The Gospel of Luke 2:41-52 Where's Jesus
Luke 2:41-52 · Vern Peterman · Dec 7, 2014
Gospel of Luke, No. 10
Holly Hills Bible Church
https://www.hollyhillsbiblechurch.org/teaching/messages/4926449245499

Transcribed from the recording by SermonAudio, so expect the occasional misheard word.

Good morning. We're going to be venturing into this passage here shortly. I have a few things to bring up with you first. One is, just as we sing through a lot of these Christmas carols, one of the things that is observed is that a lot of them are really millennial. That is, they're looking ahead to Christ's second coming when he will then reign on the earth for 1,000 years. Notice this last one, what child is this, the last verse on that.

The King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Revelation tells us, will be his title over the Gentile nations in the coming millennium. The next, Christ the King, is Christ the King of Israel. So singular reference to King, that's the King of Israel, and then the multiple, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, is over the Gentile nations. So between those two titles, that will be His reign over the entire earth from Israel and over Israel. Important to bring that out because our relationship to Christ is different. He is the king of Israel. He will be the king of kings over the Gentile nations. Our relationship to him is different. We will come as his bride. The church as his bride.

Now, the other thing to bring up is the electives. We have three electives that we're offering this next year, and we'd like you to sign up for it. That helps us planning for where should it be, and in case there are materials to have ahead of time, how many people do we have signed up.

First and Second Peter is just a fantastic book. And one of the many great themes in it is growth. growth. Finishing off 2 Peter, grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. And by the way, that's an imperative. So growth is a key thing. Faith is a phenomenal topic. The group teaching that is going to cover different aspects of faith. Here's what's amazing. You can't get to heaven without having faith here. Once you get to heaven, you won't need it. How about that? Anyway, amazing.

Randy and I will be teaching Defense of the Faith and Discernment. This I would particularly recommend for those who are students and their parents as well. Others certainly are welcome, but that's what I'd particularly recommend. Sign-up sheets are in the lobby. We ask that you sign up so that we can plan accordingly in terms of materials and locations.

We want to clarify something here. Just to be clear, this is not what we mean at Holly Hills Bible Church when we talk about being seated with Christ. Okay? So just to be very clear, this is not what we mean. Okay? Alright. That's not at all what we're talking about. Okay. Now, on to our passage here. Luke 2, 41-52. Alright.

Now, as you recall, Jesus was born. We saw that in Luke 2. And Jesus was born in Bethlehem. The shepherds came to visit there. As we will be studying today, I don't believe that the Magi, the wise men, had yet come by the time of Jesus being presented at the temple and by the time Simeon and Anna were there. You do find on the eighth day, Jesus was circumcised, that's noted, and then he was presented at the temple 40 days following.

And we'll be moving into the only passage in the New Testament, the only passage that talks about an incident during his growing up years. So this is a unique passage we'll be looking at today. It's the only one that really describes anything during Jesus' growing up. And so, questions for this Sunday. And this is on page one of your handout.

Will Joseph and Mary just go to Jerusalem just for Passover and then head back home to Nazareth the next day? So we'll take a look at that. Why didn't Joseph and Mary notice that Jesus wasn't with them when they were first leaving Jerusalem? Hey, he's not here! go a day out. Thirdly, why did Joseph and Mary find Jesus only after searching for him in Jerusalem for three days? Can you imagine?

We've lost track of our kid. It's been four days since we've seen him. That gets panicky. So we'll come back to that. Here's Luke 2.41.

Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. Every year, every time. It meant that they were very observant, very faithful about it. They took it to heart. Now, Joseph and Mary would very likely have taken the route along the Jordan River that they'd been taking before. Starting from Nazareth, heading over to the Jordan River, going down the Jordan River, which that part's nice because it's all downhill, right? You got water right nearby if you need it. That's cool. And this is just a camping trip. because it's going to take a few days.

