“Jesus Obeys His Parents”

Luke 2:41-51

Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover festival.

When Jesus was twelve years old, they attended the festival as usual. After the celebration was over, they started home to Nazareth, but Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents didn’t miss him at first, because they assumed he was with friends among the other travelers. But when he didn’t show up that evening, they started to look for him among their relatives and friends.

When they couldn’t find him, they went back to Jerusalem to search for him there.

Three days later they finally discovered him. He was in the Temple, sitting among the religious teachers, discussing deep questions with them.
And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.

His parents didn’t know what to think. “Son!” his mother said to him. “Why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching for you everywhere.”

“But why did you need to search?” he asked. “You should have known that I would be in my Father’s house.” But they didn’t understand what he meant.

Then he returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them; and his mother stored all these things in her heart.

So Jesus grew both in height and in wisdom, and he was loved by God and by all who knew him.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

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