Click here for more messages from the Preparing for Christmas series.
Click here for more Christmas messages.
Click here to return to the Sermons page.

Luke 2:41-52 (Jesus in the temple as a boy)

INTRODUCTION: This is the last message in our study of Luke chapters 1 and 2. Most of the messages led right up to Christmas, but last week and this week we have been continuing Jesus’ story after his birth. Last week we looked at Jesus in the temple as a baby. This week we look at Jesus in the temple as a boy. (Read Luke 2:41-43 and pray.)

—————————————–

Have you ever wondered what Jesus was like as a child? Have you ever wondered what it was like for Mary or Joseph parenting Jesus? How do you raise a perfect child? Or how do you think his brothers and sisters felt having a perfect older brother? What was it like for the eternal Son of God to be five years old, eight years old, twelve years old, or a teenager?

The Bible does not tell us a lot about Jesus’ childhood, because the gospels focus more on Jesus’ ministry rather than on a biography of his whole life. Of course, that makes people wonder about those years, and so over time people began to make up stories about Jesus as a child. These stories are all legends without any basis in historical fact, but they show how people tried to fill in the gaps, however unsuccessfully.

There are stories of Jesus sliding down a ray of sunlight to get down from the roof, Jesus healing his sick friends and even raising one of them from the dead! There is the story about Jesus making twelve clay sparrows, then clapping his hands, and the sparrows come to life and fly away. There are mischievous stories such as Jesus showing off his knowledge of the alphabet in school as a youngster, and then when the teacher reaches out to slap him, Jesus causes the teacher’s hand to wither away. There is a story about one child accidentally hitting Jesus in the shoulder, and then Jesus curses him, and the child falls down dead. Another story has Jesus changing one of his friends into a ram.

Of course, none of these stories are true. They all came from much later writings than what we find in the New Testament. No one knows who wrote them down or where they got their material, and in fact many of them are proven forgeries.

For example, a number of these stories come from what is called the Gospel of Thomas. Well, no one knows who wrote the Gospel of Thomas, but we do know one thing – it wasn’t Thomas! The Gospel of Thomas wasn’t written until at least 140 A.D., long after Thomas and the rest of the apostles had died.

No one has ever accepted any of these extra writings as Scripture. In fact, they contradict Scripture at many points. For example, these stories all have Jesus performing miracles as a child, whereas John 2:11 tells us that Jesus changing the water into wine was his first miracle.

The only passage we have in the Bible that tells us anything about Jesus as a boy is the passage before us. Now of course, we can fill in some of the gaps just knowing that Jesus was raised in a devout Jewish family and by learning some of the customs of the time and culture. For example, we can assume that Joseph and Mary took Jesus to synagogue each week.

But most of Jesus’ childhood remains a mystery. We see him at birth, we see him at eight days old and then forty days old, we see him at the age of twelve, and then we do not see him again until he begins his public ministry at the age of thirty. So, let’s take a look at today’s passage and see what we can learn about Jesus as a boy and what it was like growing up as Jesus.

I. Missing child (41-45)

We begin with verse 41: “Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover.” (Luke 2:41) Now there were three great Jewish feasts each year: the Passover, the Feast of Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles. Jewish adult males were supposed to go up to Jerusalem three times a year for these feasts. In reality, many went only once a year for the Passover. (This was a little different than just coming to church at Christmas or Easter, because a devout Jew would worship each week in the synagogue on the Sabbath.) The women were not required to attend these feasts, but whole families often attended the Passover together. This was the most important feast of the year. It was a family feast, and the whole family would want to be together.

We read in verse 42: “When he [Jesus] was twelve years old, they went up to the Feast, according to the custom.” (Luke 2:42) Twelve years was and is an important age for a Jewish boy. When a boy turns twelve, he prepares for his bar-mitzvah, which signifies the passage from boyhood to adulthood. The word “bar-mitzvah” means “son of the law.” Completing the bar-mitzvah showed that you were now individually responsible to God and his law. You had reached an age of maturity and accountability. This would have been an important year for Jesus to go to the feast, as he prepared for his own bar-mitzvah.

