“After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions” (Luke 2:46 ESV).
Twelve year old Jesus traveled with his family to Jerusalem for the Passover festival as they did every year. They traveled with a large entourage of friends and family from Nazareth. It was a wonderfully joyous annual holiday. Yet, after traveling a day’s journey on the way back home, his parents realized that Jesus wasn’t with them.
Can you imagine the frantic one day journey back to Jerusalem to look for him? Finally, on the third day (One day out, one day back, discovered on the third day), they found him in the Temple courts talking with the religious teachers.
This story illustrates how easy it is to move forward in life, assuming Jesus is with us, only to later realize we have been walking without Him. Like Mary and Joseph, we can become so focused on the journey—our routines, responsibilities, and distractions—that we lose awareness of His presence. The real question is: How long will it take for us to notice? How many days will pass before we realize we haven’t been seeking Him?
This passage challenges us to examine how often we go about the day without acknowledging Jesus. Do we wake up and move forward with our plans without seeking His guidance? Do we find ourselves anxious and weary before realizing we’ve been relying on our own strength? Instead of waiting until we’re lost or overwhelmed, let’s decide to stay close to Jesus every moment. Let us grow in our love and awareness of Jesus, so that we never go even three seconds, much less three days, without Him.
Today, let us pause and intentionally invite Jesus into every part of our day. Let us not assume He is walking with us—let us make sure we are walking with Him.
PRAYER: Dear Father, forgive us for those days when we rush out without talking to Jesus and asking for His direction. We want to always follow Him in everything. Strengthen us for today’s journey. In Jesus’ name, amen.
“And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem” (Luke 2:38 ESV).
In the gospel of Luke, an 84 year old widow named Anna came up to the Temple at the same time that Mary and Joseph came to present the infant Jesus to the Lord. She arrived just as a man named Simeon was moved by the Spirit to take Jesus up in his arms and prophecy over him. Both she and Simeon were described as those who were “waiting” on God’s redemption. Simeon’s words were recorded by Luke in some detail, but Anna’s words were simply summarized saying that she gave thanks and spoke of Jesus to all were “waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.”
Anna’s waiting was finally rewarded. For the Lord answered her longing for redemption by letting her see her Redeemer. She may have seemed an unimportant widow to the priests and leaders who saw her every day at the Temple. But the Spirit revealed the Savior to her and made sure that Luke was inspired to include her name in his gospel.
Now we are those who wait on our redemption. For the Lord has come and is coming again.
PRAYER: Dear Father, it amazes us that You care for those that others overlook. You care for the widow and for the orphan. You care for the least of these. And You reveal Yourself to those who wait for Your redemption. Thank You for revealing Jesus to us. In His name we pray. Amen.
“Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people” (Luke 2:52 NLT).
Luke is the only gospel that describes how Jesus grew up. The story of twelve year old Jesus talking with the teachers in the Temple, while His family was looking for Him, is a very interesting glimpse into His youth. And it begs the question, “What did it look like for the Son of God to grow up?” Luke summarized Christ’s growing years in a four part description. This description is helpful for those who want to grow in maturity as they follow Jesus:
The four ways that Jesus grew were: 1) Mentally “wisdom” 2) Physically “stature” 3) Spiritually “favor with God” 4) Socially “favor with people”
These four areas of growth provide a way of considering our own growth. After all, as Christ followers, shouldn’t we desire to grow in these same areas?
I try to set one or two goals at the first of the year in each of these same four areas, praying that Jesus will help me to grow more like Him. I call them my Luke 2:52 goals. For instance, I might have a goal under mental growth like “Read 2 books a month,” or “Learn to play the banjo.” Under physical growth, I might say, “Lose 15 pounds,” or “Join a gym.”
What would your “Luke 2:52” goals look like?
PRAYER: Our Father, we want to grow up like Jesus. Your Spirit empowers us and Your Son leads us in this. We want to cooperate in the work of sanctification that you have begun in us, knowing that you will complete what you have begun on that day. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Twelve year old Jesus traveled with his family to Jerusalem for the Passover festival as they did every year. They traveled with a large entourage of friends and family from Nazareth. It was a wonderfully joyous annual holiday. Yet, after traveling a day’s journey on the way back home, they realized that Jesus wasn’t with them.
Can you imagine the frantic one day journey back to Jerusalem to look for him? Finally, on the third day (One day out, one day back, discovered on the third day), they found him in the Temple courts talking with the religious teachers.
Sometimes we get so caught up in the busyness of life that we go through a whole day or more without realizing we’re not walking with Jesus. How long must we go before missing His presence? How anxious and weary must we become before recognizing that we have been trying to handle things without Him?
Let us run back to Jesus. Let us learn to stop running ahead without looking for Him. We want to learn to follow. We want to grow in our spiritual awareness of His presence, so that we never move without Him. Let us grow in our love and awareness of Jesus, so that we never go even three seconds, much less three days, without Him.
