Jesus understood his purpose even as a 12-year-old boy. He had come to do his Father's business.

JESUS' PURPOSE

Jesus understood that his Father's business has always been about people. So Jesus came "to seek and to save what was lost" (Luke 19:10). Jesus explained that to accomplish his Father's business, the Son of Man "will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again" (Luke 18:32,33).
Jesus understood his purpose even as a youth.

Sadly Mary and Joseph forgot or did not understand fully. The angel Gabriel had told his mother that he would "be called the Son of the Most High" (Luke 1:32). Joseph had heard the angel say, "You are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21). Every time he said, "Jesus, give me that hammer," Joseph should have remembered the purpose for which Jesus had come into the world. But the angel's words had slipped away in everyday activity. When he was 12 years old, Jesus had to remind them, "Did you not know that I must be about my Father's business?"

What happened? For one thing, 12 years had intervened. Twelve years is a long time to stay focused on what Jesus had been sent to do. Twelve years of working and worrying about how to put food on the table. We don't know what occupied their minds, but we do know that Joseph and Mary did not see clearly at this moment the purpose for which the Father had sent his Son.

OUR PURPOSE

What happened to Mary and Joseph certainly happens to us. We lose sight of our purpose. We get caught up in our busy lives of work and appointments and volunteer activities. We begin to think our purpose is to accomplish this task or that—to make money, to lead this church group, to drive our kids to basketball practice.

But the Father's business is never just about getting some work done. It's always been all about saving lost and sinful people. Isn't that our business too? The people we work with are more important than the job. The people we volunteer with are more important than the task we are trying to do. The children we drive here and there are more important than the activities that fill our calendars.

The beginning of a new year is a time to look back. As I do, I have to confess that I have often been about getting my business done rather than the Father's business. Because we are all born selfish creatures, that is true of each of us. Praise God that even as a youth Jesus knew what his purpose was. He was all about his Father's business, saving sinful people like me and you.