About 22 years ago we lived in Virginia Beach, VA. On one occasion, Sofi and I went to the mall with our, then, 2 young sons – one was 6 the other about 4 years of age. Sofi thought that I had the kids, and I thought that she had them. And before we knew it, we had become separated from our younger child. In a panic, we frantically started to look for him. We started running around the mall calling out his name. It was a horrible feeling.
Now, you may find this hard to believe, but on this occasion, being Dallas Cowboys fans paid off. Both of our boys were dressed in matching Dallas Cowboy jackets. As we were running around calling for our lost son, a lady heard our frantic yelling and looked at the Cowboy jacket that our older son was wearing and she said to us, “Hey, if you are looking for a little boy wearing a jacket just like that one, he’s over there around the corner.” And sure enough, there was our little tyke, crying even bigger crocodile tears than we were.
Our Gospel Lesson today relates a similar story. Mary and Joseph had been on their annual trip to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. After the festivities, they started the trip back to Nazareth. After a day’s journey, they looked for their 12-year old Son, Jesus, and found that He was not with the relatives and friends that made the trip with them. So they went back to Jerusalem and after three days of searching, they found 12-year-old Jesus in the Temple. Let’s read about it: [Read Gospel Lesson together here]
On this side of Christmas, things are slowly returning to normal. The baking and Christmas party scene is beginning to slow down. For Mary and Joseph, it had been 12 years since the first Christmas. Their lives had settled into the normal routines of living. In the lesson today we find them doing things that other Jewish families were doing – going to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover.
For Mary and Joseph, being human, like we are, the amazing events of the first Christmas were likely fading just a bit into the background. It seems that no matter how intense the experience, time has a way of making it fade into the background. Jesus was, after all, a 12 year-old Jewish, boy getting ready to assume his place in the traditional Jewish faith community. The amazing things that happened 12 years ago, were now mostly memories. This was now likely the 11th or 12th time that Mary and Joseph had taken Jesus to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. And so celebrating Passover with Jesus was becoming a fairly routine event. But this time, things were different.
After returning to Jerusalem and searching for three days, Mary and Joseph find Jesus in the Temple. He wasn’t out playing hacky-sack or pinball with the other 12 year-olds. Jesus’ commitment and zeal for the things of God were already clearly evident. Indeed, the Old Testament had prophesied this about the Messiah, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” (Psalm 69:9) Some 18 or so years later, the disciples will remember this prophecy as they watch Jesus clear the Temple of money changers. But even as a young boy, Jesus had that passion for Church.
Even as a young boy, the Lord is setting the example for us – demonstrating that even though He was without sin, He still knew that being in the Lord’s House was important. And if it was important for the Lord to be in Church, it must be critical for us who need to receive daily forgiveness from God.
Let’s look at the next thing that the Gospel Lesson relates. Mary and Joseph find Jesus not only in the Temple, but they find Him engaging the teachers. He was listening to them and asking them questions. The Gospel Lesson tells us that, “… All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.” (Luke 2:47) Now listen, I’ve met some mighty precocious young folks. We’ve got some here. But what was going on with Jesus and the Temple teachers was just a bit beyond that. The lesson is saying is that young Jesus was literally blowing away the Seminary professors of the time with his understanding of things theological. And it is certainly incredible that a 12 year-old was demonstrating the sort of depth and maturity that typically only comes with a life-time of study and reflection.
Let me ask this question: "If Jesus, Who because of his divinity had a full understanding of things theological, found it important to engage God’s Word seriously - Bible study, if you will - what does that mean to us?" The tremendous priority of engaging the Word for us is shown to us by the 12-year-old Christ.
Here’s the next part that really surprises me. Did you catch that little dialog between Mary and Jesus? Mary 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?" (Luke 2:48b-49)
Remember the story of our young son lost at the mall? If, instead of finding him crying the big crocodile tears, he would have said to us something like, “Mom, dad, why were you looking for me? Didn’t you know that I would be about my father’s business?” I would have responded with, “Let me tell you about your father’s business you little smart alec.” [smack]
On the night that Jesus was to be arrested, He told his closest disciples that they would all abandon Him. Peter responded by saying, “Lord, even if all leave you, I never will.” A few hours later, after his third denial of Christ, when the he heard the rooster’s crowing, his mind was flooded with the recollection of what Jesus had predicted and his prideful denial. It took a timely reminder to restore the memory of Jesus’ prediction. The scriptures say that Peter responded viscerally – he went outside and wept bitterly.
Maybe Who Jesus was and what He came to do had faded just a bit into the woodwork for Mary and Joseph. It took a timely reminder to restore the memory of Who this little 12-year old was. “Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” With these words 12 year-old Jesus reminds Mary and Joseph of the incredible mission that God sent Him to accomplish. Recollections from 12 years ago must’ve come flooding back to them – like they did for Peter: Gabriel’s announcement; the vision that Joseph received to take Mary to be his wife; the greeting from cousin Elizabeth and the words of the Magnificat that Mary received from God; the trip to Bethlehem and the birth in the stable; And the visits from shepherds and the worship rendered by wise men from the east; And the trip to Egypt to hide from Herod.
The events of those days must have been shocking and sobering reminders to Joseph and Mary - and to us, beloved – about the identity of the Christ Child. Yes, part of the Christmas story relates the incredible truth that God became human – that Jesus set aside his divinity to be born a Baby. It is easy to become so completely enamored with the idea that Jesus is just like us that we fail to recognize the humility and wonder of the divinity Jesus set aside to become like we are. Paul tells the believers at Philippi: “[Jesus], being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:6-8)
The events that day at the Temple with 12-year old Jesus caused Mary to remember and to understand. And so the Gospel writer tells us: “But his mother treasured all these things in her heart.” (Luke 2:51b) She knew that Jesus had come for purposes and reasons that were ordained by God. Simeon’s words from when Jesus was presented in the temple must’ve flooded her mind: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” (Luke 2:34-35)
And so, Mary recognizes that finding Jesus in the Temple was completely natural and normal. It was simply an expression of the high consciousness and mission of his office. His life was to be uniquely lived out for God.
In all this, our Lord honored his earthly parents, Mary and Joseph. Luke tells us that after this event that Jesus: “… went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them.” (Luke 2:51a) Jesus not only honored his Heavenly Father by committing Himself to the mission of saving humanity, but He would commit Himself to, “Honoring his father and his mother,” – living out the commandments.
All these things culminated in a perfect life taken at the Cross and restored three days later on that first Easter. In and through his perfect obedience, we find forgiveness, peace and eternal life.
The Dallas Cowboy jacket my little son was wearing when he wandered from us at the mall was his connection back to us when he became lost. Jesus’ zeal for the Temple – his Father’s house, his astonishing understanding of things theological and his commitment to living a life of obedience to God and to Mary and Joseph demonstrated his connection to God. In these things, our Lord - even as a young boy, shows us his Dallas Cowboy jacket. And because He does, we have no doubt about Who He is and what He came to do.
Beloved, take heart and be assured that God cares about you and that He loves you. Be assured that our salvation has been accomplished through the perfect forgiveness of sins that is ours. And our sins have been forgiven, not because of our zeal, or knowledge or obedience, but because of Jesus’. Amen!
