Was Jesus Ever Lost?

I hope my title for this morning’s sermon has peaked your interest.  When we hear the word “lost,” especially in a spiritual context like church, we are thinking spiritually lost or not saved.  If that was what I was meaning, then our answer would be “no.” 

 

However, I’m actually referring to physically lost, and from His parents’ perspective, there was an occasion when Jesus was lost. That is actually our text this morning from Luke 2 so let’s find Luke 2:41. 

 

This morning’s sermon is entitled, “Was Jesus Lost?”  I want to share three challenges with you: a challenge to Joseph and Mary, a challenge about Jesus Christ, and a challenge for you and me.

 

 

1. A Challenge to Joseph and Mary, Luke 2:41-45

41 His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. 42 And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast. 43 When they had finished the days, as they returned, the Boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. And Joseph and His mother did not know it; 44 but supposing Him to have been in the company, they went a day’s journey, and sought Him among their relatives and acquaintances. 45 So when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking Him.

 

We begin this morning in verse 41 with Joseph and Mary.  As we have already know, they were devout Jews, and verse 41 says they were in Jerusalem for the Passover.  That was according to Old Testament Law.  However, the Law only required the husband or male to attend.  To see Mary with her husband demonstrates her devotion and faithfulness to the Lord.

 

Let me remind you what the Passover was.  In Exodus, Israel was being held captive by Pharaoh.  In an effort to get Pharaoh to let them go, God struck Pharaoh and Egypt with multiple plagues.  On several occasions, Pharaoh said he was going to let Israel go free, but he always ended up changing his mind.

 

The Lord had finally had enough.  This last plague would be the death angel in Exodus 12. 

 

The Passover was a foreshadowing of Jesus Christ.  You were passed over by the death angel if you splattered the blood of a sacrificed lamb on your doorway. 

 

In the same way, God gives eternal life to those who have had the blood of Jesus splattered or applied to his or her heart.  If you haven’t, you will experience a second death, a spiritual death in hell separated from Christ. 

 

In verse 42, we see Jesus.  He was twelve years old.  Another valuable truth we learn this morning is that the Bible is silent on some issues.  The Bible is virtually silent on the first twelve years of Jesus’ life after He was born. 

 

Also, the Bible is virtually silent on Jesus’ life from age twelve to age thirty.  After this morning, we won’t see Jesus again until John the Baptist sees Him at thirty years of age. 

 

Like it or not, the Bible is silent on some issues.  Where the Bible is silent, we can speculate, but we should not be dogmatic.

 

Because Jesus was with Joseph and Mary, many believe Joseph was preparing Him for His Bar Mitzvah.  That would have been His official transition from adolescence to manhood that took place at 13.  Fathers would often take their sons to festivals like this several years in advance in preparation for the future.

 

Keep in mind that there were hundreds of thousands of Jews in Jerusalem at this time.  Therefore, the city was teeming with people and with activity. 

 

Joseph and Mary had come from Nazareth which was approximately 80 miles away and probably a three to four day journey on foot.  In these days, extended families and friends traveled in groups or a caravan for protection and fellowship.  That seems to be true in this instance as well.

 

Verse 43 says Joseph and Mary decided to head back, and they traveled a full day assuming that Jesus was with the other or at least in the caravan.  Evidently, when they stopped to spend the night, they discovered He was nowhere to be found.

 

Can you even imagine this anxious night?  The next morning, they got up and returned to the city, but then endured another anxious night as it was too late to be out hunting for Him.  Finally, on the third day verse 46 says, they found Jesus in the temple.

 

When Joseph and Mary found Jesus, He was sitting among Jewish religious teachers listening and asking questions.  That is an excellent educational model.  It is not purely lecture.  It is dialogue. 

 

We need to do a lot of listening!  We also need to ask a lot of clarifying questions.  Sometimes, questions are seen as divisive or insubordinate.  In reality, questions can simply clarify.  Jesus asked questions, and it was fine. 

 

If you are a parent and ever lost track of your child or children, you can understand Joseph and Mary’s alarm that was verbalized in verse 48.  It appears that she tried to guilt Him.  She asked why He had treated them “this” way.  She went on to tell Him that she and Joseph had been “anxiously” looking for Him. 

 

Evidently, keeping up with Jesus was a challenge to Joseph and Mary.  To them, He was temporarily lost. 

 

If truth be told, parenting is hard.  There are no experts.  A lot of parenting is trial and error, but we have this book, and we have one another.  Use both!

 

2. A Challenge About Jesus, Luke 2:46-52

46 Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. 48 So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.”  49 And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” 50 But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them.  51 Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

 

In verses 46-50, we see a challenge about Jesus.  That challenge is believing and understanding that Jesus was and is fully God and fully man at the same time.

 

In verse 47, why were all the people astonished when they listened to Jesus and heard Him answer questions of the teachers?  And why were His parents amazed when they saw Him in the temple?  They were astonished and amazed because this wasn’t just any twelve-year-old. 

 

This twelve-year-old claimed to be the Son of God in verse 49.  These are the first words that we have recorded by Jesus, and this is the first instance in all of the Bible when someone claimed God as their personal Father. 

 

Ultimately, this is what got Jesus murdered.  When Jesus claimed to be the Son of God, He was claiming equality with God.  Even at age 12, I would suggest that Jesus was aware of His divine relationship with God.

 

However, Jesus was not only fully God, He was fully man too.  Notice verse 51.  Jesus minded his momma and his daddy.  Do you know why?  The fifth commandment says honor your father and mother. 

 

Verse 52 ends chapter 2 and today’s text by letting us know that from this point Jesus grew up.  He grew in wisdom.  That means He grew mentally.  He grew in stature.  That means He grew physically.  He grew in favor with God.  That means He grew spiritually. 

 

Even at twelve years old, Jesus Christ was fully God and fully man.  Although it is a challenge to understand, we must believe because the Bible tells me so.

 

 

3. A Challenge for You and Me

In verse 49, Jesus said He was in the temple because that was His Father’s business, and He had to be about His Father’s business. What does that mean?

 

I think the answer is found in a word that is repeated multiple times in this text, and it is the word, “seek.”  We need to pay attention when biblical writers repeat words.

 

Notice how Mary and Joseph sought Jesus.  That word is in verse 44 and 45 and 48 and 49, and I believe that is what it means for you and me to be about our Father’s business.  It means to seek His Son, Jesus Christ. 

 

For Jesus, this translated into visible obedience.  He didn’t say He was about God’s business and then did whatever He wanted.  If you’re about God’s business, you’re going to be obedient to God’s Word.  That is why He was obedient to mom and dad. 

 

 

Conclusion

What about you?  Don’t just mouth it.  You’ve got to live it.  That’s my challenge for you in 2024. 

 

Your Father’s business means reading your Bible.  Consider reading it through in a year. 

 

It means giving financially.  That means your tithe and offerings.  Will you be a World Mission Fund Family in 2024?  Will you give to our FLC in 2024?

 

It means praying.  Will you sign up for an hour in our Prayer Room?

 

It means connecting with a small group.  What is keeping you from connecting to a Sunday School Small Group every week and throughout the week? 

 

It means serving this Body of Believers.  We need more servers in our nursery and welcome teams and security and choir and Backpack Buddies. 

 

Finally, Jesus was lost physically for a time, but are you lost spiritually now?  If you die that way, it will be for eternity.  Will you be found today?