The Wisdom of Jesus
Luke 2:39-52
October 29, 2017
Luke has been carrying us through the History of Redemption.
He has started with the long-awaited and promised Messiah.
Malachi said that the Messiah would come
And would manifest Himself to those who fear the Lord,
And that is precisely what has happened.
We’ve seen Jesus introduced
And we’ve seen Him introduced to the meek of the earth.
Zacharias, Elizabeth, Mary, the shepherds, Simeon, and Anna,
Have all seen and testified about this child.
They know He is the coming Savior of the world.
This morning we have one more witness,
And that is none other than Jesus Himself.
Luke takes us to a single story in the adolescent years of Jesus
To reveal what Jesus knew about Himself
And what He knew about His purpose.
In short, He knew who He was.
He was the very Son of God,
And He knew He was here to accomplish God’s will.
And on one day at the age of 12, Jesus made that clear.
So this morning we are going to look at a very interesting passage.
We are going to study the entire adolescent life of Jesus.
There are some heretical gospel accounts
That try to speak some of Jesus adolescent life.
(Stories about him healing a bird or making birds out of clay, etc.)
But Biblically we have very little insight into His childhood.
Matthew gives us a little and the rest is found here in Luke.
Matthew tells us that sometime around the time that Christ was 18mo. to two years of age, that magi from the east visited and then that He spent some time in exile in Egypt.
And the other adolescent truth is found here in Luke,
And in this passage it contains
The only spoken words of Jesus prior to His ministry.
In Luke 2:42 we find Jesus as a 12 yr. old boy.
We won’t see Him again until Luke 3:23 when He is a 30 yr. old man.
Furthermore that means that everything God wanted you to know
About the adolescent life of Jesus can be found in this passage.
Had God wanted you to know anything more about this period
It would have been included, but this is all God desired that you know.
And that alone makes this passage tremendously important.
And so naturally after we have studied His birth a little,
It is only fitting that we take
A Scriptural look at His adolescent life.
And the truth we see about Him is His wisdom.
(40) “increasing in wisdom” (52) “increasing in wisdom”
Before we do, let me just take a moment and clarify what wisdom is.
A common adage today is that “Wisdom comes with AGE”,
But that is not always true.
Experience does come with age, but not necessarily wisdom.
We find many men in Scripture that age had no effect on,
They were just as foolish in their golden years as they were while younger.
• We could think of Saul, who actually started out but seemed to become more
foolish as his life went on.
• We could look at Solomon’s son Rehoboam who was arguably the most foolish
King Judah had, since it was he who split the nation of Israel. He obviously
learned nothing from the experiences of watching his father Solomon reign.
• We might even say about Solomon, the wisest man ever, that if anything he was
less wise in his later years than early on.
Some think that wisdom comes with KNOWLEDGE.
In other words that you find wisdom in a university.
I don’t disregard the importance of knowledge as it pertains to wisdom,
But knowledge alone DOES NOT make you wise.
(knowledge alone merely makes you accountable)
Regarding wisdom, Jesus would say:
Matthew 11:18-19 “For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘ He has a demon!’ “The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”
You don’t measure someone’s wisdom by giving them a test.
You measure someone’s wisdom by watching their actions.
Wisdom is seen when a person rightly acts
Upon the knowledge and experience they possess.
If you know the facts and don’t act accordingly you are called a fool.
If you know the facts and apply it to life you are considered wise.
Matthew 7:24-27 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. “And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. “The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell — and great was its fall.”
So it is not age or knowledge, but rather obedience that renders one wise.
This is what allowed the writers of the Old Testament
To make this conclusion:
Job 28:28 “And to man He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; And to depart from evil is understanding.'”
Psalms 111:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever.”
Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”
Job, David, and Solomon all came up with the same conclusion.
Knowledge of God is important,
But it is obedience to that knowledge that makes a person wise.
And this morning that is very clearly seen in Jesus.
More than just His ability to win an argument
I want you to see the tremendous wisdom of Jesus.
And so this morning let us look at the wisdom of Jesus.
3 things I want you to see.
