Most parents, at one point or another, will have this experience: you look left, you look right, and your heart sinks—the child you thought was with you has vanished. Have you had that experience? Let me ask you, what did you say to your child when you finally found them? What did they say to you? Maybe you were the child who gave that heart-sinking experience to your own parents. What did you say to them when they found you? What you said probably reveals a lot about the kind of child you were.

Our passage this morning records such a time for Mary, Joseph, and the Lord Jesus. They took a family trip to Jerusalem, headed home after the Passover was over, and after a day of travel, Mary and Joseph realized that the Lord Jesus wasn’t with them. They rushed back to Jerusalem, and after three days of frantic searching, they finally found the Lord Jesus in the temple. They asked Jesus, “Why have you treated us so?” And the Lord Jesus’ answer tells us a lot about what He came into this world to do—and what we must do in response. He answered, “Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49).

That’s an astonishing answer, and it’s full of meaning. He didn’t say, “I’m really sorry I scared you,” or, “I didn’t know you left.” No, He said, “Didn’t you know I must be in my Father’s house?” That brings us to the big idea of our passage this morning: Jesus must be in His Father’s house. Jesus must be in His Father’s house.

Of course, the natural question the big idea raises is: What must we do? Jesus must be in His Father’s house, but what does that mean for us? What must we do in light of this truth? Our passage suggests three answers:

1. See where Jesus went (2:41–42)

2. Submit to Jesus’ teaching (2:43–47)

3. Serve Jesus’ Father (2:48–52)

SEE WHERE JESUS WENT (2:41–42)

When you were a kid, if your family went on vacation, where did you go? Growing up, our family “vacations” typically revolved around my gymnastics meets or my older sister’s horse shows. We went on “vacation” wherever we were competing. That reveals a lot about our family—sports were incredibly important to us. Where you spend your precious few dollars to go on vacation reveals quite a bit about what you love and enjoy.

While Mary, Joseph, and Jesus’ trip to Jerusalem wasn’t a vacation as we think of vacation, I want you to see where they went, when they went there, and who made the trip. We can take a lot of practical encouragement from seeing where Jesus went.

Luke 2:41–42: “Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom.”

Do you see where Jesus went, when He went there, and who made the trip? He went to the temple in Jerusalem. In the Old Testament, the temple was very important. Though God is spatially everywhere, He specially dwelt with His people at the temple. It was His house. That’s where Jesus went.

Now, do you see when He went there? During the Feast of the Passover. The Passover was one of three annual festivals prescribed for God’s Old Testament people before the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Jewish families who lived far from Jerusalem, like our Lord’s family, typically only traveled to Jerusalem for one festival per year. This was a highlight of the year for Jesus’ family.

The Passover celebrated the liberation of God’s people from slavery in Egypt. At the Passover, God purchased His people back from slavery with the payment of the blood of the Passover lamb, recorded in Exodus, the second book of the Bible.

Finally, I want you to see who went. Along with a caravan of their extended family, Joseph, Mary, and Jesus went together. That’s significant. Men were required to go to Jerusalem for the Passover, but women were not. Mary’s presence highlights the piety and godliness of this family.

Do you see where Jesus went? He went to the temple, at the Passover, and the whole family went together. Do you see it?

If you see where Jesus went, it will encourage you in at least three ways.

First, if you see where Jesus went, it will inspire you to make the Lord’s priorities your priorities. For our Lord’s family to travel to Jerusalem each year to worship the Lord was costly. It was a long trip—three days each way. It was dangerous—there was no highway patrol in those days. They traveled in caravans for protection against bandits. And it was expensive. Joseph didn’t have coworkers to hold down the carpenter’s shop while he was away. The journey cost money and missed wages.

Seeing where they went inspires us to bear whatever costs and inconveniences are necessary to gather in person with God’s people each week for worship, pursue fellowship with one another at Citygroup, pray in secret to our Father, and generally be about our Lord’s priorities.

Second, seeing where Jesus went inspires us to pursue oneness and unity in marriage. Though only Joseph was required to go, Joseph and Mary bore the extra cost together. What an inspiration for married couples to pursue spiritual unity—to worship together, serve together, and seek the Lord side by side. Husbands, take the lead in this. If you’re looking for encouragement, consider How to Lead Your Family by Joel Beeke.