Observant Jews did this in order to avoid going through Samaria. Now, it meant that you had to do some climbing up when you went from Jericho up to Jerusalem. But you avoid going through Samaria, which has mixed people and some crazy religion. So that's the likely path in general that they took. This would be the temple. And you'll notice that at the time there was a bridge that went across the ravine there at the Kidron. And then Jerusalem built around on two sides.

And to give you an idea, that temple area, the courtyard that will be the focus of our study here, that temple area is about six football fields or soccer fields if you relate to that more. in size, and then you have the inner temple area that only the Jews were allowed to go in, and you also had to be a qualified Jew. Some Jews were disqualified for various reasons. The main temple part that you see sticking up there is about 15 stories tall, to give you an idea of scale. Alright, one of the things that we see in here is Joseph and Mary held to the law.

If the law said observe the Passover every year, they observed the Passover every year. And they went to Jerusalem to do it instead of just observing it back in Nazareth. The law of Moses had the Jews observe the Passover, which is the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And Joseph and Mary, since they went every year, even though they had to travel about four days, We don't know exactly, about four days, maybe five if they had a rough time, right?

Each way we're conscientious observers of the law. And this is, I think, a key thing for us to look at. Jesus was born under the law, deliberately, okay? Born to parents who were very observant so that we, you and me, would be redeemed from the law. So what do people do? They don't recognize that. They look at the Gospels. And here's Jesus born under the law and they don't realize that all the things that Jesus was doing and the conditions under which he was born and raised and all of what he was addressing were Jews and Israel under the law. And much of what he said was addressing Jews under the law.

Now, Joseph and Mary held to the law. But look at this. Here is Galatians 4, 4, and 5. But when the fullness of the time came, God sent his son, born of a woman, born under the law, so that he might redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. Joseph and Mary were just the right parents because they observed the law. They took it to heart.

Now, that we might receive the adoption of sons. We'll take a look at that. Adoption of sons was a new process originated in Roman law for a Roman emperor to be assured of having an heir to the throne. Julius Caesar was the originator of this adoption of sons. He left it in his will. that Octavius, who would later be called Augustus Caesar, would be adopted as a son. Julius Caesar initiated by adopting this Augustus Caesar as a part of his will, and that changed everything. Starting with Augustus, five men in a row became emperors by the adoption of sons. Five men in a row, going through the New Testament. even on to the time past when Jesus carried on his ministry. So by the time Paul wrote about adoption of sons, it was very well known.

Key word here, it means son placing or son position. So if you're thinking about, is this position or condition? It's obvious, it's position, right? If there ever was a statement of our position in Christ, this is it. Adoption of sons is parallel to our identification with Christ. We'll talk about that in a minute.

By Roman law, the adopted son had a position far better than even a natural-born son. A full heir, it couldn't be reversed. You could not lose your adoption of sons, which should tell us something about your salvation. You can't blow it. The adopted son was legally severed from any prior sonship.

He died in relationship to His family, prior family. Here are the consequences, four, of adoption under Roman law. The adopted son lost all rights in his old family and gained more rights than a fully legitimate son in his new family. He became an heir to his new father's estate, even if other sons were born afterwards. Next, the old life of the adopted son was completely wiped out. So the adopted son was regarded as a new person entering a new life. And fourthly, the adopted son was literally and absolutely the son of his new father. All debts, all crimes, no matter how many or what magnitude, were all forgiven and wiped out. As if they never happened. Completely, completely new. Now, Joseph and Mary were just right as parents because They would bring up Jesus under the law carefully, but they didn't get caught up in the wrong focus and the hypocrisy that the Pharisees did. They simply observed it and lived life as it was.

There was no manual for how to raise the Messiah. Jesus didn't come with a book. The shepherd didn't come along and say, hey, I got this book for you. There isn't any such thing. Jesus was born and brought up under the law so that we could be redeemed from the law. That's why Joseph and Mary were just right in this. They didn't get all sidetracked like the Pharisees did. There's one other thing about going up to Jerusalem.

