Luke 2:52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. The increase of Jesus in wisdom during this period was — 1. Real. Jesus had to learn from the words of others what as yet He knew not; and that was entirely unknown to Him as a child, which He had a glimpse of as a boy, conjectured as a youth, and first clearly perceived as a man. 2. Unchecked. In attributing to the Lord Jesus the relative imperfection of childhood, we must carefully avoid imputing to Him the failings of childhood. His life showed no trace of childish faults, to be hereafter conquered. The words of John (Matthew 3:14) show, on the contrary, what impression was made by His moral purity when thirty years of age, and the voice from heaven (Matthew 3:17) sets the seal of the Divine approval on the now completed development of the Son of Man, a seal which the Holy One of Israel would only have offered to absolute perfection. 3. It was effected by means — (1) Careful home-training. (2) The natural beauties of the neighbourhood of Nazareth. (3) The Scriptures. (4) The annual journeys to Jerusalem. (5) Prayerful communion with His heavenly Father. 4. Normal, and so an example of what our development should be in fellowship with Him. (J. J. Van Oosterzee, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.WEB: And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. |
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