Jesus Our Role Model - Jesus and Work (Daily Devotional)

Greetings and today is Christmas day, a very blessed, joyful Christ centered Christmas day to you from all of us here at All People's Church. Greetings to you from the pastors, the staff, the church family and may today be a special day, as we take time to celebrate Jesus and focus on Him. Today, just for our meditation and throughout this week, we've been looking at Jesus as the heavenly man into whose image we are to be conformed to become like Him and that's the Father's will and plan. We're looking at various aspects of the earthly life of Jesus. I know it's Christmas day today, but we want to talk about Jesus and work. How did Jesus relate to work in His earthly life? Now, Jesus was born in a family where Joseph was a carpenter, Joseph was known as a carpenter. And although the Bible doesn't categorically or specifically state this, we know that Jesus worked as a carpenter until He stepped out into starting His own ministry. We can see this in Mark chapter 6, verse 3, when people heard Jesus’ teaching and preaching, their response was, "Is this not the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon, are not his sisters here with us?" So, people recognize Jesus as a carpenter until the age of 30, until He began His ministry, which tells us that till that age probably starting from the age of 12 or 13, whenever was able to get in there and start working along with Joseph His father as a carpenter. From that age until age of 30, Jesus actually worked as a carpenter and He was known in His community as a carpenter. He probably made many of their tables and chairs and the things that they needed were made by Jesus. He earned a living along with His father Joseph as a carpenter. So, if you and I take time to just ponder on that, that the incarnate Son of God who walked the earth, spent a significant portion of His life working as a carpenter, doing business so to speak as a carpenter. He earned a living for Himself and His family doing this trade. There was nothing wrong with it, He lived by it and I'm sure He did a good job. He was known to be a carpenter. The takeaway for you and me is this that we honor God with whatever work He's given us to do. There may be times when we transition into ministry: serving, preaching, teaching, all of that and that's also a very valid and genuine calling. But if what you're doing is spending time in a vocation, working in a professional place, earning a living through some things that you're doing, take heart, that's exactly what Jesus did for a good portion of His life. And so, you are in good company and He did it well. So, you do it well to glorify the Father that your work in your vocation is something that you want to do to glorify God and reveal God in that place. Do it well even as Jesus did His work as a carpenter well. Let's pray, Father, we ask that you'll help us grow and become more and more like Jesus even in our places of work. Whatever work you've given each of us to do, to know that your Son worked as a carpenter and that today we are doing this, whatever work you've given us to do and we do it unto your name, unto your glory. Be glorified in our work we pray, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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