Where’s Jesus?
Luke 2:41-52
Threshold moments - we all experience these. They are times when we move from one way of being, or living, to another. Some examples include: a child’s first day at school; a teen getting a driver’s license; acceptance into the military, college, or training school. Getting married, having a child, and retirement are all threshold moments. Each marks a transition. Today’s Scripture is an important threshold moment for Jesus, and for his family.
The place where this unfolds is Jerusalem. It was Joseph’s task to take his son to the Temple and other sacred places and teach him the history and importance of each. Traditionally, Jewish fathers took their 12-year-old sons into the royal city for an in-depth learning experience during the week-long Festival of Passover. Once home, the father would continue teaching his son for the next year, preparing him for his Bar Mitzvah at age 13. The son would need to learn to read from the Torah and prove himself competent in mastering the essentials of the faith. During the Bar Mitzvah ceremony, he would become a Son of the Law and a member of the local synagogue, and from that point forward be individually responsible to God. It was a threshold day in many ways, but perhaps the most important was that from that day forward a son would no longer be seen as a boy - he’d be recognized as a man.
Now that you have some helpful context, did anyone catch how often Joseph and Mary took Jesus to the Passover celebration? We’re told that “every year” they went, not just when Jesus turned 12. Already we see something exceptional about the parents God chose for His Son. Mary went every single year, although she’d likely had more young children. It was also optional for a woman to attend. Jewish men were required by God’s laws to go to Jerusalem always and fully participate in this week of worship.
I would imagine it was costly to travel to and stay in Jerusalem. It was an almost 60-mile trip there and back, through hills and valleys. Then imagine searching for lodging! The population in Jerusalem surged from the norm of 30,000 people to as high as 200,000 in a matter of days. How stressful and expensive would it be to rent a room or find a place to pitch your family’s tent? Another difficulty Jesus’ family faced was the loss of income from Joseph’s carpentry work. It was a 13- day round trip for this holy pilgrimage – if all went smoothly. I believe all the choices and sacrifices Mary and Joseph made reveal amazing dedication and devoutness as they raised God’s son. (It may interest you to learn that is the last time Joseph’s name is found in Scripture. Scholars believe he died before Jesus began his public ministry.)
In Luke 2, verse 44, the comfortable routine trip home for Jesus and his family (as they’d done over the previous 12 years) was disrupted. Women and children traveled at the front of the large caravan that would lead them home. Mary searched the crowd most of the day, looking for Jesus, but didn’t see him. Ahh, she thought, he is becoming a man now - he must be walking beside his father. Her heart was at peace. At the back of the large caravan Joseph searched the crowd most of the day, looking for Jesus, but didn’t see him. Hmm, he thought, he is still a child and not yet a man, he must be walking with his mother. His heart was at peace.
As darkness fell the caravan stopped; tents were put up and families came together for their evening meal. Although all were weary, there was a good deal of conversation among the grown-ups, plus the chatter of children nearby. No one may have heard, the first time, the question, “Where’s Jesus?” Soon Mary was calling loudly for her son: “Jesus!” Joseph may have headed down the long line of travelers, calling out Jesus’ name. Despite many good neighbors searching everywhere, Jesus could not be found. Have you ever been in public and lost sight of a child? Did you feel anxious, or panic? Have you ever gotten separated from others in a crowd or in an unfamiliar place as an adult? If you have, you know how urgently one searches, not resting until the one who’s lost is found.
Joseph began the 20-mile trip back to Jerusalem, and Mary insisted on going with him. Once there, they “diligently” searched crowded streets and busy bazaars for three days. That’s the equivalent of leaving no stone unturned. What might Mary and Joseph have looked like by then? Had they been able to wash their bodies, or their clothes? Were their voices raw from calling out their son’s name? How sore were their feet, backs, and bodies from walking for days? How much sleep did they get? Their love for Jesus kept them going.
Finally, they spotted him, alive and well, seated in the temple courts before an impressive assembly of teachers. Jesus likely knew about a long-standing tradition: after Passover, when visitors were headed home, well-respected rabbis and visiting scholars stayed and taught for several days. Some gave formal lectures, but most used a traditional Jewish question-and-answer format. This led to lively discussions on faith, holiness, the Law, and more. I think of this as a free, extended seminar led by Israel’s best PhD’s of Jewish Scripture and theology.
Mary and Joseph observed Jesus sitting among bearded teachers, five times older than himself. He asked probing questions, perhaps ones the teachers had never heard before. When Jesus was asked questions, he stood out from the rest. He probably didn’t answer a complex question with a well-known Scripture or recite the teachings of popular rabbis, as was very common in those days. Jesus went beyond pat answers; perhaps he had already begun using stories to illustrate spiritual truths in fresh ways. He could have taken an assortment of Scriptures on one topic and woven them into a whole, illuminating truths that had only been seen in shadows. The esteemed experts of the day listened and were amazed. Jesus, a mere 12 years old, helped them suddenly see and understand things in new and very clear ways. That is the definition of an epiphany. You grasp the meaning and nature of something in a simple but striking way. The Latin root of epiphany means a “shining moment” that comes only from God.
When the teachers finished for the day, Mary and Joseph rushed over to their son. They were astonished by his wisdom, but that did not diminish the fear and frustration that had built for four days. Mary spoke, saying, “Son, why have you treated us this way? We’ve been anxiously searching for you.” Jesus answered with his own question: “Why were you searching for me?” Imagine how confusing this question was for them. He knew he was their child, he’d gone missing, and of course they would search for him! Jesus asked them a rhetorical question next, something they should logically know the answer to. Jesus said, essentially, “Don’t you, my parents chosen to raise me, understand who I AM? If you do, you wouldn’t be anxious about my time here among learned teachers, in deep God conversations; that’s the reason my Father in heaven has put me on earth.” Mary, unfortunately, did not grasp what he was saying, nor did Joseph.
I think there was confusion among them because this was a threshold moment for all three of them. Jesus’ parents were still seeing and treating him like a child, whereas Jesus saw himself as a young man and was acting accordingly. His earthly parents would always be very important to him, but he now makes it known that his highest loyalty and ultimate priority will always be the work of his Heavenly Father. Jesus’ future as a master teacher was foreshadowed by the way he enlightened the best teachers in Israel. One final, exciting threshold moment caps things off. Before Jesus’ time in the Temple courts, it was always others who revealed his identity and mission. His parents were told; so was his aunt Elizabeth. Angels and shepherds had spread the word, King Herod and the magi were aware, and Simeon and Anna knew too. But Jesus reveals, for the first time, that he himself now sees and understands his identity in a new and very clear way. It is his epiphany moment. Jesus’ light is beginning to shine, and its source is God. It will be 18 more years before the wider world begins to understand that Jesus is the Light of the World, and more.
There’s always a message for our own lives that can come from Scripture. What stands out here for me is the time Jesus spent with highly regarded teachers. Other options for his time and attention surrounded him in Jerusalem. He was 12 years old! But Jesus chose to be among others who loved God. This boy on his way to manhood was setting a pattern for his life. He found people interested in God and spent a good amount of time with them. He loved hearing what they thought about God and life, and he wasn’t timid if asked to share his thoughts on spiritual matters. He worshipped God on important holy days that came once a year, and he was in worship weekly.
This 12-year-old boy becoming a man, God’s Son, is a shining example for us. May we worship regularly... spend time with other believers... keep growing in our faith... consider the benefits of being in a small group... dare to tell others what we believe. And above all else, may we each know our identity in Christ and our mission as His followers. When we do these things, "Epiphany" will not be a strange word we hear once a year in church. Instead, it will be a way to help explain the light that now shines in our lives, whose source is God.
The place where this unfolds is Jerusalem. It was Joseph’s task to take his son to the Temple and other sacred places and teach him the history and importance of each. Traditionally, Jewish fathers took their 12-year-old sons into the royal city for an in-depth learning experience during the week-long Festival of Passover. Once home, the father would continue teaching his son for the next year, preparing him for his Bar Mitzvah at age 13. The son would need to learn to read from the Torah and prove himself competent in mastering the essentials of the faith. During the Bar Mitzvah ceremony, he would become a Son of the Law and a member of the local synagogue, and from that point forward be individually responsible to God. It was a threshold day in many ways, but perhaps the most important was that from that day forward a son would no longer be seen as a boy - he’d be recognized as a man.
Now that you have some helpful context, did anyone catch how often Joseph and Mary took Jesus to the Passover celebration? We’re told that “every year” they went, not just when Jesus turned 12. Already we see something exceptional about the parents God chose for His Son. Mary went every single year, although she’d likely had more young children. It was also optional for a woman to attend. Jewish men were required by God’s laws to go to Jerusalem always and fully participate in this week of worship.
I would imagine it was costly to travel to and stay in Jerusalem. It was an almost 60-mile trip there and back, through hills and valleys. Then imagine searching for lodging! The population in Jerusalem surged from the norm of 30,000 people to as high as 200,000 in a matter of days. How stressful and expensive would it be to rent a room or find a place to pitch your family’s tent? Another difficulty Jesus’ family faced was the loss of income from Joseph’s carpentry work. It was a 13- day round trip for this holy pilgrimage – if all went smoothly. I believe all the choices and sacrifices Mary and Joseph made reveal amazing dedication and devoutness as they raised God’s son. (It may interest you to learn that is the last time Joseph’s name is found in Scripture. Scholars believe he died before Jesus began his public ministry.)
In Luke 2, verse 44, the comfortable routine trip home for Jesus and his family (as they’d done over the previous 12 years) was disrupted. Women and children traveled at the front of the large caravan that would lead them home. Mary searched the crowd most of the day, looking for Jesus, but didn’t see him. Ahh, she thought, he is becoming a man now - he must be walking beside his father. Her heart was at peace. At the back of the large caravan Joseph searched the crowd most of the day, looking for Jesus, but didn’t see him. Hmm, he thought, he is still a child and not yet a man, he must be walking with his mother. His heart was at peace.
