The Boy Jesus in the Temple

⁴¹ Now every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover.^{(A) 42} And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. ⁴³ When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents were unaware of this. ⁴⁴ Assuming that he was in the group of travelers, they went a day’s journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. ⁴⁵ When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. ⁴⁶ After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. ⁴⁷ And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.^{(B) 48} When his parents^[a] saw him they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Child, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously looking for you.”^{(C) 49} He said to them, “Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”^{[b](D) 50} But they did not understand what he said to them.^{(E) 51} Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was obedient to them, and his mother treasured all these things in her heart.^(F)

⁵² And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years^[c] and in divine and human favor.^(G)