# What Jesus was like as a boy

Category: God’s Character & Attributes
Key Passage: Luke 2:40
Speaker: Paul Chisgar
Date: June 7, 2024

Turn your Bibles, if you would, to Luke chapter number two. Luke chapter number two of God’s Word. And let me just challenge you to keep Christ in Christmas. I just want to challenge you. I’ve had to work at it this year. I don’t know if it was election or what, what, just the business of this year, but I’ve had to work at keeping Christ in my thoughts, the true meaning of Christmas. And I hope you’ll work at that. If you don’t, we’ll miss what Christmas is supposed to be all about. And men, you’re the leaders of your homes. Work at it at home. And try different things. Just keeping Christ in Christmas. It’s so very, very important.

Often people will say this. They’ll say, “Well, we really don’t know anything about Christ.” I’m talking about His life here on earth before He was 12 years old. And the Bible doesn’t tell us anything about Christ before He was 12. Anybody ever hear anything like that? I’ve heard things like that. You have to, but you’re not raising your hand. That’s a commonly said thing.

But the Bible does really give us a little insight into what Christ was like as a boy. In fact, that’s the title today for our YouTube channel: “What was Jesus like as a boy?” And the Bible gives us something before He was 12, went to the temple and all that. The Bible gives us a little insight into what Jesus is like. We’re going to read the verse. It’s in Luke 2.

Look down. I don’t want to tell you the verse because you won’t listen to me after that. You’ll read the verse. You won’t pay me any attention. Would you stand? Would you stand, please, as we read the Word of God? And you’re like, “Just quit it, preacher, give us the verse,” you know. And Luke 2, verse number—it’s going to be the last thing you hear me say for ten minutes. You won’t listen to me after that. I know that. Verse number 40, verse number 40.

Luke 2 and verse number 40 of God’s Word: “And the child grew,” speaking of Jesus. And the child grew, showing us He wasn’t born full grown, if you will. “The child grew and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him.” And after that, it begins to talk about when His parents went to the temple every year and when He was 12 years old. This is before that. And the Bible gives us just a little snapshot of what Jesus was like as a boy. And we’re going to take just a phrase out of it.

It’s Luke 2:40. I see Brother Warren looking over Brother Anthony’s shoulder saying, “Have I been in the right place in the Bible there?” I got you, Brother Warren. Let’s read it one more time because Brother Warren hadn’t gotten there yet. Either that or he is trying to read Brother Anthony’s notes in his Bible or something. I don’t know. I’ve got to give him a hard time a little bit. Luke 2:40. One more time. We’re going to pray and get going here. “And the child grew,” speaking of Jesus, “and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him.” Let’s pray, if you would, please. Lord…

This is a great truth. Lord, I know I’m not a great preacher, but Lord, would You take Your great truth and apply it to our lives? Father, help me to live it better. Lord, help us to grow and be better examples of You. Thank You, Jesus. You’re such a perfect example in every area. Lord, use this truth in our lives. Lord, there’s one here not saved. Father, I do pray they get saved before they leave. Lord, I yield to You. Help me to say everything You want to say in the way You want it said. Nothing else, Lord. And we’ll thank You, Father, for what You do. And in Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen. Thank you so much for standing. You may be seated.

Now, when I get to heaven, one of the things I like to do, of course, is see Jesus, but more than that… maybe once we’ve been there for a while, I like—I like it if maybe the Lord will allow us to see Jesus when He was here on earth as a baby. And you know, the shepherds got to see Him there in the manger. It would be wonderful maybe if we go back and kind of see how the shepherds saw Jesus there, maybe a little bit older when the wise men came and saw Jesus—what Jesus was like and what He looked like.

This week I had the privilege to see little Timothy and Aaron’s son. And I got to say what he looks like. He’s got Charity’s cheeks, amen, you know. And just cute as a button. But I like to see Jesus—what He looked like when He was a boy. He always was, but He’s here on earth. And what kind of attitude? What kind of a boy? What kind of a boy?

