Today we will begin a weekly study entitled: One Verse. The purpose of this study is to consider significant, difficult, insightful, or practical verses in their context. Many of these verses are readily quoted by Christians, but our goal is to be sure we have a correct understanding of them.
LUKE 2:52
“And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.”
With the exception of events that surrounded the birth of Jesus, Luke 2 records the only event in Scripture concerning the childhood of Jesus. Beginning in verse 41 Luke gives insight into the annual trip of Jesus’ family to Jerusalem to keep the Passover feast. Jesus was twelve years old at this time (v. 42). There can be little doubt that the “customs” of Joseph and Mary (v. 42; see also vv. 22, 27) had an impact on Jesus and His growth.
It was on this particular occasion that Jesus got left behind in Jerusalem, his parents supposing He was with other relatives or acquaintances (v. 44). During this three day separation from His parents, Jesus was in the temple listening, asking and answering questions (v. 47). When Joseph and Mary found their son in the temple and Mary questioned Him, He responded saying, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in My Father’s house” (v. 49)? Lest we get the wrong idea about Jesus’ attitude, verse 51 indicates that not only did Jesus go with them, but He was “submissive to them” (v. 51). This sets the stage then for our particular verse of focus where Luke records: “And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.” It is very important to note that this verse spans the gap from the time of that Jerusalem trip until Jesus begins His public ministry around the age of 30. Verse 52 is almost all that we know about what he did during this eighteen year expanse of time!
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- JESUS INCREASED IN WISDOM. It is not difficult for us to understand that Jesus was wise, but the process of Jesus (who was and is God) becoming wise or increasing in wisdom raises some difficulties. While not pretending to easily solve this dilemma, consider this. We know that in His fleshly form there was knowledge He did not possess (see, for example Mt. 24:36 concerning the “day and hour” of his return). Is it at least possible that there was some natural element to Jesus increasing in His knowledge and wisdom? His listening and asking questions earlier in the temple seems to imply this possibility (see v. 46).
- JESUS INCREASED IN STATURE. Jesus being fully man (though God at the same time), grew and developed physically as any other child, as He became flesh (Jn. 1:14) and was born as an infant.
- JESUS INCREASED IN FAVOR WITH GOD. The word “favor” here has to do with the way God saw Him. In other words, as Jesus grew physically, He also grew in, or added to, the favorable view of His heavenly Father. In a similar way as to His growth in wisdom, it seems His favor with God increased along with His capacity and opportunity to fulfill the will and the plan of His Father. (See His baptism – esp. Mt. 3:17.) Of course, we should not see this in such a strictly literal sense as to conclude that He, at any time, was not in favor with his Father.
- JESUS INCREASED IN FAVOR WITH MAN. From the context of this passage, we can certainly conclude that this process would have included those who heard him at the temple (v. 47) and His parents concerning His submission to them (v. 51). This is especially impressive to consider as Jesus was entering His teenage years. But we see even in the later ministry of Christ, that the common people heard Him gladly (see Mk. 12:37). Jesus was a pleasant person to be around! He was “gentle and lowly in heart” (Mt. 11:28). When Jesus fell out of favor with man, it was never any fault of His own!
Long before the time of Christ, 1 Samuel 2:26 recorded, “Now the boy Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favor with the Lord and also with man.” Our aim should be to follow the example of Samuel and especially Christ. Physical growth comes naturally. Growing in the favor of God and our fellow man will take disciplined effort!
Daren Schroeder
