Joseph also took his family to religious festivals in Jerusalem. For the annual Passover, Joseph may have needed two weeks to make the 75-mile journey (120 km), observe the occasion, and return home.

“In Mental Distress”

21. What was Passover time like for Joseph’s family, and when did Joseph and Mary notice that Jesus was missing?

²¹ When Jesus was 12 years old, Joseph took the family to Jerusalem as usual. It was Passover, a festive time, and large families traveled together in long caravans through the lush spring countryside. As they approached the starker landscapes near lofty Jerusalem, many would sing the familiar psalms of ascent. (Ps. 120-134) The city likely teemed with hundreds of thousands of people. Afterward, the families and their caravans began to head homeward. Joseph and Mary, perhaps with much to do, assumed that Jesus was traveling with others, maybe family members. Only after Jerusalem lay a full day behind them did they realize a terrifying truth​—Jesus was missing!​—Luke 2:41-44.

22, 23. What did Joseph and Mary do about their missing boy, and what did Mary say when they finally found him?

²² Frantically, they retraced their steps all the way to Jerusalem. Imagine how empty and strange the city seemed to them now as they paced the streets, calling out their son’s name. Where could the boy be? By the third day of searching, did Joseph begin to wonder if he had failed terribly in this sacred trust from Jehovah? Finally, they went to the temple. There they searched until they came upon a chamber where many learned men, versed in the Law, were gathered​—with young Jesus sitting among them! Imagine the relief Joseph and Mary felt!​—Luke 2:45, 46.

²³ Jesus was listening to the learned men and eagerly asking questions. The men were amazed at the child’s understanding and his answers. Mary and Joseph, though, were astounded. In the Bible record, Joseph is silent. But Mary’s words speak eloquently for both of them: “Child, why did you treat us this way? Here your father and I in mental distress have been looking for you.”​—Luke 2:47, 48.

24. How does the Bible paint a realistic picture of parenthood?

²⁴ Thus in a few deft strokes, God’s Word paints a realistic picture of parenthood. It can be stressful​—even when the child is perfect! Parenting in today’s dangerous world can bring untold “mental distress,” but fathers and mothers can take comfort in knowing that the Bible acknowledges the challenge they face.

25, 26. How did Jesus answer his parents, and how might Joseph have felt about his son’s words?

²⁵ Jesus had stayed in the one place in the world where he felt the closest to his heavenly Father, Jehovah, eagerly soaking up anything he could learn. He answered his parents in simple sincerity: “Why did you have to go looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in the house of my Father?”​—Luke 2:49.

²⁶ Joseph surely thought about those words many times. Perhaps he came to beam with pride over them. After all, he had worked diligently to teach his adopted son to feel that way about Jehovah God. By that time in his life as a boy, Jesus already had warm feelings about the word “father”​—feelings shaped largely by his years with Joseph.