Yeshua's Bar Mitzvah? - I Don't Think So!

Before I begin presenting and rebutting the heresies concerning the Messiahship of Yeshua that John Hagee talks about in his book, "In Defense Of Israel," I want to give you a glimpse into the faulty research and biblical interpretation that are characteristically found throughout the book.

On page 95 of the book, Mr. Hagee states that the reason for Yeshua's visit to the Temple in Jerusalem with His parents (as recorded in Luke 2:41-50) was for His Bar Mitzvah. That is, that as a practicing Jew, Yeshua was entering into manhood, becoming spiritually accountable for Himself. Here is the quote directly from the book (italics mine):

"At the end of his twelfth year, which would have been his thirteenth birthday, Jesus was taken to the temple for his bar mitzvah, which was (and still is) the custom of the Jews (Luke 2:42). Jesus went into the temple a boy, but he came out of the temple a man.
"In that context, it is not hard to understand the controversial conversation between Jesus and his mother following the occasion. When Mary and Joseph left the temple and discovered after a day's journey that Jesus was not with them, they returned to the temple to find their son in a dialogue with scholars. Mary scolded Jesus, saying, 'Son, why have You done this to us? Your father and I have sought You anxiously.' Jesus answered, 'Why did you seek Me?' (Luke 2:48-49).
"Some Christians see Jesus's response as being disrespectful to his mother. But he was not being disrespectful. Jesus was now a man, and his mother was having difficulty adusting to the face. Some things never change!"

There is absolutely nothing in the narrative of Luke 2:41-49 that even remotely suggests that Yeshua was in Jerusalem for His bar mitzvah. Nothing to suggest that His mother was having difficulty adjusting to the fact that He was growing up. As a matter of fact, there is no mention or example of a young jewish man's bar mitzvah anywhere in the B'rit Hadasha (New Testament). The whole presentation as such from this text is Hagee's own invention, from beginning to end. His treatment of the Luke passage is both erroneous and irresponsible.

There is absolutely nothing in that entire passage to even remotely suggest that Yeshua was having His bar mitzvah at the Temple in Jerusalem at age 12. The clear statements and context of the passage was that Yeshua accompanied His parents to Jerusalem at age12 to observe the Passover. This is something He would have done every year at that time with them since the Passover was one of the three feasts that God in Torah commanded all Jewish males to go up to Jerusalem to observe (Deut. 16:16).

Miriam (Mary) in her "scolding" of Yeshua was expressing her anxiety over not knowing where He had gone to when she and Joseph had originally left Jerusalem to go back to Nazareth.

All of Hagee's statements and conclusions are his own invention and not based on fact. His method of hermeneutics (biblical interpretation) leaves much to be desired.