About My Father's Business

Jesus In The Temple

When Jesus was 12 years old, He and His family went to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of the Passover. When they had finished everyone headed back to Nazareth. Jesus’s parents thought He was with some of their relatives or acquaintances. When they completed a day's journey, they looked for Jesus but couldn’t find Him, so Joseph and Mary headed back to Jerusalem. They sought for Him three days, when they finally found Him in the Temple Court engaging with the teachers and religious leaders.

Mary asked Jesus why He had done that to them, and He said, “Why were you looking for Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” But they didn’t understand what He meant.

Even at age 12, Jesus was aware that He was God’s Son, and there was a calling on His life. The depth of His wisdom astounded the teachers and religious leaders. He was strong in spirit and the grace of God was upon Him. He mistakenly assumed it was time to go into full-time ministry, so He stayed behind in Jerusalem to pursue the call of God on His life. But it wasn’t God’s time.

Jesus went home with His parents and was subject to them. He even learned Joseph’s trade of carpentry, and increased even more in wisdom, and stature, with the favor of God on Him.

We hear nothing else of Jesus from that time until He turned 30 years old. He was led by Holy Spirit to meet His forerunner John the Baptist and be baptized by him, and thus began His full-time ministry.

People had been telling me for years that God had a calling on my life. I tried this, that, and other things only to have them fall flat every time. God is orchestrating our calling and He has it well in hand. He does not need us running out ahead of Him. It is easy to get off track and misunderstand God’s timing, but we must stay focused on God’s leading while we seek to fulfill His will for our lives.

Psalm 37:23-24 (NLT) The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand.

Ephesians 2:10 (NKJV) For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove