Today, as we continue our study in the book of Luke, we come to a rather peculiar passage that provides a rare glimpse into Jesus’ childhood. The other gospels vary in how much they share about Jesus before his public ministry begins. Matthew devotes about 48 verses to Jesus’ early years (some of which includes his genealogy). Mark doesn’t mention anything about his childhood or birth. John poetically writes about Jesus’ existence in eternity past but is rather vague about the specifics of his advent. As we have already seen, Luke goes to great lengths in these first two chapters to talk about the miraculous birth announcements of both Jesus and John. He also lets us see a bit into his dedication at the temple. As we conclude chapter 2 of Luke’s gospel, we get the only picture that we have of Jesus as a middle school aged boy.
At Christmas we celebrate many things around His first coming and His birth. At Easter we focus on his death, burial, and resurrection. In much of the rest of the year, when we are studying the gospels, we focus on three years of Jesus’ ministry - his miracles, teachings, interactions, and more. When we study other parts of the Bible we consider how Jesus is the perfect fulfillment of all that was promised and how we should live in light of what he did for us.
It’s easy to overlook his childhood, because there is little said about it. Like all of us, Jesus grew up. He cried, laughed, played, learned how to walk, speak and eat. He went to school and studied scripture. He likely worked along side his step-dad in the family trade. Luke summarizes much of his childhood in this way:
Luke 2:52 ESV
And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.
As we look at Luke 2:41-52 today, it seems like have both a unique glimpse into Jesus’ family life and we get to understand a bit about their priorities. I think we can learn from Jesus as his parents, that…
We grow in wisdom and favor when we prioritize God’s things.
This passage seems to reveal how Mary, Joseph and Jesus prioritized God’s things in their routines, regards (or affections), and relationships.
Following their example, let’s consider how we should:
Prioritize God’s things in our routines (41-42)
Luke 2:41–42 ESV
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.
As we saw a bit last week when Joseph and Mary demonstrated obedience to the Word of God in Jesus’ circumcision and dedication, here we get to see that they continued to prioritize God’s things in their annual routine.
Now, it was only required that the men would go to Jerusalem each year for the major religious festivals of Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles (Ex. 23:14-17; Ex. 34:22-23; Dt. 16:16). Darrell Bock notes that “in light of the nation’s scattering, the custom of the first-century Judaism was that the pious who lived some distance away from the city [would go] only once a year.” (p. 263) The fact that Mary was a regular participant in this pilgrimage suggests that the whole family was faithful to follow the religious routines (ibid.).
Jesus family is not alone in this. The historian Josephus notes that during these festival times, especially Passover, the population of the city of Jerusalem could swell to over 3,000,000 people (ibid.) from a norm of maybe 25,000.
The annual journey from Nazareth to Jerusalem would be a laborious affair. While only about 90 miles, this would take 3-4 days just to get there. As we’ll see a bit later in the passage, this journey included many others from town. Some have suggested that everyone who was going to the festival from Nazareth would have travelled together - so this was largely a communal activity. The festival lasted 8 days, so it seems like many people would carve out about two weeks to go.
Think about all that would go into a trip like that for us? The planning, packing, routing, the arrangements in town. And then the food, where will we get it?
How much for for them? They did not have our modern means of transportation or communication. They would have had to hand wash clothes. They could not refrigerate things. They couldn’t put things on a card so they are saving up and carrying coins and cash to cover the costs.
They clearly placed high priority on God’s things in their annual pilgrimage routines.
But what about us? Do God’s things prioritize our routines? Now, I realize it seems like a silly question to ask on a Sunday morning. Obviously, we’re here together on a cold winter morning. To some degree God’s things must be a priority. However, if we were to minimize God’s things in our weekly routines, we could treat Sunday like another Saturday and use it as day for chores or fun or excursions or even just to sleep in (though frankly I can’t typically sleep past 7am anyway). We could go to the ballpark and tailgate for hours on end. But instead, together we’ve prioritized this time together to worship God.
But what about our other routines? Does reading God’s word have a place in our lives daily?
The Psalmist notes that a person is blessed when God’s word has a daily place in our lives:
Psalm 1:1–2 ESV
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.
As Joshua was preparing to lead the people of Israel into the promised land, He charged him to think about the law of God daily.