#1 HIS WISDOM DEVELOPED
Luke 2:39-40
And so our text picks up after the initial birth of Jesus.
“When they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city of Nazareth.”
Luke 2:22-24 “And when the days for their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “EVERY firstborn MALE THAT OPENS THE WOMB SHALL BE CALLED HOLY TO THE LORD”), and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord, ” A PAIR OF TURTLEDOVES OR TWO YOUNG PIGEONS.”
And then in verse 40 we have the first 12 years of Jesus life.
So if you want to know what went on during His childhood,
Here is the entire record.
(40) “The Child continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.”
We most certainly see the HUMAN ASPECT of Jesus here again.
He “grew”
If there is one characteristic that all children have in common, this is it.
They grow up, often in a hurry.
He had become fully man, and as such
He had to grow up just like every other human being.
Scripture also says that he BECAME STRONG.
This can be seen in a physical sense,
But the text seems to indicate it MORE IN A SPIRITUAL SENSE,
Since it goes on to reveal how He became strong
And that is by “increasing in wisdom”
And remember, that is NOT simply a knowledge thing.
It doesn’t say Jesus became “smart”, it says that Jesus became “strong”.
And He did so by “increasing in wisdom”
That means He was routinely taking what He learned
And applying it and obeying it.
Deuteronomy 4:5-7 “See, I have taught you statutes and judgments just as the LORD my God commanded me, that you should do thus in the land where you are entering to possess it. “So keep and do them, for that is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ “For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as is the LORD our God whenever we call on Him?”
Wisdom is applying and obeying God’s word.
That is furthermore seen in the book of James.
James introduces wisdom in the first chapter.
James 1:5 “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”
He takes it a step further in the end of the chapter.
James 1:22-25 “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.”
James echoed what Moses taught and that is
That wisdom is found in doing what God commands.
THIS IS WHAT JESUS DID.
And we see THE BLESSING His wisdom provided.
(40) “and the grace of God was upon Him.”
This is obviously not saving grace, since Jesus did not need salvation.
Rather this is speaking of God’s favor.
God was pleased with Jesus, God bestowed favor on the child,
Because even as a child He took pleasure in doing what God commanded.
And let me just say even to the kids in here for a moment
That wisdom is not limited to the aged.
A child who does what his parents command is a wise child.
Certainly Jesus was this.
Proverbs 15:5 “A fool rejects his father’s discipline, But he who regards reproof is sensible.”
And so we see the first twelve years of His life
Is characterized by developing wisdom.
He was learning and perfecting the art of submission and obedience.
He was growing into the man God intended Him to be.
His Wisdom Developed
#2 HIS WISDOM DISPLAYED
Luke 2:41-50
And of course this is the longest section of the text,
For it tells a story that reveals to us the true nature of Jesus’ wisdom.
So let’s first work through the story.
(41-42) “Now His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when He became twelve, they went up there according to the custom of the feast.”
Every Jewish man who lived within 15 miles of Jerusalem
Was commanded to attend the Passover.
Others hoped to attend once in their lifetime.
Nazareth was about 80 miles
And so the fact that they went every year
Indicates the devotion of Joseph and Mary.
(Probably a 4 day walk)
Furthermore it was only commanded of men to go not women,
And so the fact that Mary continued to go says something of her devotion.
And when Jesus became 12 He went with them.
(A man at 13, Jesus was on the brink of manhood)
We can only imagine what sort of impact
This Passover would have had on Jesus,
Knowing what His purpose was and what this Passover looked forward to.
(43-44) and as they were returning, after spending the full number of days, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. But His parents were unaware of it, but supposed Him to be in the caravan, and went a day’s journey; and they began looking for Him among their relatives and acquaintances.”
So they stayed “the full number of days”, which was 8 days
From Sabbath to Sabbath and then they started home.
(again speaks to their dedication since most only stayed 2 days)
And because in a caravan the women walked in front of the men
To keep them from getting separated,
Mary and Joseph each assumed that Jesus was with the other.
And at night when they started getting ready for bed,
It became apparent that Jesus was not with them.