Moving on we read in verses 43-44: “After the Feast was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends.” (Luke 2:43-44)

Have you ever had a missing child? I remember one day at an amusement park when our boys were young. Rosi left me with Tim in the stroller for a few minutes. When she came back, she looked at me and asked, “Where’s Tim?” “He’s in the stroller,” I replied. Now the stroller had one of those canopies that go over the head of the child to protect them from the sun, and so I could not actually see into the stroller. But I knew he was there. He had to be. He was there when Rosi left, and I had not let go of the stroller for a second. The only problem is that he wasn’t there. I still remember pulling back the canopy only to see an empty stroller with no Tim in sight.

So, of course, what is the first thing you do? You go into panic mode. “Where is my child? What happened to him? How could this happen? I have got to be the worst parent in the world.” Well, fortunately we found him just a few minutes later. He had seen some fish swimming around in an aquarium across the way, and he had wriggled out of the stroller and gone over to investigate. We ran over, picked him up, hugged him half to death, and he was probably wondering what the big deal was all about.

Well, when Joseph and Mary headed home to Nazareth after the Feast, unbeknownst to them, twelve-year-old Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. And they didn’t notice that he was missing until they had already traveled a full day from the city, probably about 20 miles or so.

Now you might wonder how in the world this could happen. Wouldn’t they have noticed that he was missing much earlier? Not necessarily. The word for “company” here in verse 44 is the word for a company of travelers or a caravan. It was common to travel in large groups in those days, both for the company and for safety on the roads. And the women and children often walked separately from the men and the older boys.

Jesus was twelve, which means he was young enough to be with the women and children, or just old enough to be with the men. Mary probably thought he was with Joseph. Joseph probably thought he was with Mary. And so it wasn’t until they stopped to camp for the night that they realized he was missing.

Luke tells us they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. That word “looking” means to seek out or search through, to make a diligent search, to leave no stone unturned. You can just imagine their initial uneasy feeling when they first discovered that Jesus was not with either one of them, and then the growing sense of uncertainty as they checked with each of the family groups, and then the panic that would have set in when they realized that Jesus was not with the caravan at all.

And so, Luke tells us in verse 45: “When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him.” (Luke 2:45) I am sure they stopped and checked with every caravan along the way, but when they finally arrived back in Jerusalem, they still had not found their son.

II. In the temple (46-50)

Luke tells us in verse 46: “After three days they found him . . .” (Luke 2:46) Let that sink in for a moment. After three days? We only had to look for Tim for about three minutes! I cannot even imagine going three days not knowing where my child was. Luke probably does not mean three additional days of searching in Jerusalem but rather three days total. So that would be one day of traveling, one day to travel back, and then one day in Jerusalem to find him.

And where do they find him? “After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.” (Luke 2:46) According to common practice in those days, students sat on the floor at the feet of their teachers. The teachers also sat while teaching. A common method of Jewish education was dialogue, question and answer. Teachers would ask students questions. The students would answer and then ask questions back to their teachers. So, all this was not an unusual sight in and of itself. This back-and-forth asking and answering of questions was just normal practice for students and teachers.

What was amazing was not just that Jesus was asking and answering questions, but rather the depth of insight and understanding that he displayed in his questions and answers. That’s what we find in verse 47: “Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers.” (Luke 2:47)

The word “amazed” here means completely astonished, literally, “outside of oneself.” Everyone who heard Jesus conversing with the teachers in the temple were beside themselves in wonder at his understanding. The word “understanding” here refers to knowledge and the running or flowing together of knowledge. In other words, they were not just amazed at Jesus’ grasp of the facts, but at how he was able to connect the dots, how he brought it all together.

In other words, understanding has to do with making connections and seeing the big picture. For example any twelve-year-old Jewish boy would have known the stories of Daniel in the lion’s den or David and Goliath, but apparently Jesus even at twelve years old was able to understand the larger context and meaning of the stories and how they connected with other parts of the Bible. Basically, they were all amazed at Jesus’ understanding of Scripture and his ability to ask and answer questions based on Scripture.

You might wonder, how did Jesus gain such a rich understanding of God’s Word? Well, on the divine side, Jesus was the Son of God and so was filled with wisdom from God. But on the human side, Jesus would have spent time even as a young child reading and memorizing and meditating on the Scriptures.

