JESUS IN THE TEMPLE

 

41 Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. 42 When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. 43 After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. 44 Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. 46

 

1.      I love this story because anyone who has been a parent or guardian has gone through this.  We all have from time to time had a child or loved one gone missing.  Even the Jesus did.  That is why this story is such a human-interest story of the Bible.

2.      Mary and Joseph were regular attenders of the Passover.  They went every year.  Jewish families were expected to go to 3 festivals.  They were Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacle.  Now the distance was 91 miles and would take about a week to walk there on foot.  In, total it would be three weeks in duration.

3.      Now when Jesus was 12 years old, they went to the festival as was their custom.  Jesus learned the value of the house of the Lord from his parents.  We need to do the same.  Heb 10:25 says we should not forsake the assembling of ourselves together especially as the Day of the Lord is approaching.  We should be in the house of the Lord with our families. 

4.      Here we get a picture of how things were done in that day.  When the festival was over Jesus stayed on in Jerusalem, but his parents were unaware of it.  They thought he was in their company, they traveled for a day, and they looked for him among their relatives and friends.  They traveled in large groups in those days for safety.  The country was filled with zealots, bandits, raiders, and thieves.  Did you know the last bandit group in Israel was captured in 1934?

5.      So, they went back to Jerusalem to find him.  Two observations.  First, we all know the absolute panic that hits a family when a child is lost.  Secondly, on the amusing side.  Can you imagine the prayer they uttered?  “Lord, you know your son you entrusted us with, well we lost Him, and could you help us find Him.  Amen.”

 

6 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”

 

1.      It took them three days to find him.  Now Jerusalem at the time of Jesus was about 80,000 and would swell to 500,000 at Passover.  It was not easy to find someone, no social media, amber alert, radio or tv or any modern devices.  It was going from person to person, house to house and street to street search.  No sleep, anxiety, fear, and panic. 

2.      They finally found him three days later sitting among the teachers listening to them and asking them questions.  This showed Jesus was a student and learner.  He was with the religious authority, and he wanted to find out all he could from them.  Jesus even though he was God still had to go all the things we did.  That is what the writer of Hebrews observed.  He was in all ways like us but without sin.

3.      Everyone who heard him was amazed at His understanding and answers.  Jesus displayed even at an early age six things essential to spiritual maturity.  Information, knowledge, understanding, insight, discernment, and wisdom.  Jesus already possessed at this time a superior knowledge, understanding and insight to the things of God.  He was already showing his unique insight into the natural and supernatural realm.  His divine qualities were showing through even at an early age.  This would described how people reacted through out his life.  Jesus was amazing and astonishing.

4.      This last statement by Luke is understatement.  When His parents found him, they were astonished first by the location they found Him and next the way he treated them.  His mother than expresses her feelings by saying. “Why have you treated us this way we have been anxiously searching for you.”   I have a funny thought that it was more forceful and dramatic than our text says. 

 

49 “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” 50 But they did not understand what he was saying to them.

 

1.      Jesus then responds by saying why were you searching for me?  Some would say this showed an insensitivity.  Some would say he was giving them a typical twelve year old answer.  It is like saying, “Hey, I know where I was and what I was doing so why should you be worried.”  He then responds by saying.  “Did you not know I would be in my Father’s house?”  This brings up several observations.

2.      Jesus was not being insensitive or cocky.  He was reminding them of who He was which they both were aware of.  He was saying, “You know who I am so why are you surprised to find me not in my Fathers house.”

3.      Jesus was keenly aware of who he was and who his real Father was.  He also tells them that they also knew who he was and why He was here on earth. 

4.      Jesus was in that time of discovering who he was but, in his case, He knew He was God.  It would be natural for Him to go to the place where His Father was worshipped.  In the temple he would once again sense and feel a connection to who He really was.  Remember Jesus is not an ordinary person.  He was the God man and the perfect union of God and man.  He was 100%, man and God.  He steps out of eternity to live a normal human existence. 

5.      This was also a look into the future where Jesus would state that he was doing His Father will and business. 

6.      Luke makes it clear that his parents did not understanding what He was saying.  It was to early and at the time they were in a relief stage.  Probably trying to think of what chores, discipline, and punishment to give Him for putting them through what He did. 

 

51 Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

 

1.      In these last two verses I want you to know five things.  Jesus went back to Nazareth and was obedient to them.  This was a characteristic of Jesus life, and it should be ours as well.  Obedient to authority and Jesus would show this through the remainder of His life.  He should it to the will of His Father, divine purpose and to those in authority.  We must do that as well because He is our role model.

2.      His mother treasured all these things in her heart.  This was a theme of this book.  These would things she would remember, reflect, and realize after Jesus died, was buried, and rose again.  It was a privilege to be given the task of raising Him.

3.      Jesus would grow in wisdom.  He knew the fear of the Lord was the beginning of wisdom.  He knew what to do with the knowledge and discernment he was given in the supernatural realm. Jesus had the soundness of an action or decision about the application of experience, knowledge, and good judgment.  For us it is growing in the grace of knowledge of the Lord.

4.      He grew is stature.  That means he grew into a man.  Put on height, weight and all the physical things that men face.  Luke puts that in there because as a physician this is important to his presentation as Jesus being fully God and fully man.

5.      He had favor with God and man.  Jesus had the ability to move in both the natural and supernatural realm.  He was aware on how both realms operated and how to navigate the world in which he lived.  He was like the men of Issachar.  He knew how to discern the times he lived in.  We need that as well.  He was like Joseph and Daniel.  He was a man who knew God, was strong and did exploits.  Close in prayer.