I’m interested in that, and I don’t understand at all. No, He’s perfect; never seen one time, and I know that. But it’s interesting when the Bible gives us one verse glimpse into that. I really want us to focus on one phrase. I always think it’s so interesting—I believe the Lord wants to focus on it again—that little phrase the Bible tells us about Jesus as a child: He waxed strong in spirit.

That’s interesting to me when I read that about Jesus. But not only that, but in the chapter before, chapter number one of Luke, if you look—I believe it’s at the last verse, verse number 80—that place is talking about John the Baptist. I remember John the Baptist at one point; it’s actually recorded twice in Scripture. Jesus said that’s the greatest man—I’m paraphrasing—but that’s the greatest man born among women. Jesus thought pretty highly of John the Baptist, understanding Jesus is God; He knew what He was talking about. So we have Jesus saying He waxed strong in spirit, but then the person that Jesus said was the greatest man born among women—what does the Bible say about him as a child? Look in verse number 80 of chapter number one: “And the child grew,” John the Baptist…

“…and waxed strong in spirit.” Interesting. “It happened in the desert until the days of His showing unto Israel.” That little phrase, “waxed strong in spirit,” must mean something. It says it about Jesus as a child; it says it about John the Baptist, the greatest man born among women. What is it? What’s this saying? “Waxed strong in spirit.” Just that little phrase. Just for a little while, I believe the Lord would have us focus on it. First of all, three words in that phrase that we’ll focus on. First one is the word spirit. It’s the Greek word they translate into English as pneuma. It actually, according to Strong’s Concordance, means a current of air. How many have heard of pneumatic tools? Yeah, and their air tools.

You go get your tires changed or rotated, and you hear them. They got that air impacting. Zoom, you know, zoom—that’s probably a better description of, you know. It’s an air tool, and that air flows through there. David’s laughing at my verbal expressions there, you know. But man, it’s the current of air. Now, that’s what this word has to do with—maybe the current of air we give off, maybe the air around us, the atmosphere around us. I tend to think maybe the closest English word to this definition of it is just our attitude.

He waxed strong in his attitude, if you will. His spirit that was around him. Someone said, “It’s not your aptitude that determines your altitude; it’s your attitude.” So very, very important. You know, it’s amazing; some will spend thousands of dollars on Christmas. I’m talking about thousands of dollars maybe for their kids or grandkids—I’m learning about these things, you know—and they’ll spend all this money, and those children will come out, or that grandchild will come out, and if they have a bad attitude, it doesn’t matter how much money you spend on them. It’s a pretty poor Christmas morning, honestly.

Some will spend a lot of money, and they’ll go to Florida for Christmas. Someone showed me a picture of their son and daughter, and all the pines in Oklahoma, and they got snow. And we were talking; we said, “Man, it looks good on TV or, you know, a picture or through the window, that snow.” I’m talking about white Christmas for me means the white beaches of Florida. But people will spend mega bucks; they’ll go to Aruba or wherever for Christmas, and they’ll spend all that money, and if they go there, wherever they’re at, if they have a poor attitude, a bad spirit, they’ll be miserable.

Even though they spent thousands of dollars, your spirit, your attitude is just vital. It’s so very, very important. Can I say this, parents? Watch your child’s attitude and help them with that, if you will. Can I say this? If Satan can very easily get your spirit, he can just march right back in any time. Look, if you will, over in Proverbs chapter number 25. Proverbs 25, verse 28. A very important verse when it comes to speaking about our spirit or attitude. Proverbs 25 and verse number 28. Once you find that, would you say amen?

Come on now, you said amen, but I still hear pages turning, you know. Proverbs 25:28. What does he say there? “He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken out and without walls.” If I have no control over my spirit, Satan can just march in any time and work in my life. By the way, if I don’t have control over my attitude, the honest truth is, God’s not going to be able to use me very much. Because the devil knows, look, man, that guy right there, he has no control over his spirit, his attitude. Satan says, “Man, I can just get one person to say one thing to him, and it’s got him off kilter.” And so God says, you know, I really can’t put My hand—My Spirit can’t flow through his spirit like I like to because they have no control over their spirit.

