Advent Daily Devotional: December 27

December 27 by Amy Young

Luke 2:41-44

Often times the childhood years of Jesus’ life are referred to as the “Hidden Years.” In the formative years he learns the importance of spending time with His Holy Father, corporate worship, fellowship, and family and cultural traditions. These lessons would impact His life.  At this time of His life, He wasn’t learning how to perform miracles, but learning the importance of traditions and the family business, His earthly father’s business and His Heavenly Father’s business. These life lessons that were taught gave Him an understanding of the mortal life.

He grew up living a well-balanced life. He had to be taught and shown a well-balanced life to complete the will of His Father. He was taught how to listen, worship and the right questions furthering his knowledge of wisdom and understanding. He learned to work and to be obedient to His parents.  I often reflect on my development and knowledge for the love of God and the beauty of worshipping Him.  I learned how these go hand in hand, I learned how to sit and listen, to be obedient by watching my parents, by mimicking my dad’s worship style.  My parents made attending church a priority, they made sure our Holiday traditions were not just about the commercialism of the Holiday but taught us the reason we celebrate Christmas is because of His birth. 

As humans we struggle to understand the incarnation of God and the first time we see this aspect of Jesus is as a child.  He is truly a child, but a child who understands He has a purpose that none of His friends have.  He knew he had a mission and in order to fulfill it he would have to sacrifice childhood desires. I am reminded of the Scottish born missionary Eric Liddell, who was willing to sacrifice an Olympic medal because he knew the importance of church to glean and worship. Eric Liddell had his own personal mission to win a medal, but he knew God’s calling on his life was a higher calling, a higher purpose.  As I read the words in verse 43, ”the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem,” am I willing to sacrifice my own desires and traditions for His greater calling?  Are you willing?