Luke 2:21-52

Jesus was brought to Jerusalem to be circumcised and dedicated to the Lord. There, a man named Simeon had been promised by the Lord that he would see the Christ before he died. When he saw Jesus, he recognized Him as the Christ He blessed Mary and Joseph and prophesied of things to come regarding their Son. A prophetess named Anna also recognized Jesus as Christ, giving thanks to God when she saw Him. When Mary and Joseph had done what they needed to in Jerusalem, they returned to Nazareth where Jesus would grow up.

Some people recognize Jesus immediately and react accordingly. Others must meet Him again and again before they recognize Him for who He is. Simeon and Anna both knew who Jesus was when they first saw Him. God had revealed this to them in a special way that others did not see. More importantly, their hearts were open to receive the message.


When Jesus was twelve and His family was returning from Jerusalem after the Passover feast, Mary and Joseph could not find Him. They went back to Jerusalem looking for Him and found Him in the temple having a discussion with the teachers.

Even at this early age, Jesus was showing His divine nature. He was not only able to talk on the same level with the teachers in the temple, but Mark says that everyone who heard Him was amazed. He showed understanding of God's word that was far beyond most twelve-year-olds and was probably beyond the temple teachers as well.