Psalm 113-118 is called the Hallel. It means praise. Hallelujah. Praise God. So the Hallel is Psalm 113 and 118. It was traditionally sung by the Jews as they were going up to Jerusalem, particularly along this road from Jericho as it ascended towards Jerusalem. So this would be sung every time they're making this pilgrimage into Jerusalem, and they would sing it together, and you'd have a whole trail of people headed to Jerusalem singing the Hallel, Psalm 113 and 118. This was a prelude to Jesus' triumphal entry, since they would sing Psalm 118, 26, which is quoted in all four of the Gospels, okay? Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. So when Jesus went in his triumphal entry, the same words would be sung from the Hallel.

It was what they traditionally did. And that would have happened here as Jesus went up every year for the Passover. So here's Luke 2, 42-44, and when he became 12, Jesus that is, became 12, they, Jesus and his mother and father, we're going to talk about some more on top of that, were there according to the custom of the feast, that is Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and as they were returning after spending the full number of days, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem.

But his parents were unaware of it, but supposed him to be in the caravan. He's somewhere among all these people that are going back and forth between Galilee and Jerusalem, right? and went a day's journey, and they began looking for him among their relatives and acquaintances. Okay, it's time to set up the tents and go camping here. Where is he? I don't know. First, let's look at the calendar. This is the top of page two.

This calendar shows you the seven feasts of Moses plus Hanukkah, which happened from an event between the Testaments. And in John 10, 22, and 23, Jesus celebrates Hanukkah. And then Purim, which is based on the book of Esther. So they end up with nine total feasts. Passover is the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. So they're often used, as we point out here, interchangeably. You talk about the Passover, of course, you're going to the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which goes on for days. So this is basically an eight-day event, all totaled. So now that's one thing. I have to make a little clarification.

See that Star of David in the middle? Star of David is only a few centuries old. So the Jews would look at that. David never saw a Star of David from anything we know. So take that out. What they would have recognized though is the menorah. They would have recognized the menorah. So that's in terms of clarifying that symbol.

The other thing you have on page two is a slide that we had a couple weeks ago and that is you have Joseph and Mary shown as the parents and then Jesus, James, Joseph, Jude, Simon, and Salome, and Mary. And I'll let you follow through on the notes there.

Jesus of course would have been born of only Mary. Joseph was the supposed father. But the thing to note, Jesus is 12. How old are the rest? This complicates the story because one of the things we want to point out here, Jesus was 12 years old at the time of this event that would very likely mean that Joseph and Mary had most, if not all, of their children by then. What do you see in the chart there?

Seven kids. And they'd be little stair steps. And you'd have the youngest one, or ones, nursing. By the way, the tradition in Israel, nursing until about age four. Okay, so you'd have quite a household. You know, you got one that's 12, and you got one or two probably that are still nursing. And all these little kids, stair steps, are all involved in this process going to Jerusalem and back.

All right. So while the biblical account doesn't mention the other children, we have it from the Bible, the names of the brothers, and we have it from the Bible that there were sisters, outside the Bible we have their names, Salome and Mary. But if you think about it, seven kids, right? And the one you don't worry about is the oldest one, that never causes a problem.

So you can imagine them thinking, man, we've got a whole job here corralling all these kids. It's like herding cats, right? And so you've got all these kids running around. Jesus is the last one you worry about. Because He never causes a problem. Perfect kid. And so you can imagine, they're distracted with all these kids running around with sin natures and everything. And here's one that doesn't. You don't worry about him. Okay.

So many Jews would go and come to the feast that it would be a caravan. All right, we're coming from Nazareth and they got all the people from Nazareth taken off to go down to the Passover and then you have as they get down to The Jordan River, what do they have? All the others from the whole area of Galilee all there concentrated at the Jordan River. All of a sudden you've got a huge mass of people in just a constant train trying to keep the kids herded together.

It's easy to imagine that, oh, Jesus must be somewhere in here. We never have a problem with Him. Right? So you can kind of get the mindset of Joseph and Mary. They're busy. The kids are busy too, right? So, this is also a matter of trying to figure out what's this trip going to be like each way, and they've been doing this every year, right? And they probably did it other times too.

