Luke 2:41-52
The Boy Jesus at the Temple
41Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. 42When he was twelve years old, they went up to the Feast, according to the custom. 43After the Feast was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. 44Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. 46After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you."
49"Why were you searching for me?" he asked. "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" 50But they did not understand what he was saying to them.
51Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.
When Jesus was twelve He went off to learn about God in the Temple...In the religious community Jewish boys were to take their full place at age thirteen...
Jesus' natural curiosity and passion were toward God...A most appropriated and comfortable place for Him would be the Temple...There He would see the priests and learn about them and what they taught...
His curiosity and passion would take Him to the Temple and He and His parents forgot to communicate where He was, and/or where He was going...The young Jesus tells His parents that basically He is safe, and wouldn't you know that I would be in My Father's house...It appears to Jesus that the way He was and the way He was raised, this would have been the first place to look for Him...It is easy for a curious child to walk one way in search of that new experience, and a parent to have their mind on something and then the child be away from His parents...
Children are born to learn and be curious...They are constantly excited by new experiences...Life to a child is one great classroom...Children at young ages are truly innocent...Their great awakening moves from this curious and learning experience(s) to a more realization that life is more than this wonderment of innocence...Children move from this wonderment of innocence to a search for the truth...This innocence gets lost generally around our teenage years...
Jesus had no sin, even as a child...Children have new experiences and a constant search for happiness...Jesus search appears to be different...He was searching for wisdom...It appears He was searching for the truth at the young age of twelve...
Even at the young age of twelve, the teachers in the Temple were amazed at His understanding and His answers...Jesus would grow much more in wisdom and in stature...He would gain favor both with men and God...He of no sin, would become our Savior, to take away our sins...
This is God's plan...God is completely Holy...We are apart from God since the original sin of the fruit in Eden, because of our personal sins...Jesus would be the One to reconcile us (by taking our sins on the cross)...With Jesus, we can be with our Holy Father...