If you’re single, pursue or accept only the pursuit of someone who has a demonstrated pattern of honoring the Lord personally and within the church.

Finally, seeing where Jesus went allows us to celebrate a greater liberation. New Testament scholar David Garland writes:

“The Passover Feast was most apropos as the setting for this event… Jesus has been identified as the firstborn… but in the next recorded celebration of Passover, the destroyer will not pass over this firstborn Son… His death will lead to a greater liberation.”

Jesus had to be in His Father’s house at Passover because He is the Passover Lamb—the firstborn Son struck down so judgment would pass over us. See where Jesus went so that you can rest in Him as your only hope in life and in death.

Jesus must be in His Father’s house. What must we do? First, see where He went. And second…

SUBMIT TO JESUS’ TEACHING (2:43–47)

Have you ever seen the movies Home Alone or Home Alone 2? What happens next in our passage reads like a scene from one of those movies. After the Passover feast, Mary and Joseph returned home with their large caravan. Though they didn’t see their twelve-year-old son, they likely assumed he was with family or friends. After a day of travel, they realized Jesus wasn’t with them. So they returned to Jerusalem and searched for Him—much like Kevin McCallister’s parents searched for Kevin.

Luke 2:46–47: “After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.”

This scene reveals Jesus’ devotion to God’s Word even at a young age. But more than that, those who knew Scripture best were amazed at His understanding. Luke is preparing us to submit to Jesus’ teaching ministry. Even at twelve, the rabbis were astonished.

In Deuteronomy, God promised a prophet greater than Moses. Jesus Christ is that prophet—not merely saying, “Thus says the Lord,” but being the Lord who teaches us. Jesus must be in His Father’s house; therefore, we must submit to His teaching.

We believe Jesus is more than a good moral teacher—He is the eternal Son of God. But we must not neglect that He was a teacher, the wisest who ever lived. Since the whole Bible is Jesus’ teaching, a healthy instinct is to ask, “What does the Bible teach about this?”

When we wrestle with money, anxiety, parenting, politics, time management, or suffering, our first instinct should be to ask what Jesus teaches in Scripture and then search the Scriptures together with the help of pastors and Citygroup leaders.

Since Jesus must be in His Father’s house, we have the privilege of submitting to His perfect wisdom.

One of the most encouraging aspects of this passage is that it’s never too early to learn Jesus’ teaching. Jesus was truly human, which means He learned Scripture because His parents taught Him and prayed for Him. Parents, begin early. Pray, sing, catechize, read Scripture, and connect your children meaningfully to the church.

Children, Jesus was twelve in this passage. You can read the Bible. You can pray. You can learn and love your Savior. Seek the Lord early. There is no greater blessing than knowing the Lord when you are young and when you are old.

Jesus must be in His Father’s house. Therefore, we must submit to His teaching. And finally, we must…

SERVE JESUS’ FATHER (2:48–52)

Joseph and Mary were understandably distressed when they found Jesus. One scholar notes they may also have been embarrassed that their twelve-year-old was dialoguing with Israel’s most learned teachers.

Imagine finding your missing child in the chambers of the Supreme Court debating constitutional law. You’d be relieved, frustrated, and bewildered all at once.

Luke 2:48–51: “And when his parents saw him, they were astonished… ‘Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?’”

Jesus was not rebelling. Luke carefully notes His submissiveness. At twelve, Jesus knew exactly who He was—the Son of God. He had to be about His Father’s business, even when His earthly family did not understand.

This anticipates Luke 8:21: “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”

Jesus served His Father’s mission, even at personal cost. And those adopted into God’s family must do the same.

Luke 2:52 shows us how: “Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.” To serve our Father, we must mature—growing in wisdom, disciplining our bodies, deepening our spiritual life, and maturing relationally in the church and in witness.

Jesus must be in His Father’s house. Therefore, we must see where He went, submit to His teaching, and serve His Father.

But always remember: Jesus’ must led Him to the cross. Our must is empowered by grace. Jesus laid down His life as the Lamb of God so that sinners like us could be reconciled to God. And as those saved by grace, we now live for His glory.