Jesus Goes Up to the Temple and Receives Understanding in the Things of God in His Father's Presence (2:41-51).
We are now given an example of how He has developed through the years, for He meets up as a twelve year old boy with the great teachers of Jerusalem, and they are amazed by His questions and responses, and by His understanding. We are also made to see that He is like no other and claims a special relationship with ‘His Father'.
We may analyse this passage as follows:
a And His parents went every year to Jerusalem at the feast of the passover (Luke 2:41).
b And when He was twelve years old, they went up after the custom of the feast, and when they had fulfilled the days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem, and His parents knew it not (Luke 2:42-43).
c But supposing Him to be in the company, they went a day's journey, and they sought for Him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance (Luke 2:44).
d And when they found Him not, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking for Him, and it came about, after three days, that they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both hearing them, and asking them questions (Luke 2:45-46).
e And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers (Luke 2:47).
d And when they saw Him, they were astonished, and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have you thus dealt with us? Behold, your father and I sought you sorrowing” (Luke 2:48).
c And He said to them, “How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be in My Father's house?” And they did not understood the saying which He spoke to them.
b And He went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and He was subject to them, and his mother kept all these sayings in her heart (Luke 2:51).
a And Jesus advanced in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and men (Luke 2:52).
In ‘a' Jesus' parents reveal their piety in their faithful attendance at the Passover, and in the parallel the result of their piety is that Jesus grows up in wisdom and stature and in favour with God and man. In ‘b' they go up to Jerusalem but are careless about keeping a check on Him, and in the parallel they go back down to Nazareth but the mother is now more thoughtful. In ‘c' they sought for Jesus in the company and in the parallel He asks why they sought Him when they should have known where He was. In ‘d' they found Him in the Temple listening to the great teachers, and in the parallel they were astonished to find Him so and rebuked Him. And in ‘e' central to the passage is the fact that all who heard His questions and replies were astonished at them. His growing wisdom and understanding is revealed.