Luke 2:41-50
41) Every year, Jesus and his family traveled from Nazareth to
Jerusalem to observe the Jewish Passover.
42) When He was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, like they always did.
43) After the festival was over Joseph and Mary began the trip home. They didn’t know that Jesus had stayed behind in Jerusalem.
44) Thinking He was in their home-bound caravan, they traveled on for a day. In the evening they began looking for Him among their relatives and friends.
45) When they didn’t find Him, they went back, looking.
46) After three days of frantic searching they found Him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking questions.
47) Everyone who heard Him was amazed at His understanding – His questions and answers.
48) When Joseph and Mary saw Him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been searching for You.”
49) “Why were you searching for Me?” He responded. “Didn’t you know I would be about My Father’s business?”
50) But they didn’t understand what He meant.
The Bible reveals nothing about the time in the life of the Messianic Family between the visit of the Wise Men (when Jesus was probably a little over a year old) and this story that occurs when He was twelve.
42) When He was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, like they always did.
43) After the festival was over Joseph and Mary began the trip home. They didn’t know that Jesus had stayed behind in Jerusalem.
44) Thinking He was in their home-bound caravan, they traveled on for a day. In the evening they began looking for Him among their relatives and friends.
45) When they didn’t find Him, they went back, looking.
46) After three days of frantic searching they found Him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking questions.
47) Everyone who heard Him was amazed at His understanding – His questions and answers.
48) When Joseph and Mary saw Him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been searching for You.”
49) “Why were you searching for Me?” He responded. “Didn’t you know I would be about My Father’s business?”
50) But they didn’t understand what He meant.
The Bible reveals nothing about the time in the life of the Messianic Family between the visit of the Wise Men (when Jesus was probably a little over a year old) and this story that occurs when He was twelve.
There are written works called Pseudepigrapha (false writings) that describe miracles and wondrous
works to Jesus all during his childhood and youth. In the opinion of respected
scholars these works are not reliable and are fictitious.
Healing the leg of a
table that Joseph had mismeasured, accidentally killing and then raising doves
back to life, striking mocking playmates blind!
These records are not included in the Canon of Scripture . . .
because it was suspected that they were not true.
In John’s Gospel Chapter Two, verse eleven, the Apostle
describes Jesus’ turning the water into wine at the marriage of Cana in Galilee
as “His first miracle.”
That clear, straight-forward statement of fact was used by
scholars in the second century AD as reason to exclude any writing about
childhood miracles or demonstrations of power.
For twelve years Jesus had been an ordinary human child . . . no
miracles, no spooky or creepy demeanor. He was so normal and ordinary . . .
that His earthly parents may have allowed the events of the First Christmas to
dim in their minds and memories.
This event at twelve years of age may have been instigated by
God to refresh their memories and deepen their understanding about Who Jesus
was . . . and why He had been sent. A wake up call and stirring for Joseph and
Mary that would get them on track with the long term plan . . . God’s Plan for
the Ages.
Jesus was not normal . . . He only gave the appearance of normal
and ordinary . . . He was in disguise. He was the disguised Son of God (Philippians
2:6-8) . . . he was Very God (A. W. Tozer) . . . He was Emmanuel (God with us). And He did not come to Earth to live out a
mundane human life. He came to do His Heavenly Father’s bidding . . . His bidness . . . His business.
Joseph and Mary needed to be reminded that God was Jesus’ Father
. . . and their continued relationship with Him would have to be based upon
that understanding.
If we do not understand Who Jesus is . . . it will hinder our
faith in Him.
If we do not know why Jesus came and what He is doing . . . it
will hinder our faith in Him.
If we presume that He is following us wherever we go . . . we will
lose sight (faith) of Him.
We must grow in our knowledge and understanding . . . and
determine to follow HIM wherever HE goes.
