Luke 02.39-52 | In My Father’s House

Luke 02.39-52

What we will study today In My father’s House…01. His Childhood (Luke 02.39-40); 02. His Temple Visit (Luke 02.41-51); and 03. His Adulthood (Luke 02.52).

01. His Childhood (Luke 02.39-40)

Somewhere between Luke 02.38 and Luke 02.39 a very important and well-known description after the birth of Jesus took place. After Jesus was circumcised, and the Simeon and Anna encounter, Joseph and Mary left the Temple area, they most likely returned to Bethlehem. After returning to Bethlehem, the Magi came and brought their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh (Matthew 02.01-12). There are some estimates of around three hundred Magi came to worship the King of the Jews, Jesus. Being warned in a dream, Joseph took his family and fled to Egypt (Matthew 02.13-15). Herod realized that he was tricked by the Magi, and ordered the death of all male babies two years old and younger (Matthew 02.16-18). After the death of Herod, Joseph and his family came back to Nazareth (Matthew 02.19-23).

Joseph and Mary were both from Nazareth (Luke 01.26-27; Luke 02.04), and by moving back to Nazareth they confirmed Scripture. Jesus (Yeshua in Hebrew) was a popular name among the Jews, and Jesus was known as Jesus of Nazareth (Matthew 02.22-23; Acts 02.22; Acts 04.10; Acts 22.08; Acts 24.05; Acts 26.09; John 01.45; John 19.19).

Luke 02.40 Luke tells us only one story from the childhood of Jesus. If there were a need for us to know more about the childhood of Jesus, the Holy Spirit would have made sure that it was recorded for us in the Bible. To satisfy our curiosity about what Jesus did as a child, men wrote false accounts of His childhood. The Qur’an even picks up on this as well in Surah 05.110. Some of the crazy and sensational miracles include Jesus talking from the manger, Jesus bringing clay sparrows to life with a clap of His hands, Jesus healing a man who became a mule by a spell cast on him, Jesus healing people with His old bath water, killing another child who bumped into Him and then striking the child’s parents blind for complaining to Joseph and Mary! One reason that we know that these tales are false is because they depict Jesus completely inconsistent with His character that we read about in the Bible. Another reason that we know these “stories” are false is because John records for us in John 02.01-11 that the turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana was His first miracle that He performed. What we do know from His childhood is that He worked with Joseph as a carpenter (Matthew 13.55; Mark 06.03). Where the Scripture hath no tongue, we must have no ears. (Trapp, John. “Commentary on Luke 2”. John Trapp Complete Commentary.)

The word here for “grace” in Luke 01.40 is (G5485) cariv charis khar’-ece. Of course Jesus doesn’t need the saving, redeeming grace that all we, as sinners need because He was sinless. Dr. Luke is telling us that His human nature grew in the grace or favor of God. This same word is translated as “favor” in Luke 01.52. Dr. Luke tells us that the sinless Son of God, while here on earth, found it expedient to grow in the grace and favor of God, so how much more should we put importance on growing in grace and favor with God in our own personal lives?

In His incarnation as a man, Jesus set aside His rights as the Son of God and submitted Himself to the will of the Father (Philippians 02.01-11).

02. His Temple Visit (Luke 02.41-51)

Dr. Luke records for us that Joseph and Mary were faithful in keeping the Law. Every year they would go to Jerusalem for Passover (Luke 02.41). The Feast of Passover was a one-day festival that originated when the children of Israel were in Egypt and the Angel of the LORD “passed over” their homes that had the doorposts covered with the blood of the lambs and all the firstborn of Egypt were killed who did not have the blood on the doorposts (Exodus 12.01-27). Passover was one of the three major annual feasts in Israel, along with Shavu‘ot (aka Feast of Weeks or Pentecost) and Tabernacles (Exodus 23.14-17). Passover was immediately followed by the seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread, which celebrated the children of Israel being liberated from Egypt (Exodus 12.15; Exodus 12.17; Exodus 12.39; Exodus 13.06-07). So you had eight days in all, and this time was often called “the Feast of Passover” (Luke 02.41) or “Days of Unleavened Bread”.

According to the Law (Exodus 23.17; Exodus 34.23; Deuteronomy 16.16) only the men had to come the Feast of Passover and not the women. There were many rabbis at that time though who tried to strongly encourage women to go as well. For a woman to go when she wasn’t required to attend was a sign of unusual spiritual devotion. By Mary going with Joseph says a lot about her spiritual character.