As darkness fell the caravan stopped; tents were put up and families came together for their evening meal. Although all were weary, there was a good deal of conversation among the grown-ups, plus the chatter of children nearby. No one may have heard, the first time, the question, “Where’s Jesus?” Soon Mary was calling loudly for her son: “Jesus!” Joseph may have headed down the long line of travelers, calling out Jesus’ name. Despite many good neighbors searching everywhere, Jesus could not be found. Have you ever been in public and lost sight of a child? Did you feel anxious, or panic? Have you ever gotten separated from others in a crowd or in an unfamiliar place as an adult? If you have, you know how urgently one searches, not resting until the one who’s lost is found.
Joseph began the 20-mile trip back to Jerusalem, and Mary insisted on going with him. Once there, they “diligently” searched crowded streets and busy bazaars for three days. That’s the equivalent of leaving no stone unturned. What might Mary and Joseph have looked like by then? Had they been able to wash their bodies, or their clothes? Were their voices raw from calling out their son’s name? How sore were their feet, backs, and bodies from walking for days? How much sleep did they get? Their love for Jesus kept them going.
Finally, they spotted him, alive and well, seated in the temple courts before an impressive assembly of teachers. Jesus likely knew about a long-standing tradition: after Passover, when visitors were headed home, well-respected rabbis and visiting scholars stayed and taught for several days. Some gave formal lectures, but most used a traditional Jewish question-and-answer format. This led to lively discussions on faith, holiness, the Law, and more. I think of this as a free, extended seminar led by Israel’s best PhD’s of Jewish Scripture and theology.
Mary and Joseph observed Jesus sitting among bearded teachers, five times older than himself. He asked probing questions, perhaps ones the teachers had never heard before. When Jesus was asked questions, he stood out from the rest. He probably didn’t answer a complex question with a well-known Scripture or recite the teachings of popular rabbis, as was very common in those days. Jesus went beyond pat answers; perhaps he had already begun using stories to illustrate spiritual truths in fresh ways. He could have taken an assortment of Scriptures on one topic and woven them into a whole, illuminating truths that had only been seen in shadows. The esteemed experts of the day listened and were amazed. Jesus, a mere 12 years old, helped them suddenly see and understand things in new and very clear ways. That is the definition of an epiphany. You grasp the meaning and nature of something in a simple but striking way. The Latin root of epiphany means a “shining moment” that comes only from God.
When the teachers finished for the day, Mary and Joseph rushed over to their son. They were astonished by his wisdom, but that did not diminish the fear and frustration that had built for four days. Mary spoke, saying, “Son, why have you treated us this way? We’ve been anxiously searching for you.” Jesus answered with his own question: “Why were you searching for me?” Imagine how confusing this question was for them. He knew he was their child, he’d gone missing, and of course they would search for him! Jesus asked them a rhetorical question next, something they should logically know the answer to. Jesus said, essentially, “Don’t you, my parents chosen to raise me, understand who I AM? If you do, you wouldn’t be anxious about my time here among learned teachers, in deep God conversations; that’s the reason my Father in heaven has put me on earth.” Mary, unfortunately, did not grasp what he was saying, nor did Joseph.
I think there was confusion among them because this was a threshold moment for all three of them. Jesus’ parents were still seeing and treating him like a child, whereas Jesus saw himself as a young man and was acting accordingly. His earthly parents would always be very important to him, but he now makes it known that his highest loyalty and ultimate priority will always be the work of his Heavenly Father. Jesus’ future as a master teacher was foreshadowed by the way he enlightened the best teachers in Israel. One final, exciting threshold moment caps things off. Before Jesus’ time in the Temple courts, it was always others who revealed his identity and mission. His parents were told; so was his aunt Elizabeth. Angels and shepherds had spread the word, King Herod and the magi were aware, and Simeon and Anna knew too. But Jesus reveals, for the first time, that he himself now sees and understands his identity in a new and very clear way. It is his epiphany moment. Jesus’ light is beginning to shine, and its source is God. It will be 18 more years before the wider world begins to understand that Jesus is the Light of the World, and more.
There’s always a message for our own lives that can come from Scripture. What stands out here for me is the time Jesus spent with highly regarded teachers. Other options for his time and attention surrounded him in Jerusalem. He was 12 years old! But Jesus chose to be among others who loved God. This boy on his way to manhood was setting a pattern for his life. He found people interested in God and spent a good amount of time with them. He loved hearing what they thought about God and life, and he wasn’t timid if asked to share his thoughts on spiritual matters. He worshipped God on important holy days that came once a year, and he was in worship weekly.
This 12-year-old boy becoming a man, God’s Son, is a shining example for us. May we worship regularly... spend time with other believers... keep growing in our faith... consider the benefits of being in a small group... dare to tell others what we believe. And above all else, may we each know our identity in Christ and our mission as His followers. When we do these things, "Epiphany" will not be a strange word we hear once a year in church. Instead, it will be a way to help explain the light that now shines in our lives, whose source is God.