Seeds of Faith Podcast

The text for this lesson is Luke 2:41–52.

Key Points

• As a boy, Jesus was found in His Father’s house. In God’s house, I hear His Word, see that Jesus is my Savior, and receive His gifts of forgiveness and salvation.
• Law: Because of sin, I, like Jesus’ parents, do not understand what God says to me.
• Gospel: God makes His Word clear to me through the power of the Holy Spirit.

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Discussion Questions

1. Why do you think that Luke 2:41–52 is the only account we have of Jesus’ words and deeds between His infancy and adulthood? See John 20:30–31; 21:25.
2. Studying our Lord’s childhood at Christmas reminds us of the truly ordinary and human aspects of His life. Of course, the visits from Gabriel and the shepherds were quite exceptional, but otherwise the experience of Mary and Joseph was not so different from that of any first-time parents. We are told that Mary treasured all these things in her heart (Luke 2:19, 51). Like any mother, she cherished the memories of her child’s early days. But what else could Mary’s careful remembrance of all of these events suggest? See Luke 1:1–4.
3. Jerusalem plays a major role in Luke’s Gospel. In fact, Luke can be read as a description of Jesus’ journey to, from, and around the city as He works toward accomplishing His mission. We see in Luke 2:22 that Jesus was presented at the temple in Jerusalem at the age of forty days. Luke 2:41 tells us that Jesus’ family went annually to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. Why was Jerusalem such an important place? For what would Jesus eventually journey up to Jerusalem? See Luke 18:31–34. How would Jerusalem factor into the mission of the early Christian community? See Luke 24:46–49. As Christians, where is our true Jerusalem? See Hebrews 12:22–24.
4. The institution of the Passover is recorded in Exodus 12. God was going to inflict His final plague on Egypt, the death of every firstborn male. But for the children of Israel, the angel of death would pass over every house that had a sacrificed lamb’s blood on its lintel and doorframes. This final plague opened the door for Israel’s exodus from Egyptian slavery. Every year, the children of Israel would celebrate the Passover, recalling God’s salvation of Israel. Part of the celebration involved the sacrificing of a lamb and then a family meal consisting of that lamb and unleavened bread. The fact that Jesus was present in Jerusalem as a child for this feast is significant. The only other time in Luke’s Gospel when the Passover is mentioned is in chapter 22, the account of the Last Supper. Read Luke 22:7–20 and John 1:29. How are the Passover Feast and the Lord’s Supper related?
5. How does Luke show in this lesson that Jesus is the Son of God? Where else does he teach this doctrine? See Luke 1:35; 10:22; 22:29; and 24:49. As the Son of God, is Jesus less God than the Father? Why or why not?
6. We have seen above how Luke shows that Jesus is true God. His true humanity is also seen in this lesson. Where do we see that Jesus grew and developed just as any other child? How is His development possible, since as God He is omniscient and omnipotent? See Philippians 2:5–8 and Hebrews 5:8.
7. Mary and Joseph had both been visited by Gabriel concerning Jesus’ miraculous birth and had heard amazing things about Him from the shepherds and Simeon. Yet they expressed astonishment at the knowledge He displayed in the temple (Luke 2:48) and did not understand His answer to their questions (Luke 2:50). Why might they have been so confused about His knowledge of God and His reference to being in His Father’s house? See Mark 3:20–21. Who else often misunderstood Jesus’ words? See Luke 9:44–45; 18:31–34.
8. Luke 2:49 says that Jesus asked His parents, “Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” The word must indicates necessity. There was simply no other way for Jesus to act than to seek out His Father’s house. What other part of His mission had the same sense of necessity? See Luke 4:43; 9:22; 17:25.
9. In today’s lesson, Jesus goes to the temple at age twelve. We learn that He was asking and answering questions about the Old Testament. Jews considered twelve to be the age of religious maturity. Though there is no direct correlation, it is interesting that many Lutheran churches enroll students in confirmation classes around this age. Why is confirmation important? Is the rite absolutely necessary? How can we help children and adults who are going through confirmation classes?
10. Did Jesus sin by remaining in Jerusalem and not going back to Nazareth with His parents? No! Hebrews 4:15 tells us that Jesus was like us in every way except for sin, so it would be impossible to interpret this as disobedience. In any case, Jesus was patient with His parents who did not understand His words (Luke 2:50). This text shows us two realities: Jesus is foremost our Savior from sin, and He is also our example for living the Christian life. This does not mean we need to continually ask the question, “What would Jesus do?” Actually, we can never know exactly what Jesus would do in a specific situation. The better question is, “What has Jesus already done and what is He still doing to save me?” Read Matthew 20:25–28. How does Jesus show that He is both the Savior of all people and their example?
11. The temple in Jerusalem was not simply a religious building. The most common name for the temple in the Bible is the house of the Lord. This shows that it was understood as the residence of God, where sacrifices could be made to Him. It was not simply a place of public worship and prayer. Read Mark 14:58; 15:29–30; John 2:18–22. What does Jesus teach us about the temple in these passages? Where does the presence of God dwell under the New Testament?