Hey, pity the spouse that has a husband or a wife that has no control over their spirit. Pity the wife that has a husband that’s always grouchy with no control over his spirit. Ladies, you’re not supposed to, you know, but you can wave your white hanky on that one. Amen, come on now. I preach to us men; we are supposed to be leaders. You’re not going to be a very good leader in your home if you’ve got no control over your spirit.

And ladies bring such a lady’s touch, a good spirit, a warm spirit to the home. And pity the home where there’s a lady who’s got no control over her spirit. I can march in there any time and just take that home down. And it’s so vital that we have a good, strong spirit.

Hey, young people, are you going to ask you if your mom or dad says one thing, “Hey, go clean your room” or something—does your spirit just take off, boom, like that? How’s your spirit, your attitude? It’s so vital that we learn, even as young people, that you learn to work at your spirit, your attitude. The younger you start working at it, the better off it is. Our spirit, our attitude—Jesus waxed strong in His spirit.

Hey, the Lord may be wanting to use you at work in a great way and be a great testimony. Maybe that person is going to get saved. But if Satan can march in there and get your attitude at work, Satan’s going to say, “Hey, the Lord will never be able to use them greatly at that work because I’ve got their spirit.”

How about relatives at a family reunion? How is your spirit there? Are you going to blow your testimony while you’re there and you’re trying to win that loved one to the Lord? But your spirit is so crucial. Spirit. Can the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, flow through your spirit? The Bible gives us a lot of verses about that. 1 Corinthians 6:19: “What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” Second Corinthians chapter 7, talking about a close relationship you’ll have—a father-son-daughter relationship—and he says, “Therefore, having these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit.”

The classic is over in John chapter 4, and Jesus was speaking to that woman at the well, and He said, “Hey, hey, the true worshippers of God—God is a Spirit—and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” Is your spirit—do you have a strong spirit? Do you have a spirit that you have control over, or can Satan get one person to come and say one thing and boom, your spirit’s gone?

Your spirit. Daniel was one of the greatest Christians, I think, in all the Bible. Daniel is just an awesome man. Daniel—we don’t know for sure, but it seems like he was a young person and he was captured by another foreign country, his country was, and he was taken into captivity. He was taken into captivity. He was not exactly sure. But Daniel, he was taken over here and he grew up in a foreign country, and his country had been captured by this foreign country. And yet Daniel, under three different leaders—presidents of that country—he was a world leader at that time, that country he was taken over. But under three different kings, he became real high, almost like the second in command. He was an amazing man, Daniel was. I mean, just God had His hand on him. You know about Daniel in the den of lions and so on and so on. Daniel. Can I read for you just what the Bible says about Daniel? This man that God could use so greatly. Let me read for you a couple of verses. Daniel 5, verse number 12: “Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and showing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel.” Excellent spirit. Daniel chapter 6, verse number 3: “Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.” Spirit.

Can someone say—could a co-worker say about you, “I don’t know what it is about them, but they’ll always have an excellent attitude, an excellent spirit about them”? Would those at home say that about you? Would your spouse? Would your children? Would your parents say that about you?

Now, here’s an interesting thing. We talked about the word spirit for a little bit there: “waxed strong in spirit.” Now, let’s look at another word in that little phrase. It’s that word waxed. Why did God in His Word—why did God say He waxed strong in spirit? Why was that? I believe waxed has to do with gradual. The way for this hillbilly to remember it, it’s like the wax on a candle gradually burns down, you know. It’s my mind; it helps me. I know I’m off a little bit, you know, but it’s because of missing fingers. Part of my brain was in my fingers. Okay, folks, all right now, you know. But he waxed—it helps me think about wax—it’s gradual. The candle burns down gradual.

