From One Two Another

It’s a special Sunday, isn’t it! It’s the first Sunday after Christmas, and it’s the last Sunday of the year! Of course, all days are special, for their own special reasons! Today is special to me, because I get to be here with you, and open God’s word with you.

Psalm 148: A Cosmic Call to Worship

Let’s begin by focusing our hearts and minds on the Lord, through the words of Psalm 148.

Just as we saw in Psalm 146 two weeks ago, this Psalm begins opens with an enthusiastic command: “Hallelujah!” or “Praise the Lord, you!” or “Hey, you! Praise the Lord!”

Pay attention to whom the “you” applies throughout this Psalm.

While Psalm 146 focused more on God’s personal care for His people, Psalm 148 expands the call far beyond humanity to the whole of creation.

Listen to the sweeping breadth of this Psalm, as it invites everything—from the heavens to the earth, from the sun and moon to the animals and even the mountains—to join in praise. Not a single creature or corner of creation would be left out in this cosmic call to worship:

Psalm 148 LSB

1 Praise Yah! [Hallelujah/Praise the Lord!]

Praise Yahweh from the heavens;

Praise Him in the heights!

2 Praise Him, all His angels;

Praise Him, all His hosts!

3 Praise Him, sun and moon;

Praise Him, all stars of light!

4 Praise Him, heavens of heavens,

And the waters that are above the heavens!

5 Let them praise the name of Yahweh,

For He commanded and they were created.

6 He caused them to stand forever and ever;

He gave a statute and it will never pass away.

7 Praise Yahweh from the earth,

Sea monsters and all deeps;

8 Fire and hail, snow and clouds;

Stormy wind, doing His word;

9 Mountains and all hills;

Fruit trees and all cedars;

10 Beasts and all cattle;

Creeping things and winged bird;

11 Kings of the earth and all peoples;

Princes and all judges of the earth;

12 Both choice men as well as virgins;

The old with the young.

13 Let them praise the name of Yahweh,

For His name alone is set on high;

His splendor is above earth and heaven.

14 And He has raised up a horn for His people,

Praise for all His holy ones;

For the sons of Israel, a people near to Him.

Praise Yah!

Notice how all of creation is called to praise: from angels to nature, from animals to humans, everyone and everything is invited to join in worship. This cosmic symphony of praise reflects God’s greatness and sovereignty over all.

The Psalm calls us to praise Yahweh—God, who is the Creator of all things, and the One who is worthy of all worship. Yahweh is a name that reflects His covenant with His people, but whether we call Him Yahweh, Lord, or God, He is the same, and He is worthy of our praise.

Xmas Epilogue

As we’ve just spent the last month reflecting on Christ’s birth, and last week really getting to look at the full story of Christmas, today, we’re going to continue following the narrative a bit further, to the time immediately after the birth of Christ, to get just a brief glimpse into what Jesus was like when he was growing up. We’re going to look at a scene from Luke’s gospel account, where Jesus, at the age of twelve, begins to show signs of the wisdom and purpose that would later characterize His ministry.

But before we do that, let’s first turn to the Old Testament for a story that would have shaped Mary and Joseph’s understanding of God’s work in their son’s life. To understand Luke’s perspective, and the perspectives of Jesus, and of Mary and Joseph a little better, let’s first go to 1 Samuel chapter 2, and read a story that they all would have probably been familiar with at the time.

OTR – 1 Sam 2:18-26

In 1 Samuel, we read about the young Samuel, who was dedicated to the service of God by his mother, Hannah. This story parallels Jesus’ early life, where both young men grow in wisdom and favor with God and people, preparing for the roles God had set for them.

You may be familiar with the story as well, but either way, hopefully you can see some parallel concepts at play in these passages.

1 Samuel 2:18–26 LSB

18 Now Samuel was ministering before Yahweh, as a young boy girded with a linen ephod.

19 And his mother would make him a little robe and bring it to him from year to year when she would come up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.

20 Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife and say, “May Yahweh establish for you a seed from this woman in place of the one she dedicated to Yahweh.” And they went to their own home.

21 Yahweh indeed visited Hannah; and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. And the young boy Samuel grew before Yahweh.

22 Now Eli was very old; and he heard all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who served at the doorway of the tent of meeting.

23 So he said to them, “Why do you do such things, the evil things that I hear from all these people?

24 “No, my sons; for the report is not good which I hear the people of Yahweh passing about.

25 “If one man sins against another, God will mediate for him; but if a man sins against Yahweh, who can pray for him?” But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for Yahweh desired to put them to death.

26 Now the young boy Samuel was growing in stature and in favor both with Yahweh and with men.

Gospel – Luk 2:41-52

Let’s turn now to Luke chapter 2, and note some of the similarities.

Luke 2:41–52 LSB

41 And His parents would go to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover.

42 And when He became twelve years old, they went up there according to the custom of the Feast;

43 and as they were returning, after finishing the days of the Feast, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. But His parents did not know.

44 But supposing Him to be in the caravan, they went a day’s journey, and they began searching for Him among their relatives and acquaintances.

45 When they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem searching for Him.

46 And it happened 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.

47 And all who heard Him were astounded at His understanding and His answers.

48 When they saw Him, they were astonished, and His mother said to Him, “Child, why have You treated us this way? Behold, Your father and I have been anxiously searching for You.”