We read from Psalm 119 earlier in the service which says: “Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long. Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me. I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes. I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts.” (Psalm 119:97-100) Young people, you also can have great insight and understanding, even more than your elders and teachers, as you commit yourselves to reading and learning God’s Word.

Luke tells us in verse 48: “When his parents saw him, they were astonished.” (Luke 2:48a) The word translated “astonished” here means “to be struck with amazement.” Even after all the prophecies about their son as a child and raising him in their home for twelve years, apparently, they were still not prepared for this sight.

And then Mary jumps into mother mode. If you have ever had a missing child, then you know the strange mixture of emotions that surface upon finding the child. First, there is the glorious relief at finding the child, and you just want to hold your child and never let them go. Then comes the anger. “How could you do this to me? We’ve been worried sick. Don’t you know that we have been looking for you everywhere?”

Well, Mary’s reaction is very human. Back to verse 48: “His mother said to him, ‘Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.’” (Luke 2:48b) The word “son” here is the Greek word, “teknon,” which is a term of affection from parent to child. But then loving affection quickly gives way to scolding as the weight of three days of worry and searching come crashing down on Mary. She tells Jesus that she and Joseph have been “anxiously searching” for him. This word “anxious” is another strong word in the Greek which means “to cause intense pain; to be in anguish or tormented; to feel consuming grief, pain, sorrow.” Mary lets Jesus know in no uncertain terms what she and Joseph have just experienced.

Now the next verse is highly significant, because we have here the first-recorded words from the lips of Jesus. This is the first time we hear Jesus speak in the gospels. And what does Jesus say the first time we hear him speak in the gospels? Verse 49: “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49)

There are a number of things we should note from this response. First of all, Jesus understood that he was God’s Son even at the young age of twelve. We do not know exactly when Jesus came to this understanding. I believe Jesus would have known as soon as his human brain developed the ability to know. If our own children can understand at a young age the concept that Jesus is God’s Son, surely Jesus would have understood it as a child.

Secondly, Jesus’ response signals a break in his relationship with his parents. Not a sinful break, but rather an appropriate break for Christ as the Son of God. Jesus’ response is addressed to both parents, not just Mary. He asks them why they were searching all over the place for him. Didn’t either of them know where to find him? He is the Son of God. Where else would he be but in his Father’s house?

Also, did you catch the contrast between “your father” in verse 48 and “my Father” in verse 49? Mary says, “Your father and I have been searching for you.” Jesus replies, “I had to be in my Father’s house.” This was part of Joseph’s cost in agreeing to take Mary as his wife. Joseph was Jesus’ adopted father, Mary was Jesus’ birth mother, but Jesus’ first loyalty had to be with his heavenly Father. Jesus was and is first of all the Son of God.

Obedience to God always takes precedence over obedience to any earthly authority. Now in most cases obedience to God means that we obey the earthly authorities. There are exceptions, of course, such as in the book of Acts when the Jewish leaders commanded the apostles not to teach in Jesus’ name, and Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than men!” (Acts 5:29) But the normal pattern is we obey God by obeying the authorities he has placed in our lives. Even Jesus’ normal pattern was obedience to his parents, as we will see in just a moment in verse 51.

Of course, this incident at the temple was not really a case of disobedience, but it does indicate that Jesus had a higher loyalty than to his earthly parents. And it shows us that he understood that he had a unique relationship to God as his Father. In a sense Jesus was asking his parents, “Why were you searching for me apart from my Father?” This is a problem in our modern day as well, people seeking to understand Jesus apart from his relation to the Father, apart from his identity as the Son of God. Until you understand that Jesus is God’s Son, you do not understand Jesus at all.

Jesus tells them all this, but we read in verse 50: “They did not understand what he was saying to them.” (Luke 2:50) The word translated “understand” here is that same word once again for bringing things together, making connections. Joseph and Mary did not take in the full significance of Jesus’ words at the time. They only came to understand these things later.

