Christmas with Compassion - Day 17
Day 17 - Tuesday, December 26
Read Luke 2:41-52
Highlight
You might be wondering, ‘how do you lose a 12 year old child for a whole day without noticing?’ Well, there were 3 annual festivals when Jews who were able would have made the journey to Jerusalem (Exodus 23:14-17). The detail of Jesus being 12 years old at the time is an important one. Luke is telling us that he was at the age when every Jewish boy would have made this journey to undergo a course of religious training including fasting and public worship. Whole villages would have made this journey together including all the families with boys aged 12-13. For safety and company they would have traveled together and no doubt the boys would have been off playing or talking and eating with other members of their family or community. Mary and Joseph would not have had reason to worry or look for Jesus until he never showed back up that evening.
When they finally find Jesus after several days of searching you can hear the panic in Mary’s rebuke. Can’t you just picture this scene between almost any parent and child? It’s so very human. And yet, that’s the issue. They are not parenting a child that is human only, but a child of God himself. God Himself in the flesh. Jesus’ reply is almost incredulous, “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” Even at this young age Jesus knows who He is and why He’s here. The Temple would have felt more like home to Him than anywhere else on Earth, where scholars searched the Scriptures and the glory of the Lord dwelled. At 12 years old He’s already showing Himself to be a ‘Wonderful Counselor’ (Isaiah 9:6), full of wisdom and understanding beyond what His parents or anyone else could have fathomed.
Reflection & Prayer
For this reading plan we will be using a tool to guide our study of Scripture that’s called the S.O.A.P. Method. It stands for Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer. We recommend you use a journal with this method and write out your thoughts on each of these areas for each day of reading. It doesn’t have to be long-winded and you don’t need a fancy journal. But for anyone that has not journaled before, the benefit is that it often helps us focus and avoid distractions during prayer and Bible study.
S.O.A.P. Method
Scripture - Pick a verse or two that stood out to you and write it in your journal. Be looking for a “Holy Spirit Highlight.” What did you read and think “I needed to hear that” or felt like it was written just for you?
Observation - Now write some observations about the verse(s) or passage. What is this passage or verse saying? About God? About people? How is Jesus revealed in these verses?
Application - Now write a few sentences on how this passage applies to your life. Is there truth about God that you are to believe? A promise to receive? Is the Holy Spirit convicting you of something you need to do or stop doing in light of God’s truth?
Prayer - Now write out a prayer to God in response to this Scripture. This is a way to turn God’s Word to you back to Him. Be honest and express your heart to Him. God always listens and He delights in your prayers. (Psalm 34:15; Proverbs 15:8)
Read Luke 2:41-52
Highlight
You might be wondering, ‘how do you lose a 12 year old child for a whole day without noticing?’ Well, there were 3 annual festivals when Jews who were able would have made the journey to Jerusalem (Exodus 23:14-17). The detail of Jesus being 12 years old at the time is an important one. Luke is telling us that he was at the age when every Jewish boy would have made this journey to undergo a course of religious training including fasting and public worship. Whole villages would have made this journey together including all the families with boys aged 12-13. For safety and company they would have traveled together and no doubt the boys would have been off playing or talking and eating with other members of their family or community. Mary and Joseph would not have had reason to worry or look for Jesus until he never showed back up that evening.
When they finally find Jesus after several days of searching you can hear the panic in Mary’s rebuke. Can’t you just picture this scene between almost any parent and child? It’s so very human. And yet, that’s the issue. They are not parenting a child that is human only, but a child of God himself. God Himself in the flesh. Jesus’ reply is almost incredulous, “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” Even at this young age Jesus knows who He is and why He’s here. The Temple would have felt more like home to Him than anywhere else on Earth, where scholars searched the Scriptures and the glory of the Lord dwelled. At 12 years old He’s already showing Himself to be a ‘Wonderful Counselor’ (Isaiah 9:6), full of wisdom and understanding beyond what His parents or anyone else could have fathomed.
Reflection & Prayer
For this reading plan we will be using a tool to guide our study of Scripture that’s called the S.O.A.P. Method. It stands for Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer. We recommend you use a journal with this method and write out your thoughts on each of these areas for each day of reading. It doesn’t have to be long-winded and you don’t need a fancy journal. But for anyone that has not journaled before, the benefit is that it often helps us focus and avoid distractions during prayer and Bible study.
S.O.A.P. Method
Scripture - Pick a verse or two that stood out to you and write it in your journal. Be looking for a “Holy Spirit Highlight.” What did you read and think “I needed to hear that” or felt like it was written just for you?
Observation - Now write some observations about the verse(s) or passage. What is this passage or verse saying? About God? About people? How is Jesus revealed in these verses?
Application - Now write a few sentences on how this passage applies to your life. Is there truth about God that you are to believe? A promise to receive? Is the Holy Spirit convicting you of something you need to do or stop doing in light of God’s truth?
Prayer - Now write out a prayer to God in response to this Scripture. This is a way to turn God’s Word to you back to Him. Be honest and express your heart to Him. God always listens and He delights in your prayers. (Psalm 34:15; Proverbs 15:8)
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