And it wasn’t that Jesus just boom had this big strong spirit. He waxed. He grew; it already told us that. And He waxed strong. He slowly got stronger in His spirit. Now that gives me a little bit of hope because I don’t always have control over my spirit like I like to, for sure. I felt that often. But here’s a good thing: You’re not going to be boom to boom here, you’re not. It’s going to be something you grow at. You gradually get stronger in it. Here’s the key: Wherever you’re at—you say, “Man, I’m already starting not even at the bottom; I’m in the negative area because of my past or my issues”—wherever you’re at, here’s the key: that you start working at your spirit wherever you’re at. That’s the key. He waxed strong in the spirit. You said, “Man, I can be so emotional and so high, strong, and my spirit’s here, there, and yonder, and I can tank.” I don’t understand exactly where you’re at, and I don’t know that I’m necessarily concerned, but the thing is, are you working at your spirit where you’re at? That’s the key. He waxed strong in spirit.

Let me give you six things. Maybe you don’t want to jot these things down real quick. Six things working at our spirit. Number one: Admit when your spirit is not right. Would you look over in Isaiah, Isaiah chapter number 57? And if I’m going to work on my spirit, how do I get there? How do I gradually get stronger like Jesus did? First of all, you’ve got to admit you have a problem. Here’s going to be the temptation: “Well, I would have a good attitude if my boss ever gave me credit for something.” Anybody relate to that? “Well, I’d have a better spirit if it wasn’t for the kids.” Come on now. We’ve all been there before. “I’d have a better spirit if it wasn’t for my wife or my husband.” Uh-oh, we got confession going on here. If I’m going to grow in my spirit, you know what I’ve got to do? There’s always going to be those circumstances. Like I say, my spirit’s not like… It was good for me as a teenager; I read a lot of books about Christians that were tortured for Christ behind the Iron Curtain of Romania in different places. And it’s amazing how they were being tortured, but they’d have a good spirit. So I got to admit, it’s me. It’s my problem, Lord, if my spirit’s not right. Stop blaming everybody. That’s me.

Look at this verse. You’re in Isaiah 57. Look in verse number 15: “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy.” By the way, show that to the Jehovah’s Witness; He’s got more than Jehovah for a name. The name is Holy. “I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” When I just own up to it, hey, that’s humbling. And God says, “Yeah, I revive the spirit of the humble.” They just say, “Man, I got a problem.” It’s me. Even though I got a boss that’s, well, you know, whatever, I still should have the right spirit. It’s me. I got a problem.

Even though the kids, you know, they flush the toothpaste down in the commode, I still should have a good spirit, you know, whatever may be. And when I just say, “Hey, I got a problem.” It’s me. I got a weakness. I got an issue here, and it’s me. It’s me that’s got the problem. That’s the start of getting my spirit back on top of it. Waxing strong in spirit: Number one, admit it. Admit it when my spirit’s not right. Number two, pray for help. That should be obvious, but so many times we don’t do that.

Paul, when God led him to write thirteen, fourteen books of the New Testament, he closes three of those books with this. Let me just read them for you. Galatians 6:18: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.” 2 Timothy 4:2, the last words God used the pen: “The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.” Philippians 1:25: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.” Paul knew how important your spirit is. You can pray about other spirits. Hey, I’ll pray about my spirit. “Lord, help my spirit. I got a bad attitude. Help me get right here.” Pray about it.

Number three, how do you work? How do you wax strong in spirit? Number three, listen to spiritual music. Saul, in the Old Testament, that King Saul had an evil spirit. But come on, he’s going to rage and try to kill people when he’s in this rage. His spirit would come over him. He had some wise servants, Saul did, and they said, “Hey, let’s get somebody that can play some good music.” Let me read it for you. 1 Samuel 16:23: “And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.” Hey, get some spiritual, some godly Christian music. Imagine how the spirit realm and music are so associated in the Bible.

How to work at my spirit: Number one, admit when my spirit is not right; number two, pray for help; number three, listen to spiritual music. Number four, y’all still with me this morning? Number four: Hang out with someone that has a good spirit about them.

It’s very interesting. Remember that. Elijah was about to die, and Elisha was hanging around Elijah. Say Elijah and Elisha ten times in a row. Amen. I tell you what—here’s the thing. Elijah is about to be taken up, and Elisha said, “Hey, Elisha, what do you want?” Let me read it for you. It often gets misused in the Bible. It’s found in 2 Kings, verse number 9. “And Elisha said, Ask what I shall do for thee before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.” We always associate that with the Holy Spirit, God’s Spirit. It doesn’t say that—“double portion of thy spirit.” Now, you have a double portion of the right kind of spirit. The Holy Spirit will be able to flow through you more, but that’s not what the Bible says as far as the Holy Spirit—“double portion of thy spirit.”

