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So when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. Luke 2:39
We are considering the three time periods in the New Testament and how those things apply to the church today, especially church growth. The verse in Luke 2:39, is just another passage that confirms the fact that Jesus was born under the Old Testament economy or way of life. For our study this week, we want to move on to the "transitional period." But here are a few more thoughts on legalism before we make that move.
This is an important statement to remember when it comes to legalism. Legalism affects us from the outside, grace affects us from the inside. Legalism is someone or something from the outside, expecting, demanding, or commanding submission to something.
Grace comes from God and changes our hearts, mind, and will; it makes us more like Christ. When we are led by the Spirit of God, the fruits of the Spirit will become evident in our lives. Our worship will be pleasing to God as the Holy Spirit moves amongst us applying the truth (theology) of the Scriptures. Churches become legalistic because they are not grounded in doctrine or theology.
There is much more to be said about legalism and the church, but I want to move on to the second time period in the New Testament right now. Exactly when did this time period begin, what would be a sign to us of its coming? It seems quite possible that it began when Jesus was around twelve years old. At that age, He lingered behind in Jerusalem instead of going with His parents. Luke 2:47 says, "And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers."
When His parents came back to find Him, He made this reply, "Why is it that you sought me? Did you not know I must be about my father's business? At that time, Jesus was already catching the attention of the religious leaders. We don't know all that happened between Luke 2 and Luke 4, but He really began to shake things up in Luke 4:16-30.
He stood up and read from the book of Isaiah 61:1-2; then He told those listening that He was the fulfillment of that passage. Luke 4:28 says, "Then all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath." They were so angry they wanted to kill Him. So what's going on here, why all the anger and hostility?
To understand this we must get behind the scenes, we must get a complete picture of the times in which Jesus grew up. Jesus was a common person, the son of Mary and Joseph. This created a small problem; could the Messiah actually be the humble Jesus? This isn't what the religious leaders were expecting; they wanted a king, a ruler who could deliver them from the Romans. That brings me to another question, what are you expecting from Jesus? If you are looking for health, wealth, and happiness? You may be disappointed. Contact the author at: (thoughtsonword@gmail.com) if you have any comments or questions.
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Lyndon Stimeling, of Richfield, has been writing about faith and family for many years. He has self-published four books, Common Thoughts on The Word in 2016, Eye of a Needle in 2017, Common Thoughts on The Word II in 2019 and A Bridge Between in 2023. He has also had articles published in The Coming Home Journal and local newspapers and has written a children's book.