Jesus Was a Teenage Rebel And This is How I Know

Jesus had a normal family, normal upbringing, lived in a normal Jewish place and had a normal mother and father. Even the fact that there were some abnormalities is pretty normal. This passage shows how normal everything was.

Some of you are saying: Wait, how many other twelve year olds are sitting among the teachers in the temple and impressing them?? THAT certainly isn’t normal… and I’d have to agree. But what I would say is normal is that all of us at some point in time need to embrace our faith for ourselves. And that is what I see Jesus doing here – embracing His faith for Himself. We need to make a separation from our parents . We must distance ourselves a bit as we become adults and individuals. There comes a time when each of us has to examine the things we have always been taught and always believed and determine whether in fact we will own that faith for ourselves.

A Word to The Parents

Looking at this passage from a developmental point of view, I think that is what is happening. Jesus is getting it from another source. He is taking the initiative, as a twelve-year-old boy, to search out His faith and embrace it himself. Parents you need to provide room and opportunities for your kids to do that as they grow older. Send them to camp, make sure they have exposure to other adult Christians, encourage their questions and help them find the answers for themselves, even if that means allowing them to struggle to their own conclusions.

Really, that is one of the key reasons why we need to work with teens. To help them think through all these things. We must challenge and question everything and thus come to a firm personal conviction and experience with Jesus as THEIR Lord and Savior. And parents – your biggest job here is to be a consistent example and to pray. And to let your kids know that you are praying for them!!

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Eduardo Quintana is also featured as an author on Lightworkers Media