What was going on? Elisha had seen Elijah, that man that could march up on Mount Carmel and pray down fire from God, standing against the odds of the majority of Israel—the 450 and 400 false prophets there against Ahab. And he had a spirit about it. He could put his own finger in the face of Ahab and say, “Hey, you’re the problem. You’re the reason why it’s not going to rain around here.” And he said, “That spirit right there, I need that.” Now, yes, Elijah, his spirit could take two—sometimes those of us who have real highs can have low lows. Maybe Elijah was a little bit like that. But I think he had a strong spirit. Yes, God performed through Elisha twice the miracles; I understand all that. But the Bible says, “I want a double portion of thy spirit.” That’s what it says. There is something about it. If I want to have a right kind of spirit, it helps me to hang around people that have the right kind of attitude.

I’ve been trying to listen to Christmas music a lot to get in the Christmas mood there, you know. And there’s a station—it’s an internet station, KMBC—and they play all Christmas music from Thanksgiving through Christmas time, and good Christmas music. I like that. And I’ve been listening to that a lot, and there’s a little segment called “Revival Time” that comes on. Just a fifteen-minute segment. And sometimes they’ll just pick it up; it’s just during that time. But sometimes even if it’s not the time for it, you can scroll down and you can click on that. And you know why? Usually, if I listen to “Revival Time,” you know why I listen to it? Not necessarily because I’m going to learn something, because Jack Trayber will come on there. He’s a pastor of the church. He’s got just a good, happy, strong, upbeat spirit. And if my spirit’s about tanking a little bit, man, I need to hang around somebody with a good spirit. And I’ll listen to Brother Creeper a little bit, and he just has an upbeat spirit about it.

And I want to hang around somebody that’s got a good spirit because that rubs off. By degrees, I like to have a spirit like them right there. Hang around them, and that spirit—spirits are very contagious. You can have a good spirit in a room; one person walks in there, and boom, everything changes for the bad, or everything changes for the good. You get somebody that’s critical—wow, you can really hurt a church like that pretty quick if you get a critical spirit in there. And if I need a spirit that’s upbeat, who do I hang around? I need to hang around somebody with a good spirit.

We’ve got to hurry along. Number one, we said, admit you have a bad spirit. Number two, pray about it. Number three, listen to spiritual music. Number four, hang around somebody with a good spirit. Number five, I really want to elaborate on it: Number five, give thanks. I’ve been talking about that a lot here lately. Not necessarily thankful—you’ll get there—but just start off giving thanks. Giving thanks. Number six, number six, if I’m going to have a good attitude, number six, how do I work on it? Number six, yield to the Holy Spirit.

If you’re a born-again Christian, if you’re saved, the Spirit of God lives inside of you. Somebody says, “Preacher, I can’t help it; things happen, and this spirit comes on me.” And some even say, “Man, maybe it’s demonic.” And I think demons are very much involved in all that. This is the spirit realm, and I don’t have any control over that thing. Friend, you know, the Bible says, “Greater is He that is in you” (1 John 4:4) “than he that is in the world.” You know what that’s talking about? It’s talking about the Holy Spirit. I mean, the old demon or whatever it may be, he’s no match for the Spirit of God. And yet, if I resist the Spirit of God and I’m just determined to go on my way and do my thing, the Spirit of God will never combat that demon or that spirit whatever may be in your life. But when I yield to the Spirit of God, then He’s released. If you help, the devil’s no match for the Holy Spirit of God. “Holy Spirit, I yield to You, and You’re in control of my life.” And if you’re allowing these things, You have a reason for it, and I want You to flow through me. Both the Spirit of God can just come in there and take that spirit, defeat that evil spirit in your life.

