DAY 1
Preparation: Read Luke 2:41-52
ABOUT MY FATHER'S BUSINESS
Snapshots, photo albums, scrapbooks, home movies—don’t you just love those keepers of nostalgic memories? Of course, sometimes they can be painful. If you’re a Boomer like me, you might blush with embarrassment when you’re reminded of the crazy days of your youth: the bizarre hair styles, wild colorful clothing, bell bottom jeans, mini- skirts, high-heeled shoes for men. What were we thinking? We look back and hope our kids never find out because we would ground them for life if they tried to do what we did!
Our Scripture today gives us a snapshot of the childhood of Jesus but, unlike most of us, there are few sparkling stories to be found. Instead of His childhood being pretty mundane and routine, things started off with a bang! The angels, shepherds and wise men are pretty spectacular. Fleeing to Egypt to protect Jesus from King Herod’s bloody vendetta is a headline story. But once Herod died, Mary and Joseph settled into a boring lifestyle in Nazareth that’s hardly worth mentioning.
The village of Nazareth was about 70 miles north of Jerusalem in a rough, tough hilly section of Galilee. The only thing Nazareth was famous for was thugs. It was a favorite hideout out for outlaws who preyed on people in Judea and then escaped to the back country.
That’s why when Jesus’ enemies realized where He had been raised, they sneered: “Nazareth? Can anything good come from Nazareth?”
In the middle of this environment, Luke 2:40 says, “The child grew and became strong. He was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him.”
“Jesus grew.” Capture that thought. Sometimes it’s hard for us to wrap our mind around the fact that the Lord of Glory started out as a toddler who needed to grow up both physically and mentally. I suppose that’s what Philippians 2:8 meant when it says that Jesus “made Himself nothing and humbled Himself” when He took on human flesh.
Of course, He always had the Spiritual thing together, never once sinning! Let that sink in: Mary and Joseph’s child never did a single thing wrong!
He never once had to be disciplined! You’re thinking: “I’d love to have a child like that!” Really? Jesus was always better than His parents. That had to be intimidating, don’t you think?
The Law required all able-bodied Jewish men to celebrate the Passover in Jerusalem, if possible. Joseph and Mary were by-the-book-God-fearing people, so every Passover they faithfully made the 140-mile round trip from Nazareth to Jerusalem. Generally, children were left at home until a boy turned 12 and became personally accountable to God. So in our text, when Jesus made the trip to Jerusalem, it was probably the first time He visited the Temple since He was dedicated just after birth.
Can you imagine what was going through Jesus’ mind as He took part in the Passover feast? Every element pointed to the lamb, and He knew what that symbolized. He had been born to die. It’s an interesting thought that Jesus’ life is book-ended by Passovers: one when He was 12 and the other when He celebrated the Last Supper with His disciples.
Mary and Joseph probably traveled with family and friends in a caravan (although not the kind Dodge sells). Likely they departed in the early morning to take advantage of traveling in the daylight, so they probably covered about 20 miles before stopping to camp that night. That’s when Mary and Joseph first missed Jesus. One can imagine their panic as they searched for Jesus among their friends and relatives.
It brings to my mind that freak-out moment when Macaulay Culkin’s parents realized they had left their son “Home Alone.”
In a rush Mary and Joseph headed back to Jerusalem, but finding Jesus was like searching for the proverbial needle in a haystack. During Passover, the population of Jerusalem would swell over 100,000 people. No wonder it took them three days to find Him!
Where would a 12 year old go? Would He hang out at the market place, playing with other kids (we call that the mall today)? Their frantic search covered the city. I believe in despair they went to the Temple to ask for prayer and help. As they came into the Temple courts, a favorite teaching place for many Jewish Rabbis, there sat Jesus among the scholars of Israel.
Jesus was absorbing the lessons and asking questions of the teachers. He amazed the crowd with his understanding. Jesus, God in flesh, did not do this trying to outshine the instructors or impress them with His divine knowledge, but as a child filled with wisdom, He demonstrated restraint and grace toward others. He would have shown respect for and honored His elders.
Can you imagine the surprise on the faces of Joseph and Mary? They had worried themselves sick over His disappearance and now relief and a twinge of awe. I can hear that motherly voice coming through: (To read the rest, go to my comment that is below.)