Jesus, A Boy in the Temple

Introduction

Years ago, I had a unique role at a large church in Madison, MS. Preteen Pastor.

Preteen Pastors are very unique. They only really work in large church situations, but they are very important for those who can do it. I had around 40 kids during the first service and around 150 kids the second service.

The best way to explain those two years of my life is to say, “It’s really fun to manage all of the energy in the room until the energy turns on you.”

In fact, some of you have observed that I look most often to the left and the right as I am preaching instead of the middle. It’s because when i was a preteen pastor, all of the girls sat in the middle section and the boys sat on the left and right.

Preteen is a tough age. 11-12 year old range is really tough. You aren’t quite a teenager yet, but you want to be and you think you are. And you aren’t a kid anymore, but you still kinda want to do kid things.

The role was important, because 12 is a hard age. In American culture, you are not quite a teen and not quite a kid. In Hebrew culture, you are not quite a child and not quite an adult.

At the age of 13, a Hebrew boy would be known as a “bar Mitzvah” or son of the commandment. (This wasn’t a party like we think today, but rather a pronouncement).

He was, at the time, responsible to the Hebrew law.

Because Luke, through his conversations with Mary, is conveying that Jesus, even as a 12 year old, knew his purpose. (Luke was in many of the same places that Mary was located. Scholar’s believe that a good portion of the gospel of Luke could have come from Mary, herself.)

In this passage, we see the perfect preteen. Not one who thinks He is perfect, but an actual perfect preteen. In the messiness of this text, we see Jesus’ relationship with His Heavenly Father God AND his earthly father and mother.

Jesus, completely a 12 year old boy and eternal God, knew His Father’s purpose for Him - to save the world.

Read Luke 2:41-52

Explanation

Luke 2: 41-45 “Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, but supposing him to be in the group they went a day’s journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him.”

Context:

Jesus family was devout. They were going to offer a sacrifice in Jerusalem at the temple for the Passover.

8 Days

The Narrative

As the family was returning to Galilee, Jesus was not to be found.

You might have had a bad morning, but you haven’t had a “lost my kid for three days” kinda morning.

They might have had a hard time getting out of bed, but you knew where they were.

No, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph were certainly in Jerusalem with their extended family and other pilgrims. They thought someone had Jesus or that Jesus was playing with the other children as they walked home.

They searched for Jesus.

I am sure that along the frantic walk back, they were blaming each other.

Joseph, “Mary, how in the world do you lose the Son of God.”

Mary, “I packed up the tent, and I washed all of the dishes, and I cooked breakfast. The least you could have done is to make sure that the maker of the universe made his way home with us.”

Now, this point has nothing to do with today’s overall message, but it is important nonetheless. Jesus parents were Godly, caring, and loving, but they were not perfect.

God is our perfect parent.

We model him and leave the rest up to Him.

We place an undue burden on our lives when we think we have to be perfect parents.

They returned to Jerusalem to find Him.

Luke 2:46-48 “After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.””

Three days of searching is A LOT of searching. Why would they have not searched the temple?

Jesus had just been subjected to 8 days of passover rituals.

I remember what it was like to be 12 years old and have to sit through something for a few hours - much less 8 days!

As a parent, I would have thought that Jesus was anywhere but the temple. Because as a 12 year old, I would have had enough.

When they found him, he was in the temple with teachers of the law.

They were astonished at his teaching.

We skip over this phrase.

Sure, He was God.

Imagine the best of the best of a particular discipline arrive in a single place at a single time - that’s exactly what has happened in Jerusalem in the temple at the passover.

Sinclair Ferguson speculates that the likes of Gamaliel could have been there. Or even a young Nicodemus.

Jesus begins to teach THEM.

Luke 2:49-52 “And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.”

We now get to the meat of the text, and we see the theological significance.

In this passage, we have Jesus first recorded words. In the chronology of his life, it is infancy to ministry - with this instance right between. What does Jesus say? “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”

Was Jesus statement disrespectful?

We might think these questions rude? If our kids were to speak to us in this way, they might deserve a reprimand.

Only difference between Jesus and our kids, however, is… that Jesus was God. His question reveals his purpose.

Firstly, Jesus has an intimate relationship with his heavenly Father.

Jesus is God, begotten of the Father.

Jesus is no less God than the Father.

From eternity past, the Father and the Son have lived in perfect harmony.

I have heard people say, “God sent Jesus to save us and bring us to heaven because He was lonely. God was not lonely. The Trinity is perfect in unity and relationship.

God doesn’t need us, but He wants us. What a better thought.

God the Father, Son, and Spirit, live in perfect unity, harmony, and love with one another. They are self-sufficient, independent, and glorious in their own right.

God’s independence does not remove His love for us.

It rather shows us just how much He does love us.

Jesus, while submitting to His parents, is telling them that He hears an allegiance above theirs - to God, Himself.

Jesus is consistently and persistently being drawn into the presence of His Heavenly Father.

He is learning and growing, because soon, He will be teaching. And teaching of the eternal life in Him.

He is also showing them that he has a bigger mission than was previously stated.

Jesus is God, AND Jesus is man.

We are made aware that Jesus has both earthly, human parents, and that Jesus has a heavenly Father. We see the tension.

What does it matter that Jesus is God and man? It all ties into his purpose.

The Heidelberg Catechism explains it well:

Why must (Christ) be a true and righteous man?

he must be a true man because the justice of God requires that the same human nature which has sinned should pay for sin. He must be a righteous man because one who himself is a sinner cannot pay for others.

Without Christ’s perfect humanity, there is no sacrifice.

Hebrews 2:14-15 “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.”

Why must (Christ) also be truly God?

So that, by the power of his divinity, he might bear the weight of God’s anger in his humanity and earn for us and restore to us righteousness and life.

God’s wrath is infinite, and humans are finite.

To fully satisfy God’s wrath, something infinite would need to be given.

Jesus is man to correctly bear the punishment for sin. Jesus is God to fully bear the punishment for sin.

Invitation - What does this have to do with me?

Would you give your life to Jesus, the only one able to save you?

Maybe, you need to sit before your Heavenly Father this morning. He is beckoning you to be with Him this morning.