“And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” (Luke 2:52 NIV)
Jesus came to earth as a baby, and He needed time to grow—not just physically, but spiritually, too. Luke 2:40 (NIV) tells us, “The child grew and became strong; He was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on Him.”
After this summary, Luke shares a story from Jesus’ childhood. When He was twelve, He went with Mary and Joseph to the temple to celebrate the Passover.
Afterward, everyone went home—except Jesus. Three days later, He was still in the temple listening to the teachers and asking questions! Joseph and Mary were worried and went searching for Him. When they found Him, He asked, “Why were you searching for Me? Didn’t you know I had to be in My Father’s house?”
(Luke 2:49 NIV)
After this, Luke writes that Jesus continued to grow in wisdom and in favor with God and people (Luke 2:52). His growing wisdom was linked to His focus on His heavenly Father. Even though Jesus was the Son of God and unique in that way, He was also fully human. He had to learn and grow, just like us. And the way He did this can serve as an example for us.
How can you spend time “in God’s house”? How can this help you grow spiritually?