When Jesus Went Missing
TRANSLATION
(41) Every year (Jesus’) parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of Passover. (42) And when he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival according to the custom. (43) And while they were returning after the festival was over, the boy, Jesus, remained behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, (44) but, supposing him to be in the group, they traveled a day’s journey. And when they searched for him among their relatives and friends (45) and did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, looking for him.
(46) And after three days, they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions, (47) and all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and answers. (48) And when they saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us this way? Behold, your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.” (49) And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Didn’t you know that I had to be in my Father’s house?” (50) And they didn’t understand the significance of what he said to them. (51) And he went with them, returned to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.
(52) And Jesus increased in wisdom, in stature, and in favor with God and men.
OBSERVATIONS
We have scant information about Jesus’ childhood and youth. However, Luke’s description of his family’s visit to Jerusalem when he was twelve helps us understand how special Jesus must have been during his growing up years. Repetitions in this segment included “parents” (vss. 41, 43, & 48) along with “mother” (vss. 48 & 51) and “father” (referring first to Joseph in vs. 48 and then to his heavenly Father in vs. 49), “Jerusalem” (vss. 41, 43, & 45), and “festival” (vss. 41, 42, & 43). Two synonyms, “amazed” and “astonished,” described the reactions of both the teachers in Jerusalem and Jesus’ parents when they located him.
OUTLINE
I. Jesus’ parents searched for their missing son in Jerusalem. (41-45)
II. When they found him in the temple, he told them that he had to be in his Father’s house. (46-51)
III. Status report: Jesus continued to grow in wisdom, stature, and favor with God and man. (52)
IDEA STATEMENT
By remaining among the teachers at the temple in Jerusalem at the age of twelve, Jesus demonstrated an early awareness of his messianic mission.
APPLICATION
Jesus, on at least one occasion, caused his earthly parents great concern and anxiety by failing to accompany them upon their return to Nazareth after a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Did he sin by remaining in Jerusalem in order to spend time in his Father’s house? While we know that he never rebelled because he was the sinless Son of God, we also realize that Mary and Joseph must have found raising such a son to be quite challenging at times.
There are those who falsely claim that Jesus did not become fully aware of his identity and mission until the moment when John baptized him, the Spirit descended, and the Father spoke. It is clear from Luke’s account of this incident in the temple that Jesus was aware of his identity and mission long before becoming an adult. By calling the temple “my Father’s house,” we can see that Jesus was not only familiar with the Old Testament scriptures but also understood how they applied to him specifically as his Father’s son. Before his birth Jesus’ identity had been revealed to Mary by the angel, Gabriel, with the words, “The child to be born will be called holy – the Son of God.” We will never know how much Jesus’ mother shared with him while he was growing up, but we do know that by the time Jesus was twelve, he knew that his earthly mission was to be about his Father’s business.