49 And He said to them, “Why is it that you were searching for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?”

50 But they did not understand the statement which He had spoken to them.

51 And He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and He continued in subjection to them, and His mother was treasuring all these things in her heart.

52 And Jesus was advancing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

It’s pretty cool to see Jesus in some ways echoing Samuel’s story, as he grows and prepares to begin his ministry, before really being fully grown and allowed to do so.

We can also see how Samuel was being raised up at a time when the Temple was in dire need of improved spiritual leadership, to say the least! And in the same way, Jesus came at a time of desperate need, to set God’s house in order, and we can see him being drawn to the temple even at a young age.

And let’s not forget to honor the parents in this story…even though they did lose Jesus for three days, I think they deserve a lot of credit! We see Mary and Joseph continuing to be faithful, going through all the work of making this trip, and weathering the storms of anxiety that come with parenthood…even, apparently, for the parents of Jesus! What courage and honor we see in Joseph! What humility and grace we see in Mary! Her response, to treasure these things in her heart, rather than to hold them with malice or bitterness.

Growth & Sanctification

And, of course, we see similar wording applied in each story to indicate a transition from young boy to grown man, and that each continued to develop in those areas of growth. Not just physically growing, but also mentally, spiritually, and socially, advancing in favor.

This is a remarkable, but attainable achievement for those who seek it, though growth doesn’t come without some effort on our part, and we are all gifted in different ways and in different seasons of life.

Just as Jesus grew in wisdom and favor, we too are called to grow. This process of spiritual growth is something we are all invited into, and it’s not an instant transformation. It’s a gradual journey, a continual shaping by the Holy Spirit. This is the process of sanctification—becoming more like Christ over time.

To put it in church terms, we like to say that salvation is a one-way gift, from God, to us, through Christ. While sanctification, or becoming more holy, is a continual process of conforming to God’s patterns of life over time. This is a process we look ahead to being fulfilled in the fullness of time, rather than all at once. And though the Holy Spirit can and does work in astonishing and miraculous ways, we are generally subject to predictable processes.

One general principal of growing, and of living a healthy lifestyle of growth is the need for rest. Though we tend to spend a lot of time talking about how to stimulate growth, or how best to direct our energy and effort, or how to find opportunities for growth in the midst of challenges and discomfort, or even through pain and grief, all of those things are generally subject to needing time to rest, recover, and heal, so it’s also good to seek those things accordingly. It’s often when I’m finding a lot of pride in my efforts that I’m forced to find humility while at rest.

NTR – Col 3:12-17

To wrap up our time in scripture, let’s turn to a passage of exhortation in Colossians chapter three that will help us to focus on areas of growth we may want to focus on as a community of believers in the days and months ahead. How shall we tune our programming?

Colossians 3:12–17 NLT

12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy [put on a heart of compassion], kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Make allowance for each other’s faults [bearing with one another], and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.

14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

16 Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. 17 And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

In this passage we have some markers or measures of holiness, in that we see the proper responses to salvation manifest in our relationships with each other.

Notice the imagery of “clothing” ourselves with Christ-like virtues. These traits are being compared to what clothes we choose to put on. As we grow in Christ, We are to clothe our hearts, in whatever state they may be, with compassion, kindness, humility, patience, and forgiveness, all of these drawing back to that glorious word: LOVE, in verse fourteen. Love, such love which flows from the richness of Christ’s message filling our lives, that such love binds us together and helps us grow, not just as individuals, but as a community of people who are willing to love.

Conclusion and Call to Action

So, as we close, we might ask ourselves:

Is the message of Christ in all its richness filling my life?

If (and, my prayer is when) you feel like Christ’s message is filling your life, PRAISE GOD! Let it overflow! If you’re really not feeling that right now, or maybe have never felt that connection to God that other people talk about and you think might be missing, please know that there’s hope!

I don’t think it’s healthy to be constantly chasing vague feelings of “something missing” in our lives, but if feeling connected to God through the message of Christ is something you desire, that is a good desire to lean into. And if you don’t feel that desire being satisfied even a little bit, it’s worth asking why not?

Just taking our cues from the last passage we read, is it that I need to be more involved in teaching and counseling and growing in wisdom? Is it that I need some more music in my life? More specifically, do I think I could benefit from spending more time worshipfully partaking in music that glorifies God?

These are just a few ideas, not a comprehensive list! But I know for myself these are areas in which if it weren’t for my connection to a local church, it would be much more difficult to pursue the healthy spiritual habits that I want to have, not just on Sundays, but throughout my life.

Verse 17 kind of leaves no room for anyone to say they’ve fully arrived at a place of holiness, which is why we need to remember that we need each other!

Colossians 3:17 LSB

17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

I’m sure we can all think of times when we did not represent Christ in what we said or did. And if not, well, maybe you should! But I don’t think this verse is here just to cause conviction. It can do that, but it also gives us a somewhat tangible anchor on which to center our motives and attitudes. And for me, there’s comfort in that.

Remembering to re-center my focus whenever necessary on representing Christ, in a spirit of gratitude, can be a very powerful and practical practice.

Prayer/Benediction

Lord, let us see each other more clearly through the lens of your love for us and the gratitude with which we ought to approach each new day to which we awake. In your name we pray.