“And the child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom;and the grace (favor and spiritual blessing) of God was upon Him.” Luke 2:40 AMP
“Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover festival. When Jesus was twelve years old, they attended the festival as usual. After the celebration was over, they started home to Nazareth, but Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents didn’t miss him at first, because they assumed he was among the other travelers. But when he didn’t show up that evening, they started looking for him among their relatives and friends. When they couldn’t find him, they went back to Jerusalem to search for him there. Three days later they finally discovered him in the Temple, sitting among the religious teachers, listening to them and asking questions. All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. His parents didn’t know what to think. “Son,” his mother said to him, “why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching for you everywhere.” “But why did you need to search?” he asked. “Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?” But they didn’t understand what he meant. Then he returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. And his mother stored all these things in her heart. Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people.”
Luke 2:41-52 NLT
http://bible.com/116/luk.2.41-52.nlt
Oh my goodness! I can’t even imagine how intimidating it must have been to be the parents of the only sinless child who ever walked the face of this earth. Again, how would you have liked to have been one of Jesus’ siblings. My mind can’t even go there! I am just trying to wrap my head around raising a perfect child, and to top it off a perfect boy! Mary never had to run after him after he broke away from holding her hand to dart in front of a donkey cart. Mary never got a crick in her neck because she tried to pick up Jesus to lead him in her direction while Jesus was pulling away so that he could go in the direction of his choosing. Mary never had to persuade Jesus to share. Jesus never had a selfish moment in his life. Mary and Joseph, and his siblings often displayed their selfishness. They had to have because the bible says, “All have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God.” Mary and Joseph needed a Savior same as you and me. Only difference is they were raising the Savior of the world! Did Mary or Joseph’s sins and shortcomings stick out like a sore thumb up against Jesus’ spotless ways? I get a little anxious thinking about that. I remember my shortcomings as I tried to be a good parent. I made my fair share of mistakes, but what saved me, so did my children, so did my husband. We were all in this sin thing together. Mary and Joseph and Jesus’ siblings were out on the limb alone as Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. God’s grace definitely had to fill in on this lopsided family dynamic.
Tonight all I can see; all I want to soak in is the adjectives I find in these passages.
That’s my King!
Jesus became strong in spirit. Jesus’ strength came from His Father in heaven. It was a dominating strength from an other worldly source. As I write those words I am singing Bonnie Tyler’s song, “I need a hero.” Everyone needs a hero. Jesus is mine. We all need a Savior. We all need someone who is bigger than our wrongs. Mary and Joseph needed a hero and He was living right under their noses. The One they were raising had more wisdom in a single thought than the total sum of each of their thoughts. He was complete wisdom. His was a perfected wisdom because He had come from God. His wisdom came because He is The Ancient of Days. I wonder again, did Mary have to turn away from Jesus’ insightful gaze? Did she ever recognize His insight into her soul?
The grace of God was upon Him. There was just something about the boy Jesus that was different. He wore God’s favor as he did his own clothes. When Joseph and Mary found him sitting in the temple discussing religious matters with the most learned and wisest of the biblical scholars of his day, the bible says of Jesus, “listening to them and asking questions. All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.” Again Jesus is the Son of the Ancient of Days. Jesus has been there from before time began. Through him all things were created. Jesus is the one Who wrote the book these scholars studied. These scholars who thought they knew it all, who thought they had this life journey all figured out, were completely stupefied and at a total loss to explain how this 12 year old boy contained such wisdom. It was an ancient wisdom that came from deep in his soul because he had been around from before the beginning. Jesus did have it all figured out because He knew the whole story of man. He knew perfectly and completely all of the facts of life. The facts of mankind both specific and implied were perfectly joined together in his mind and this was the place he spoke from even at his young age. He replied and answered these scholars from his depth of knowledge. A knowledge that came from an other worldly source, a heavenly source, His Father Abba in heaven.
Twelve year old Jesus, Son of God, went home with his earthly parents and submitted to their authority in His life. Verse 52 tells us everyday, day in and day out, Jesus increased in wisdom and stature. The wisdom He gained everyday matured his thought processing. Every day His Papa Abba, his Heavenly Father grew prouder and prouder of His Son and the life he was living on this earth, until one day God would open up the sky and His Holy Spirit would descend on Jesus like a dove, and God would speak from heaven, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.” Talk about speaking identity into someone!
I just sit today and mull over each of those adjectives used of the young boy Jesus. That’s my King! That is my Rabboni! That’s my great teacher!
Truly as I contemplate each of these adjectives in these verses, THERE IS JUST SOMETHING ABOUT THAT BOY!