Since we are children of God, and since the Holy Spirit is bearing witness with our human spirits this fact, then we have the ability to experience the things that Jesus experienced. Some of this is suffering; some of this is glory. 

One of the key passages of this idea is found in Romans, chapter 8, verses

“The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs–heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” Romans 8:16-18 (ESV)

One of the goals of this life is to have the very life of The Messiah, Jesus Christ Himself, be lived out through us. This concept is captured very well in Galatians 2:20 (ESV):

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” 

We, the Church, have been crucified with Jesus the Messiah, the Christ. It is no longer we who live, but Jesus the Messiah, the Christ is living in us now. And this life that we are living here in the physical realm, we are living by faith in the Resurrected Christ, and His attributes are being overlaid upon us, His experiences, His sufferings, and His glory. 

We are sons of God, and we are heirs with Christ. All that the Father has is available to us as sons. 

Jesus Our Example

The entire life of Jesus is an example for us, as indicated by His act of washing His disciples’ feet.

“For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.” John 13:15 (ESV)

Jesus said that He has given us an example. Was He only talking about physically washing each other’s feet? I don’t think so.

I believe He was passing along to the Apostles an important truth: His entire life was given to us as an example of how we should live and how we should interact with God, with each other, and with the spiritual realm.

One of the men in the room, the Apostle Peter, picked up on this truth and echoed this principle. In one of his letters, he wrote:

“For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.” 1 Peter 2:21 (ESV)

Not only is Jesus our example in terms of what sort of behaviors we might exhibit, ie – praying for people, ministering to people, bringing healing and deliverance to people, etc., but Jesus is also our example in terms of what we can experience or what is actually available to experience.

Remember this promise that Jesus gave to us?

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” John 14:12-13 (ESV)

I believe this is available to us, as much as we want it.

The question becomes, how is this possible? How do we do the works that Jesus does, and how do we do the greater works too?

Part of the equation is actively overlaying the life of Jesus upon our lives, or activating the Cycles of the Messiah over our lives.

And, believe it or not, this is already happening in all of us! You have experienced some of the things that Jesus experienced.

And today we’re going to talk about how Jesus related with His family.

The Christmas Story

I bet all of you are familiar with the Christmas story, the retelling of the miraculous birth of Jesus Christ to a virgin named Mary.

After the birth of Jesus, Mary was no longer a virgin. Mary and Joseph were married and had other sons and daughters, just like normal married couples have done for thousands of years.

So Jesus grew up in a big family.

“Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” Mark 6:3a (ESV)

He had at least 6 siblings according to Mark (and Matthew 13:55-56), 4 brothers and at least 2 sisters.

12 year-old Jesus

As Jesus, the eldest son, grew up in this household, He was not always understood. When He was 12 years old, we run across this interesting story:

“Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. 

His parents did not know it, but supposing him to be in the group they went a day’s journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. 

After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. 

And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.” And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. 

And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart. 

And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.” Luke 2:41-52 (ESV)

The question Jesus posed to his parents, “Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house” is literally translated, “Did you not know that I had to be in the things of My Father?”

Jesus needed to be in God’s things. He was drawn to the things of Heaven. And His family didn’t really understand this about him.

Perhaps this is true of you too. You are being drawn to Godly things, or maybe you have had Godly convictions, and your family didn’t understand them. Maybe they shunned you or thought you were “too spiritual.” But you were feeling the Holy Spirit drawing you closer to Him, just as Jesus was drawn to stay in Jerusalem and participate in God’s things.

This is one way that you know you’re a child of God: He draws you closer to Him.

“No one can come to me [Jesus] unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.” John 6:44 (ESV)

The Lord was drawing 12 year-old Jesus to Himself in a similar way that He draws us to Himself. And 12 year-old Jesus responded, even though He knew that His family wouldn’t understand.

I think perhaps Mary and Joseph had a conversation, and maybe Joseph looked at his wife, Mary, and said, “Hey, you talk to him… You and him have a special connection.”

And then Jesus submitted to his parents just like He tells us to do in the commandments. And then it says,

“And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.” Luke 2:52 (ESV)

Jesus submitted himself under the Godly cycles of His parents, and He was blessed for it.

Jesus grew in wisdom, in stature, and in favor with God and other people.

‘Stature’ also means maturity. So Jesus had to grow in maturity just like we have to grow in maturity. Have you experienced this? I’m sure you have! Because I know I have!

‘Favor’ is the Greek word ‘charis.’ The word is most often translated as “grace,” as in “For by grace you have been saved through faith…” Ephesians 2:8a (ESV).

Did you know that Jesus grew in grace? He did! And if Jesus grew in grace and favor with God and other people, so can we. You can have more grace; you can grow in it like Jesus did.

These are Great Prayers too

And these are all great prayers too.

You can ask the Lord for your family to understand your Godly calling. Ask the Lord to draw you into Himself. You can ask Him to help you grow in wisdom and maturity and in grace. The Lord loves to answer these prayers, because it’s what He did for His Son Jesus. Since we’re in Jesus, and Jesus is in us, the Father will do these things for us too.