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THE YOUTH OF JESUS

III. QUAR., LESSON V., JULY 29, LUKE 2:40-52

Golden Text—”And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.”—Luke 2:52

In this incident of the early life of Jesus we catch a glimpse of the rapid development of perfect humanity. “The [perfect] child grew and waxed strong* [physically and intellectually], filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon him.” His humble birth gave him none of the advantages of education or social culture, yet even at the age of twelve years all that heard him in conversation with the matured and learned doctors of the law in the temple were astonished at his understanding and answers. (Verse 47.) And later, when he taught in the synagogues, the astonished people said, “Whence hath this man this wisdom and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother Mary? and his brethren … and his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?” (Matt. 13:54-56.) “And all … wondered at the gracious words that proceeded out his mouth.” (Luke 4:22.) “And the Jews marvelled saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?” (John 7:15.) And others said, “Never man spake like this man.”—John 7:46.

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*Sinaitic and Vatican MSS. omit the words, “in spirit.”

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At the tender age of twelve he was intellectually more than a match for the mature and learned doctors; and he did not assume to be a teacher, but with becoming modesty he heard and asked questions—questions, however, so keen and penetrating as to indicate a very superior comprehension of the law and the prophets. As a perfect human being his mind was active and strong, his reasoning powers were astute, his perceptives awake to every educating influence with which he came in contact, his moral perceptions always discarding every thing that was evil, and his memory treasuring up all that was worthy of a place in his mind. Thus he grew and waxed strong and was filled with wisdom.

Joseph and Mary were, of course, unable to measure the breadth and capacity of such a mind, or to realize that at such an early age their child was developed so far beyond his years. But, having some appreciation of it, they did not give themselves special concern as to his whereabouts all the time of their stay in Jerusalem. They even started home and had gone a day’s journey supposing that he was with friends in the company. Finding their mistake, they spent another day returning, and a third in searching for him, and finally found him in the temple earnestly studying the law and the prophets in the midst of the learned doctors.

To their solicitous inquiry as to why he had thus dealt with them, his somewhat surprised answer was, “How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?” He evidently thought they understood him better than they did. But “they understood not the saying which he spake unto them.” (Verses 48-50.) They probably had never told him of his wonderful origin, and that Joseph was only his reputed father. How then could he know? thought they. The fact was that the mystery of his incarnation was incomprehensible to them. They did not know of the previous spiritual existence of this wonderful Son of God that he was now made flesh. They only knew him as the promised Seed of Abraham. But he knew; for as he grew and developed on the human plane of existence, memory carried him back to the glory that he had with the Father before the world was (John 17:5), so that he knew who he was and whence he came (John 8:58,14), and that he came to accomplish his Father’s business. He seemed somewhat surprised that Joseph and Mary did not more fully comprehend him; but since they did not, he meekly conformed to their ideas and was subject to them until he reached the years generally recognized as the years of maturity or manhood.

“And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man.” (Verse 52.) Though the wisdom of twelve years surpassed that of the sages among men, neither his mind nor his body had yet reached full development. And not until he was a fully developed man was he suitable to the purpose for which he had been called. Not until he attained the age of thirty was he the full grown man ready for sacrifice.—1 Chron. 23:3; Num. 4:3; Heb. 10:5-9.

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— July 15, 1894 —