Since 2015 I have had the distinct privilege of helping to guide various groups of people on tours of Israel. I was invited into this opportunity by my friend Mark Burget, who guided many trips through the land of the Bible during his time with Search Ministry.
Mark (who passed from this life into eternity just over three years ago) and his wife Elaine were/are involved in many ministries in the Oklahoma City area over the years, one of which was the High School/Middle School ministry of Young Life. As I understand it, in many ways Mark is the “Godfather” of Young Life in Cleveland County, helping to bring this ministry to the Norman area 40 years ago.
If you don’t know, Young Life is an evangelistic ministry to students and has expanded from its Texas roots to now having a presence in many countries worldwide. It is not an exaggeration to say that Jesus has saved hundreds of thousands of young lives through this ministry over the years. Incidentally, I was also involved as a Young Life leader during my time in seminary, and we support Young Life missionaries and ministries on two continents today.
On one trip to Israel, Mark Burget was enjoying dinner at a hotel on the Sea of Galilee when he saw a man wearing a T shirt that caught his eye. On the front was a Young Life logo above the word “Nazareth.” On the back, were the words “doing ministry where Jesus went to school.” Given Mark’s background with Young Life, leading trips in Israel, and as a Christ follower, he fell in love with the shirt. Striking up a conversation with the wearer of this shirt, Mark found out that there WAS indeed a Young Life ministry in the modern day city of Nazareth, and the next day, the owner of that shirt returned to the hotel giving Burget a version of the T-shirt he so admired.
Isn’t it wild to think of Jesus as a middle schooler? How about as an 8 year old? A toddler!?! Imagine Him losing his teeth or cooing instead of speaking! Imagine the creator of the universe, building His first chair in His father’s workshop. Imagine the author of the world’s greatest best seller learning to read. What wild thoughts!
To be clear, when Jesus came to this earth He did not subtract His divinity, He added humanity … but He did so placing access to His divine capabilities under the direction of His Heavenly Father. And (by the providence of God) presenting the divinity of Jesus to the world would take three decades to fully unveil.
Jesus really grew up. He really had a childhood. He really learned to walk. He really had a gangly awkward phase where the proportions of His body were aligning. He really had siblings that He grew up with and parents to which He submitted.
The Bible does not give us much information about the first 30 years of Jesus’ life, but in Luke 2:39-52, we get a snapshot of one central event in Jesus’ life that happened when He was 12 years old. This Sunday, at Wildwood Community Church, we will look at those verses together in part 2 of our “Prepare the Way” series.
This section of Scripture is fascinating to look at for EVERYONE … but I think there are special things for us to see if we are a young person (under the age of 30), or if we are a parent/grandparent (responsible for someone under the age of 30), or if we are simply in a period of waiting and preparation in our own lives for things that may be decades away. If any of this describes you or interests you, make plans to join us on Sunday in our 8:30, 9:45, or 11:00 service. And if you know anyone that you think may want to hear this also … bring them with you! See you Sunday!