Boy Jesus in the Temple

Boy Jesus in the Temple. We know very little about Jesus as a boy, but we are given one example in Luke 2, about Mary, Joseph, and Jesus visiting the temple.

41 His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. 42 And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast. 43 When they had finished the days, as they returned, the Boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. And Joseph and His mother did not know it; 44 but supposing Him to have been in the company, they went a day’s journey, and sought Him among their relatives and acquaintances. 45 So when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking Him. 46 Now so it was that 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 astonished at His understanding and answers. 48 So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.”

49 And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” 50 But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them.

Luke 2:41-50, NKJV

Boy Jesus in the Temple. We know very little about Jesus as a boy, but we are given one example in Luke 2, about Mary, Joseph, and Jesus visiting the temple.

Boy Jesus in the Temple - Mary and Joseph Search

We cannot know what it would be like to raise a perfect child. I am sure many things confused Mary and Joseph. We are given this little picture into the life of Jesus as a boy. In this account He was 12 years old--almost a man in their culture.

As they did every year, Mary and Joseph along with Jesus went to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. At the end of the feast they joined a large group of people to return home. I am sure that, though Jesus was not with them, they were not worried. At 12, He could definitely take care of Himself. They supposed that He was somewhere within the group traveling home.

After a day's journey they discovered that Jesus was not in the group. So, they returned to Jerusalem. After a three-day search, they finally found Him in the Temple.

Boy Jesus in the Temple - About My Father's Business

What was Jesus doing in the Temple? The Bible tells us that He was "sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers."

You can imagine their surprise. This was the last place they expected to find Him. Exasperated, Mary said, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.” And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?”

Then we are told in Luke 2, But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them.

We know that Jesus was talking about his Father, God. He had a specific job to do while here on this earth and already He was preparing the way.

However, it was not yet time for Him to begin his God-given ministry, so we are told in Luke 2:

51 Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

Luke 2:51-52, NKJV

Mary kept all of these things in her heart. At this time she and Joseph did not understand Jesus' true purpose for being here. Jesus, waiting for the time for his public ministry to begin, increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

Boy Jesus in the Temple - Lessons for Mary

There is much we could say about Jesus as a boy, but our focus in this devotional is on Mary. To us, these verses appear right after the verses about baby Jesus in the temple, but to Mary, 12 years had elapsed.

So, Boy Jesus in the Temple, which seems like the very next event in the life of Jesus was actually over a decade later. Mary had much to ponder. First, Jesus was born from the Holy Spirit. Second, when they took baby Jesus to the temple, He was blessed by both Simeon and Anna, and Simeon prophesied that a sword would pierce Mary's heart. Now, at 12 years of age, Jesus was in the temple learning and instructing the teachers.

What could all of these things mean? How could one put these events all together and make sense of them?

Boy Jesus in the Temple - Lessons for Us

Have you ever gotten to a point in your life when things just did not seem to make sense? You are serving the Lord and yet nothing seems to go the way you imagined that it would. I can imagine that that is very much what Mary was experiencing in Boy Jesus in the Temple.

I have a very dear friend, now with the Lord, who used to say, "God does not run His train on our track."

How true that is. We have great assurances in God's Word that He loves us, keeps, and guides us. However, in all of this, we make our plans but God guides our steps.

At the time that I am writing this devotional, the world is in the middle of a great pandemic. My country, the US, like much of the world, is virtually shut down. How do we make sense of this? We know that God could have prevented this, but He did not. Why? That is a lesson that will have to wait until we reach the gates of heaven.

We do know that according to Romans 8:28, "All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."

We, as believers, are the called and we are called according to His purpose. So, though we do not understand this pandemic, we know that God is using it to turn the hearts of men to Him and we still have a purpose in it. Suddenly, we realize that the things of this world are not lasting. The only thing that really matters is eternity?

Do you know where you will spend eternity? If you do not live through this pandemic, where will you go?

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." John 14:6

Jesus is the way to God. We all are sinners and cannot even stand before a holy and righteous God. Jesus came to this earth to die and save a people for Himself. I wonder if that was what He was trying to explain to those scholars when he was a 12 year old in the temple?

Come to Christ today. Fall before Him and ask Him to take away your sins. Determine in your heart of hearts that from now on you will follow Him and forsake the ways of this world. Then, tell others about your new-found faith. That is why we are here!

God Bless You,

Linda