Introduction
When we left the story yesterday, the Magi (wise men) had just visited Jesus and His family and had brought Him some very expensive gifts. During the night, His father had a dream in which the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “‘Get up, take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt’” (Matt. 2:13). Although Matthew 2:19 tells us Jesus returned from Egypt when Herod died, we don’t know all the reasons His heavenly Father took Him there.
We know He was being shaped in these toddler years. Surely Jesus and His family were culturally alone, surrounded by people of other cultures. It was probably not the place Joseph would have chosen for his new family. What will happen to this family next? Today, we will meet the boy Jesus as His family makes their yearly pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Come and see.
Reading [You can read as much as you can, depending on your availability]
Luke 2:39-52
Matthew 2:19-23
Meditating [Use these questions to start your thinking]
- In what areas did Jesus grow as a human being?
- In the Q and A with the religious leaders what was Jesus doing?
- Do you think Jesus was teaching the religious leaders or was He learning from them?
- What other questions do you still have?
Sharing: Text ONE of your answers to the questions above to your team. Each team should post a sharing from a team member in the comments below.
As the family leaves Egypt and heads back to Israel, Joseph is once again directed in a dream to move the family to Nazareth. But why Nazareth? What good could possibly be awaiting the family in Nazareth? Everyone in Nazareth must have known about Mary and Joseph’s “situation,” with the quick marriage. But it is not just about Joseph and Mary’s plans for Jesus, but about God’s as well. Jesus continues His education, now in the synagogue in Nazareth under the watchful eye of a religious leader. He begins to hunt for answers to the tough questions like “Why do I not have any of the characteristics of my father Joseph and only those of my mother Mary?” (Remember, Joseph never slept with Mary until after Jesus was born (Matt. 1:25).) “Why do I not have my grandfather’s name or my father’s name?” “Where did this name Jesus come from?” Or maybe even, “Why do the Messiah and I have so much in common?” These are questions that any 12-year-old in Jesus’ shoes might wrestle with. Each year Jesus’ family would make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover with family and friends. This year was special — Jesus was now twelve and could ask questions and interact with the religious leaders of His day.
“After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions” (Luke 2:46).
I wonder what kinds of things they were talking about. What kinds of questions was Jesus asking them and what were their responses? Oh, to be a fly on the wall that day! I suspect that maybe Jesus as a 12-year-old was beginning to put some pieces together.
Maybe the conversation went something like this:
Jesus: Is it true that the Messiah will be born in Bethlehem of Judah?
Teachers: Yes, of course, young lad, all good Jews know that it is written in Micah 5:2, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel”
Jesus: But isn’t it also true that the Messiah will come forth out of Egypt?
Teachers: Silly boy, we just told you that He would come forth out of Bethlehem! How could He come out of two places?
Old priest from the back: Now, hold on a minute, I believe the boy has a legitimate question. Yes, I believe it is true. Look, right here — it is written in Hosea 11:1, “… and out of Egypt I called My son.” (All are astonished.)
Jesus: So, what if the Messiah was born in Bethlehem and then, for some strange reason, His family had to move to Egypt for a time and then they returned. Could that be a possible explanation for the two scriptures? (All are amazed.) You know, I was born in Bethlehem and then my family moved to Egypt for awhile.
The Bible says, “Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers” (Luke 2:47). Have you ever been amazed by Jesus? One thing that I find amazing about this time in Jesus’ life is what it says in these two verses: “And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him” (Luke 2:40) and “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men” (Luke 2:52).
Talk about the humanity of Jesus! It sounds like He was growing in every area of life, just like we do. To those around Him, like His family and these elders/teachers, He certainly looked, sounded and acted human. That’s because He was fully human. What an amazing thing that our God would become like us.
Spend a few minutes just praising Him for becoming fully human, then go out and share what you discovered with at least two other people.