Luke 02.42 The first mention of Jesus outside of being a baby or a toddler is when He is twelve going to Jerusalem with His parents for Passover. It is important that parents tell their children about their relationship to God and include them in their time of worship. The Jewish teachers said that twelve was the age that a Jewish boy was to learn a trade. This Passover would have been significant for Jesus. Jewish boys become accountable to the Law at the age of thirteen. This milestone is not commemorated in the ceremony known as “Bar Mitzvah” (son of the law). The last couple of Passovers before a boy turned thirteen were important in preparing him for his responsibility to the Law.

Luke 02.43-44 Dr. Luke does not record anything about that Passover, and picks up the account after Passover. At this time, when the Jews would travel for the feasts, they would travel in large caravans. Usually the women and children would be in the front leading the way, while the men and young men followed behind. Relatives and even whole villages would travel together and they all would help keep an eye on the children. During their trip up to Jerusalem (estimate elevation of 2,490 feet), the caravan would often sing some of the Psalms of Ascents, Psalms 120.01-134.03. At the age of twelve, Jesus could have easily gone from one group to another and not be missed. Joseph not seeing Jesus would have assumed that Jesus was with Mary, the women and the children, and Mary not seeing Jesus, would have thought that Jesus was with Joseph, the men and young men. During the day travelling it was not uncommon for families to be scattered throughout the caravan, but at night they would come together. It more than likely would have been nighttime when they discovered that Jesus was not with them.

The Greek word “looking” in Luke 02.44 (G327. anazhtew anazeteo an-ad-zay-the’-o) means to seek out, search through, make diligent search. Joseph and Mary earnestly looked for Him.

Luke 02.45 The Greek word “looking” in Luke 02.45 is the same as in Luke 02.44 (G327. anazhtew anazeteo an-ad-zay-the’-o) means to seek out, search through, make diligent search.

Luke 02.46 This means the third day after they left Jerusalem to go home. So one day traveling toward the Galilee, one day traveling back to Jerusalem, and then on the third day they found Him! During those three days I’m sure Mary’s soul was pierced, like what Simeon had said in Luke 02.35. For those three days, Jesus was dead to Joseph and Mary, but on the third day now they found Him, in His Father’s house, alive (Matthew 12.40)!

Where did they find Jesus? They found Him “sitting in the midst of the teachers” (Luke 02.46) in the Temple. The King James Version translates teachers as doctors. These were the Rabbi’s of the day. The traditional way of teaching in Israel at this time was that the teachers would be seated, with the students sitting in front of them in a semi-circle (Luke 05.17). Dr. Luke tells us that Jesus was “both listening to them and asking them questions.” (Luke 02.46). This method of teaching was common at that time. It was more of a dialogue than a lecture. Paul used this dialogue method in Acts 17.02, where we are told that Paul “reasoned with them from the Scriptures,”. The Greek word for “reasoned” is (G1256) dialegomai dialegomai dee-al-eg’-om-ahee and it means “to say thoroughly, to discuss”. So the students would gather around the rabbi and he would stimulate the conversation by asking questions or making statements. Then the students would respond and get the dialogue going.

This is the only time in the Gospels that Jesus is pictured as a student, from now on He is always pictured as the teacher, the one asking questions from the Jewish teachers (Luke 11.19-20; Luke 13.02-05; Luke 20.41-44).

Luke 02.47 The questions and answers that Jesus gave were so impressive that the rabbis were “amazed” (G1839. existhmi existemi ex-is’-tay-mee). When we have the Word of God hidden in our hearts (Psalm 119.11), we can as David says: “have more insight than all my teachers, For Your testimonies are my meditation.” (Psalm 119.99) I wonder how many of these very same Rabbis that He was talking to here were present when He was in ministry and when they wanted Him to be crucified?

Luke 02.48 They were astonished that He was in the Temple. As they were searching all over Jerusalem for Him, He was calmly sitting in the Temple dialoguing with the rabbis. Mary then asked Him, “Son, why have You treated us this way?” This question seems to be one that was supposed to make Jesus feel guilty, as if He had on purpose tried to cause His parents to suffer. The word “anxiously” here in Luke 02.48 (G3600. odunaw odunao od-oo-nah’-o) means “to torment or distress oneself”. This word is expressive of the most torturing anguish, and is often applied to the distress and pain of a woman in childbirth; it therefore has been used, to describe inexpressible anxiety and distress. This is the same word that Jesus uses to describe the pain of those in Hades (Luke 16.24-25).

