Jesus as a Boy Part 2
When Jesus was twelve years old, He went with Mary and Joseph to the feast of the Passover. Once a year they met to remember together how God had led them out of Egypt and protected them from the angel of death. It was many miles to Jerusalem, and they traveled on foot. Perhaps some could afford to go on donkeys, but large crowds walked, having a good time together as they walked and talked. Perhaps they sleep out under the stars at night. When they came to Jerusalem, they stayed for seven days, going to their beautiful temple, hearing the Word of God being explained to them, perhaps visiting friends and relatives.
When the great feast was over, they started back to Nazareth again. At first Mary and Joseph did not notice that Jesus was not with them, for there was a great crowd. Perhaps they thought He was with their friends or walking with boys His own age. They had traveled a whole day before they realized He was not in the company. Then they began to inquire, “Have you seen Jesus, or Son? He is twelve years old, a tall, strong boy.” When He was not found, Mary and Joseph made the day’s journey back to Jerusalem to look for Him. For three days they looked though the city streets and every place they had been during the Passover feast, but they could not find Him. They were very anxious by this time.
Finally they found Him, not playing in the streets or watching the strange sights of the city, but in the temple, their house of God. He was sitting in the midst of the teachers and scribes whose business it was to study and explain the Word of God. They were all grown men, some of them quite old. Jesus was listening to them talk. Sometimes He would ask them questions, and sometimes they would ask Him questions. The men were amazed at His answers and at His questions also. They said to themselves, “How can this be? A twelve year old boy with all this knowledge!” They did not know that He was God in human flesh.
Mary said to Him, “Son, why did you do this? Your father and I have been worried and anxious as we have looked for you.” Jesus knew, as Mary and Joseph did, that He was not Joseph’s son, though He was obedient to him as to an earthly father. He answered His mother, “But why should you be looking for Me? Didn’t you understand that I must be about My Father’s business?” It was if He said to them, “I know that God is my Father, and that He sent Me into the world for a special reason. I love to be in His house, to hear about Him and talk about Him and His Word.”
Mary and Joseph did not understand what He meant, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them many, many times.
Jesus went back to Nazareth with Mary and Joseph the Bible says, “He was subject to them.” Which means He obeyed them. We know nothing more about Him until He was thirty years old, except one verse, Luke 5:52, “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” His mind was growing and learning everything He could during those years. His body grow strong and tall. People admired and trusted Him, and He was growing in favor with God. All this time He was living in the family as an obedient Son, doing His work faithfully and well.
At the back of the town of Nazareth was a hill, from the top of which could be seen snow-capped mountains to the north and the countryside over which Elijah, Gideon, David, Samuel and many others had walked and where many miracles had taken place. I wonder if Jesus walked up that hill to speak to His heavenly father, and think about the Old Testament history that had come to pass before He came into the world. I wonder to if he spoke to His mother about the angel’s visits and the work He was to do. We do not know about this, but we do know He grow strong, looking forward to the time when we would begin the ministry for which He had been sent.