Forgetting Jesus

 Luke 2:41-49:

“…⁴³ After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. ⁴⁴ Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. ⁴⁵ When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him…”

 We see here while Jesus is a boy and traveling with his parents and they leave him behind by accident! What a mess to be in, and I often think "how can you forget the son of God?" It seems pretty silly to be walking along and then all of a sudden stop and say "Wow where is Jesus, the savior of  the world?" I would like to submit that it happens much more often then we would like to admit it our own lives. The forgetfulness though is very subtle, so this week we will take a look at 4 types of Christians who have forgotten Jesus. 

I think we should meet Jesus first:

Everyone has one thing in common, we are all not who we are supposed to be. We were created perfect in the garden of Eden in perfect relationship with our creator. God allowed us to rule the garden and do with it as we saw fit. He established only one rule which was don't eat from a certain tree. Adam and Eve ate from that tree, disobeying God and sending human history into dismay disarray. We have been trying everything we can think of to restore that relationship with God, including more sin. The fact of it is though that God himself came to earth to restore the relationship that we botched! He came as a man, Jesus, and took the penalty for our sin. He became our sin and suffered hell for it. Why did Jesus need to die? He needed to because God is holy and He cannot let sin go unpunished, murders, rapists and those who break his law have two choices: pay for your own sins or let Jesus pay for them. Those who wisely choose the latter can live a new life a joy and in response turn from there sin and worship God. It is not just "bad people" though who have problems with God, because we all have sinned. God's standard is perfection, which means those of us who lie, get angry or are proud are counted as sinners. Jesus took the wrath we deserved and is a great and good God.

OK, little check did you read all of that? Did you just brush it off as "Christianity 101?" Often forgetting Jesus starts with forgetting the gospel.

Here are some questions to get you thinking:

• Are you more focused on performance then on Jesus? (Trying to do this or not do that, instead of worshiping Him and letting that change you)
•  Do you rest at the end of the day or look forward to trying harder? (At the end of the day is it Wow I need to step it up or God will get mad)
• Are you trying to prove your not all “that bad?”(Want to show that you are something and you’re not a “bad sinner” like other people)

Does the truth of what Jesus’ death on a cross impact your life daily?

Check back this week and see how Christians can forget Jesus!