There was a flurry of divine activity around the time of Jesus’ birth. But after the birth, silence descends again. We know almost nothing of Jesus’ childhood and early adult years. Only one incident is mentioned. This incident gives us an interesting insight into Jesus’ awareness of who He was and His mission. In chapter 2, verses 41 through 52 of his inspired Gospel, Luke writes, “His parents went every year to Jerusalem at the feast of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast, and when they had fulfilled the days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. Joseph and his mother didn’t know it, but supposing him to be in the company, they went a day’s journey, and they looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances. When they didn’t find him, they returned to Jerusalem, looking for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the middle of the teachers, both listening to them, and asking them questions. All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. When they saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us this way? Behold, your father and I were anxiously looking for you.” He said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?” They didn’t understand the saying which he spoke to them. And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth. He was subject to them, and his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”
We don’t know why Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem when His parents left to return to Galilee. The account is unclear as to whether Jesus had been with His parents before on their annual pilgrimages. If He had been, we do not know why this trip was any different in Jesus’ mind than any of the others. On the other hand, if this was Jesus’ first trip to Jerusalem for Passover, Jesus may have assumed that His parents were going to leave Him at the Temple as the prophet Samuel’s mother had left him at the Tabernacle (1 Samuel 1:20-28).
We don’t know at what age Jesus began to understand who He was. It’s clear from what He said to his parents that by age twelve He knew that God was His heavenly Father. “…Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49 NIV) It seems that He also had some idea that He was to have a special role in God’s plan, but He obviously did not fully understand the role or the timing. Another eighteen years had to pass before the time was right for Him to begin His ministry. In the meantime, He had to return to Nazareth and obey His parents. This lesson was to stand Him in good stead later in life. Hebrews chapter 5, verse 8 says, “Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered” (NIV). No doubt the lesson in obedience Jesus learned at age twelve helped Him face the much harder tests of obedience later on.
The fact that Jesus had to learn brings up an intriguing question. Luke chapter 2, verse 52 says that Jesus “…grew [or increased] in wisdom…” (NIV) This means that He did not have as much wisdom as a boy as He did as a young adult or as a man. Yet, since Jesus was Immanuel, “God with us” (Matthew 1:23) how can this be? If Jesus is divine – and Scripture is plain that He is – why would He need to grow in wisdom? Being God, wouldn’t Jesus already possess all wisdom, along with the other attributes of God?
The answer to this dilemma is found in Colossians chapter 2, verse 9, “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,” (NIV). The key is the phrase ‘bodily form.’ Yes, Jesus is God in the flesh, but in order for Him to take on a physical body, He had to leave certain aspects or dimensions of divinity behind. He had to accept the limitations inherent in the medium. Only so much of God can fit in the package of a human body. Philippians chapter 2, verse 5 through 7 explains it this way, “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.” (NIV)
According to this verse, in comparison to the nature of God, the nature of a human being is nothing. Not very much of God can fit or be expressed in the form of a human body. Also, the capacity of the human form is much different at various stages of life. So, while Jesus was a baby, He displayed as much of the fullness of God as a baby is capable of containing. As His physical body grew and developed, its capacity to contain more of the fullness of God also increased. The boy was more capable than the baby and the man more capable than the boy.
Hebrews chapter 1, verse 3 expresses the concept with a different metaphor. “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being…” (NIV) The idea of a representation or an image can help us understand why Jesus had limitations even though He is God in the flesh. Suppose you take a digital picture. The image may be absolutely perfect, yet it is very different than the reality it represents. For example, the object you took a picture of is material – it is composed of physical matter. In contrast, the image has no material existence – it is merely an expression of the object. The object has length, breadth and depth. We can feel it, taste it and hear it. The image lacks many of these attributes. In the same way, though Jesus is the perfect image of God, the medium of the human body cannot fully express who God really is.
Did Jesus have to learn right from wrong? Did He ever make mistakes as a child? Scripture does not answer questions like this directly. However, there are two things we do know for certain: 1) Jesus never sinned. 2) Jesus was tempted in every way that we are (Hebrews 4:15). This means that as a baby Jesus overcame whatever difficulties babies face. As a boy He overcame whatever temptations boys face. The same holds true for when He was a young adult and a man. He faced it all, and always did the right thing. He did not sin.
This doesn’t mean that Jesus already knew everything and how to act. No doubt He had to learn the social graces, just like everybody else. No doubt He had to learn to work and use tools just like every other human. No doubt He had to go to school and learn how to read, just like other boys. Since Scripture says He was tempted in all ways, some things probably did not come easily to Him. Yet, whatever problems and temptations He faced, He overcame them all.
If you would like to learn about the events leading up to the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, be sure to listen to our next program.