When people are on foot, a typical day's journey, especially if you're going to have one that's day after day, sustainable is about 20 miles. That's about what you can handle, right? It would be about four days to go from Jerusalem back to Nazareth. But in setting out the first night to go back, having assumed that Jesus would be there among them somewhere, right?

They finally start putting the tents in and figuring out, you know, all right, who's where? And where's Jesus? Oh, no. This discovery. And they've already come one day, and they've already had this collection of little stair-step kids, right? And you can imagine they're trying, oh, we've got to go back. And with all these kids, we've got to go back and find Jesus. It's the last one we would have worried about, right? So here's Luke 2, 45 through 47.

When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem looking for him. then after three days they found him in the temple sitting in the midst of the teachers both listening to them and asking them questions okay so get this was he listening to them yes did he ask them questions yes we're not done and all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers talk about that in a minute so count this okay you got one day out You got one day back. You got three days looking. So how many days have gone by now? Five days without Jesus.

They are getting worried. They're getting really concerned. So, two days travel that were not anticipated. And how long are we going to search? Who knows? Five days. then to take up three more days searching for Jesus and until you find him you got no guarantee that you won't be looking for more days yet and especially after the first day or two they must have really wondered oh how long we're going to have to live in Jerusalem now you know searching for Jesus was getting to be way over the top the one we never have to worry about five days were taken up in the search for Jesus You and I know it was five days. They didn't. Until they found him, it was like, you know, how long do we have to search? Four of those days, when they first discovered, starting when they first discovered, Jesus isn't here with us.

It's a fair amount of stress and at times, imagine, near panic. And by the way, are you going to sleep at night over those three Maybe not. Rough time. So then after three days of searching for Jesus in Jerusalem, they found him in the temple. Immense relief and maybe a few other emotions on top of that, right? Can you imagine? You're going to read him out. They've never done that, right? What do you do? How do you treat the Messiah when he's 12 years old and you just found him after being derailed for five days? Okay. The word that Dr. Luke used for temple meant that this was the outer courtyard of the temple, not the inner temple. That's a different word. So this is the outer courtyard of the temple. Here's an oblique view of the temple. We mentioned that this area, just to give it some scale, is about six football fields or soccer fields in area. You've got a 15-story building there in the middle, to put it on some level that we could relate to. And so here's the outer courtyard.

It was typical not to stand out and have conversations out in the middle of the outer courtyard, but rather at the colonnade around the perimeter. And the one closest to this front gate was called Solomon's portico, right? Here's another view inside that perimeter colonnade.

This is where later on Jesus would gather with his disciples and have conversations with them and others who came to interact. And so these kinds of rather scholarly conversations and serious discussions would take place in this colonnade. And you could just about go anywhere in this colonnade and find that kind of a discussion taking place. Here is a little video clip to give you an idea what that might look like, looking out from the colonnade towards the area where there was the sacrifice.

You see that column of smoke, which the law said you must always keep that fire burning. So here is the perimeter colonnade. The one critique I would have of this little video clip is a time like Passover, this whole courtyard is just full of people. Lots and lots and lots of people. The population of Jerusalem would triple during the time of the Passover.

And it was expected, if you lived in or near Jerusalem, that you would host other people. That was just expected. So if you're going to live there, you're going to make a decision. Am I going to live there? And am I going to have people over as guests? And the answer is yes, you will.

So it gives you an idea. This is a perimeter colonnade. He was somewhere in this perimeter area. It doesn't say where. He was somewhere in this perimeter area having conversations. And you imagine other people saying, hey, have you heard this kid? This is a 12-year-old boy. Phenomenal questions and even more amazing answers.

Jesus was in the colonnade along the perimeter of the courtyard listening to and also asking questions of the teachers who were the most knowledgeable in all of Israel. Those who were around this perimeter colonnade, if you were not, you know, among the most knowledgeable people, you're going to listen, but you're not going to get, you know, leading some kind of a discussion.

