Luke 2:41-52 (NIV)

41 Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. 42 When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. 43 After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. 44 Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”

49 “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” 50 But they did not understand what he was saying to them.

51 Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

Reflect:

This is really a unique story, recorded to help reveal the uniqueness of Jesus for us.  Jesus is God’s Son, and the ramifications of that are incredible. Through this incident, Mary and Joseph are once again reminded that this son of theirs was perhaps not really theirs after all.  This ordeal caused Mary to experience anxiety and fear, but it also revealed to her that the person of Jesus and how He was to live was something far greater than what she could understand in that moment.  And Mary was able to ultimately respond in reverence as she acknowledged this.

Respond:

This story is a reminder to us of how we can become familiar with our ideas about God, perhaps stifling our relationship with Him.  Emmanuel, God with us now through the Spirit is a constant reminder that we are in relationship with God, like no other!  As we celebrate during this Christmas season, may this revelation come afresh to us, filling us with greater reverence for Him.  Let’s welcome God to once again take His rightful place in our hearts as we let go of our own notions of what God should be like.  Let’s pray for each of the Agape churches to live in greater reverence and love for the Lord, especially as we begin 2012. May our affections and reverence overflow!