The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Luke 2:40-47, “And the Child continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.

41 And His parents used to go to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover.

42 And when He became twelve, they went up there according to the custom of the Feast;

43 and as they were returning, after spending the full number of days, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. And His parents were unaware of it,

44 but supposed Him to be in the caravan, and went a day’s journey; and they began looking for Him among their relatives and acquaintances.

45 And when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, looking for Him.

46 And it came about that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them, and asking them questions.

47 And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers.”

As a child, were you ever lost? Maybe in a grocery or department store? Oh, you knew where you were, but your mother didn’t! You weren’t really lost; you were just lost from her. I get it.

The young child Jesus was continuing to grow. He was also getting stronger, and He was becoming wiser by the day. When the grace of God is working in your life, strength and wisdom demonstrate themselves within you. Others may notice your growth more than you do.

There were great feasts for the Jews: 1. The Passover. 2. The Feast of Pentecost, or of weeks. 3. The Feast of Tabernacles, or of ingathering. Passover was kept just before the harvest commenced. Pentecost was observed at the conclusion of the corn harvest and before the vintage. Tabernacles was celebrated after all the fruits of the ground had been gathered. These and other festivals, were spiritual in nature and kept the people apprised of their nationality.

Boys will be boys, and apparently the young Jesus was like other boys of his age, something of a free spirit. Thus, as Joseph and Mary were returning from the festival, they thought nothing of Jesus not being with them. But, after journeying a full day –about 24 miles– and His whereabouts were still not known, they returned to Jerusalem in an effort to find Him.

Ultimately, the 12-year-old Jesus was found in the Temple, surrounded by teachers of the law, both asking and answering questions. They were all amazed at how much He knew and truly understood. Sometimes we sell our young people short. Just the other day, a high school orchestra played for the residence of the rehabilitation facility where Rose Marie currently resides. The young first-chair cellist was amazing! I met him after the performance, and found him to be a pleasant, unassuming and polite young man. He played fawllessly, like a master; yet, he was but a teenager.

The key to all greatness lies squarely in “the grace of God.” Yes, there is natural talent in the lives of those who do not know Christ as their Savior, but true greatness is reserved for those who are fully committed to Him. Is your life focused on Jesus? Are you completely committed to Him? We pray that you are.

Lovingly yours, we pray for you daily,

Nana & Dado III

(Rose Marie & Gene)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”