We already learned about the scare Jesus put into his parents, Mary and Joseph, when they realized (about 10 hours into the first day of their journey) that He was not part of the caravan of family and friends returning home after the Feast of Passover. We know His parents panicked and rushed back to Jerusalem and spent THREE DAYS looking for Him. Then they found Him in the Temple. Scripture tells us, "they were astonished" (Luke 2:48). What did astonished mean? It did NOT mean they were excited - it means they were DUMBFOUNDED. How would we feel? What would we say??? "You have got to be kidding me. What are you doing here? Why didn't you try to find us? Do you have any idea how scared we were?" Luke uses the Greek word odunao to describe how Mary and Joseph felt. Luke uses that word elsewhere in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, to describe the torments of hell. So . . . when Mary said she and Joseph were "in great anxiety," she was basically saying they were overwhelmed with sorrow. If you have ever had an experience like this as a parent - I'm sure it would be significant in the life of your child and a story you would tell. This was a pivotal moment - a traumatic moment in Mary's child-rearing years - three days of not knowing what had happened to her son - three days of tremendous grief. Three days seems to be a significant period of time - it usually represents the time when darkness turns to light - when our pain or agony or fear is resolved and we can once again feel hope.
When Mary and Joseph finally found Jesus she admonished Him saying, "Your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety." And then we hear them, the earliest recorded words of Jesus. "Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house? (Luke 2:49). How could His words not transport Mary's mind back to more than 12 years before when she would hear the angel Gabriel speak these words to her: "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High." (Luke 1:30-32). WOWOWOW!
So . . . here's Jesus - a 12 year old boy . . . reading scripture . . . preaching a sermon . . . the scholars are deeply moved by the message, the spiritual and theological insight . . . Jesus was "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." (Luke 2:46-47)
Luke's use of the word amazed is the Greek word existemi. It doesn't mean "wow! He's a smart kid!" No! It means they were "blown away" - they were utterly astounded, a bit unnerved - because this was no ordinary child. Existemi is used in the New Testament along with two other Greek words - ekplesso and thambeo - to denote utter amazement. The kind that leaves you breathless, in awe, and perhaps . . . a little bit afraid.
He was found, as Jesus said,