Bible Passage: Luke 2:41-52
Pastor: Joel Jenswold
Sermon Date: December 29, 2024

Bulletin December 29, 2024

In the name of, and to the eternal glory of, Jesus,

Those of you who grew up with brothers and sisters know the conversations that sometimes take place within such families.  Siblings will reminisce about what it was like growing up together.  Invariably they will have the “who-was-mom-and-dad’s-favorite” argument.  “You were always mom’s favorite!”  “Dad thought you were perfect and could do no wrong!”

There was a family that lived long ago.  They had a number of children.  The boys were named Jude and James and Joses and Simon.  We don’t know the names of the sisters.  Oh, the oldest brother’s name was Jesus.  I am not trying to make a silly point.  But Jesus’ brothers and sisters could literally have a conversation and say, “Remember when we were growing up?  Jesus never did anything wrong!  He was perfect!”

People sometimes struggle to find the point of the text before us this morning.  Why do we have this story?  This is the only story we have in the Bible of Jesus’ childhood from the time of his presentation at the Temple when he was just 40 days old to his baptism and beginning of his public ministry.  Why this one, single story?  The point is that we would see in Jesus The Perfect Son.  The perfect son of Mary and Joseph.  But even more profoundly, the perfect Son of God.

It is the spring of the year and Mary and Joseph, along with many from the village of Nazareth in Galilee, are making their way down to Jerusalem for the celebration of the Passover.  It was required in the Law that men travel to Jerusalem for the Passover.  This year, we are told, 12-year-old Jesus goes with them.  The age 12/13 is when a Jewish male begins to be considered an adult.  Today Jews have a bar mitzvah to make a boy “son of the commandment.”  They didn’t have bar mitzvah at the time of Jesus.  Jesus was now a young adult member, like a confirmand.

When the festival is over, the group from Nazareth heads out to return home.  Luke tells us that in this group there were relatives and friends of Mary and Joseph.  So when they start for home, it doesn’t concern Mary and Joseph that Jesus isn’t at their side.  He’s a young man now.  The group is relatives and friends.  He’s here somewhere, maybe with the cousins.  No worries.

No worries until they stop for the night and they start to look for him.  “Have you seen Jesus?”  “Was Jesus walking with you?”  Uh-oh.  Now panic sets in.  Where is he?  That must have been an anxious, sleepless night for Mary and Joseph!  The next day they retrace their steps and travel back to Jerusalem.  They have to spend another night without Jesus wondering where he is.  Finally, on the third day, they find Jesus back at the Temple.

There is their boy!  He is sitting among the rabbis.  There is Jesus among those men who think theology and talk theology all day long.  And he’s not just a fly on the wall!  He takes in what they say, and then he asks insightful, probing questions.  Sometimes the rabbis ask Jesus a question.  Then they listened as Jesus replied with knowledge and answers that made their mouths hang open!  And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. (v. 47)  Mary speaks, Son, why have you treated us this way?  See, your father and I have been anxiously looking for you. (v. 48)

Now Jesus gives another answer that ought to amaze all who hear it.  Why were you looking for me?  Did you not know that I must be about my Father’s business? (v. 49)  Jesus calls God my Father.  In that very special way that only he can, the only-begotten Son of God addresses his father as, “My Father.”  In the Gospels, Jesus calls God “my Father” over 50 times!  And the Jews understood EXACTLY what it meant when Jesus called God “my Father.”  In John 5 we read, This is why the Jews tried all the more to kill him, because he…was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. (John 5:18)  Already at 12 years old, Jesus knows who he is!

And he knows why he is here.  I must be taking care of my Father’s business. (v. 49)  Maybe some of you remember hearing this verse as “I must be in my Father’s house.”  Literally, the Greek says, “It is necessary that I be in the things of my Father.”  What are “things of” the Father?  What is the “Father’s business”?  Saving people from sin, death, and damnation!  That is the Father’s business!  And 12-year-old Jesus is in business with his Father!  The Father and the Son share a single will and purpose on this!  Jesus is “all in” on the “business”!  Is it any wonder at his baptism his Father will say to him, You are my son, whom I love.  I am well-pleased with you! (Luke 3:22)  He is the perfect Son.

The Father’s business includes Jesus being the perfect son to Mary and Joseph, too.  And so we are told, He went down with them and came to Nazareth.  He was always obedient to them. (v. 51)  There is Jesus, the perfect 12-year old!  I am so glad he was a perfect 12-year-old!  Because I sure wasn’t!  I was proud and sometimes rebellious.  I could be mean to other kids.  When I wasn’t around my parents, I used bad words.  I didn’t love going to church.  What kind of a 12-year-old were you?  I’m so glad Jesus is the 12-year-old I was supposed to be and that part of his “Father’s business” was covering our 12-year-old unholiness with his 12-year-old holiness.

And of course, the rest of the business Jesus came to take care of he would complete during another Passover celebration.  Jesus would be back in Jerusalem 11 years later, as a 33-year-old, and this time he would die on a cross for us all.  And he would say of his and his Father’s business, It is finished! (John 19)  Work perfectly completed by the Father’s perfect Son!

Amen.