Return To Jerusalem

Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover festival. When Jesus was twelve years old, they attended the festival as usual. After the celebration was over, they started home to Nazareth, but Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents didn’t miss him at first, because they assumed he was among the other travelers. But when he didn’t show up that evening, they started looking for him among their relatives and friends. When they couldn’t find him, they went back to Jerusalem to search for him there. [Luke 2.41-45]

As simple as it may sound, if you have lost something, go back to where you last knew you had it.

As was the case for Joseph and Mary, they had to go back to Jerusalem to find their missing Jesus.

This is a very interesting detail that we today should pay particular close attention to. Now, I know that the story above is about Jesus becoming separated from His family, and Jerusalem just happened to be where He was last seen by Mary and Joseph. But I believe the detail of this story has huge implications for us today.

Jerusalem would prove to be the most critical city of Jesus' ministry on earth. Why? Because it would be the city where He was crucified and where He resurrected. Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection mean everything to us. God's love for the world, while seen in part in the birth and life of His Son, is seen in its fullness in His crucifixion and resurrection. Jerusalem is where this took place!

It is not ironic then that when Mary and Joseph found Him back in Jerusalem that Jesus said this:

“But why did you need to search?” he asked. “Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?” [Luke 2.49]

Jesus' Father's house was in Jerusalem. Jesus would die for the sin of the world in Jerusalem and Jesus would rise from the dead in Jerusalem to give eternal life to all who believe. It was in Jerusalem that Jesus would accomplish the miracle of Redemption.

It had to happen somewhere, right? Jerusalem was the place. And, for that reason, Jerusalem remains iconic to this day. God chose Jerusalem many years before Jesus was even born (which, by the way was NOT Jerusalem) to be His chosen city. It is indeed a Holy Place - it is indeed the place chosen by God for His single greatest accomplishment - the salvation of sinful man.

When we lose our way... when everything seems out of place, confused, and needs sorting out, we need to "return to Jerusalem." It is there we find every solution to our every problem in Jesus' crucifixion for our sins and resurrection to righteousness.

Should we not "return to Jerusalem" then? The physical city is not near as much the destination that matters as is the Redemption accomplished there. We have no necessity to physically be in Jerusalem, but it is most critically important that we "return to Jerusalem" spiritually to find forgiveness of sins and birth into new life.

Father, help us to always "follow our feet" back to Jerusalem. No matter in what we find ourselves involved, help us never lose the meaning of "Jerusalem" to our salvation. May we always find and return to our purpose "in Jerusalem" - in Jesus' death and resurrection on our behalf. May there be peace in Jerusalem!