Luke 2:41-42 “Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom.”

Jesus was Jewish. Sometimes it is easy to forget that he wasn’t raised in “church”, he didn’t have a Bible but the scrolls of the Torah to read and study from, and he wasn’t even a Christian! Jesus was raised and trained in every aspect of the Jewish faith including in the celebration of Feast days like Passover. Although Jesus was already intimately familiar with the history of God’s chosen people, as a Rabbi we know that he would have been educated in all the ways of the law and the Old Testament covenant. Jesus came to earth fully aware that he would one day take the place, once and for all, for all the lambs being offered as sin sacrifices, guilt sacrifices, and peace offerings. Still, God had ordained that these feasts would be held and the events remembered for ever and his son did not come to do away with the Law but rather to fulfill it. Jesus, while coming to bring new commandments and a new understanding of the old ways, still celebrated the Jewish customs. Jesus was about to bring a new custom that he would require the new church to remember. It was to be a Passover that would be hard to forget!

Pray: “Lord Jesus, it is hard for me to imagine you as a young man, growing up like all the other boys, going to school and celebrating holidays with your families, just like we do today. We have many holidays today that give us ample opportunity to remember some of the wonderful things that have happened in our history, not to mention the celebrations of your life! Help me to make the most of these celebrations and times of remembrance, both with my family and with my brothers and sisters in the faith. In your most blessed name I pray - Amen”