Tues.’s Devo - Jesus in Jerusalem

Read Luke 2:40-52 There were three times a year that every Jewish man was to come to Jerusalem and present his offering to the Lord: the Feast of Passover, Feast of Weeks or Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles. Since Jesus is now 12 he is considered a man and can go for the first time. Devout women went if their work at home was done, so Mary came also. God didn’t want her to miss this. They went through all the festivities of the passover and left for home. They traveled in great companies of relatives and friends and all looked after one another’s children so it wasn’t strange to not see Jesus for a while. When they did realize he was not with them, they turned back to Jerusalem and searched for 3 days. I can’t imagine the horror that went through their heads. They finally found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the rabbis while they were awed by Jesus’ insights into scripture and asked him questions. What a sight to see! Though Mary and Joseph were amazed, they were still rapt with the emotion of looking frantically for him for days and wanted to know how he could do that to him. Jesus, answer was, “How is it that you sought me? Didn’t you know I must be about my Father’s business?” A strange answer unless you understand Jewish culture. It was the custom, once a son reached the age of 12 to start the business with his father. Jesus’ father was God, and his business was in the Temple teaching about himself, so it just made sense to Jesus that that was why he came to Jerusalem. His parents didn’t understand what he was saying and made him come home and be a carpenter. Sort of reminds me of Joseph who was destined to greatness, but instead, got the dungeon. God’s path to the throne is always through humility and death to self and he knows just how to humble us. Jesus was a man like us who had to learn obedience through the things he suffered. (Heb. 5:8) Is. 58 says that it pleased the Lord to bruise him. God writes the end first, then has to get us there without it ruining us. So, bringing us low through trials enables us to hold the position he wants us to attain to. Lord, we trust you in our trials that you are working a much greater work than we can ever imagine. Help us, like Jesus, to increase in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man