Because Jesus is obedient to his Father, even when being obedient means humiliation. We just celebrated Jesus' birth, where the Lord of the Universe was born into a dirty feeding trough. And imagine the humility Jesus needed in today's lesson, to leave God's glorious temple in Jerusalem, the center of everything Godly, and to go back with Mary and Joseph to backwater Nazareth, the place about which Nathanael says, “can anything good really come from Nazareth?” And then, in the ultimate humiliation, Jesus the sinless, gives up his life as a crucified criminal, on trumped up charges, deserted by his followers. Jesus obediently goes precisely where his Father tells him to.
And so, in humility, Jesus comes to live with us. And he promises that if it ever seems to us that Jesus is missing, we know where to find him – in Word and Sacrament and service. In fact, Jesus dwells in us richly: he teaches us his wisdom, gives us his patience and kindness, and gives us his peace to rule in our anxious hearts. Because of Jesus, we know that no matter how our life finishes up, no matter what we have to go through, the sufferings we endure here are temporary, and the joy of living with God in paradise will be permanent. And everything we do in response, in word or deed, gives thanks to God the Father, for the presence of his Son, our Saviour.
Gracious God, help us to connect more strongly with your son Jesus, through the time we spend in worship, and the time we spend in your word. Help us to know Jesus so well, that we are completely comfortable in introducing him to others, in Jesus' name, amen.