Bible Study Series: Luke 2:41-52. Jesus had a sense of mission at a young age.
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In the next link to the original chapter, I comment more and offer the Greek text. At the bottom you will find a “Summary and Conclusion” section geared toward discipleship. Check it out!
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Scripture: Luke 2:41-52
41 Each year his parents went to Jerusalem to the festival of Passover. 42 When he was twelve years old, they went up according to the custom of the festival and completed the days. 43 While they were returning, the child Jesus stayed in Jerusalem, and his parents did not know this. 44 Thinking he was in the caravan, they went one day’s journey and began looking for him among the relatives and those whom they knew. 45 Not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem looking for him. 46 Three days passed and they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers and listening and inquiring of them. 47 And everyone hearing him were beside themselves at his insights and answers. 48 When they saw him, they were stunned, and his mother said to him, “Child, why did you do this to us? Look! Your father and I have been frantically looking for you!” 49 And he said to them, “Why did you look for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” 50 And they did not understand the word which was spoken to them. 51 And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, being submitted to them. His mother treasured all these words in her heart. 52 And Jesus made great progress in wisdom, maturity, and the favor of both God and people. (Luke 2:41-52)
Comments:
41:
Jews were required to present themselves before the Lord three times a year for the three main feasts (Exod. 23:17). His parents obeyed the law. However, many Jews did not go to Jerusalem to celebrate the three feasts: Passover (and unleavened bread), festival of weeks (Pentecost), and tabernacles (or booths) (Lev. 23). They stayed in their own towns and communities when Jerusalem (or the place where God places his name) was too far (Deut. 12:5-7, 11-19). Joseph and Mary, however, went up yearly to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. Of course it would be too much to believe (wouldn’t it?) that Luke highlights the Passover as his parents’ yearly festival, because he knew the end of his story. Jesus was going to die during Passover. He was going to be the Passover lamb (compare Luke 22:1, 7-8; 11, 13, 15; 1 Cor. 5:7).
“Passover”: see this link:.
Festivals in Leviticus 23 from a NT Perspective
42:
“twelve”: this sets the time frame. He was entering puberty. Morris (and other commentators) teach us that in the Mishnah (a compilation of oral laws and traditions written down in about AD 200), a boy at about thirteen years old could become a “son of the commandment” or full member of the synagogue (Aboth 5:21; Niddah 5:6) (comment on v. 41). But the bar mitzvah ceremony as done today did not exist back then.
43:
Luke sets up the tension in this true story. Why would Jesus do this? Where was he? No doubt the readers / listeners were asking the same questions you are today.
44:
People traveled together, which fills in the picture more when Mary went down to the hill country of Judea to visit her cousin Elizabeth (Luke 1:39-45). There was no way she traveled alone at that time, but surely went with some of these same relatives and acquaintances.
Liefeld and Pao: “At this intermediate age, Jesus might have been either with the women or with the men and older boys, if the families were grouped this way in the caravan. Each parent might have supposed he was with the other (v. 43). We need not assume that his parents neglected him. It was after a day of travel that they missed Jesus (v. 44); another day would have been required for the trip back (v. 45) and on the next day (‘after three days,’ v. 46) the successful search was made” (comments on vv. 43-45)
45-46:
They did the only thing they could do: go back.
It is a stunning fact that he was in the temple three days. Where did he sleep? What did he eat? Or was he fasting? He probably attached himself to mentees of the religious leaders, and they shared their food and housing with him. No, Jesus was not mentored formally with them, but hospitality was a requirement in those days.
“teachers”: this is the generic terms for all students and instructors of religion, like the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. They may have included judges or those who decided religious disputes and knew the law thoroughly.
“listening and inquiring”: the latter word could be translated simply as “asking.” He listened and then asked the questions. Good idea for a youngster. Boys were educated back then, and he was really bright. Have you not heard of early teens at a university, able to keep up? I have. No, Jesus was not asking about modern science, but about the OT, Judaism, the law, traditions and right behavior, just like other Jewish boys of his day did with their rabbis or mentors or disciplers. Here Jesus is in the epicenter of Judaism—the temple—with sheep and goats bleating and calves and bulls and cows mooing and waiting their turn to be sacrificed. When they discussed religion, the teachers and sages and mentors marveled at him. Perfectly plausible.
47:
“beside themselves”: Most translations go with “stunned” or “astonished” or “amazed.”