PRAYER: Dear Father, forgive us for those days when we head out without talking to Jesus and asking for His direction. We want to always follow Him in everything. Strengthen us for today’s journey. In Jesus’ name, amen.
After a frantic, three day search, Mary and Joseph found twelve year old Jesus with the teachers in the temple. Mary asked why He had done this to them, causing them such worry, searching for Him. They didn’t understand Jesus’ reply at the time, but Mary continued to ponder such things in her heart.
Mary and Joseph and their entourage hadn’t even noticed that Jesus was missing from their company until they had gone well down the road to Nazareth. They went a whole day’s journey before they missed His presence. Then, they panicked as they looked for Him.
How many times have you headed out without Jesus? How many times have you gone a whole day without even missing Him? Where can we find Jesus? Where do we seek? Look to the Father’s business. You will find Him there. Wherever the Father is at work, Jesus will be at work with Him. Those who would be with Jesus, will follow Him in the Father’s work.
PRAYER: Dear Father, forgive us for those days when we head out without talking to Jesus and asking for His direction. We want to always follow Him in everything. Strengthen us for today’s journey. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Luke is the only gospel that describes how Jesus grew up. The story of twelve year old Jesus talking with the teachers in the Temple, while His family was looking for Him, is a very interesting glimpse into His youth. And it begs the question, “What did it look like for the Son of God to grow up?” Luke summarized Christ’s growing years in a four part description. This description is helpful for those who want to grow in maturity as they follow Jesus:
The four ways that Jesus grew were:
1) Mentally “wisdom”
2) Physically “stature”
3) Spiritually “favor with God”
4) Socially “favor with men”
I set goals in my life each year in these same four areas, praying that Jesus will help me to grow more like Him. What are your “Luke 2:52” goals?
PRAYER: Our Father, we want to grow up like Jesus. Your Spirit empowers us and Your Son leads us in this. We want to cooperate in the work of sanctification that you have begun in us, knowing that you will complete what you have begun on that day. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Twelve year old Jesus traveled with his family to Jerusalem for the Passover festival as they did every year. They traveled with a large entourage of friends and family from Nazareth. It was a wonderfully joyous annual holiday. Yet, after traveling a day’s journey on the way back home, they realized that Jesus wasn’t with them. Can you imagine the frantic one day journey back to Jerusalem to look for him? If they would’ve had “Amber Alerts” in those days, The search for Jesus would’ve been broadcast throughout Judea. Finally, on the third day (One day out, one day back, discovered on the third day), they found him in the Temple courts with the religious teachers.
I wonder, have you ever lost track of Jesus? How many days did you go before you noticed that you were traveling without Him? Were you frantic to find Him when you realized how long you’d gone without Him?
After a frantic, three day search, Mary and Joseph found twelve year old Jesus with the teachers in the temple. Mary asked why He had done this to them, causing them such worry, searching for Him. They didn’t understand Jesus’ reply at the time, but Mary continued to ponder such things in her heart.
Mary and Joseph and their entourage hadn’t even noticed that Jesus was missing from their company until they had gone well down the road to Nazareth. They went a whole day’s journey before they missed His presence. Then, they panicked as they looked for Him.
How many times have you headed out without Jesus? How many times have you gone a whole day without even missing Him? Where can we find Jesus? Where do we seek? Look to the Father’s business. You will find Him there. Wherever the Father is at work, Jesus will be at work with Him. Those who would be with Jesus, will follow Him in the Father’s work.
Luke is the only gospel that described how Jesus grew up. The story of twelve year old Jesus talking with the teachers in the Temple, while His family was looking for Him, is a very interesting glimpse into His youth. And it begs the question, “What did it look like for the Son of God to grow up?” Luke summarized Christ’s growing years in a four part description. This description is helpful for those who want to grow to maturity as Jesus did. The four areas of growth are: 1) Mental “wisdom” 2) Physical “stature” 3) Spiritual “favor with God” 4) Social “favor with men” I use this verse to help set goals in my life each year, praying that Jesus will help me to grow more like Him. What are your “Luke 2:52” goals?
Luke is the only gospel that described how Jesus grew up. The story of twelve year old Jesus talking with the teachers in the Temple, while His family was looking for Him, is a very interesting glimpse into His youth. And it begs the question, “What did it look like for the Son of God to grow up?” Luke summarized Christ’s growing years in a four part description. This description is helpful for those who want to grow to maturity as Jesus did.
The four areas of growth are:
1) Mental “wisdom”
2) Physical “stature”
3) Spiritual “favor with God”
4) Social “favor with men”
I use this verse to help set goals in my life each year, praying that Jesus will help me to grow more like Him. What are your “Luke 2:52” goals?