Joshua 1:8 ESV
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
Are we making time to read God’s word, to meditate or mutter His word? Are we slowing down in our times with God so that all that he is and does sinks deep into our souls?
Home - parents, kids reading/discussing
Are we prioritizing time with other believers in community groups to spur each other for growth?
On that issue of time, some of us may balk and say that we don’t have time. I don’t think it needs to take a lot of time. Maybe even just systematically going through a book, reading a small section or even just a few verses and then thinking about that during the day - talking about it with other family members or coworkers. Let God’s Word and His body have a priority in our routines.
Secondly, we can learn from Jesus and his family that we should…
Prioritize God’s things in our regards (43-49)
In other words, priorities God’s things in our affections.
Luke 2:43–49 ESV
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?”
Parents, if you’ve ever left your child somewhere, know that you’re in good company. I mentioned in the midweek email how we lost one of our kids for 90 minutes at an amusement park. But to lose a child for several days!
We could focus on the parenting issues - but frankly we don’t have enough information or insight into how their culture would have worked.
I think the important thing to look at here is what Jesus was doing. Most likely, for the duration of the festival, their family had spent time in and around the temple. They had participated in the daily prayers and sacrifices, engaged in lessons around the Word of God. Temple activity was a HUGE part of this festival. Jesus apparently highly regarded the things that he heard. It could be that when the family had set a time for departure, that Jesus just lost track of time and kept listening, asking and answering questions. And, like any wise child - remained where he was until his parents could find him.
That’s what happened with our lost child, she was found by a park employee who gave her a job to do in order have her stay put until we could be reconnected with her.
When Mary and Joseph finally found him, he was still in the Temple amazing the teachers with his grasp of the things of God.
Now it can be tempting to scoff and say - “well, of course He will amaze them, he was fully God and fully man.” However, one of the great mysteries of what theologians call the “hypostatic union,” that is the fully divine and fully human nature of Jesus, is that he still had a grow and learn as a human. Joel Beeke notes that “the incarnate Son has a limited human mind.” (809) In other words, he had to learn the things of God just like we do and as a 12 year old boy, he seemed to have a hunger for that.
What captures your affections? What peaks your curiosity?
This is not to say that we need to study only the Word of God, but do we get curious about God’s things.
I love it when I hear about people in our congregation who are getting curious about the word - reading systematically through the Bible, learning a biblical language, filling their minds with podcasts that discuss the word, listening to teachings on a variety of biblical topics, reading good books by godly women and men - all for the purpose of helping us to grow in our regard for the things of God.
Possible applications:
Community Groups
Iron Sharpens Iron reading sessions - resuming soon - Wednesdays at lunch - other possible times as well - or even consider inviting another person to read with you - One to One Bible Reading is an excellent resource in that way.
What is distracting us from Gods things - social media, games, tv, sports, - it’s not that those things are all bad or should be completely avoided, it if they become the things that we think about or begin to shape us. This weekend I removed a bunch of those apps off of my phone because I found that they were too distracting to me.
The eternal destination of the lost - here and around the world. Do we make time to pray for our lost neighbors and friends. In praying through the prayer list, are we holding the spiritual rope for the missionaries or reflecting on the lost condition of the nation that we are praying for each week? How would we respond when misional opportunities arise? - grace harbor, Armal.
So Jesus’ family models what priority for God’s things in our routines and regards might look like, finally, they model for us how we should
Prioritize God’s things in our relationships (50-52)
Luke 2:50–52 ESV
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.
Raising kids is a blessed and challenging thing. It’s full of adjustments and twists and turns. Kids will amaze and astonish us. They bring amusement and agony.
Imagine what it would be like to raise the Son of God.
Augustine beautifully discussed the paradox that is Jesus:
“He, through whom time was made, was made in time; and He, older by eternity than the world itself, was younger in age than many of His servants in the world; He, who made man, was made man; He was given existence by a mother whom He brought into existence; He was carried in hands which He formed; He nursed at breasts which He filled; He cried like a babe in the manger in speechless infancy—this Word without which human eloquence is speechless!”
