Luke 2:41-50
Joseph was Jesus' foster father, standing in on Earth for the all-perfect heavenly Father. One of his primary responsibilities toward the Messiah as a stand-in for God the Father was to protect Jesus. Imagine his consternation on discovering that his charge, the one he had hidden from His enemies more than once, was missing. Where had He gone? Would He be found? What would happen if the king learned of Jesus' existence? The boy is almost a man, but He isn't yet, and Joseph has to make sure nothing prevents Him from reaching the age when He is ready to fulfill His role as Messiah. Has he failed? Does the boy understand how important He is or how dangerous His enemies are? Only Mary, Joseph, and Jesus know His true identity so far, but the three of them know that the salvation of all humanity rests on the continued safety of a young man for whom numerous other children have already been murdered in His enemies' attempts to destroy Him. What worry and thoughts must have raced through Joseph's mind as he and Mary rushed back to Jerusalem and searched the whole city for their missing Son.
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