Learning from the Boy Jesus Luke 2:41-52
Sermon by Don Emmitte, Grace Restoration Ministries
Take Your Bibles, Please…
Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, but supposing him to be in the group they went a day's journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.” And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?” And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man. (Luke 2:41-52 ESV).
The childhood and youth of Jesus were normal in many ways. As a Jewish boy He experienced the same things that other children experienced. It was customary for Jewish families to go to Jerusalem for the Passover each year. Even though it was required only of men, many times it became a family excursion. So the family of Jesus followed this Jewish custom.
During the twelfth year of a boy’s life he began to assume the responsibilities of the law. On his thirteenth birthday he was accepted as a full "son of the law." He became responsible for obedience to the law. Normally a boy would be taken to the Passover during his twelfth year to prepare him for the responsibility of observing the law. This is the significance of this incident in the life of Jesus at the age of twelve.
Leaving of Jesus behind in Jerusalem was the kind of thing that could happen to any family. It did not suggest neglect on the part of Mary and Joseph. Ordinarily the women would leave before the men on a journey since they walked slower, and the men and boys would follow later. Mary assumed that Jesus was with Joseph and the men, and Joseph assumed that he was with Mary and the children. It wasn't until they met at the close of the day that they discovered that he was not in the company. This made necessary a return to Jerusalem and a search through the city until they found him. The unusual thing about the twelve year old was where they found him. It was evidently the last place they thought of looking, but they found him in the temple taking advantage of the opportunity of learning from the teachers of the law.
The twelve year old Jesus is a model for every young person. Things reported by Luke bring before us a good picture of the boy and the days that followed. The things that happened in his life are the things that should happen in the life of every child. It is a message for all of us; and, especially to the children and youth. Let's learn from the boy Jesus. He is our model.
First We Can Learn About Priorities (vv. 48-49).
This exchange between Joseph and Mary with Jesus is of special interest to us. It was a rebuke by Mary because of the anxiety she felt at Jesus’ disappearance. Naturally Mary was very upset and worried when they finally found Jesus in the Temple. She said, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress” (v. 48). She might have said even more if the circumstances had been a little different. It may have tempered her response a little because they were in the temple in the presence of the learned teachers. But her words expressed what she felt. They had been through a time of real anxiety looking for him.
Evidently Jesus had been so absorbed in the experience of listening to the teaching in the temple that He was oblivious to almost everything else. He was amazed that Mary and Joseph would not understand His interest in and presence in the Temple. Jesus answered, "Why were you searching for me?" "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" (v. 49). This response of Jesus reflects a growing sense of priority in His life. Even at the age of twelve, He had already set some priorities for His life.
This statement reveals the relationship that will receive priority. Mary spoke of Joseph as the father of Jesus. Joseph was the one who had the fatherly responsibility for Him, but Jesus reveals a deeper awareness in His statement. He speaks of "My Father." These were the same words that He would use later in His ministry to the consternation of the religious leaders in His day. They suggested that He was aware of a very unique kind of relationship with the Father. The words also suggest that He is committed to give this relationship priority over every other relationship of His life. As the adult life of Jesus unfolds, this is obviously the priority by which He lives; but, it did not begin when he was an adult. It began in the early days of his life and was voiced by him when he was twelve!
The life of Jesus teaches us that every relationship in life is important, but that the most important is the relationship to God. Parents, it is important that we teach our children early to put God first in their lives, It is important we teach them that their relationship to Him is the most important relationship in life. Every other relationship must be determined in light of this relationship.
This statement reveals the responsibility that will receive priority in His life. Jesus is emphatic when he says, “I had to be in my Father’s house." Literally it would read “my Father’s things." The meaning is the same essentially whether you understand "things" or "house". "Had to be" translates a strong word from the Greek text. It is the word that speaks of divine necessity. "Must" is the better idea. Jesus realizes at the age of twelve that the first responsibility of life is to do the will of His heavenly father. His first interest must be the things of the Father. The most important house must be the Father’s house.
We can learn something from this. Children can begin to determine their priorities at a very early point in their lives. We are not told that Jesus established them at twelve, but we are allowed to see that they are already in place. For all of us, and especially young people, now is the time to determine the priorities of your life. If you will get these priorities in place, the other great decisions of life will fall into their proper place.
Second, We Can Learn from Jesus about Submission (vv. 50-51).
Look again at the end of this passage: “And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.” (vv. 50-51). This action does not conflict with the priorities that have been established. In fact they are an expression of the priorities that he has just stated. They are very consistent.
The first submission of Jesus was to God, and then to His parents. Children who do not learn to submit their lives to God, will usually have difficulty submitting their lives to their parents. The submission of Jesus to His parents was voluntary. There is no suggestion that it was His response to the pressures that they put on Him. Rather as a part of His life, He voluntarily gave Himself to a life of obedience to His parents. This is the only kind of submission that has any value. Submission that is forced can actually have the same qualities as rebellion.
The submission of Jesus to His parents was continuous. The tense of the verb would suggest that the pattern of things after His visit to the temple at the age of twelve was to be submissive to His parents. This would mean that in those most critical teen years, He was submissive to His parents. Even when it became obvious that He was their superior in many ways, He continued to be submissive to them. This was His way of affirming that His heavenly Father had selected just the right earthly parents for Him, and that He could trust His heavenly Father to work through them for His good. Whatever God had in mind for His life could surely be accomplished in this very context, so He submitted to the parental authority that God had invested in Mary and Joseph.
Every young person, every child needs to learn this from Jesus. His parents were not perfect, but He knew that they were God's appointed guardians of His ways, so He submitted to them. This submission was a part of the preparation for what God had sent Him into the world to do.
Third, We Can Learn from Jesus about Growth (v. 52).
Luke writes, “And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man” (v. 52). Earlier Luke had written, “And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace." This confronts us with the mystery of His life. We know that He was the incarnation of the Living God, the Son of God. Yet the incarnation was such that growth was a necessity in His life. He grew just like every other child must grow. We learn from His growth the importance of balance in growth. Luke indicates that He grew physically, mentally, spiritually, and socially.
He grew physically for "he grew in stature." Physical growth is important.
He grew mentally for He "grew in wisdom.” Through His study at the feet of Mary, His involvement in the local synagogue, His visits to the temple, He grew in His perception of the truth of God.
He grew spiritually, for He grew "in favor with God.” There was never a moment when He was not totally pleasing to God, but in order for that to be true, He must continue to grow. He was perfectly where a twelve year old should be in spiritual growth at the age of twelve. But at thirteen He was perfectly where a thirteen year old should be. And so it was always.
And then He grew socially, for he was “in favor with men.” His ability to relate to others in an acceptable way grew normally and perfectly. Many of our children are not growing in this way. They may be growing physically and mentally, but the social and the spiritual may be dwarfed. Jesus models growth for us. It should be balanced.
A Final Thought
The growth of Jesus teaches us patience. Jesus was patient for the process of life to take its course. He was patient to keep growing until the Lord God said that it was time for Him to begin His earthly ministry. He did not get ahead of God, but waited on Him. He waited until the age of thirty before He launched forth into the mission that the Lord God had given to Him.
This is an important lesson, especially for young people. Do not get impatient with God and with life. Just keep on establishing the right priorities, submitting to the rightful authorities, and go on growing as a person, and in God's good time He will launch you forth on His mission. He will open the right door for you. No detail of the life of our Lord is without significance. This little detail is significant for all of us. It helps us see the plan of God for children and youth. He walked the way we should all walk in these matters.
