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Luke 2:43 “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;”

   How could Jesus have stayed behind? Easily. He was trusted. He was given freedom to spend time with the relatives while in Jerusalem and along the way. His parents never suspected Him, and never needed to. And, the temple may not be the only place He visited during this time.

Heavenly Father, Your love is all we need. You give us a comfort none can understand unless they experience it. The knowledge of the truth of the gospel brings assurance and hope for all of life. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 2:42 “And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast.”

   Jesus was growing up. Twelve is old enough to begin looking and sounding like a person will all their life. We don’t know exactly why this trip to Jerusalem was different, why Jesus chose to do something differently, but His age may have been a factor.

Heavenly Father, lead us in Your way. Only You have the perfect plan for our lives. We can try to lead ourselves only to end up wasting our time. You are our Guide for everything. We will trust in You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 2:41 “His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover.”

   Any good Jewish family would do the same. The observance of Passover was a major event in their lives, and they would look forward all year to this opportunity. As we see in the passage, the Jews would go all together as a family down to Jerusalem. So, this was like the yearly family reunion. They would see and spend time with extended family members that they would not necessarily rub shoulders with on a regular basis. It was kind of like a vacation.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the opportunities that You give us. Many of the simple blessings of life we tend to overlook, and forget to thank You for them. But, all of it comes from Your hand. You know our every step, and You supply for every need. I will praise You for Your work in my life. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 2:40 “And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.”

   Many have wondered how it is possible that Jesus grew. But, remember, the incarnation is a miracle. Jesus emptied Himself and became one of us. This did not limit Him completely. But, He did indeed grow in strength and wisdom. His physical body matured, just as anyone’s would. Though He was without sin.

Heavenly Father, great is the mystery of holiness! It astounds us on every hand. We can only just praise You for it. You are so wise and powerful! May we live to proclaim Your truth! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 2:39 “So when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth.”

   Those early years were surely special. The other children of Joseph and Mary had not yet been born and they spent much of their time with Jesus. Nazareth has continued in importance even until today, though in their time, it was not as popular. The northern region of Israel was seen as almost a tack-on, and was not well favored. But, Joseph and Mary loved it well, and it was home for them, and for Jesus.

Heavenly Father, You are so good to us! You know how special home is to us. We love having a familiar place with familiar faces to return to. It gives us warmth and security. You are merciful, loving, and kind. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 2:38 “And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.”

   Though many Jews at that time were looking only for deliverance from the Romans, the reference here is likely to those who sought deliverance from sin. It is this very thing that explains why the miracles of Christ were so popular, yet His message was not. His miracles made the Jews hope to use that power to overthrow the Romans. His message, however, showed that He had something else in mind. Rather than focusing on the problem of the Empire, His teaching dealt with the problem of sin.

Heavenly Father, help us to keep the focus where You want it. We tend to forget that all things are possible for You. We may try to put the emphasis on a good thing, while missing the best thing. We want Your best and we will praise You for all that You do. Make us Christlike, dear Father! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 2:37 “And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.”

   Some might compare Anna to a Nun. But, the conventicle life is an invention of man. One stark difference, for example, is that Anna had been married. Thus, though Anna’s religious practice resembles that of those in a cloister, she was hardly cloistered. Her condition does not lend credence to those who support such institutions.

Heavenly Father, may our praise for you be genuine! We don’t want to fall into false praise by trying to partner it with trappings of false piety. You deserve true worshipers. You are worthy! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 2:36 “And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity;”

   It is hard to imagine a person that old back in that time period. But, there were those who made it to ripe old age due to strength and other factors. Imagine the delight of this dear woman to be able to see the Lord Jesus before going to heaven. Though we will know so much more and see so much more in heaven, there seems to be some special value to seeing or experiencing it here. Anna would have known all she needed to know about Jesus after leaving this world. Yet, the Lord allowed her to live longer than most people so that she might see the Lord here.

Heavenly Father, You are amazing! You know so much more than we could begin to imagine. Will we ever stop learning things from You? I think not. Even when we have been in heaven for millions of years, You will be wiser, and You will know more. Your infinitude is beyond us! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 2:35 “(yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

   Mary would suffer much in that she would watch her own eldest son crucified. She would have to hear the mocking and the opposition. It was indeed painful for her.
   As for the rest, the thoughts of many were indeed revealed. To understand this one must understand Jewish history. The Maccabees had given their people freedom, yes. But they also gave them the notion that that freedom comes at the price of military action. God had brought the Jews out of the Babylonian captivity without them having to use force. Not so with the revolts under the Maccabees. Thus, there has now come to be an element of the Jewish nation which might be called hyper-Zionist. There is a fine line here. Zionism in its purest form would simply say that the Jews have a divine right to their homeland. Hyper-Zionism would say the Jews are a superior race and their enemies deserve destruction.
   The life of Jesus worked as a revealing element. It was obviously manifested that the Jewish elite in that day had learned to hold power. And, they would stop at little to keep it. It is this very kind of thinking that lead to the destruction of Jerusalem not long after. The defense of the Israeli homeland is right and good, but hyper-Zionism should not be promoted any more than other racially-based evils.

Heavenly Father, we will always thank You for how You have guided the Jewish nation. May we always minister to them! They are Your blessed people. Give us mercy and love in our hearts for them. We praise You for Christ, Your Precious Son. We will praise Him for eternity! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 2:34 “And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against;”

   Though this sounds very generic, this is quite specifically fulfilled in the life of Christ. It is the church that saw the end of the religious structure of then present Israel. Yet, many in Israel experienced revival. The poor were once again cared for, and offered salvation.
   The sign of the death burial and resurrection of Christ was, and still is, spoken against by most of the Jews. Thus, like the other prophets, Simeon shares here truth about the Christ which would shortly come to pass.

Heavenly Father, You are so wise! You have told us the end from the beginning. For, indeed, Jesus is the Alpha and Omega, The Beginning and The End. All praise to Him! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.