46
The wisdom, knowledge and understanding of Jesus, even as a precocious lad of twelve, is evidenced by a bit of drama which occurred when He and His parents visited Jerusalem to keep the feast of Passover. Luke 2:41-42 On their return trip they were suddenly made aware that Jesus was not among the returning pilgrims and they turned back to find him. Luke 2:43-45 The inclusion of the number of days that they sought Him before finding Him is intriguing. Numbers in the Bible have a real significance. The number three remind us of His days in the tomb. Also of His inclusion and position in the eternal Godhead.
Where they found Him is astonishing, for one His age. A youth of His age would most generally be interested in gathering with those of their own age group where they would be involved in some sort of play, common to their age. Spiritual comprehension is not limited to a persons age. It is written concerning Him that he waxed strong in spirit, was filled with wisdom, and the grace of the Lord was upon Him. Like 2:40 The presence of the Lord, His wisdom and knowledge does not come with age but by consecration to Him and His will.
They found Him seated among the doctors of the Law, in the temple. These men would have been of the highest caliber of scholars who spent their time studying the scriptures. Having been separated from His parents for the three days we are left to assume that He had been in the midst, as the center of attraction, of these men of scholarly wisdom in the Law, for that full period of time. It emphasizes their obvious attraction to the wisdom which He was displaying among them, in a manner which manifests the wisdom of the Lord in dealing with all classes of mankind, the record states that He was both listening to their deliberations and asking them questions. In the asking of His questions He could guide the conversation or the course of study, thus He gave direction to the study of the day. ìAll that heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers.î Luke 2:47 Well, they might have been. They had come face to face with the mind of all intelligence, all wisdom and all knowledge. The key which gives us an insight into the divine intelligence displayed in Jerusalem those three days are in the words, ìunderstanding and answers.î He so directed the studies that, while asking questions, He also gave truthful and understandable answers to those very same questions. Responses which the doctors of the Law could not give because they did not have the mind of Christ. Their ability to delve into the depths of the Word was limited, His was totally unlimited. After all, He is the Word made flesh. And we have the mind of Christ.