Event New Testament
The boy Jesus in the temple
Also known as Jesus at twelve
When Jesus was twelve, His family went up to Jerusalem for the Passover. On the way home His parents realized He was missing and found Him three days later in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers. Asked why, He replied that He had to be in His Father's house.
Why it matters. Jesus' first recorded words claim God as His Father and the temple as His Father's house. The scene closes with Him going home in obedience and growing in wisdom and favor, the hidden years before His ministry.
- Primary passages
- Witnesses
Chronology confidence: medium
Luke alone records the episode, the only scene from Jesus' childhood in the Gospels.
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
Connections
The flight to Egypt precedes The boy Jesus in the temple
Historical inferenceHigh confidenceThe temple visit takes place when Jesus is twelve, after the family has settled in Nazareth.
Evidence:The boy Jesus in the temple precedes The baptism of Jesus
Historical inferenceHigh confidenceLuke moves from the boy of twelve to the man of about thirty who comes to John for baptism.
Evidence:Jesus participates in The boy Jesus in the temple
Explicit in ScriptureHigh confidenceThe twelve-year-old Jesus stays behind in the temple courts among the teachers.
Evidence:Joseph of Nazareth participates in The boy Jesus in the temple
Explicit in ScriptureHigh confidenceLuke says His parents went up for the feast and searched for Him together.
Evidence:Mary, mother of Jesus participates in The boy Jesus in the temple
Explicit in ScriptureHigh confidenceMary questions Jesus and afterward treasures these things in her heart.
The boy Jesus in the temple occurs at Jerusalem
Explicit in ScriptureHigh confidenceThe family goes up to Jerusalem for Passover and the boy stays behind in the city.
Evidence:The boy Jesus in the temple occurs at The temple in Jerusalem
Explicit in ScriptureHigh confidenceJesus is found in the temple courts and calls it His Father's house.
The boy Jesus in the temple develops the theme Passover
Explicit in ScriptureHigh confidenceThe visit is a Passover pilgrimage, the feast at which Jesus will later die.
Evidence: