Losing Jesus

 

Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. (Luke 2:44 NIV)

For three days Mary and Joseph could not find Jesus. The festival was over and they were on their way back home from Jerusalem. Eleven years they’d done this journey and were not in the habit of losing Jesus so, what changed?

For eleven years, Jesus was subjected to His earthly parents, Mary and Joseph, but now He was twelve. A twelve-year-old Hebrew boy is a boy heading into manhood; a boy who, under Jewish law, is about to become Bar Mitzvah.

This age is the beginning of true understanding where the ability to think more deeply, morally and spiritually, is gained. At twelve, Jesus could now expose His authentic self. So, that’s why this Passover festival in Jerusalem was different.

That’s why Jesus was sitting in the Temple area with the religious teachers, listening and asking them questions (Luke 2:46 ERV).

That’s why Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and wise answers (Luke 2:47 ERV).

That’s why when Mary asked Him “Why…”, He could have answered, “Why did you have to look for me? You should have known that I must be where my Father’s work is.” (Luke 2:49 ERV).

After all they’d experienced and thought they knew, Joseph and Mary still did not understand what Jesus had meant. Mary was still thinking about all these things (Luke 2:51 ERV) on the journey home.

And though Jesus went with them to Nazareth and obeyed them (Luke 2:51 ERV), they were unaware that they were still losing Jesus.

You may be on your own spiritual journey for quite some time but now, it feels as though you’re losing Jesus so, what changed?

To you, there seems to be a disconnect but Jesus never walks away from us; He never turns away, He is, after all, Emmanuel, God with us, so it’s on you. What changed?

Think about it, reflect upon your life, for therein you just might find the answer.

Mary and Joseph didn’t lose Jesus for three days because they were irresponsible parents. They assumed that Jesus was in the caravan, among their family and close friends (Luke 2:44 ERV). They took His presence for granted, so they never bothered to check.

Don’t we also do that? Becoming so accustomed to the journey that we lose sight of Jesus? The danger being that we merrily travel along, unaware that Jesus is missing. Then when we do come to the realization that we no longer sense His presence, we start a desperate search for Him but in all the wrong places.

We seek His presence among family, close friends, priests and pastors, in church buildings and revival services but our relationship with Jesus is personal; it’s between you and Him.

Beloved, when busyness outweighs your Father’s business, when communication with Jesus is no longer a priority, when being a congregant is more important than being a convert, when proximity to Him is not paramount, when work is what you worship, when you desire dogma more than devotion and tradition over transformation, that’s when losing Jesus becomes your lot.

For three whole days, Jesus was where His Father’s work was. For three whole days Jesus was in the Temple area with the religious teachers, listening and asking them questions (Luke 2:46 ERV).

A three-day journey is symbolic of a progression toward a new spiritual beginning.

Before Jesus multiplied the loaves and fish to feed the multitude, they’d been in His presence for three whole days (see Matthew 15:32).

Before Moses threw a tree into the bitter waters of Marah to make it sweet to drink, the Israelites had travelled three whole days (see Exodus 15:22-27).

In both instances, after three days, spirits were revived.

Perhaps it’s time we each take our own three-day journey – three whole days of introspection  in our individual temples (see 1 Corinthians 3:16), spent in the presence of the Father, with the Holy Spirit, our Teacher (see John 14:26), listening and asking them questions.

 

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “Losing Jesus” © 2026 October 1, 2026