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Luke 2:41-52
41 Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. 42 When he was twelve years old, they went up to the Feast, according to the custom. 43 After the Feast was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. 44 Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”
49 “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” 50 But they did not understand what he was saying to them.
51 Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.
How far would you travel to go to church? I know that some of you come from upwards of a half hour – maybe forty-five minutes. Would you travel days maybe? Today we are going to look at the annual trip to the Passover festival by Jesus’ family. Jesus knows that he needs to be about his Father’s business.
The three festivals that God commanded the Jews to observe were, the Passover feast, the feast of weeks – we know this as Pentecost, and the feast of tabernacles. Listen to the first verse once more. 41 Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. The Passover was the celebration of the Jews leaving Egypt, when the angel of death passed over the doorframes shmeared with the blood of the lamb, and DIDN’T kill the first born in the house. The second was the feast of weeks; we know it better as Pentecost. This festival celebrated the giving of the Law, Torah, – the Ten Commandments. It was also the first fruits festival. The people brought the first of the harvest NOT to the dinner table, but to God. The third was the feast of tabernacles or tents when the people were to eat their meals and spend time in a tent to remember the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness.
The second verse of our text tells us that Jesus’ family did their best to keep the law of God and attend the feast. At this point already the Jewish nation had spread far and wide. It was an impossibility for some to attend all three of the feasts, so they would maybe pick one a years to attend. There are 12 different regions listed in the book Acts – India to North Africa to Rome – on the day of Pentecost when God poured out his Spirit in the form of speak in tongues. Some folks traveled weeks to make it to these feasts!
We don’t know how many times Jesus had made the trek to Jerusalem with his family and his village. Remember we skipped over the flight Egypt when King Herod killed all the baby boys two and under in Bethlehem and then the return to Nazareth – up north in Palestine. We know that this was not his first – according to the custom.
This is where our story gets interesting. 43 After the Feast was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. 44 Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. There are some that speak of losing your child. I pray that this has never happened to you. To just lose sight of your child in a crowded place runs pulse of panic through your body. But this isn’t the case here. Jesus has been missing for a day, but Jesus is twelve. He’s not a small child. Now he’s still the boy Jesus – the word used is someone who is under the authority and care of another, but next year – when he’s thirteen, Jesus will have his coming of age party. Jesus has been running with his crowd. Literally. They traveled in packs of families, but after the day of searching, Jesus isn’t showing up. Something isn’t right so they head back to Jerusalem. 46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, Whoah! I’m not going to read what he’s doing next just yet. I bet two days before they found him Mary and Joseph pushed the panic button. Do you care where he is at this point when you find him? I suppose a little. At the initial point of finding him – do you hug him or strangle?
If that last paragraph was interesting, this is instructive to our souls. Jesus was sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished.
1) As fascinating the incarnation is, is it any less amazing to watch Jesus grow and age? The eternal, almighty, all-knowing God is finding muscles he never knew he had. Just as he is growing physically he’s growing mentally. He’s growing in his understanding.
2) The teachers were amazed. Driven out of one’s senses. They had never seen or heard anything like this boy. His level of understanding and the questions that he asked. I don’t think he was lecturing the rabbis, but have you ever heard the comment – that’s a good question. Jesus is throwing good questions at a these teachers one after another. Some wonder if he is making connections between the Law and prophets that the teachers had never considered. His parents reaction – astonished! They were knocked out. Remember this is down from galloping panic to respectful restraint.
His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”
49 “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” 50 But they did not understand what he was saying to them.
Do read into Mary’s question at least a little irritation, but don’t read any into Jesus’ answer. Jesus doesn’t actually say why – the original is - What is this that you were searching for me? “Why” isn’t necessarily a bad translation, but there shouldn’t be any challenge. See surprise in his response to them. He was growing in his ability to perceive and understand.
Didn’t you know that it is necessary for me to be in my Father’s house? I had to be in my Father’s house. Here again the translation isn’t horrible, but Jesus says didn’t you know that I had to be about the things of my Father? The King James has my Father’s business. What is the business of the Father? Discussing God’s revealed truth with others. This is the time consuming, often pain staking, give and take of instruction best done one on one. This was the heart of Jesus’ work. Isn’t this what the writing to the Hebrews had in mind when he said in the second verse - In these last days [God] has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.
