Luke 2:41-47 41And his parents went each year to Jerusalem at the Feast of the Passover. 42And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom of the feast. 43And when the days were over, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, and his parents did not know. 44But supposing him to be in the caravan, they went a day on the way, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, 45and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. 46And after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the middle of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.
Joseph and Mary were pious Jews who followed the laws and customs handed down to them. Their faithfulness created the perfect situation for the young Jesus to grow in wisdom. Since Jesus was fully human, he had to learn like any other child. But there was something special about him also. He was unique in all of history because of his obedience to his heavenly Father. The following story gives the only glimpse of Jesus’ life from forty days old to thirty years old. Why did Luke include this story? What is its purpose in its literary context? It reveals something about Jesus that confirms the earlier stories and prepares for what will come next. Reasons come in verses 47, 49, and 52.
Luke sets the scene with the family’s visit to Jerusalem for the annual Passover feast. The Passover was one of the three major holy days for Jews. Devout Jews traveled to Jerusalem during that time. For Joseph and Mary, the trip from Nazareth to Jerusalem was at least three long days totaling 65 miles. The age of twelve showed that Jesus was on the edge of adulthood, close to reaching the significant age in Judaism of thirteen when one traditionally became a “son of the law.” Mary and Joseph must have had a great deal of trust in Jesus so as to not keep track of his whereabouts all the time. Verse 44 indicates that they were traveling in a caravan group with other pilgrims, and so they assumed Jesus was with the crowd someplace. At first, they had no concern because they knew his character and reliability. But as the journey got underway, after one day’s travel of about 25 miles, as good parents, they began to look for him but did not find him.
As the days wore on and they did not find him in the large city of Jerusalem, they finally decided to check in the area of the temple. Each day must have increased their concern. Their worry replaced clear thinking about Jesus’ identity as the Messiah. The subtle, implied message for discipleship is that taking our eyes off of Jesus’ identity and purpose and looking at our own concerns and understanding may cloud our vision about the path forward.
The surprise of the first part of the story is where Joseph and Mary found Jesus: sitting among the Jewish teacher in the temple. To be a teacher in the temple must have been a high honor, and only the “smartest” could be there. These were the experts of the law, the scribes whom Jesus would later dialogue and sometimes argue with in his ministry. They knew the law and Jewish traditions and had spent their life in study and teaching. They were the best of the best. Yet, here was a twelve-year-old boy sitting among them in discussion. Any reader of this Gospel should be amazed like all who heard at the contrast implied in verse 46.
Luke’s key point comes out in verse 47 and confirms his earlier conclusion in verse 40. In the dialogue with the temple rabbis, Jesus impressed them with his responses to their questions. He had keen insight already into the ways of God. His wisdom was apparent with his understanding during their quizzing. Jesus was the number one best Bible quizzer. He was later during his ministry and travels tested by the rabbis who could never stump him or overcome his logic and accuracy. Although children today cannot reach the level of Jesus because of his uniqueness, he provides a good model of a child who seeks the ways of God and grows in understanding of God’s ways. The direction of life can be developed in the young years of a person’s life..
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