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Scripture Reading:  Luke 2:40-52

Looking for Jesus

Intro.

1.  People are looking for Jesus:  Movies, TV, religious holidays, books,  history, art, etc.  Unfortunately, most look for Jesus in wrong places.

2.  Why should you look for Him and find Him?

  a.  Jesus came to “seek & save the lost” (Lk. 19:10).

  b.  Lost must seek & find Him to be saved – Matt. 11:28-30 (Acts 4:12).

3.  Are you looking for Jesus today?  Where will you find Him? 

I.  WHERE YOU WILL NOT FIND JESUS TODAY.

  A.  You Won’t Find Jesus in the Jewish Temple Keeping the LOM – Lk. 2:42.

    1.  Jesus kept the LOM & its feasts because He lived under that law – cf. Matt. 26:18.

    2.  Jesus fulfilled & removed OT law with its shadows (incl. feasts) – Matt. 5:17; Col. 2:13-17; Eph. 2:14-15; Heb. 7:18-19.

    3.  You will not find Jesus today by going back to the OT for your authority in serving God!  (cf. Sabbath, instru. music, etc.)

  B.  You Won’t Find Jesus in Men’s Religious Traditions – Lk. 2:46

    1.  Won’t find Him in a manger during religious services at Christmas (Lk. 2:16).  [The Festival of the Nativity came in hundreds of years later to compete with (& finally overthrow) pagan Feast of Saturnalia.]

    2.  Won’t find Him on Easter morning at a “sunrise service” (Lk. 24:1-3).  [Started by human tradition as part of ‘Christian Passover” & to later correspond to pagan spring festivals.]

    3.  All such things are vain worship – Jno. 4:24; Matt. 15:7-9.

  C.  You Won’t Find Jesus Among Relatives & Friends – Lk. 2:44.

    1.  We love family & friends, but they are not the source of truth & salvation – Matt. 10:34-37 (cf. Peter, James & John – Lk. 5:8-11).

    2.  One cost of discipleship is Christ before family, Lk. 14:25-26,33.

    3.  How can we find Jesus among those who are not following Him??

  D.  You Won’t Find Jesus on a Throne in Jerusalem – Lk. 2:45.

    1.  Premillennialism tries to find Jesus on a throne for 1000 yrs.

    2.  Christ:  A priest & king at the same time – Zech. 6:12-13.

      a.  But, if He were on earth He would not be a priest – Heb. 8:4.

      b.  Therefore, His throne is not & never will be on earth!

    3.  But, Jesus was borne to be a king – Jno. 18:37.

    4.  His kingdom is not of this world – Jno. 18:36 (Lk. 17:20-21).

    5.  His kingdom exists today! – Col. 1:13; Rev. 1:9

  E.  You Won’t Find Jesus in Worldly Wisdom – Lk. 2:40, 46-47, 52.

    1.  He certainly possessed wisdom about this world, yet His wisdom excels & is superior to man’s in every way – (Lk. 11:31) Mk. 6:1-4; Jno. 7:32, 45-46.

    2.  World’s wisdom will not bring you to Jesus (God)! – 1 Cor. 1:18-25

    3.  Whose wisdom will you rely on for your eternal security:  Your own?  The world’s?  Jesus’? – Col. 2:8

II.  WHERE YOU WILL FIND JESUS.

  A.  You Will Find Jesus in His Temple (the church) (not in the old Jewish temple) – Lk. 2:46.

    1.  That temple was destroyed by His authoritative judgment – Matt. 23:37-24:1-2.

    2.  Jesus has already built the temple where you can find Him – His church (Matt. 16:18)…where you will find Him – Eph. 2:19-22.

    3.  You will find Jesus exalted at the right hand of God – Acts 2:33 (all authority – Matt. 28:18).

      a.  You will find Him there as the Head of His body – Eph. 1:22-23.

      b.  You will find Him there as its Prophet – Acts 3:22-26.

      c.  You will find Him there as High Priest – Heb. 8:1-3; 10:21.

      d.  You will find Him there as King – Acts 2:33-36 (Psa. 110:1-2).  

      e.  You will find Him there as its Savior of His church – Eph. 5:23.

  B.  You Will Find Jesus in the Scriptures – Lk. 2:46-47.

    1.  We are invited to learn from Jesus, but how?  (Matt. 11:29)

    2.  Through testimony of Scripture – Jno. 5:39-40 (if willing, Jno. 7:16-17).

      a.  Written to produce faith leading to life – Jno. 20:30-31.

      b.  With willing hearts, Bereans used Scripture to believe & be saved – Acts 17:11-12.

    3.  Jesus is the Word of truth that leads us to God – Jno. 1:1-2, 14-18.

    4.  If we refuse to hear His words we do not have God – Jno. 8:46-47.

  C.  You Will Find Jesus Doing His Father’s Business – Lk. 2:49 (Jno. 8:29; 9:4).  (Jesus will not bend to our will, Matt. 7:21-23.)

  D.  You Will Find Jesus if you Humbly, Sincerely & Earnestly Look for Him – Lk. 2:48.

    1.  His parents looked for Him “anxiously” (with intense pain, sorrow).

    2.  Look for Jesus with pure motives – Jno. 6:25-27.

Conclusion 

1.  Look for Jesus where He will be found:  His word, in His church, & in doing the Father’s will.

2.  Will you look for Jesus by going where He may be found?