Quiz Question: “What were the first words in scripture spoken by Jesus?” If you answered, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Mt.4:17), you are in good company. But, sorry, even good company are not always correct.
Luke 2:42-51 records Jesus’ trip to Jerusalem with his parents at age twelve. On the return trip, he was assumed to have been among the other travellers, but was nowhere to be found.
When Mary and Joseph returned to Jerusalem, they “found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions.”
The fact that everyone was astonished didn’t impress his mother. Three days of searching had worn her nerves thin. She wanted an explanation: “Son, why have You treated us this way? Behold, Your father and I have been anxiously looking for You.”
Much to our surprise (and probably more so to theirs), Mary and Joseph were not met with the humble apology one might expect. Instead, Jesus asked: “Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?” (Lk.2:49).
These, of course, were the first recorded words of our Lord.
In your reading of the Bible, note how God expects His faithful to know what is happening around them. As simplistic as that may sound, this is one of those cases where they should have seen what was happening before them.
Outside of the distractions of Apocryphal stories about Jesus’ childhood, we have no Biblical data concerning the events of his first 12 years.
However, Jesus’ point is plain to see: Everything seen and heard by Mary and Joseph up to that day was witness enough of his work and identity. How did they miss it?
“Where else would he be?”
John Staiger
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