Instead, “the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem.”
He wasn’t disobeying His parents,
He just hadn’t had enough of the glorious event
And continued to seek out truth and to apply it.
But that’s not how his mother saw it…
(45-46) “When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem looking for Him. Then, after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions.”
“three days” – one day traveling away, one day traveling back, and one day searching Jerusalem.
And when they found Him we see again His desire for wisdom.
He was listening to the teachers and asking them questions.
This was not a debate, this was a 12 yr. old boy
Seeking out the perspectives of the teachers of the Law.
WHAT COULD HE POSSIBLY BE LEARNING?
Remember Hebrews 5?
Hebrews 5:8-10 “Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.”
The education of Jesus was not an education of facts or knowledge,
It was an education on human struggling.
The education of Jesus was an experiential one.
• He came to learn the struggles of the human condition.
• He came to learn the struggles of obedience.
• He came to learn the struggles of temptation.
It was this experiential education
That allows Him to be a merciful and faithful high priest.
Isaiah 50:4 “The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of disciples, That I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple.”
He became human that He might learn the struggles of humanity
That He might better come to our aid when we come to Him.
This is part of that education here.
• He is learning from the teachers of the Law exactly what points of the Law are
hardest to obey.
• He is learning the difficulties of practical righteousness.
• He is learning the human perspective on what is important to God.
In short, Jesus isn’t learning about God here, He is learning about men.
THE AMAZING PART is that this 12 yr. old boy has been 3 days
Without His parents and doesn’t seem the least bit stressed.
What did He eat?
Where did He sleep?
His mind is truly on spiritual things.
(47) “And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers.”
They had the common response to Jesus, and that was amazement.
This kid understood God.
And as a side note we realize that the last time anyone was able
to answer one of His questions was when He was a 12 yr. old boy.
They would never be able to answer them again.
So we certainly see His knowledge on display.
BUT IT WAS MORE THAN KNOWLEDGE…
(48-49) “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 have been anxiously looking for You.” And He said to them, “Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?”
And so after 3 anxious days Mary and Joseph find Jesus
And Mary is in typical mother fashion.
She is flustered.
“Son, why have You treated us this way?”
How often we ask such questions of God when in reality
It is only because we cannot see what God is up to.
“Behold, Your father and I have been anxiously looking for you.”
And that turns out to be a massive statement on behalf of Mary
Because it causes a very serious remark from Jesus.
“Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?”
You may even notice that the word “house” is in italics,
Meaning it is not in the original manuscript.
This causes some translations to say, “about My Father’s business”
Literally it just says, “I had to be in My Father’s”
And more importantly He is referring to God’s will.
But there is a tremendous enlightenment from Jesus here.
Mary just scolded Him for causing His father anxiety.
Jesus responded by reminding Mary that He is in His Father’s will.
It seems that Mary was forgetting that Jesus’ Father was God,
And that Jesus would put His will first at all times.
Remember that Simeon gave a harsh prophecy to Mary after Jesus birth.
Luke 2:34-35 “And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed — and a sword will pierce even your own soul — to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”
Here Mary is feeling the sword.
Jesus would do God’s will even if it was against her own.
This is where His wisdom was on greatest display.
FIRST OF ALL: Jesus knows who He is
This is very significant.
In the ministry we see it all the time.
At seminary we called them the “Momma Called”.
Their calling to the ministry had more to do with their mother pushing them
Than it did with God calling them.
And some could think that of Jesus.
That He grew up so well, that all those around Him
Told Him He ought to be a preacher.
But this was not true.
Jesus knew who He was before anyone else
And no one else had to tell Him, He was aware of it.
His wisdom was on full display here.
SECONDLY: Knowing who He was, shaped the things that He did.
He had to be about His Father’s business.
Do you understand that this wisdom
Is the very wisdom that would guide Jesus through his entire ministry?
• How many times did the crowd want to turn Him into their own personal miracle
worker?
• John 6 reveals how they want to make Him King.
• Matthew 16 shows Peter trying to discourage Him from the cross.
