Grow Up Like Jesus
The journey had been expected because He had taken it each year for the past eleven years. Why should this year be any different, but it was—different. They walked to Jerusalem for Passover, and when it was time to return home to Nazareth, they traveled homeward for several days. The caravan of travelers was long, and thinking He was with their aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents, His mother and His father thought all was well, but then, they realized He was—missing. Naturally, the only decision was to return to Jerusalem. That must have been three hard days filled with worry, stress, and anxiety. They arrived back at the city where they had just been for the Feast of the Passover and began searching. Day One passed—He remained missing. They must have looked in all the obvious places. Day Two came and they looked again, searching in other places than they looked during Day One, but it ended and—He remained missing.
“Then, after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers,
(The Gospel According to Luke 2: 46-47 NASB)
both listening to them and asking them questions.
And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers.”
- Surely His parents never dreamed their twelve-year-old boy would be found in the temple surrounded by religious teachers (rabbis). &
- Surely His mother Mary immediately considered what the angel of the LORD had spoken to her twelve years earlier when she learned that she had been chosen by God. &
- Surely His earthly father Joseph recalled the vision of the LORD he had received years earlier, when he considered sending Mary away secretly after he learned she was pregnant but betrothed to marry him.
For the carpenter and his wife, they knew their eldest son was special, and after frantically searching to find Him, they saw with their eyes and heard Jesus’ reply to their question.
“When they saw Him, they were astonished;
(The Gospel According to Luke 2: 48-49 NASB)
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 were looking for Me?
Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?”
We need to Grow Up Like Jesus.
That’s right. Notice Jesus’ actions:
- He was curious; He was sitting near the rabbis, asking questions and answering theirs.
- He was hungry for teaching, for instruction.
The rabbis were hungry and thirsty and “amazed at His understanding and His answers.”
- We too must be willing to express our faith & even our doubts.
- We must be walking through life with other believers, Christian friends who we can study God’s Word with and learn.
- We must express our love for God.
- We must serve our family &
- We must serve those we work with each day.
- We must Hunger and Thirst for more understanding of the LORD.
- We must make a life for the glory of God.
- We must take our spiritual journey—seriously.
Daily, we encounter our mission field: Our Homes & Our Jobs. These are essential locations we need for becoming mature in our faith and where our spiritual formation occurs. If we look at the rest of the story, at the day when Joseph and Mary found twelve-year-old Jesus teaching and learning in the Temple of God, then we will SEE WHY WE NEED TO GROW UP LIKE JESUS.
After Jesus’ answer to their question, the Bible records—
“But they did not understand the statement which He had made to them.
(The Gospel According to Luke 2: 50-52 NASB)
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.”
We are saved by grace through faith in Christ, but our life does not end there there (unless we suddenly die after that moment of our salvation).
- We are to Grow Up Spiritually.
- We are to Grow Up Like Jesus Taught Us to Do.
“For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom;
(The 1st Letter of Paul to the Corinthians 1: 22-25 NASB)
but we preach Christ crucified,
to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness,
but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks,
Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men,
and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”