Spirit of God. But I’m resisting Him. Now I’ve got a spirit that has just been on doing my own thing. And I’m quenching or grieving the Spirit of God. Satan loves it when we do that. He can work then in his messed-up ways. Our spirit—here we had “waxed strong in spirit.” How’s your spirit? Can Satan just throw your spirit off so quickly? How much control do you have over your spirit? What does your family think about your spirit? Those that know you best—your wife or husband—your spirit. Jesus and John the Baptist waxed strong in spirit.

There are a couple of pops in the P. A. that throw off your spirit. Now, I’m joking. We’ve talked about spirit. What does that mean? We’ve talked about waxed. Let’s talk very briefly on this word strong: “waxed strong in spirit.” How strong are you in your spirit? What does it take? Can your boss correct you? Can you handle correction? Or just, boom—somebody says one thing, and you boom, it’s all over. How strong is your spirit? How much of a load can you carry and still have a good spirit? All that affects your spirit. How aware of your spirit are you? Do you monitor it? Do you say, “Hey, I need to work at this”? Jesus, as He grew, He waxed strong. Are you there? Are you growing in your spirit?

I’m almost done, but I want you to think about this, and we’ll be done. We might even get out of here earlier. Miracles still happened. Look at that. Wow. Think about Jesus. The Bible describes Him as a boy before He was 12. He waxed strong in spirit. Now think about Jesus—what all He went through. His whole life Satan was after Him. He departed from Him for a season over there (Matthew 4), the great temptation there. We think we have trials, and we don’t have anything compared to what Jesus had. But just take the last day or so, night and day, of Jesus’ life here on earth. Remember, He left the garden there with the disciples. And remember the… the Roman soldiers came. You can hear the clanking of the sword and the spear and the shield. It’s nighttime, and they got a lantern maybe. And they come there and they come to arrest Jesus. And Jesus said, “Look, I was always in the temple. I mean, if you wanted to get Me, you could get Me any time.” But they came; it’s like the arresting of a thief. It could bother my spirit, if you will. And then Judas. Judas was one of His apostles. Judas—Jesus had made him; He had made him the treasurer. He was the guy that kept the money for the apostles there, Judas. And yet Judas gave Him that fake, hypocritical kiss on His cheek. Jesus could have—He could have gotten out of sorts over that. “Man, I know who and what you’re doing. You’re not fooling anybody by kissing Me. Everybody knows this is a kiss of betrayal.”

Then they took Jesus over there to Caiaphas, the high priest, and the judgment hall, and the Jewish people. They gave a mockery of a trial, and they’re the ones—and different ones did. All of us did, honestly, but they did that night. Remember that night that they spit upon Him? Oh, man, don’t raise your hand, but have you ever been spit on? Those are fighting words—they’re not words, but those are fighting terms there. Somebody spit on you a while ago. I mean, and Jesus got spit on. Man, if that doesn’t get your spirit, your attitude, that right there—where they spit on Jesus! And then they buffeted Him. That typically means they put a black bag over your face, and then they just take their fist and they just pound on you. And can you imagine as Jesus’ face began to get puffy and His eyes swollen? Then they slapped Him. “Hey, why don’t You tell us who slapped You?” you know? I don’t know about you, but that would be enough to give me a bad attitude for sure, you know. And then the Jewish people wouldn’t kill anybody; that wasn’t their right, if you will, to do. And so they took Him to Rome, and, hey, Rome, you’re the one supposed to carry out the sentence. And so Roman Pilate stepped in there.

Pilate, I think, at one point wanted to release Jesus. He said, “I can’t find any fault in Him,” but the people wouldn’t allow it. And Pilate wasn’t strong enough to stand up to them. And so I think some of the reason why Pilate had Jesus scourged with that kind of whip—trying to get sympathy out—the people didn’t work. But he had the kind of nine tails on Jesus, and thirty-nine times typically—and not always, but often—they would take their victim sometimes and chain them up and just lift them a little bit where their feet are dangling off the ground. And then they’d take that whip with nine tails woven in and woven together, and those tails would have glass—makeshift glass or sharp rocks—they’d be woven in there. And they’d take that whip—twenty-six times typically on the back—they’d take that whip and it would wrap around the body. They’d just pull it, and begin to flay the bones and the body. Thirteen times off it on the chest. And as they take that whip and they just wrap around it out and it pulled, they would just flay. So often when that happened, they’d have inner organs of the victim just hanging out. And they took a crown of thorns and they beat it down with a reed. They just didn’t put it on His head; they beat it down. The Bible talks about it. They plucked His beard out, and boy, they just ripped it out. And all that Jesus went through all night into the morning and over to Herod. And at one point they stripped Him nude. That would make you have a bad attitude for sure. Humiliation might have been torture.

