I recently got to thinking about the questions that Jesus asked when he walked on the earth. I know that asking the right questions is a great way to teach and to learn, so I thought this might be a another good way to study the Word. Chronologically, the first question I came across was the question Jesus asked his parents when they found him in the temple. Incidentally, these are also the first recorded spoken words of Jesus. At the time, Jesus was twelve years old and his family had made their annual journey to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover. Jesus had been missing for at least three days. When he was finally discovered in the temple, Jesus asked his parents “’Why did you seek me?’ he asked. ‘Did you not know that I must be about my father’s business?’” (Luke 2:49 NKJV). The implication was that he believed his parents should have known where he would be and what he would be doing, but the Scripture says that they did not understand it (Luke 2:50).

This reminds me of times when our sons were teenagers.  NOT.  Of course, there were times when we didn’t know where they were, and that is a very heart-wrenching feeling. You know that being a parent means that your heart is walking around in someone else’s body.  And I’m sure there were times when I said “Where have you been?” and they answered, “Don’t you remember, I told you I was going….” However, the difference is in what they were doing and their motivations for doing it. As teenagers, they were more than likely about monkey business, not their father’s business. Some observations come to mind about this situation.

First, we know that Mary and Joseph knew that Jesus was special from the time of his conception (Luke 2:21-38). However, even knowing what his destiny would be through the prophecies probably did not extend to knowing how it would play out in their daily lives.

Second, the family made at least an annual journey to Jerusalem, so Jesus would have been somewhat familiar with this big city, and presumably, the temple and temple customs (Luke 2:41-42).

Third, in the tradition of the day, Jewish boys began to learn their father’s trade at an early age. We know that Jesus learned the carpentry trade from his father and probably practiced it until about the age of thirty based on the reaction of the people of Nazareth when he later came home to preach.  They asked, “Isn’t this the carpenter?” (Mark 6:3).  But we also know from Luke 2 that he also considered God to be his Father and that he must learn his Father’s business as well. In fact, by the age of twelve he already knew enough to amaze the rabbis with his understanding and his answers.

Fourth, while he may have sounded impertinent, Jesus was without sin and we know that he submitted to the authority of his earthly parents until such time as he was called into full-time ministry. Once his parents found him in the temple, we read in Luke 2:51 that “…he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them.” Children, do you read this?

What do we learn from this passage? I believe there are three basic applications.

1. It is wonderful to have familiarity with Jesus. Like his parents, we would hope to be walking and talking with him daily. However, we must never take him for granted or ever forget that he is God’s son and part of the trinity. As Natalie Grant sings, “When did I forget that you’ve always been the king of the world?”
2. We can always find Jesus with his Father. In fact, we know that Jesus sits at the right hand of God (Ephesians 1:20). And we know and therefore can trust that Jesus and God are always synchronized in their efforts (John 5:19-20, 30; 8:28; 12:49).
3. If we are to follow in Jesus’ footsteps, we must also strive to be about our heavenly Father’s business.  ^“Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:1-2 NIV).

What if others could say that they always knew where to find us—in God’s company?

What if our testimony would be that we were always being about our Father’s business?

What if we actually followed God’s example and walked in the way of love?

Jesus pointed us to heaven by showing us how to live on earth. By following His example, we can achieve the closest thing to heaven on earth.

In Christ,

Judy