Today’s Scripture reading: Luke 2:41-52

What did Jesus do when He was a boy?

The Gospels provide little information about Jesus’ early years. Mark and John begin their Gospels with an adult Jesus. Matthew and Luke provide brief descriptions of His parentage and birth. Only Luke tells us a story about Boy Jesus.

Some Christians in the early years of the church made up stories about Jesus’ childhood in order to fill in the gaps of the Gospels. One has Boy Jesus making clay birds on the Sabbath. When a religious neighbor protests, Jesus brings the clay birds to life. Another story speaks of Jesus striking a playmate dead, only to resurrect him when the kid’s parents protest to Joseph and Mary.

None of the apocryphal stories has a basis in fact. The one story of Jesus’ childhood with any historical credibility is found in Luke 2:41-52. Jesus is 12 years old. His family goes to Jerusalem for the annual Passover Feast.

Even for the Son of God, spiritual formation was a process, just like it is for us.

When His parents leave to return home to Nazareth, they realize Jesus is not with them. (It’s easy to lose a kid in a caravan!) Joseph and Mary quickly return to Jerusalem to find Jesus.

Two things stand out to me in this passage: (1) Jesus is a smart kid. He knows how to interpret the Bible well enough to amaze everyone who listened to Him. (2) Jesus has an intensely personal relationship with God. Jesus is not just smart, in other words, He’s truly spiritual.

In verse 49, Jesus asks, “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” For Jesus, information about God is good. But a relationship with Him is better.

We shouldn’t read this passage as if Jesus were fully spiritually formed at age 12, however. As Luke puts it, “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.”

Jesus got smarter, bigger, more spiritual and friendlier as he aged. Even for the Son of God, spiritual formation was a process, just like it is for us.

So, what did Jesus do as a boy? Whatever it took to become the man God made Him to be. We would do well to follow Boy Jesus’ example.

See also:

The Songs of Christmas, Part 1
The Songs of Christmas, Part 2
The Songs of Christmas, Part 3
The Songs of Christmas, Part 4
The Songs of Christmas, Part 5
The Songs of Christmas, Part 6
The Songs of Christmas, Part 7
The Songs of Christmas, Part 8
The Songs of Christmas, Part 9
The Songs of Christmas, Part 10
The Songs of Christmas, Part 11
The Songs of Christmas, Part 12
The Songs of Christmas, Part 13