On the last Sunday in 2024, the lectionary invites us to ponder Luke 2:41-52. The English Standard Version (ESV) supplies the passage with the heading “The Boy Jesus in the Temple.”
Verses 40 and 52 serve as bookends. They are summary statements. Verse 40 speaks of God’s favour upon Jesus. Verse 52 suggests a three-word summary of God’s favour: wisdom, constancy, stature.
Here’s a quick summary of the passage.
Jesus’ parents and relatives were pious. Every year, for the Passover festival, they went to Jerusalem to worship God in his Temple. They went with others, in convoy. As they travelled, they sang psalms and discussed the scriptures. When Jesus was 12 years old, one day into the return journey to Nazareth, his parents couldn’t find him, not even among their relatives in the convoy. They returned to Jerusalem. They looked for Jesus. After three days, they found him. He was in the Temple, debating with the learned men who taught there. The men were in awe of him because of his knowledge.
Why does Luke tell us about the time Jesus was lost and found?
Luke uses the word “must” 22 times. This is more than in any other book in the Bible. The second highest use of “must” is in Matthew, 15 times. In the Old Testament, the highest use is in Genesis, 11 times.[1] In Luke, “must,” signals events which are essential for salvation.
In this Sunday’s passage, we read, in verse 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?’”
That verse is the heart, the centre, of the passage.
Jesus parents were faithful, pious. They knew their son, Jesus, was conceived by an extraordinary act of God, the Virgin Birth. Yet, they failed to see how Jesus must spend his life.
Jesus didn’t tell his parents he was going to remain in Jerusalem for a few more days. They assumed he was in the convoy, with their relatives. They missed him. They turned around and looked for him. They found him.
Why is Luke telling us this story of the time Jesus was lost and found? Luke achieves much through this story. I’ll list five things.
One, the story shows us that Jesus began engaging learned, accredited men, early in his life. These men recognized Jesus’ wisdom when he was still a child. But as the story unfolds in the rest of Luke’s gospel, we will see that learned men often would reject him and turn against him.
Two, it shows us that despite his virgin birth,[2] Jesus’ parents couldn’t see how he would pursue his goals. He chose to stay in the Temple without telling them beforehand. But he knew where they would find him. He knew this would show them whom he would make the centre of his life.
Three, it introduces the theme of “lost and found” which runs through Luke. Matthew also tells us about Jesus’ parable of the lost sheep. But only Luke tells us about the parables of the lost coin, and the prodigal son. In these parables, a sheep, a coin, and a wayward son[3] are lost and found. Finally, Jesus himself is “lost” to death and “found” in resurrection.
Four, it tells us that Jesus’ parents found him after three days. “Three days” signals God’s special activity. Genesis tells us the first living things were created on the third day.[4] After the Israelites arrived at Mount Sinai, God appeared on the third day.[5] Jonah came out of the fish on the third day. Jesus was resurrected from the dead on the third day.[6] I could cite many more biblical examples of “third day.”
Five, Mary’s response of treasuring up the event in her heart, which we read in verse 51, foreshadows, indicates, a future event. That event is at the empty tomb of Jesus. Luke tells us, in 24:8 that there, an angel prompted Mary, and the two women with her, to remember Jesus’ words:
“… Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.”
So, why does Luke tell us about the time Jesus was lost and found?
Luke uses the story to show us Jesus was so amazing, so incredible, that even the favoured Mary and Joseph found it hard to imagine how the story of Jesus would play out.
Luke uses the story to set up the rest of the story of stories. The story of good news. And that Jesus was recognized early on as wise, by wise men.
Luke tells us that Jesus enacted a parable of being lost and found. And that we too are lost. And God is looking for us. And we will be found.
Are you lost? Do you know the Father is looking for you? Are you found? Is your body his Temple, the centre of God’s will?
Peace be with you.
[1] These counts are for the ESV.
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