Luke 02.49 or “in the things of My Father”

Notice that Mary says, “Your father and I” in Luke 02.48 and Jesus said “My Father’s house”? Mary was focusing on the temporal while the focus of Jesus was on the eternal. David said “One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD And to meditate in His temple.” (Psalm 27.04).

The answer of Jesus seems to signify that though they thought that He was lost, yet He was at home, for He was in His Father’s house. In that day it was expected that a son to follow in his father’s business, and that’s what Jesus is stating here! By stating this, we have the first time in Scripture that any person has claimed that God is his personal father. The Jews viewed God as the Father of all because He created all, but no Jew had the nerve to claim God as his father. The way that the Jews thought at this time was that a son was an exact representation of his father, and the phrase “son of” was often used to talk about one who possessed his “fathers” qualities. It was this claim by Jesus later on that would inflame the Jews in John 10.30-33. The Jews (the Pharisees) literally said that they wanted to stone Jesus because He equated Himself with and as God and they accused Him of blasphemy (Matthew 26.65; Mark 02.07; Mark 14.64; John 10.36). Son here does not mean the origin of Jesus like the Jehovah’s Witnesses teach, saying that He was the first of all creation. Instead it means that He has the exact same nature as God. This is why the Jews were so upset with His statements, because He equated Himself as being equal to God. It was this claim of being the Son of God that was a motivation of the Sanhedrin to sentence Him to die (Matthew 26.63-66).

The two other times that we have recorded for us that Jesus talked about the Temple as being His Father’s house were at the beginning of His ministry when He drove out the money-changers (John 02.16) and talking about Heaven (John 14.02). By His response, Jesus was announcing His Divine Sonship and His mission to do the will of the Father (John 04.34; John 05.30; John 06.38-40).

Luke 02.50 Joseph and Mary did not fully understand what Jesus just said to them. They understood that He was the Messiah (HaMashiach), conceived by the Holy Spirit. But the full meaning of His Divine Sonship puzzled them. The disciples also experienced this confusion during the ministry of Jesus (Luke 09.43-45; Luke 18.34).

Luke 02.51 “And He went down with them…” Any trip home from Jerusalem meant you were literally going down, because Jerusalem is built on a mountain.

Luke 02.51 “…and came to Nazareth and He continued in subjection to them;” The relationship that Jesus has with His Heavenly Father did not nullify His responsibility to obey His earthy parents. The knowledge that Jesus had of Himself at this time did not make Him proud or haughty, He still was obedient to His parents. Jesus was obedient to the fifth commandment (Exodus 20.12). In fact, Jesus brought this commandment up with the Pharisees and scribes who complained after seeing His disciples eating with unwashed hands (Matthew 15.01-20; Mark 07.01-13).

The responsibility of a person is to take care of their parents in their old age, which included doing whatever they can financially. But the Jewish scribes came up with a “tradition” that sidestepped this command from the LORD. In their tradition they said it was possible for a person to declare all of his possessions as “Corban” which means “a gift devoted to God”. So if a adult child declared that the resources needed to support his parents were “Corban” then, according to the tradition of the scribes, he was excused from this command of God, and his parents were legally excluded from any claim that they had against their adult child. So despite the tradition of the day, despite the fact that He was the living Son of God, He was obedient to His earthly parents. His obedience to His earthly parents was an essential part of His perfect obedience to the Law of God.

Luke 02.51 Here is the second time (Luke 02.19) that Dr. Luke records for us about Mary treasuring the events surrounding Jesus in her heart.

03. His Adulthood (Luke 02.52)

The Greek word for “increasing” here (G4298. prokoptw prokopto prok-op’-to) means“to increase, make progress” and it carries with it the ides a continuous action. Dr. Luke tells us that Jesus was subject to the normal process of human growth and development. Not only did He grow in wisdom, but also physically. Some might question as to why Jesus needed to come as a baby and live thirty years before He started His ministry. Why couldn’t He just come down to earth, die on the cross and resurrect Himself from the dead? Its because He had to come as a man, He had to go through temptations like we all do, but still living a perfectly righteous life (Matthew 03.15), thus making Himself a perfect sacrifice for all of us sinners (1Peter 03.18). Only then could His righteous be imputed to all who believe and trust in Him, and only then could all of our sins be placed on Him (2Corinthians 05.21).