III. Progress and growth (51-52)

Luke finishes off the chapter by telling us about Jesus’ progress and growth as a teenager and into adulthood. We read in verse 51: “Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart.” (Luke 2:51)

Yes, Jesus was the Son of God, and God was his heavenly Father. And yet Jesus was still obedient to his earthly parents. In fact, he had to be obedient to his parents if he was also going to be obedient to his heavenly Father. It is right there in the Ten Commandments: “Honor your father and your mother.” (Exodus 20:12)

Meanwhile, Mary continued to ponder all these things and treasure them in her heart. The word for treasure here means “to keep continually or carefully.” It means Mary stored these things away carefully in her heart, but she often thought about them and meditated on them.

Then Luke tells us in verse 52: “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” (Luke 2:52) The word “grew” here is different from the word for grow we saw back in verse 40. The word in verse 40 simply means “got bigger,” as any child would grow. But the word here in verse 52 means to progress or advance, to go forward. It does not refer just to the natural growth that all humans experience but rather implies work and effort.

Luke says that Jesus grew or progressed in four areas: mentally, physically, spiritually and socially.

Mentally – Jesus grew in wisdom. We can understand by this that Jesus especially read and studied the Scriptures, for the Scriptures are the source of all wisdom.

Physically – Jesus grew in stature. Stature can refer both to physical size and to age. As Jesus grew older, he also tended to his physical body and grew strong and mature.

Spiritually – Jesus grew in favor with God. Of course, he was already in perfect favor with God, but every act of obedience, every act of sacrifice and love further confirmed God’s favor and grace upon him.

Socially – Jesus grew in favor with man. Jesus was not an isolated or withdrawn individual. It is clear from the later gospel accounts that people loved him and loved to be around him. Jesus was the embodiment of Proverbs 3:3-4 which says: “Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.” (Proverbs 3:3-4)

Jesus progressed mentally, physically, spiritually and socially. What we see in verse 52 is the perfectly balanced growth of Jesus from childhood into adulthood. Jesus was the perfect child who experienced perfect development into the perfect man. In this respect Jesus is the perfect example for all of us to follow.

Let me especially challenge our teenagers here this morning because these verses basically describe Jesus’ teen years. Are you progressing in these four areas? Are you applying work and effort in your life to move forward mentally, physically, spiritually and socially?

Let me spend just a little bit more time on the growing mentally and spiritually part here. I hope you are progressing in school and academics because that is a vital part of your whole growth and development. But are you also growing in wisdom? Do you read your Bible regularly? Do you spend time with God each day?

These are good questions for all of us to ask ourselves, especially at the beginning of a New Year. Here is one way to look at it. Take a look back at the past year. Now answer the following questions for yourself. How many books or chapters did you read from the Bible last year? How many verses did you memorize? How often did you meet with God? How many people did you share Christ with? You could come up with more questions on your own.

Now get this. If you don’t change anything that you did last year this year, then your answers at the end of this year will be the same as last year’s. I mean that’s pretty obvious. If you didn’t read your Bible at all last year, and you do everything the same this year, guess what? You won’t end up reading any of your Bible this year either. If you didn’t memorize any Scripture last year and you do everything the same this year, guess what? You won’t memorize any Scripture this year either. And so on.

Let me challenge each of us here today to look at your Christian walk at the beginning of this New Year and ask yourself: “Am I progressing? Am I moving forward?” Jesus progressed in all four areas, and we need to as well.

CONCLUSION: In conclusion, let me return to our original question this morning. Can you imagine what it must have been like growing up Jesus? A perfect child growing into the perfect adult? It boggles the mind.

I remember something I told my boys when they were younger. I told them, “I do not expect you to be Jesus. And I hope you don’t expect me to be Jesus either. But I do expect you to follow Jesus’ example. And you have every right to expect me to follow his example as well.”

Parents, none of us are going to have perfect children. And children, guess what, none of you have perfect parents either. But let us all make every effort to grow in Christ in this New Year. Jesus is your example. May he also be your helper, your guide, your inspiration and friend in the New Year.

© Ray Fowler

You are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this message provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and that you do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For any web postings, please link to the sermon directly at this website.

Please include the following statement on any distributed copies:
By Ray Fowler. © Ray Fowler. Website: https://www.rayfowler.org

Click here for more messages from the Preparing for Christmas series.
Click here for more Christmas messages.
Click here to return to the Sermons page.