Jesus @ 12

Luke 2:41–42 CSB

Every year his parents traveled to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival. When he was twelve years old, they went up according to the custom of the festival.

INTRO—

I’m sure that many of us have seen the bumper stickers on the back of cars that say, "My child is an honor student at Such-&-Such School." I mean, we can be pretty proud of our children and the fact that they're honor students or the fact that they're good baseball players or...

Imagine the parents of a child like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart was born in Salzburg, Austria. At four he began music lessons with his violinist father. At five he composed minuets. At six he was a virtuoso on the violin and harpsichord and toured with his older sister, creating a sensation in European courts with this phenomenal ability to sight-read music and improvise at six. He wrote his first symphony at eight and at eleven, forced to compose in solitary confinement for the suspicious archbishop of Salzburg, he passed the test and was offered the salary job of city concert master at eleven. At twelve he wrote two operas and a mass. His reputation grew over the years. His operas, concertos and symphonies of the highest order came from his pen. Today he is still regarded as one of the world's supreme geniuses.

Or the parents of Truman Henry Safford, son of a Vermont farmer. At age three he astounded his parents with his calculating abilities. At seven he studied algebra and geometry. At nine he constructed and published an almanac. At ten he originated a new rule for obtaining moon risings and settings in one quarter of the time of previous methods. At aged ten he was asked to square the number, that is to multiply it by itself, the number 365,365,365,365,365,365 multiplied by itself. He gave the correct answer in less than a minute. That answer is 133,491,850,208,566,925,016,658,299,941,583,225. Obviously he was smart. He graduated from Harvard at the age of eighteen.

Just one more…Imagine being the parents of Kim Ung-Yong, born in 1963 in Korea. He was talking at five months, writing at seven months. His IQ is estimated higher than any. When he was four years old he was fluent in Korean, English, Japanese and German and he was solving intricate calculus problems on Japanese television before his fifth birthday.

Some pretty amazing children! However, none of these come anywhere near being comparable to the One who is the Child who was (is) God.

Question: What do we know about Jesus’ younger days? Open your Bible to Luke 2. Let’s start by checking out verse 40...

Luke 2.40 “The boy grew up and became strong, filled with wisdom, and God’s grace was on him.”

This is everything we know from 8 days old to 12 years old. [12…because v. 42]

So…let’s be sure to include the entire scope of Jesus’ life prior to the beginning of his earthly ministry at age 30…

Luke 2.52 “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and with people.”

…and this is everything we know from age 12 to age 30.

So…what we have is ONE singular, intensely focused spotlight on Jesus at age 12…in vv. 41-51.

Let’s check out this Holy Spirit preserved spotlight and learn about and from Jesus @ 12.

Faithful Parents [Luke 2.41-43a]

Faithful, fully honoring God’s call.

“Every year” [80 mile journey one-way=4 days]… “his parents”… “went up according to the custom of the festival”… “after those days were over.”

Therefore, Jesus (most likely) saw: the Passover lambs and the sacrifice; asked the question at the Passover meal, “Why do we sacrifice the lamb?”—so that Joseph was able to recount the Passover story.

Fretting Parents [Luke 2.43-46a]

“The traveling party”

Traveling, caravan was common—means, kids up front…then the ladies…then the men

“Assuming he was in the traveling party”

How to travel a day without knowing Jesus wasn’t there = assume he is with the kids, assume he is with the moms, assume he is with the dads (not unreasonable, expectations)

“They returned to Jerusalem to search for him”

Having checked among the caravan, they had to go back.

“After three days”—one day return trip, settling in, and then searching...

“They found him in the temple”

The Faithful Son [Luke 2.46-50]

Faithful, fully at home at His Father’s.

“When he was twelve years old” [v.42] …

At 13, taking on personal responsibility to follow/obey Torah, ‘spiritual adulthood’ [later ceremonial observation = bar mitzvah (son of the commandment)]

“In the temple sitting among the teachers”

He was in conversation with them!

“All those who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers”

Astounded— beside themselves (could run full-spectrum of positive to negative).

Jesus showed—respect to those around him; His calling

“Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”

Fret…expressed. [gonna cut them some slack here. Three days of concern showing up here.]

“Why were you searching for me? Didn’t you know that it was necessary for me to be in my Father’s house?”

The only recorded words of Jesus from birth to age 30!

Jesus declares— His divinity (his awareness is unhesitatingly clear)

…and there is distancing going on here (“They did not understand”). Jesus is being set apart from everyone else, his parents included.

CONCL— [Luke 2.51-52]

Luke concludes (vv. 51-52)…and, so, angels said, shepherds said, Simeon said, Anna said, Elizabeth said, Joseph said, Mary said...

AND, 12 year old Jesus says—he is the only begotten son of God the Father; the Messiah; our Savior & Lord!

…and, so...

Hebrews 4.14-16 “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens—Jesus the Son of God—let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin. Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.”

Luke 2:52 CSB

And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and with people.