jesus. They took His presence for granted. “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…” Hebrews 12:2.
II. THEY HAD LOST FELLOWSHIP WITH JESUS
Our relationship to Jesus, once established, endures forever but our fellowship with Him is a fragile matter.
Consider: “If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” I John 1:6-7-.
III. WORSE YET IS TO LOSE FELLOWSHIP WITH JESUS AND NOT REALIZE IT.
“…supposing Him to have been in the company, they went a day’s journey, and sought Him among their relatives and acquaintances.” Luke 2:44.
Joseph and Mary were experiencing what we might call “fellowship by proxy” by assuming that He was somewhere “in the company.”
IV. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT MARY AND JOSEPH SEACHED EVERY POSSIBLE PLACE IN JERUSALEM BEFORE THEY WENT TO THE TEMPLE: “after three days they found Him in the temple.”
It is no surprise that the highest level of fellowship with Christ is to be found in the church, which the Bible says “is His body”, that He redeemed with His own precious blood.”
“And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him, who fills all in all.”
“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21.