This is an area where the rabbis would gather, and their disciples would gather with them. There were about approximately 150 rabbis in Israel about Jesus' time. Now, the Jewish practice of Bar Mitzvah was actually, like the Star of David, a later tradition. As a matter of fact, roughly about the same time as the Star of David began, the Bar Mitzvah was begun. but by the Jewish tradition of Jesus time it was 13 and one day 13 and one day when the young man was counted responsible to comply with the law so that was where the tradition came from the Bar Mitzvah is a later tradition so Jesus at age 12 was not only ahead of the Jews tradition but was sitting in the role of a disciple at first listening and then asking questions of Israel's teachers of the Law of Moses. The year before, you even expect a young Jewish boy to be responsible for carrying out and complying with the Law.

And it says, it uses the words amazed, Understanding and answers. Let's talk about what that means. The Greek word for amazed in this passage is the same one that Dr. Luke would use of parents when Jesus raised their daughter from the dead. That kind of amazed. This is blown away amazed. Not just, hey, that's an impressive kid, but like, whoa, what did I just hear? This is blown away amazed, not just kind of amused or slightly impressed. They were blown away at the questions Jesus asked and at the answers that he gave.

The word translated understanding means to have insight. Not just look at things at a superficial level and simplistically. He had insight into the passages that he talked about and into the questions that he asked. He had deep understanding, is another way to put it.

And here's the other thing. Remember it says there in the last verse we just read, he gave answers, but guess what he gave answers to? They weren't asking him questions, it says, right? He was asking questions they couldn't answer, and then he answered them. How about that? That's why they were blown away, because he would ask a question that showed that he had great insight, He'd ask a question, and they'd go, I don't know. And he says, OK, here's the answer.

Little 12-year-old kid, right? These scholarly, learned men who had had great discussions for decades in these colonnades were stumped, and Jesus gave them answers. They just were stunned, blown away, amazed. Here is how it may have been by the end of the third day. Here's a crowd of people gathering. Hey, have you heard this kid? This guy is phenomenal! He asks questions nobody can answer, and then he answers them! This is astounding. Luke 2, 48-50.

When they saw him, they were astonished, and his mother... Now, who's they? Joseph and Mary. When Joseph and Mary saw him, Jesus, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, Son, why have you treated us this way? Behold, your father and I have been anxiously looking for you. And he said to them, Why is it that you are looking for me? Did you not know that I had to be in my father's house? But they did not understand the statement that he had just made to them. By the way, he had asked two questions. Okay.

They were astonished, it's a different Greek word from amazed, when they found Jesus in the temple courtyard among the teachers of the Law of Moses. Whoa! He's hanging out with the rabbis! They had been looking for three days for Jesus in every possible place.

Can you imagine the question? Where could he be? And they'd ask that after the first day. And then they'd say, where could he be? Where could he be the second day? And I can imagine how the third day started, right? Likely going to homes that they had been in before. Remember that it was the obligation of people who lived in and around Jerusalem to host people during this slightly more than a week Passover and an 11 bread event. And so they may have stayed at different houses during that time, right? And they said, oh, let's go to this one. Let's go to that one. Remember when he was three years old? We stayed over here. And so they imagined him going around to all the different houses where they would imagine he'd be.

He's not there. Haven't seen him. So why? Not realizing that Jesus would see his presence at the temple among the teachers of the law as the natural place for him to be. Of course I'm here! Right? Mary asked Jesus, Son, why have you treated us this way? Oh! This is terrible!

Incomprehensible to Mary, because she had no idea that he would be there, otherwise she'd just walk right in and said, well, here he is. No idea that he'd be there, and thinking Why have you, the perfect child, for 12 years, why have you done this to us? Then she expressed the emotional distress she and Joseph had been going through as they returned to Jerusalem and looked for him for three days.

Jesus responded with a term that he only uses three times as far as what's recorded in the Gospels, my father's house. Jesus would use this term, my father's house, two more times at least. John 2, that's early in the Gospel of John, 13 through 17 at the cleansing of the temple. My father's house, this place. So same words referring to the same place. Jesus would also use the term my father's house, also in John, also in chapter 14, to refer to heaven where Jesus had come from and where he would return. Isn't that interesting? So Jesus used my father's house for the temple twice, but the last time he used it, he used it just right hours before he was crucified and he referred to my father's house as the temple? No. Heaven. Heaven.