And Herod—Herod wanted to see some kind of circus show from Jesus. “I want to see some miracles from You.” It’s just like a mockery. Back to Pilate, and Pilate just would not stand up. “Crucify, crucify Him!” Those are the ones that Jesus loved, came to minister to. There were wrong people. Wrong gave in. It’s all right. He’ll go to the cross. Jesus takes that old rugged cross and He carries it up. Yes, they got Simon to help Him; He carries it up, and blood all over the place, and takes it outside the city walls to Golgotha there—that hill called Golgotha, the Calvary there, the place of the skull. And they lay that cross down, and nobody made Jesus lay down on that cross. Nobody could make you do that.

Can you imagine Jesus maybe sitting down on that cross beam of the cross and laying His hands out, and He said, “Go ahead and put that nail there”? And they put that big old spike there, and boy, they just came down and drove that nail through His hands—both hands, both feet. They lift that old cross up, and it comes down with a thud, and boy, as it comes down, it just kind of rips His body a little bit, those nails in His hands and His feet. And there on the cross, and He’s suffocating, and He’s trying to lift up a little bit, and His old raw back is scraping up and down that old rugged cross. And three hours He’s there on the cross. Darkness comes at noontime; it’s just totally dark around the world. I thank God Almighty; He said, “I don’t want the sun to shine on My only begotten Son when He takes the sin of all the world on Him.” And all of hell and the demons and sin, the dirty rape and murder of the world, came on Jesus.

Have you ever felt just dirty? You ever deal with a situation? You just feel dirty when you get done with it. It’s such a vile, sinful thing, and you leave it. I feel dirty dealing with that situation. Can you imagine how Jesus felt? On the cross, He utters seven utterances—seven things. It starts all: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” You know the last thing Jesus said? “Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit.” After all they did to Jesus Christ, they never ever got His spirit. I’ll let them have My blood. I’ll shed My blood. I’ll let them beat My brow. I’ll let them pluck My beard. I’ll let them beat on Me and spit on Me, but I will not let them have My spirit. He waxed strong in spirit. If one time Satan would have been able to get Him out of sorts in sin, but in every instance, they could not have His spirit.

Friend, hey, what was He having to work at? My spirit. Would you bow your heads and close your eyes? You hear this morning, you said, “Preacher, there has come a time…”

“…when I have allowed what Jesus did on the cross to be the payment for my sin. Preacher, I’ve been saved. I’ve put my full faith in Christ alone to be my personal Savior. I’ve been saved. I’m on the way to heaven this morning. I’ve settled that. I’ve been saved.” If that’s you this morning, you just lift your hand in that. “Preacher, I know I’m saved. I know I’m saved. I know I’m saved.” God bless you. God bless you. Many, many hands. Thank you so very, very much. You can put them down.

Some did not raise your hand. Thank you for being honest with me. It’d be easy to just kind of fit in, thank you. But maybe you hear this morning, you say, “Preacher, I don’t know that heaven’s my home, and when I leave this world, I don’t know that I go to heaven. I’m not settled on that. I’m not saved. I’m not a child of God.” “Preacher, I don’t know that I’m going to heaven.” I’m not going to call your name, not going to come back to you. I’d love to pray for it; I mean that. I’d love to be of help. But if you hear this morning, you say, “Preacher, I don’t know that I’m going to heaven. I don’t know that I’m a child of God,” would you slip your hand up? “Preacher, I don’t know.” Just slip it up right there. Your head. Not going to call you, not going to come back to you, not going to embarrass you. Just slip it up, “Preacher, I don’t know.” I’d love to pray for you; I want to be of help.

