Director’s Letter
Found and Restored in Jesus
In the divine plan of salvation, God the Father sends His Son, Jesus Christ, to seek and save humanity.
“After three days they found [Jesus] 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. And when His parents saw Him, they were astonished. … And He said to them, ‘Why were you looking for Me? Did you not know that I must be in My Father’s house?’” (Luke 2:46–49)
The Scriptures connect being lost with being dead. Being found means life restored — at least in the eyes of those who find what they thought had been lost. For a caring parent, losing a child is no laughing matter. There is anguish and anxiety. A yearning for reunion gives rise to urgency and determination. Love makes for movement. For three days, Mary and Joseph searched and carried on under the frightening thought that something bad had happened to their Son. Then they see Jesus, this “lost” 12-year-old standing in the temple, and He asks His exhausted parents: “Why were you looking for Me?”
In the divine plan of salvation, Jesus does the finding. He finds Mary and Joseph and the rest of humanity. He finds His mother by taking up residence in her womb. Before He hits His teenage years, He finds the theological faculty of Israel and engages in lively debate over the testimony written about Him. He finds His disciples and calls them to follow.
His findings cause amazement, but never for the sake of mere amusement. The Father’s business is conducted by the Son whom the Father has sent for all people. Jesus is and proclaims the flawless Word. With no deceit in His mouth, He opens up the prophets so that truth is revealed. Through His shed blood comes the grace of God that forgives every sin and restores life to what was once lost and dead. Jesus has found you in just this way, just as He is finding so many others. Enjoy the illustrative examples that follow in this issue of Lutherans Engage the World!
In His hands,
Rev. Kevin D. Robson
Chief Mission Officer, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
