10. Youth in Nazareth; Visit to Jerusalem
40And the child grew and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon him.41Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover.a
42And when he was twelve years old,b they went up to the feast according to custom; 43and when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, 44but supposing him to be in the company, they went a day's journey, and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintances. 45And when they did not find him they returned to Jerusalem seeking him. 46After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48And when they saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been looking for you anxiously.”
49And he said to them, “How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?” 50And they did not understand what he was saying to them.
51And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart.
52And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and man.
(Lk. 2:40–52)
a “the feast of the Passover.”—Hundreds of years after the time of Abraham, his descendants, on the occasion of an unusually severe famine, entered Egypt as laborers on the Egyptian public works. As time passed they found themselves falling into economic slavery as common and downtrodden laborers of the Nile valley.
The Passover feast commemorated the time when Moses delivered the Hebrews out of their economic bondage in Egypt. It began on the 15th day of Nisan, a date that fell somewhere in March or April each year. The Passover was the most important of the yearly Jewish religious festivals.
b “when he was twelve years old,”—If Jesus were born in late summer 7 BC (Ch. 5, fn. a; Ch. 7, fns. b and e,) he would have turned 12 around August, AD 6, and this Passover would have occurred around April, AD 7.
Lk. 2:40 waxed strong in spirit, filled (KJV) / and became strong, filled (RSV) • the grace of (KJV) / the favor of (RSV)
Lk. 2:50 understand what he was saying to them. / understand the saying which he spoke to them. (RSV) (123-7/1355–1406)