Maybe you hear this morning, you say, “Preacher, I got to work at my spirit. I got to work at that.” Maybe it’s at home, maybe it’s at work, maybe it’s everywhere. I preach the gospel from my heart. I want to—I want to be like Jesus. I want to work at my spirit. I got some issues. I’m going to just admit it. I’m just saying, “I need to work at my spirit.” Preacher, God spoke to my heart about that right there. If that’s you this morning, “Preacher, I need to work,” would you slip your hand up? God bless you. “Me too.” God bless you. “Me too, me too, me too, me too, me too, me too.” “Me too, me too.” Thank you. Thank you so very, very much. Thank you so much. You can put your hands down. It’s a little bit redundant, but I want to ask you to say, “You know, I would like to wax strong. I’d like to grow. I know it’s going to take time, but I’d like to grow where I get strong…”

“…in spirit by God’s grace. Lord, I’m praying, I’m asking You, would You help me to be more like Jesus? And I’d like to wax strong.” Maybe it’s a young person here this morning; it would be a great, great time when you’re young to start working at that thing. “Preacher, I’d like to get to that point where truly it could be said—not that nobody’s perfect besides Christ—but they can say, ‘Hey, you know, he’s waxed strong in spirit.’” “Preacher, I’m going to take the challenge. I’m going to try to grow and grow. I’m going to try to grow. I’m going to try to grow. I’m going to try to grow. I’m going to try to grow.” It’s important. God bless you. Thank you. Thank you so much for letting the Lord work in your heart. Thank you so very much. You can put your hands down. Thank you so very much.

Would you please stand? Would you please all of us stand, if you would please? We’re going to have a word of prayer. As soon as we’re done praying, Brother Anthony will sing—lead us in a song. At that time, would you come to an old-fashioned altar and ask the Lord, “Help me to grow, help me to work, help me to wax strong in spirit”? Lord, I’d like to be a better Christian in this area, but I’d like to be more like You, Jesus. He’ll grow you. He’s the one that grows us all.

Would you just come to an old-fashioned altar and ask Him to help you grow in that? If you’re not saved, maybe you didn’t raise your hand, but you say, “I really, to be honest with you, I didn’t raise my hand, but I don’t know that I’m saved.” During this time, there’ll be a man standing down front here. There’ll be also a man in the back. If you’re thinking, “I don’t want to go in front of everybody,” there’ll be a man standing in the back. If you’re not sure heaven’s your home, would you just go shake their hand? Say, “Hey, you know, I want to go. I want to make sure I’m going to heaven.” They’ll take the Bible and help you with that. Would you do that? Whatever the need, if God has tugged at your heart, would you be obedient to Him?

Father, thank You so much for being a great example. I’ve failed You so many, many times in this area. Thank You for Your mercy, Your grace, Your forgiveness. Lord, grow us. Grow us in waxing strong in spirit. Lord, there’s one here not saved; give them courage. Let them see this here. Let them come shaking one of these men’s hands. Let them go home knowing for sure heaven’s their home. We want to be obedient. Help us to obey You during this time. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Would you come as we sing? Don’t wait for anybody else if God tugged at your heart. Would you come as we sing?

Maybe here this morning, there’s a certain spirit that comes over you; it’s not right. And you say, “I’m just going to identify that spirit. That’s my spirit that I need to work at. And I’m asking, by God’s grace, the Lord to help me overcome that spirit, whatever it may be—whether it be anger, whether it be pity, whether it be stubbornness, whatever. Lord, I want to grow. I want to overcome this spirit.” Our heads are bowed, eyes closed. “Preacher, I’m identifying this spirit, and by God’s grace, would You help me overcome?” If that’s you, just lift your hand. “I’m identifying this spirit.” God bless you. That’s important. It’s important. Oh, yeah, Satan loves to work in darkness. Identify it. We’ll grow past it. We’re saying another verse. If you need to come, would you come? Would you spend some time wherever you may be? Would you spend some time with Him?

Original File: What was Jesus like as a boy - Pastor Paul Chisgar Sunday 1213