Luke is the only gospel writer who gives us a peek into the childhood of Jesus. Luke, the physician, is analytical and an observer of life. Biblical historians believe that Luke had much of his research with first hand observers of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Not being an apostle or having first person knowledge, he relied upon others. One of those was Mary, the mother of Jesus.

Someone said that Jesus’ childhood is like a walled garden — the inside of which no one has seen. Luke plucked one flower from inside that garden and gave it to us to read and contemplate. (Bruce Larson, Communicator’s Commentary, p.61)

 

Let’s examine the background of this scripture passage.

First: We read that the nuclear family of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus traveled to Jerusalem to celebrate the P…