The law of Moses required that the adult males of the Jewish nation should appear before the Lord at the place of his altar, three times every year, at the great festivals. Anciently—that is, under the judges and the kings—this obligation had been very much neglected. But in, and long before, the time of our Savior, more attention had been given to these festivals, and the attendance at Jerusalem was very large. It was much the largest at the Passover, which was rightly regarded as the most solemn and important of these festivals, and which involved certain observances which could only there be performed. In fact, there only could the passover lamb be eaten, seeing that it was necessary that the lambs should be first offered at the altar. The attendance at the other festivals was regarded as less obligatory, or more optional. There was no legal penalty indeed for the neglect even of the Passover; but attendance at it was very essential to the character of a good Jew; and no one could frequently or habitually neglect it without loss of credit. The fact seems to have been, that Jerusalem was visited during all the festivals only by those who lived comparatively near; persons whose abode was more remote were generally content with one attendance in the year, and it was considered a mark of piety to be constant in that annual attendance. Jews in foreign countries, and they were at this time numerous, did not of course attend annually at any of the festivals; but they strove to be present at no distant intervals of years—and then the festival at which their attendance was most common was not that of the Passover but that of Pentecost, because the time of the year before and after that feast was most favorable for travel, and especially for voyaging by sea—a most serious consideration in the timid navigation of that age. Thus we see that it was at the feast of Pentecost next after the Passover, at which our Lord was crucified, that many strangers from all parts are recorded to have been at Jerusalem—(Act_2:1-5)—and Paul, coming from over the sea, hastened to be at Jerusalem against the feast of Pentecost (Act_20:16).
Hence we feel no surprise that the Passover seems to have been the only one of the three feasts which the family at Nazareth regularly attended. We are told: “Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover.” From this we learn, that Mary accompanied her husband on these occasions. The attendance of adult males only was required by the law, and even custom did not exact the attendance of females. This, therefore, was entirely a voluntary thing on the part of Mary, and evinces the piety of her character and her great regard for, and delight in, the ordinances of God.
The child Jesus first accompanied his parents when He was twelve years of age. This is usually stated to have been in conformity with regulations prescribing that age for the first attendance of males. But this was not required actually till the age of thirteen had been attained, when the child became subject to the whole law, and incurred all the duties of adult church-membership. That our Lord was taken a year sooner, was therefore a proof, that in the view of his parents He had at this earlier age manifested such knowledge of Divine things, and such acquaintance with the obligations of the Mosaic covenant, as demanded that they should no longer postpone his formal recognition as “a son of the commandment,” as such a person used to be called.
As it is said that “they fulfilled all the days,” it would seem that they tarried through the seven days of the feast of unleavened bread, which immediately followed the Passover, and was usually counted as part of it—making eight days in all. It was not obligatory to remain after the actual Passover, but devout persons usually did so.
At length they departed with their company; and although Joseph and Mary did not see their Son during the first day’s journey, they felt no concern, presuming that He was accompanying some of their neighbors in the large party of northward-bound travellers.
This will appear plainer when it is understood, that as the pilgrims to the Passover required to be all at Jerusalem by the same time, those who dwelt in the same neighborhood necessarily left their homes together, and, by previous arrangement as to the time of starting, made up a large travelling company. The Orientals always like large parties in travelling—and especially when travelling for religious objects, as we see in the great pilgrim caravans of the Moslems and Hindus. Safety and sociality equally dictate this; and no doubt it contributed largely to the maintenance of good feelings and friendly relations among the people, that persons (even if residing in the same town, separated for the year by their various pursuits and occupations, found such opportunities of seeing each other, and conversing together, under the relaxations of happy travel, in a pleasant season, and with pious objects. Indeed, this cultivation of the feeling of brotherhood among the people, was avowedly one of the objects for which attendance at the place of the altar was required. And this object was quite as much promoted in the journey to and from Jerusalem as in the assemblage there. Perhaps more so—as people actually travelling are thrown more miscellaneously together than in a town under any circumstances.
The Nazarenes doubtless timed their departure from home so as to fall in with parties arriving so far on their way from places more to the north on the same line of road; and in the southward journey were joined by parties from places lying nearer to Jerusalem on the same route. Quitting that city as soon as the festival was ended, the persons going the same journey would in like manner leave together, but would throw off parties right and left as they proceeded on their way. Thus the stream of travellers increased as it approached, and diminished as it receded from Jerusalem—being in both cases largest when nearest the city. Note: See Psa_84:7, margin—“They go from company to company every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.” Thus the northward company must have been very large indeed during the first day’s journey from Jerusalem; and the conclusion of the parents of Jesus, that their Son, although not at hand, might be with some acquaintance in the company, was perfectly natural. When, however, they halted at the end of that day’s journey, and Jesus did not join them at the appointed spot, which He knew, as He had rested there with them in the way up, they became seriously alarmed. They went about seeking Him among the Nazarenes of their acquaintance, but could hear no tidings of Him. The company was to proceed in the morning, and it became necessary to decide either to go on with it, or to return to Jerusalem. They probably waited to see the caravan pass out in the morning, in order to make sure that He was not in it; and then feeling confident that He must have remained behind at Jerusalem, they hastened back with anxious hearts to seek their lost Son.