“insights”: It means, depending on the context, “understanding, intelligence, discernment” or “insight.” It can also mean “the understanding, intellect, mind” (Mounce’s interlinear). Some grammarians say it should be translated “intelligent answers” or “insightful answers” or “understanding answers.” They are right of course, but I prefer the doublet: “insights and answers.”
Earlier on, Jesus is demonstrated to be an insightful interpreter of Scripture. This prowess is vital to his besting the devil in the wilderness, his refutation of the Pharisees and Sadducees in each of his confrontations with them, and his interpretation of his ministry after his resurrection (24:25-27, 41-49). The readers will recognize that his understanding comes from being more that a precocious child; he is the Son of God (Garland, comment on 2:47).
48:
“child”: I like how Mary tells it like it is.
“frantically”: it is used only by Luke: here, 16:24, 25; and Acts 20:38. BDAG, a thick Greek lexicon, says: “to experience mental and spiritual pain, be pained, distressed.” Parents who have lost a wandering child, hopefully only temporarily, must know the distress and pain.
“look!”: The older translations say, “behold!.” It draws the reader’s attention to a new development or a surprise. The reader should focus in in.
49:
Jesus was also amazed that his parents were looking for him for three days and did not first check the temple complex.
“must”: Because of his growing sense of God’s call on his life, he believed that he had to be about his Father’s business or the things of his Father. “But the verb ‘it is necessary’ [must] in Luke applies to the unfolding of God’s plan (4:43; 9:22; 13:33; 17:25; 22:37; 24:7, 26, 44), to which Jesus submits” (Garland, comments on 2:49-50). His teaching in the temple prefigures his teaching ministry later in his life—at the end of his life—when he enters Jerusalem triumphantly (Garland, again).
The most widely accepted translation of the Greek is “house” (Bock, vol. 1, p. 270). He was in his Father’s house receiving and giving instruction to those farther along in Judaism. It would have been great to listen in on those discussions.
It is a simple fact of life that parents don’t often understand their children—or one of their children. Jesus had a special and unique calling on his life, and at this young age he recognized it. For a deeper discussion on how the boy Jesus could be God in bodily form (Col. 1:19; 2:9; John 1:1-4, 14), but still a child, please find Luke 1:35.
50:
“understand”: it means “understand, comprehend, gain an insight into.” Jesus’s insight and understanding went well beyond his years, so much so that he astounded his listeners. Joseph’s and Mary’s insight and understanding were deficient in this case. As noted, sometimes a child will go beyond his parents’ capacities.
51:
“he went down”: Jerusalem is on a hill, and even when one leaves the city towards the north, one goes down from there. When one travels southward towards the city, one goes up to it.
“submitted”: it literally means to arrange or rank oneself under. It means simply “to subject or subordinate oneself” or “to obey.” It is a good idea to submit to parents, when one is so small. So Jesus had to strike a balance between submitting to his earthly parents and his heavenly Father.
“treasured”: See v. 19, for more discussion.
52:
“make great progress”: here in this context, Jesus was forging ahead beyond his years, just as he evidenced his advancement in Jerusalem with his dialogues. But let’s be modest and say “go forward, make progress, advance, go on.” His advancement moved forward rapidly.
But it was directed in three virtues or ways.
“wisdom”: This word undoubtedly goes along with the Greek noun “understanding.”
“maturity”: this noun means “mature age, past the normal age.” So this is better than bodily stature. However, Jesus could be doing both: growing up in mental and emotional and spiritual stature and health and in height. He demonstrated his maturity intellectually, emotionally and spiritually in his discussions in Jerusalem.
“favor”: this is the Greek noun charis, (pronounced kha-reess) and see v. 40 for more information. The favor is spelled out as being both vertical (God) and horizontal (humankind). His neighbors and relatives and friends could see something special about him. No doubt he exuded wisdom and knowledge. His wisdom and insight and understanding came from the Scripture and his relationship with his Father in heaven.
GrowApp for Luke 2:41-52
1. Do you recall your devotion to the Lord when you were a child? What was that like?
2. How hungry for God are you? Hungry enough to get into discussions for three days?
3. Do you recall having a sense of divine mission when you were a child? What was that like?
4.. If you don’t have a Christian childhood, how has God dealt with you today to give you a divine mission or a hunger for him?
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SOURCES
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