Jesus in the Temple - Luke 2:41-52 (Part 1)

The Devotion Causing the Absence (Luke 2:41)
     (Luke 2:42). It was customary among the Jews that at twelve the Jewish male began his attendance at the three great religious feasts in Jerusalem. The Passover was the most important of the three. Therefore, (Cook). This makes the later absence of Christ from the company of Joseph and Mary all the more condemning for Joseph and Mary.

Departure in the Absence (Luke 2:43–46)
     (Luke 2:43). After the Passover celebration, Joseph and Mary left Jerusalem without Christ.
     The instance of the departure. (Luke 2:43). At the end of a high spiritual experience, they departed from Christ. Often after a high spiritual experience, many saints fail and fall. Revival is sometimes followed by ruin. Folk have a tendency to let down their guard after a high spiritual experience, and Satan sees the opening and attacks.
     The ignorance in the departure. (Luke 2:43). That Joseph and Mary were unaware that Christ was not with them is incredible. You would think, in view of Who Jesus was, that His absence would have been very evident to them. Yet it took a whole day for them to realize He was not with them. The spiritual application is that many people travel many days and years in life without Christ unaware of what they are missing.
     The investigating after the departure. When Joseph and Mary realized Jesus was not with them they began to investigate where He might be. First, the supposing in the investigating. (Luke 2:44). Their first act of investigating was one of supposing that Christ was with the group traveling with them. People did not travel in autos, buses or trains as we do today but had to walk. So Jews traveled in large groups to and from the religious occasions in Jerusalem both for safety and for socializing. When Joseph and Mary first realized Jesus was not with them, they assumed He was somewhere in the traveling group. This was a bad assumption. Never assume your spiritual condition. Make certain of it! Second, the seeking in the investigating. (Luke 2:44,45). It is not uncommon to not find Jesus in your relatives and friends. Third, the seriousness of the investigating. (Luke 2:45). Joseph and Mary were alarmed when they could not find Christ in the group they were traveling with, so they decided to head back to Jerusalem. This was serious investigating, for they would have to go back a day’s journey on their own without the safety of their group.

Delay From the Absence (Luke 2:44–46)
     Failure to make sure Jesus was with them caused much inconvenience and an uncomfortable delay for Joseph and Mary.
     The period in the delay. Not traveling with Jesus caused a great delay for Joseph and Mary to reach their home in Nazareth. It delayed their trip by at least five days, for they traveled (Luke 2:44) before they realized Jesus was not with them; then they searched (Luke 2:46) in Jerusalem before they found Him. After finding Him, it would take a day to get back to where they realized He was missing. That makes a total of at least five days. We do not make progress without Christ. Many think they are moving ahead in life, but if they have not taken Jesus Christ on board, they will discover that without Christ in your life, you are wasting a lot of time.
     The pain in the delay. (Luke 2:48). The word translated is a very strong word and means (Thayer). It is the same word translated in Luke 16:24. There the rich man who was (Luke 16:23,24). Traveling without Jesus Christ can cause great pain - eternal pain for those who refuse to take Him on board as their Savior.

Discovery of the Absence (Luke 2:47)
     After three days of searching, Joseph and Mary (Luke 2:46). When Joseph and Mary found Jesus in the Temple they were (Luke 2:38) at what He was doing. They were not alone, for the people at the Temple were at Christ’s performance (Luke 2:47).
     The area of the discovery. (Luke 2:46). It would be interesting to know where Joseph and Mary spent three days looking for Jesus in Jerusalem. Finally they looked in the Temple and found Him. Joseph and Mary would be much relieved to find Jesus, but what He was doing when they found Him was a great surprise. First, the position in the area. In the customs of the day, for Christ to be in the midst of the religious teachers was a place of honor, especially for a twelve year old boy. Second, the people in the area. The word is translated or most of the time. Only once the word is translated and that is in our text. These men were the religious teachers, probably scribes.
     The activity in the discovery. What Christ was doing in the Temple is described in at least a threefold way. First, the attentiveness of Christ. (Luke 2:46). Christ showed proper respect for the elders and teachers by first listening to what they had to say. You cannot engage in productive conversation or dialogue without listening to what others have to say. Second, the asking by Christ. (Luke 2:46). During His earthly ministry Christ was at times asked some subtle and clever questions in an effort to trip Him up and embarrass Him. Here Christ could ask questions that would astound and perplex the great religious teachers of the day. Third, the answering by Christ. (Luke 2:47). Christ understood more than the teachers and could answer any questions they asked with great wisdom, and what even more would amaze these religious leaders is that He was only twelve years old.
     The amazement in the discovery. When Joseph and Mary discovered Jesus, they were amazed, and the people there were were also amazed at what He was doing. First, the attitude of the people. (Luke 2:47). Christ manifested Divine wisdom in His conversation with the religious teachers. While the people eavesdropping on the conversation would be astonished at the understanding of His answers, the religious leaders would be embarrassed that a twelve year old boy showed more wisdom than they did. Second, the attitude of the parents. (Luke 2:48). They should not have been amazed, for they were told by an angel Who this child was. But it would be hard for them to comprehend Jesus Christ as we know Him today, especially when He was just a twelve year old boy.