It Began in Eternity

For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me (John 6:38).

Jesus was only 12 years old, but He understood His divine responsibility: to be about His Father’s business. His Father’s business began long before Jesus was 12, began preaching, or died on the cross. It began in eternity.

At the season of Passover, Joseph and Mary made their way to Jerusalem with their children. When the one-day Passover and the seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread was over, the family set out for home. A few days into the journey, Joseph and Mary realized they hadn’t seen Jesus. All the thoughts and emotions that accompany parents who can’t find a child passed through their hearts and minds.

They traced back through the days to when they’d last seen Him. He had to still be in Jerusalem!

After searching several days, they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions (Luke 2:46). As a parent, I can imagine Mary’s face when she laid eyes on her son. I remember “the look” in my own mother’s eyes. Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously (Luke 2:48).

Mary and Joseph forgot that Jesus had an agenda unlike their own. He had a Divinely set appointment that took precedent. Why is it that you sought Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business? (Luke 2:49). But they didn’t understand what He was talking about.

Each of us must decide if we’ll obey men or God. Do we pursue our own agenda, that of our friends or family, or that which God prescribes for us in the Bible? Pursuing the will of God comes down to understanding our purpose in life. Most people place their personal goals ahead of those of God. Despite what they say, their actions prove God comes second at best. Divine appointments easily give way to personal preferences and desires.

Why are you here? Why did God place you where you are right now? He has a plan and purpose for you to fulfill that honors Him. When you Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, He promises to take care of all the rest (Matthew 6:33).