Do You Know Where Jesus Is?

If you were the parents of Jesus, how easy would it have been to lose track of Him and His whereabouts? As hard as it is to imagine, that is exactly what happened to Mary and Joseph. According to Luke's narrative, "when [Jesus] was twelve years old, [he and His parents] went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it" (Luke 2:42-43, KJV). Surprisingly, "they, supposing Him to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought Him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. And when they found Him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking Him" (vv.44-45).

One would have thought that given the fact that Jesus was no ordinary child, He being the Son of God (Luke 1:35), His parents would have ensured He was always in their sight. Angels both proclaimed and announced His birth, and in the stable where He was born, the visiting shepherds had "told everyone they met what the angels had said about this child. All who heard the sheepherders were impressed. Mary kept all these things to herself, holding them dear, deep within herself" (vv. 18-19, The Message). Yet despite the treasure entrusted to them, they had lost track of Him who was the Saviour, Christ the Lord (v. 11). The narrative continues, "And it came to pass, that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions" (v. 46). Interestingly, "when they saw Him, they were amazed: and His mother said unto Him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing" (v.48). Was it His fault that they, His parents, did not know where He was?

For more than seventy-two hours, Mary and Joseph had no interaction with Jesus. Yet in a strange way, their first day's behaviour mirrors that of some of us as believers. We go about our day-to-day lives without any contact with Jesus, assuming that He is among "kinsfolk and acquaintance" and that when we come together for fellowship, He will be there. However, our relationship with Jesus is a personal one; we cannot expect others to "keep" Him for us. Amidst the hustle and bustle of everyday living, we can be easily distracted and lose sight of the One we should keep our eyes on. However, We cannot afford to, and should not try to, go one day without knowing He is with us.

How can we "lose" Him? By ignoring Him and ignoring spending time with Him. It is not He who has moved, but rather we who have moved away from Him. Maintaining a relationship with Christ requires diligence and sacrifice. As we pause for communication and fellowship, we may not be able to move as fast as the rest of the crowd. But it is better to be moving in step with Jesus than to be rushing ahead without Him. There is nothing in life that is not worth the wait. Do you know where Jesus is? His parents "turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking Him." If you have lost sight of Him, that is a good example to follow. If you search diligently, you will find Him. If He is right beside you, keep Him close. He is the One person you cannot afford to not know where He is.