Year A Christmas 2 WED 2026 Chapel Service: Jesus was a Middle Schooler, Too!

 Year A Christmas 2 WEDNESDAY, 7 January 2026

Anna Julia Cooper School, Richmond, VA

“Yes, Jesus was a Middle Schooler, too!”

Collect:

O God, who wonderfully created, and yet more wonderfully restored, the dignity of human nature: Grant that we may share the divine life of him who humbled himself to share our humanity, your Son Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Ephesians 1:3-6,15-19a

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe.

Luke 2:41-52

The parents of Jesus went to Jerusalem every year for the festival of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Assuming that he was in the group of travelers, they went a day's journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, "Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety." He said to them, "Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" But they did not understand what he said to them. Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart.

And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor.

Good afternoon! It is always a joy to be back at Anna Julia Cooper. I loved the time I spent here and the wonderful work and ministry that this place does.

Today is a strange reading from the Gospel of St Luke. We see that Jesus’ parents, Mary and Joseph were devout, and made the long trip to Jerusalem to follow their religious practices properly.

They would travel up with all their relatives and the friends from their home town, Nazareth. It was safer and easier to do this with more folks which is probably why they missed that Jesus was not with them when they headed out. When the group left, they may have thought, “Where’s Jesus?” And then assumed he was running around and walking with the other Nazareth kids. 

They probably thought the same at lunch. And I am guessing by dinner time they were asking friends and relations, “Have you seen Jesus?” By bedtime they were probably worried and set out the next morning to find him.

So back they went, all the way to Jerusalem. They searched and scoured, looking high and low for Jesus. I am guessing they looked everywhere a 12 year old would be. But he was no where to be found. Finally after three days, they looked in the Temple. I am guessing they figured the last place a 12 year old boy would be is hanging out in church, or at the Temple, rather.

But, sure enough, there he was. And he was teaching the teachers, don’t you know.

But wait, Father Rock, doesn’t it say that:

…they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 

Did you notice that it says that he was asking the teachers in the Temple questions? Back then, when people taught, they often did it with what is now called the Socratic method. It comes from the Greek philosopher Socrates, so Socratic means to teach like him. When he would teach he would start not with answers, but with questions. By asking questions he could see where his students are and what they are thinking. So Jesus was schooling the Teachers. We know this because of the next sentence.

And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 

So he corrected where they were wrong, and taught them what he was thinking. His answers caused amazement, which I think was pretty cool. 

Three times in this chapter, it talks about how Mary was amazed and treasured in her heart the things said about Jesus. In verse 19 with the shepherds who had come to praise him in the stable while he was lying in the manger. In verse 34 when Simeon prophesied who he was to become she was in awe. And then here, seeing him actually in action, doing what it was foretold that he would do.

And then we are given this transition verse, where Jesus jumps from being a 12 year old to being a 30 year old. Luke sums it up this way:

And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor.

Friends, that is what I think is my prayer, and your teachers’ prayers for you. That you would grow up strong in your mind and in your body, and that you would be approved by those that know you and with God. The Bible word for God’s okaying of you is “Justified.” 

That is what we all want for you. We want you to grow fully to be who God made you to be, and that you would be found worthy to all who know you, especially God.

So Jesus was a middle schooler. People thought he was misbehaving and being bad or wrong, but he surprised them by being better than good. And he grew up. Being a middle schooler is a hard time. Your bodies and minds are changing and growing. You are trying on new personas and thoughts and beliefs. But I promise you if you take the effort, to grow in wisdom and into your body, you will find favor with those who know you. 

Blessings on you this day! Amen