The Glorious Disturbance - Understanding And Receiving The Baptism Of The Holy Spirit

30

ASTOUNDING HOLY SPIRIT MIRACLES INTRODUCE A NEW ERA

Josephus, and so much gold covered its sides that, had the sun been shining brightly, the boy's eyes might have smarted from the glare. 9

Pilgrims who visited Jerusalem for the feasts were required by law to stay two days, and this was undoubtedly all that Joseph and Mary intended. Nothing of special interest would detain them after that, unless it was the opportunity to spend extra time in the Temple courts listening to the learned rabbis who were holding special teaching sessions on the Torah. Joseph and Mary remained the required time, and then joined a caravan headed homeward, assuming that their responsible oldest child was also in the group with relatives or friends. During their first day's journey of about twentymiles, the increasingly anxious parents began an intensive search for Jesus that lasted three days: one day's journey out, one day's journey back to Jerusalem and the third day in Jerusalem. Once the Passover Feast was over, Jesus had quickly made His way to the area where the leading Temple rabbis were teaching.Seemingly, the lad forgot the trip home, for He hungered to hear the most brilliant, most learned, most spiritual of all Israel's teachers.Surely, if there were answers to the questions burning in His mind, these venerable scholars, whose lives were immersed in the study of the Scripture, must have had them! W. Phillip Keller describes the scene: For three full days He plied them with questions.His insight into spiritual truth astounded them.Where would a youth of twelve gain such a broad grasp ofGod's Word? Surely no second-rate rabbi in Nazareth could impart such spiritual understanding! They in turn put difficult questions to Him ...questions that they themselves had never resolved ...questions tinged with doubts, misgivings, and perhaps even skepticism.Swiftly, surely He replied, dispelling their doubts and assuring them of the absolute veracity of God's Word. So engrossed were student and scholars in their discussions that the days sped by. Where Jesus slept and who provided His meals has often interested me.Did no one stop to wonder where His parents might be? It is a measure of the depth and intensity of their dialogue that secondary considerations hardly entered their thoughts.Suddenly Mary and Joseph showed up in the temple searching for the lad. 10

J. W. Shepard comments that"... they found Him on the morning of the third day sitting at the feet of the Doctors of the Law on the Temple