The earthly temple is an illustration of the heavenly temple. So my father's house here in this temple on earth is an illustration of my father's house up there. Since the temple illustrates Everything that's a reality in heaven on earth is the illustration in heaven is reality Here in John 2 13 through 17 Also a Passover, okay The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

And he found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the moneychangers seated at their tables. And he made a scourge of cords and drove them all out of the temple with the sheep and the oxen, and he poured out the coins of the moneychangers." Oh, they must have loved that. They must have just been so enamored with that, I'm sure. Anyway, and overturned their tables, and to those who were selling the doves, he said, take these things away. Stop making my father's house a place of business. His disciples remembered that it was written, zeal for your house will consume me.

That's Psalm 69.9.

Jesus was beginning to show zeal for his father's house there when he was 12 years old. and it would continue all the way up to the week before he was crucified when he would cleanse the temple again. Now, Jesus' response was inconceivable to Joseph and Mary.

Can't imagine it. Mary had just called Joseph his father. Did you notice that? Mary had just called Joseph his father, even knowing that he wasn't his biological father, but in the role of a father for 12 years. So Jesus' earthly father's house was in Nazareth, not in Jerusalem. So that didn't compute. Further, the teachers of Israel were right there he had been in the midst of them when she made this statement they were probably at least close by to call God among the Jews our father as what is called the Lord's Prayer often begins that was allowed but to call God my father would have been taken as blasphemy so here is this twelve-year-old kid that asked phenomenal questions that listens, he does listen, he doesn't just sit there and tell them things he listens, but he asks phenomenal questions questions that apparently only he can answer and they are blown away, amazed at this little kid and he turns around and refers to God as my father which a respectable Jew would never ever do It would have been blasphemy, but that's what he did.

That's exactly what he did. So we have the last couple of verses of chapter 2, Luke 2, 51 through 52. And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and he continued in subjection to them. And his mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and men.

So Luke here, we've just read over the only passage that describes Christ somewhere in his growing up time. And Luke has given us a specific instance at age 12, but both preceded and ended with a statement about Jesus growing during this period of time, which is also a rather unique thing.

The other Gospels don't go there. Joseph and Mary would likely have taken the route along the Jordan River just to the reverse of what they had done before Been there done that right going back and forth back and forth at least once a year, right? So Jesus went down and at first part of it is really down, right? Jesus went down with Joseph and Mary and it's thousands of feet drop from Jerusalem down to Jericho and Jesus went down to Nazareth with Joseph and Mary.

He was continuing to be in subjection to his parents as he grew, just as he also was in subjection to his heavenly father, which even by age 12 he was calling my father. Being in subjection to his earthly father and mother was also a part of being under the law of Moses. Why would we say that?

Exodus 20.12 Honor your mother and father. Honor your mother and father. So Jesus was putting himself, in this case, under the law by being subject to his parents.

Notice the pattern here in Luke 2.19 through Luke 2.51 and 52. 2.19 reads like this, But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. So Mary's considering these things carefully, but she's also saying, these are precious moments. These are precious moments. Luke 2, 33 and 34, and his father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about him.

Luke 2, 40, just preceding this passage, and the child continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him. The grace of God was upon him while he was living under the law. How about that? Isn't that amazing? The grace of God was upon him while he was living under the law. And finally in this passage here, Luke 2, 51c, I'll call it, and 52, his mother treasured all these things in her heart and Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and men.

Saying again that this treasuring that's going on, she's realizing these are very special moments. I've been privileged to Raise the Messiah, she's thinking. Oh yes, at age 12 he certainly gave us a start. But I've been privileged to raise the Messiah and the import, the magnificence of what's going on doesn't escape me. I may wonder at all. I may wonder at it all. but how incredibly important this is.

