The Boy Jesus in the Temple

July 6, 2025 Background Scripture: Luke 2:41 - 52 Lesson Passage: Luke 2:41 - 52 The bible gives us three glimpses of Jesus' childhood: a newborn baby in a manger in Bethlehem, a child (perhaps toddler) in a house in Bethlehem, and a pre-teen (twelve years of age) in the temple in Jerusalem. Today's lesson examines the latter. Each recorded occasion of Jesus' childhood involved some group looking for Him, In our Lesson Passage, His parents are the ones looking for Him. Jesus was not lost; Jesus was just not where His parents expected Him to be. Jesus was born into a poor Jewish family that followed the rituals of the Law. Their adherence to the Law required them to go to the temple in Jerusalem every year to observe the Passover. Extended families in different regions outside of Jerusalem traveled to the temple as a group. The families returned to their homes after the Passover celebration. It would have been normal for families to expect the children to be together as they journeyed to and from Jerusalem. After traveling from Jerusalem for one day, Jesus' parents, Joseph and Mary, discovered that He was not among the family group traveling home as they expected. After traveling back to Jerusalem and searching for an additional two days, they found Jesus in the temple. Jesus was sitting with the teachers of the Law listening and asking them questions. Those teachers were amazed at Jesus' level of understanding. Perhaps the profound nature of His questions is what amazed them. On the other hand, Mary's statement seems appropriate for a mother who had no knowledge of her child's whereabouts for three days. She made it clear that they were stressed out because of His absence. Jesus' response did not clarify the situation for her. He said, "I must be about My Father's business." Since Joseph, the carpenter, raised Jesus as his son, Jesus' Father's business was expected to be carpentry. Jesus submitted to His parents and returned to Nazareth with them. He continued to grow in stature and wisdom under His parents' oversight until the beginning of His public minist1Y. Meanwhile, Mary remembered His words although she did not understand them at that time. Many of us have experienced the minist1Y calling of God without knowing the timing, or the season for which God has prepared us. Some have waited reluctantly, and some have waited with the hope that it would pass. Yet there are others, like Jesus, who have attempted to start right away without God's prompting. Whatever the case might be, recognizing the calling of God and being willing to respond to Him is essential for all. In this lesson, we see a young Jesus who was eager to do His Father's bidding years before his ministry was to begin at the Jordan River. He continued to grow and experience life in this world as we do. He needed to grow up as a normal person in this world. However, Jesus did so without any sin. This was all necessary so Jesus could be the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world. As we reflect on this passage of scripture, there is a certain irony in that Jesus reacted the way He did at the Jewish Passover celebration. The Passover foreshadowed the goal of Jesus' ministry. In another twenty-one years, Jesus would be offered as the world's Passover Lamb. Perhaps this is what prompted the questions and responses He shared with the teachers of the Law that left them astonished. Could it be they were discussing the Passover event and celebration with God's Passover Lamb? As an adult, Jesus returned to that same temple many times during His ministry. Oftentimes, those visits were not well received by the teachers of the Law. Maybe none were there or remember the questions of the boy Jesus. Robert C. Hudson June 26, 2025