How dedicated are you? Earlier this week, the Philadelphia Eagles awarded the Ed Block Award to a player on their team that showed a “commitment to the principles of sportsmanship and courage.” Most NFL teams give this award or one like it every year. The 2009 winner of the Ed Block Award was Michael Vick. For those of you who do not know who Micheal Vick is, he was convicted a couple years ago of felony charges in connection with dog fighting in southern Virginia. There are some who question whether or not Vick is worthy of this award. In response to those people, he gave this statement. "I've overcome a lot, more than probably one single individual can handle or bear," Vick began. "You ask certain people to walk through my shoes, they probably couldn't do. Probably 95 percent of the people in this world, because nobody had to endure what I've been through, situations I've been put in, situations I put myself in and decisions I have made, whether they have been good or bad." I don’t want to necessarily lump all of you in with convicted dog fighters, but I know that it doesn’t take very much during the holidays to look down at all those people who aren’t worthy of the New Born King. We get it don’t we! We know why Jesus would want to come and save us; it’s because we are worth it, aren’t we?
Jennifer Lee and her husband, Keith, went into the mountains of Oregon to cut down a Christmas tree for their family. They went prepared. They had a GPS, an all-wheel drive Subaru, and they had their phones. They were prepared for almost anything, except for running into a snowdrift that just about buried their vehicle. Out of cell phone range and not being able to get their car free, Jennifer and Keith became concerned. Nobody knew exactly where to find them. Nobody knew where to begin looking. For days, Keith and Jennifer Lee waited and hoped for rescue. Finally, Keith had a new idea and freed the vehicle. In a short time, he and his wife were reunited with the kids. Speaking about her ordeal, Jennifer said, "What were we thinking? $30 for a Christmas tree? Just pay the $30 and be done with it." She concluded, "$30 wasn't worth our life.”
I’d have to agree – being a fake tree guy myself. Risking your life for a free real tree isn’t worth all that danger and hassle. I wonder if Jesus really thinks that I’m worth it? In our text he’s twelve. He has shown a dedication to his Father’s business – the speak, giving, taking, questioning, answering that goes along with God’s word. His parent’s don’t get it. Most of the people around him aren’t interested finding the Messiah. Is all this worth it? He still has 18 more years before he starts his public ministry! Before we jump to any conclusions about our worthiness or Jesus’ intentions, let me tell you about one more story.
Pervaiz Masih served as a janitor at Pakistan’s Islamabad's International Islamic University an all girl school. He earned $60 a month. On October 20th a terrorist dressed like a woman wrapped TNT and ball bearings around his chest. He tried to walk into the cafeteria where some 300 girls were eating lunch. Pervaiz blocked the man in the doorway to the cafeteria and would not let the man pass. A struggle ensued and the terrorist detonated himself in the door way killing Pervaiz along with three students, far less than would have died if the man would’ve detonated himself in the center of the lunch room. Pervaiz was buried in an unmarked grave, and very little acknowledgement of his heroism has happened because Pervaiz was a Christian. In a Muslim country like Pakistan being a Christian isn’t worth much – even if you gave your life to save a cafeteria full of Muslims. Why would Pervaiz sacrifice his life for people who hated him? I think it has something to do with the Christ child. A better question might be why would Jesus sacrifice himself for the Michael Vicks of the world? Even if you know you’re better than Michael Vick, can you honestly say you’re “worth it” to Jesus? Do you travel far enough for church? Do you focus on the Father’s business so much that Jesus would take a chest-full of ball bearings for you?
The answer can’t be found in logic. It can’t be judged by amount of sin, or even lack there of. This mystery can only be answered on the pages of Scripture. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us. So that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Jesus says that you’re worth it even when there is nothing worthy about you. The danger about wrongly believing that there is some worthiness in ourselves, is that we are one step away from rejecting Jesus and assuming God will accept us as his child for our less than perfect behavior.
On this first Sunday after Christmas I want you to follow Mary’s lead But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. Ponder anew what the Father’s business is for your life. Take the time for a questions and answer session with a friend or neighbor. Consider God’s great love for you that he sent his Son to be your Savior. See already at the age of twelve, Jesus is keeping the Law for you so that one day he could die for you and take your punishment... all because Jesus was about the Father’s business. Amen.