Even when she was pregnant and was talking with Elizabeth, she talked about generations to come. Her perspective is not just about now, but looking for the many centuries ahead. Joseph and Mary were of course aware of a lot of the Old Testament prophecies and there's a great deal about Jesus' first coming and his second coming. people break it down differently but over a hundred easily stated over a hundred prophecies talk about his first coming and so Joseph and Mary had those things to look at and examine and look forward to there's a lot of detail yet to be revealed none of his disciples are identified in any of those prophecies so that's yet to happen how do you raise the Messiah? How do we raise the Messiah right, and is there a way to do it wrong? There were many surprises already by this twelve-year-old time, and more to come, many more.

As Simeon said, a sword will pierce even your own soul. Mary's treasuring things, and Mary's treasuring things that Simeon When Jesus was 40 days old, told Mary, a sword will pierce your soul. This is going to hurt. There was still a lot to treasure as well. A lot to treasure. A couple of observations here. Either Dr. Luke was able to talk directly and personally with Mary and to have her say, you know, I treasured all these things that happened and I pondered these things in my heart. And even after he gave them real frustration and panic when he was unable to be found for several days, even that she ended up treasuring. Isn't that something? It was either that Dr. Luke got to talk to Mary or somebody who knew Mary very well. Somebody who knew Mary very well. Jesus had increased in wisdom and stature as a human being as Mary's son. That's what these descriptions are in verse 40 and 52.

As the eternal Son of God, because remember Christ was fully deity as the Son of God, and fully man as the son of Mary as the eternal son of God he didn't change at all at any time he added humanity to his deity but his deity never changed So, the questions we ask first off, will Joseph and Mary go to Jerusalem just for Passover and then head back home to Nazareth the next day?

No, because there's Passover and then the Days of Unleavened Bread. So for over a week they would be there. Observing Passover and the feast of unleavened bread and that what it refers to is is the days came multiple days So we know that they didn't just go observe the Passover and go back home. They didn't happen Why didn't Joseph and Mary notice that Jesus wasn't with them when they were first leaving Jerusalem? first of all when you when you're in Jerusalem or any of the roads nearby when when you're ending the feast of unleavened bread and which starts off with the Passover and Everything is crowded.

You're jostling about. And what are they going to put their focus on? The little kids. Jesus, with whom they had no trouble at all at any time, would be the last thing you'd worry about. Plus, being 12 years old would be assumed that, OK, he's traveling with relatives or friends or something of that sort. And if we don't see him, it's no big deal. Because there's plenty of other people that he knows, is related to, that he's with or could be with.

And finally, the third question, why did Joseph and Mary find Jesus only after searching for him in Jerusalem for three days? Is they didn't understand how important this temple was going to be. That Jesus would start off his ministry with the cleansing of the temple, that he would end his ministry with the cleansing of the temple, that he had a great many discussions there at the temple. Important times with the disciples. They didn't understand that, otherwise they would have gone to the temple first instead of waiting until they crossed everything else off the list. Now, questions for next Sunday.

Why did Dr. Luke give the year within the reign of Tiberius Caesar plus the names of six other political appointees to give the date of the beginning of John the Baptist public ministry? Put it together. He gave seven political appointment names. I mean, you would have thought just one would have done it, right? And in truth, it did. Why did he give six, and with Tiberius, seven different political appointment names to talk about the beginning of John the Baptist's public ministry?

Okay, we'll talk about that. If a person is baptized for repentance, are that person's sins forgiven? Boy, okay. When John was done, John the Baptist, was every ravine filled and was every mountain and hill brought low? That's what it says. You'll see that. Was every ravine filled and every mountain brought low? And by the way, every is in the passage. So was everything just flat as a pancake in all of Israel?

Anyway, we'll talk about that. But we'll do it next week when we study Luke 3, 1-9. Hope you'll be able to join us. Let's pray. Lord, thank you for this precious passage. Everything we've studied in Luke so far has been either unique or very close to being unique among all the Gospels. We thank you for these things that Dr. Luke has been inspired to write for our benefit because you love us and care for us so very much. We thank you in Jesus' name. Amen.