Anchor My Faith

Travel to Passover in Jerusalem

Scripture: Luke 2:41-45

In the previous lesson, Jesus was safely living and growing as a child in Nazareth of Galilee. Then, around AD 8 when Jesus was 12, he went with his parents to Jerusalem. Scripture reveals nothing more about the childhood of Jesus from the time he was presented at the temple and then returned to Nazareth to live and this account of him we are about to begin. We will pick up the narrative with Joseph and his family again traveling: “Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom” (Luke 2:41 – 42 ESV).

The Law required that: “Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God at the place that he will choose: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Booths. They shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed” (Deuteronomy 16:16 ESV).  The Feast of the Passover was the opening-day feast of the seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread (Leviticus 23:5 – 6). Since Jesus was 12 years old, he accompanies his parents to the feast. This is probably the age at which male children were required to appear at the three public feasts.

“And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it” (Luke 2:43 ESV). Apparently Joseph, Mary and Jesus were part of a pilgrim caravan, traveling as a group, and when they left Jerusalem it was assumed that Jesus was in the group. It appears surprising that Mary and Joseph weren’t paying closer attention to the whereabouts of Jesus, but maybe that wasn’t as important as it is today. It was assumed that Jesus, as obedient as he was, would be in the group, but God had other plans and kept him behind.

“but supposing him to be in the group they went a day’s journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances” (Luke 2:44 ESV). The parents of Jesus had no reason to believe that Jesus was not with the group, but with another family, spending time with friends. At the end of the first day’s journey they realized they had not seen Jesus and began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances. A day’s journey was about 20 miles.

“and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him” (Luke 2:45 ESV). We don’t know who went back to Jerusalem besides Joseph and Mary. It would seem reasonable that they all went back since they would all have been concerned over finding Jesus and as a group there were more to help in the search, there was greater safety, and they probably shared traveling resources.

Prayer

Father, it is hard to imagine what Jesus was like as a child being born without a sin nature and never sinning as a child. It is a nature we will have in heaven. Since Jesus lived his entire life and never sinned even once, his decision to stay in Jerusalem was not a sin of disobedience to his parents, but of obedience to you his Father. Being of age to be required, as a male, to attend the Feast of the Passover, it appeared to be a good time to gather greater public attention toward him. Father, point by point along the way we see you making preparations for Jesus to break forth in public ministry.