<p>2:43 <i>And when they had finished the days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem; and his parents knew it not</i>- &quot;The days&quot; which they &quot;finished&quot; may refer not to Passover but to the traditional dedication of a 12 year old boy. The Lord clearly wanted to remain in Jerusalem, and may well have arranged circumstances so that His parents would not initially notice His absence. He must have felt some need to do His true Father's business in His house at that time; perhaps He felt the need to make a first appeal to the Jewish leadership at that time.</p>