Summary: We are presented here a story that is unique among the canonical Gospels, appearing only in the Gospel according to Luke. The introductory verses of the first chapter indicate that the author penned this gospel with the intention of sifting through the many "Jesus stories" circulating in the community that had been passed down from those who identified themselves as "eyewitnesses and servants of the word." The objective was to construct an "orderly account" for the faithful whom he identifies as "friends or lovers of God." After providing a rich account of the events prefiguring and surrounding Jesus' conception and birth, Luke's Gospel focuses intently on the recurring roles of the City of Jerusalem, the Festival of the Passover, and the Jerusalem Temple Complex in Jesus' life story. It was at the Temple in Jerusalem that Simeon and Anna, prophesied over the baby Jesus that he would be "destined for the falling and rising of many in Israel" and that he would be integral to "the redemption of Israel." The only window into Jesus' life that Luke provides between infancy and age 12 is a seeming aside that "the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him."[i] This statement may seem cursory at first glance; however, it is actually laden with purpose and intention. While the pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover was an annual ritual for Jesus and his family, this particular pilgrimage was an especially pivotal event in Jesus' process of maturation and formation. At the age of 12, Jesus was transitioning from childhood to adolescence; he was receiving more rigorous instruction in Jewish law and traditions, and he was moving from a dependent relationship with his parents to one marked by interdependence - and even flashes of radical independence! In essence, Jesus, the son of Mary and Joseph, the carpenter from Nazareth, was one step closer to actualizing his destiny as Jesus the rabbi, the rabble rouser, the faith healer, the messiah, the martyr, the Son of God and the Savior of the world.
