Lost in the Crowd: What Mary and Joseph Can Teach Us About Missing Jesus

  

 I once read a story about a young professional who, rushing between appointments, barely had time to eat. She quickly microwaved a frozen meal and was out the door. Sliding into her car, she went to start the ignition only to realize her keys were missing. Frantically, she searched her bag, coat, and pockets. Minutes turned into an anxious blur until a flash of memory brought her to a strange place: the freezer. Low and behold, there they were, nestled right between the ice cream and the frozen vegetables.

    We can all relate to that moment—that sudden, chilling realization that we have completely misplaced something vital. Whether it’s car keys, important documents, or a wedding ring, we’ve all been guilty of letting our minds wander and misplacing what is valuable.

    But, let me ask you; can you imagine losing the Messiah?

    The Bible tells the account of Mary and Joseph losing Jesus on the journey home from Jerusalem. This wasn't just a child; this was the Son of God, the King of Kings, and the center of the greatest story ever told. God had given the responsibility of raising Jesus, the Christ, the Emanuel, and here they have blown it! 

    Yet, in a very real, spiritual way, we are often guilty of losing Jesus ourselves. We become so busy with our own lives, our careers, our dreams, and our endless issues that we unconsciously push Christ to the outskirts of our attention. We don't intentionally discard Him, but we let Him slip away, obscured by the dust of daily life. 

    This reality is amplified during busy seasons of our life. Seasons when your kids are in every sport imaginable and your schedule looks like a mess. Season when you live more in your car than you do in your home. Then there are holiday seasons, where we are filled with all the planning, decorating, and all the fun and exciting events. We can be so busy doing life that we fail to do life justice by keeping Jesus at the very center of the things that we are involved in. 

    How can we avoid this trap? The story of Jesus remaining in the temple gives us profound insight into the spiritual danger of misplaced priorities.

Let’s turn to the main passage, which details the three days Mary and Joseph spent searching for their twelve-year-old son:

41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. 43 And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, 44 but supposing him to be in the group they went a day's journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, 45 and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.- Luke 2:41–46 (ESV)

Mary and Joseph made two crucial missteps that mirror our own spiritual struggles:

1. The Danger of Repetitive Routine

    Mary and Joseph were doing what they were supposed to do. They traveled to Jerusalem for the Passover, an annual religious commandment. The Passover was meant to be a powerful reminder of God’s deliverance.

    But perhaps after twelve years, the experience had grown routine. The meaning of the feast waned, and the motions took root. Their spiritual discipline, which was meant to be a reminder, had become a dull habit that allowed them to take the presence of God for granted. The most dangerous state for a spiritual person is to be doing all the right things without any of the right focus.

    Where is your focus at throughout this past week? Where is your focus as you went to church this past Sunday? Be careful that you don't make your routines break your focus on what truly matters. 

2. The Deception of Busyness

    The second thing we see is that Mary and Joseph were busy, surrounded by family and friends in a large traveling company. They were so distracted by the fellowship and the journey itself that they simply supposed Jesus was where He should be. They were moving, talking, and engaging—but they were moving away from the one person who mattered most.

    The philosopher Socrates famously warned: “Beware the barrenness of a busy life.” Busyness can often feel productive, but if it pushes Jesus to the periphery, it is spiritually barren. We can be organizing, socializing, and checking off our endless to-do list, yet still be tragically distant from the Son of God.

God as the Source of Our Hope

    The good news of the Gospel is this: When we finally realize Jesus is missing from the center of our lives—that He has been misplaced by our self-focus—we must turn back and search for Him. Jesus didn't stay behind to play hide-and-seek; He stayed because He "must be in my Father's house" (Luke 2:49).

    That “Father’s business” culminated on the cross, where Jesus, the Son of God, laid down His life to rescue us. This is the source of our hope. He didn't just come to be celebrated for a season; He came to be the acceptable sacrifice for our sins and offer Himself as the central focus of our eternity. We find hope not in our efforts to be good or busy, but in turning to God through Jesus Christ.

    We don't have to search for three days in a panic. When we realize our error, Jesus is not hard to find. He is found in the Word, where He speaks. He is found at the throne of grace, where we pray. He is ready and waiting to be placed back in the very center of your heart and life, not because of what you do, but because of what He has already done.

To make sure you don't lose sight of Jesus in the busyness of life, commit to these spiritual priorities:

Renew Your Routine, Don't Just Repeat It: Treat your daily time with God's Word and prayer not as a religious checklist, but as a deliberate and relational encounter with your Creator. Ask the Holy Spirit to transform your mind and heart through the text. The Apostle Paul writes:

Romans 12:2 (ESV) “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Schedule the Sacred First: Intentionally carve out "Christ-time" before you fill your calendar with other obligations. This means protecting margin in your day for quiet contemplation and devotional reading. The things that truly matter for your soul should never be left to the leftover scraps of your day.

Share the True Center: In your interactions with others, actively point them to Jesus as the source of your hope. Use your time with friends and family not just for catching up, but as an opportunity to share the ultimate good news—the Gospel. Don't just share a gift; share the Giver. This will not only remind them of who Christ is, but it will remind you of who Christ is as well and help you keep that Christ centered focus.

Embrace Salvation Through Faith: If you have never intentionally confessed your sin and placed your faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, recognize that He is the only one who can fill the spiritual center you may be missing. Stop trying to earn your place through busyness. The hope of heaven and the strength to live a godly life are found solely through repentance and believing that Christ died for your sins and rose again, reconciling you to God. Turn to Him, and He will never be truly "lost" to you again.