The Terrified Parent

Luke 2:41-5

⁴¹ Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. ⁴² And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. ⁴³ And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, ⁴⁴ 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, ⁴⁵ and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. ⁴⁶ After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. ⁴⁷ And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. ⁴⁸ 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.” ⁴⁹ And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” ⁵⁰ And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. ⁵¹ 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. ⁵² And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.

My oldest grandson has caused this grandma’s heart to stop on a couple of occasions, both of which were times when he decided to hide from me. They both happened when he was well below the age of 3 and he found these events rather amusing. I did not. The panic that grabs the heart of a parent or grandparent when the child you love and are caring for disappears is heart stopping. I can only imagine how Mary and Joseph must have felt when Jesus disappeared from their presence on that trip home from Jerusalem.

We might be rather surprised that it took a whole day for them to miss Jesus. But given the situation, where several family groups probably traveled together, it would be easy to believe that your child was walking with his buddies for the day. They probably noticed Jesus’ absence when evening drew near, and it was time to settle in for the night. Now the panic dawns as they realize Jesus is not with the group at all. Naturally, they retrace their steps and that took them all the way back to Jerusalem. Jesus is where He belongs, in the house of His Father. As Luke will later imply, Mary and Joseph do not fully understand where Jesus must be and what he must do. They are continually seeking to discover the mission of their child.

For the second time, we hear that Mary is “treasuring these things in her heart”. Many have suggested that this phrase is a clear indication that Luke used Mary as his main source for information regarding Jesus’ life, since Luke himself was not really present for most of Jesus’ ministry, as he was a Gentile. Jesus speaks His first recorded words in this passage. And of course, they are completely prophetic. “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” In those two short sentences, Jesus speaks about who He is as the Son of God and what He must do as a Son concerned with the Father’s business in the Father’s house.

As with the story of Jesus’ birth, we find another passage that points not to the beginning of Jesus’ life, but to the end.

“And it came to pass after three days, they found him”. The juxtaposition of “and it came to pass” and “after three days” may be Luke’s hint to take this time notice as signifying an eschatological event, just as the shedding of Jesus’ blood at his circumcision in fulfillment of the Law foreshadows his later crucifixion to satisfy the Law’s demands on our behalf. Perhaps this account anticipates the resurrection narrative.

Just, A. A., Jr. ©1996. Luke 1:1–9:50 (p. 130). St. Louis, MO: CPH. 

As the narrative of Jesus’ birth subtly intimated his burial, so does this account anticipate his resurrection. Remember, Luke identifies being lost with being dead, and being found with coming back to life. Once this is granted, then a number of details remind us of the empty tomb story in Luke 24:1–8. The time notice “after three days” is an important but not the sole clue. There is the seeking of one who is lost, and the sharp question put to the seekers, “why have you been seeking”, and “why do you seek the living among the dead”. There is the response of “keeping all the words in her heart” by Mary, and “remembering his words” by the women at the tomb.

L. T. Johnson

Luke is a master at bringing the entire story full circle with his use of these specific descriptions. Even as a 12-year-old, Jesus is fully aware of His place and His work. He is here for a purpose and even at this young age He is facing in the direction that God the Father points Him. Once again, I stand amazed at the completeness of God’s story and the overwhelming attention to detail throughout the story of Jesus’ life and ministry. Every single aspect of His life draws Him to the work of salvation upon which we count for our future in eternity with Him. That this should rest upon a 12-year-old, and that He should successfully carry it, is truly amazing. This leads us to a deeper understand of this Boy as True God.