(Gibson)
While Jesus demonstrated a great deal of understanding around the Word of God, his comments about being in his father’s house or about his father’s business puzzled his parents (v. 50). I would guess that there were many puzzling things that happened in raising the Son of God. And yet Luke reminds us that Jesus - though he was God - willingly submitted to the authority of His parents. He may have become their Lord and Savior, but he submitted to them as son until he it was his appointed time to enter in to ministry.
I do think it’s important in our lives to look at the relationships that we have and willingly submit them to God’s business or God’s things.
Parents and children
Husbands and wives
Dating relationships
work relationships
church
friendships - Some time ago the book “Thoughts for Young Men” by J.C. Ryle was recommended to me as a resource. I finally got around to reading that last month and found it to be filled encouraging and helpful material. One of the exhortations that Ryle gives is in the area of our friendships. He urges young men specifically to have close friendships that will aid us in our walk with God. I think that’s good advice for all of us. Now, that’s not to say that we shouldn’t have friends and acquaintances who are non-believers - I think we should - but his encouragement is that our closest friendships should be like-minded in the things of God.
Jesus demonstrated a submissive attitude in relation to his earthly parents, but also in relation to His heavenly father. Roughly 20 years after this point in his life, Jesus will be in garden just outside of the city and will be in agonizing prayer. Luke records his prayer this way:
Luke 22:42–44 (ESV)
“Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
And yet, as we know, that very night he would be betrayed and arrested. The next morning he would be tried, wrongfully accused, beaten and crucified - all in submission to the will of God. But this was not a tortuous act from a cruel father to a weak son, but rather a gracious act from a loving God to a sin-sick humanity. An this will was explained by the prophet Isaiah hundreds of years in advance:
Isaiah 53:4–6 ESV
Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Isaiah 53:10–11 ESV
Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.
Closing thoughts
Jesus and his family prioritized Gods things in their routines, regards, and their relationships.
Non-believer - you may be looking in from the outside faith. I wonder if maybe you’re here because God is tugging on your heart, moving your affections or your regards toward Him. Will you consider the way that Jesus submitted to the will of God to pay for your sin? Will you respond by submitting to His will?
Christians - Luke tells us that Jesus grew in wisdom, stature and favor. It seems like this happened because he and his family prioritized God’s things in their routines, regards, and relationships. May we follow his example in order to grow in wisdom and favor with God and others as well.
Let’s pray
Communion
Benediction
Jude 24–25 ESV
Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
Questions for reflection and discussion
Read: Luke 2:41-52.
1. When have you accidentally left someone behind during a trip or activity?
2. Why did Jesus’ parents go to Jerusalem every year? (2:41)
3. What was Jesus doing during the three days that He was on His own? (2:46)
4. What were the effects of Jesus’ questions and answers on the teachers in Jerusalem? (2:46–47)
5. How did Mary respond when she and Joseph finally found Jesus? (2:48)
6. What was Jesus’ response to His parents’ frantic arrival? (2:49)
7. What kind of pattern or model were Mary and Joseph setting for Jesus by their family traditions?
8. How does this story illustrate the tension Jesus may have felt between obedience to His Father and obedience to His earthly parents?
9. Of the four ways in which Jesus grew (in wisdom, in stature, in favor with God, in favor with man), which one needs the most work in your life?
10. What difference might it make to you this week if you prepared for church as if it were a visit to your Father’s house?
Sources
Anyabwile, Thabiti. Exalting Jesus in Luke. Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary. Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2018.
Beeke, Joel R., and Paul M. Smalley. Reformed Systematic Theology: Man and Christ. Vol. 2. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2020.
Bock, Darrell L. Luke 1:1-9:50. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1999.
Gibson, Jonathan. O Come O Come Emmanuel: A Liturgy for Daily Worship from Advent to Epiphany. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2023.
Martin, John A. “Luke.” In The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, edited by J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985.
McKinley, Mike. Luke 1–12 for You. Edited by Carl Laferton. God’s Word for You. The Good Book Company, 2016.
Neusner, Jacob. The Mishnah : A New Translation. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1988.
Stewart, R. A. “Passover.” Edited by D. R. W. Wood, I. H. Marshall, A. R. Millard, J. I. Packer, and D. J. Wiseman. New Bible Dictionary. Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996.
Wilcock, Michael. The Savior of the World: The Message of Luke’s Gospel. The Bible Speaks Today. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1979.
