Luke
2:41-52
12 Year Old Jesus in
the Temple
2:41 Now His
parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast
of the Passover.
42 And when He became
twelve, they went up there according to the custom
of the Feast;
43 and as they were
returning, after spending the full number of days,
the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. But His
parents were unaware of it,
44 but supposed Him to be
in the caravan, and went a days journey; and
they began looking for Him among their relatives
and acquaintances.
45 When they did not find
Him, they returned to Jerusalem looking for Him.
46 Then, after three days
they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst
of the teachers, both listening to them and asking
them questions.
47 And all who heard Him
were amazed at His understanding and His answers.
48 When they saw Him, they
were astonished; and His mother said to Him,
Son, why have You treated us this way?
Behold, Your father and I have been anxiously
looking for You.
49 And He said to them,
Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did
you not know that I had to be in My Fathers
house?
50 But they did not
understand the statement which He had made to them.
51 And He went down with
them and came to Nazareth, and He continued in
subjection to them; and His mother treasured all
these things in her heart.
52 And Jesus kept
increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with
God and men.
This
is the Word of the Lord ... It is meant to change
the way we think, and the way we live.
Commentary
by Bob Pardue
Jesus Teaches
in the Temple at Jerusalem
The Passover
Celebration
According to Deuteronomy
16:16 the males of
Jewish decent were required to make a trek to
Jerusalem 3 times per year for the festivals, the
most important being Passover, or the day God
passed over the first born of Israel which led to
the Exodus. In a sense, Jesus appeared to be "just
another Jewish lad" headed for the celebration -
but we know the rest of the story.
The Temple
During Passover, the temple
halls were filled with some of the most
distinguished religious teachers and Jesus was
drawn to them. This is where his family found him
asking and answering questions. According to this
passage, his infinite wisdom astounded the
experienced teachers. This trend would continue
throughout Jesus' ministry as the leaders would
soon try to trap him to no avail.
Mary's
Dilemma
Fact, children grow up. Mary
and Joseph still thought of Jesus as a child
although they both were aware of his miraculous
birth, and maybe even knew a small bit about his
destiny as God's Son. But, Mary the mother had
problems letting go of the child she had nurtured
and taught for 12 years.
Letting Go
If you are a parent, you will
understand this. If not, someday you will if you
ever have children of your own. We have trouble
"giving wings" to the one we raised from time of
birth - they become adults with their own thinking
and own will, many times in conflict with the will
we want for them.
It's painful to go through
but it's best to teach them all we can, support
them in any way we can, and then let them live the
life God has planned for them. Paul said
(paraphrasing) that if we teach a child in the
right way he (she) will not depart from it meaning
that, no matter where life takes them, our hope is
that we provided them with a good foundation. If
they fall, they'll fall back to the foundation -
not below it.
So, teach your children well,
love them, support them - then watch them
fly!
Love in Christ
- Bob
If you have never made the
commitment to receive the love and life-changing
experience of Jesus Christ, please take a moment to
Read
John 3:16 for more
information.
Verses about 12 year old Jesus teaching in
the Temple credited to New American Standard
Bible - Study lesson from Life Application
Study Bible: New International Version
Also Look at these Bible
Verses
Luke
1:
16-17 -
John the Baptist -
Mission
Luke
2:8-20 - Shepherds See the
Angels
Luke
2:15-19 - Shepherds Visit
Jesus
Luke
2:21-40 - Baby Jeuss in the Jewish
Temple
Luke
1:26-38 - Mary Learns about Jesus'
Birth
Luke
1:39-56 - Mary Visits
Elizabeth
Luke
1:57-80 - Birth of John the
Baptist
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