People often wish they knew more about the story of Jesus when he was a child. Today’s verse gives us some of the story. We read it in Luke 2:52:
“And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.”
Notice these things about Jesus as he grew into a man:
- Jesus grew up. He didn’t start life on earth as a wise old teacher. He was a baby and then a boy and then a man. He “increased” Luke wrote.
- He wasn’t born with all the wisdom he would ever have. He increased in wisdom. It is hard for Christians to think about Jesus without thinking that when he was a 10-year-old he was as wise as when he gave the Sermon on the Mount or when he preached the parables. Not true. He got wiser as he got older. He “increased.”
- Jesus increased in favor with God. As God saw him making freewill decisions to honor his father and do the right thing, God was even more pleased with Jesus. We know God loved Jesus when he was a babe in a manger, but as the days went by, God’s favor for him increased.
- Jesus increased in favor with man. He knew how to build relationship with his friends and neighbors. According to Proverbs 18:24, “A man who has friends must himself be friendly.” Jesus must have been friendly as youth in order to increase in “favor with man.”
There is that story of Jesus going to the temple when he was only 12. There he astonished the priests with his knowledge of God’s word. He was a dedicated student of the word, even as a child. I’m glad God told us that story, but there is also a lot to learn about Jesus in today’s Bible verse.
I’m Lonnie Davis
and this is a thought worth thinking.