• BUT HE WOULD NOT BE SIDETRACKED!!!
In the Garden Peter tries to deliver Him with the sword.
Matthew 26:52-54 “Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword. “Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels? “How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that it must happen this way?”
It was the wisdom of Jesus to always be about His Father’s mission
And to walk in obedience to it.
(50) “But they did not understand the statement which He had made to them.”
Certainly Mary and Joseph hadn’t forgotten that Jesus was virgin born,
Or the circumstances surrounding His birth.
What they didn’t understand was His great wisdom,
That even at 12 years old He was only concerned with
Doing His heavenly Father’s will.
Even at age 12 His wisdom had already surpassed
Those that raised Him and those that questioned Him.
For 12 years He developed His wisdom and now His wisdom is on display.
And then comes the truly amazing part.
#3 HIS WISDOM DEMONSTRATED
Luke 2:51-52
How many people in here have kids that are smarted than you?
If your kids are anywhere between the ages of 12 and 19
It is certain that they are.
Their words, their mannerisms, they’re responses
Indicate that they think they are smarter than you.
But that is not how Jesus revealed wisdom.
He was already wiser than anyone around,
• But did He rub it in their face?
• Did He take over the household?
• Did He role His eyes and belittle His dumb carpenter of a father?
• Did He go to the synagogue and argue with the Rabbi?
• Did He complain about how dumb His soccer coach was?
No, His wisdom was not revealed in what He knew, but in how He walked.
(51) “And He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and He continued in subjection to them; and His mother treasured all these things in her heart.”
And there we have in one verse years 13 through 30.
18 years of His life summarized right there by one word. SUBMISSION
Wisdom isn’t about what you know,
It’s about what you do with what you know.
And despite the fact that Jesus really was wiser than His parents
He obeyed God’s word to honor His father and mother.
Matthew 11:19 “…wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”
We know Jesus was wise, not because of what He knew,
But because of what He did with what He knew.
Which is why we read:
(52) “And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature”
By age 12 He was already wiser than those around Him
And yet He continued to increase in wisdom.
Proverbs 4:7 “The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom; And with all your acquiring, get understanding.”
For the next 18 years Jesus just kept growing in wisdom.
• His education continued.
• He experienced every temptation and overcame it because of His intense
commitment to the Father.
Jesus didn’t just show up on earth as a 33 year old man, die on a cross and then return.
• He had to live this life.
• He had to face temptations.
• He had to overcome struggles.
He spent 30 years in what must have been a frustrated condition,
And the sole purpose of that time period
Was for Him to grow in wisdom.
These 30 years would be the foundation for His 3 years of ministry.
And because of this intense desire for wisdom,
He continued to have God’s favor on His life.
“and in favor with God and men.”
Because He sought to know and obey, because He always showed wisdom, He continued to have God’s favor on His life.
Proverbs 3:33-35 “The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked, But He blesses the dwelling of the righteous. Though He scoffs at the scoffers, Yet He gives grace to the afflicted. The wise will inherit honor, But fools display dishonor.”
And so from Jesus we learn a tremendous amount about wisdom.
• It is not about what you know…
• It is not about what you have experienced…
Do you see how this fits with what Luke has been teaching us
About the type of people who Jesus saves?
Jesus has been revealing Himself to the humble, to the meek,
To the pure in heart, to those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.
DO YOU SEE WHY?
BECAUSE THAT’S WHO HE IS!
It’s not surprising that Luke pulled out this story of Jesus.
THIS STORY EPITOMIZES the humble and meek Jesus
That Luke wants you to see.
AND THIS IS THE SAME TYPE OF WISDOM THAT IS EXPECTED OFUS.
TURN TO: JAMES 3:13-18
This was Jesus, and it should be us.
To walk like Jesus, you must value what Jesus valued,
And for Him it was wisdom of humble submission to God.
James 1:21-25 “Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.”
So at this point, Luke has laid for us the foundation of who this Jesus is.
• Jesus is the One Malachi promised.
• He is the Savior, the Son of God, the Holy Child
• He is solely devoted to His Father in all things
• He is received by those who are humble, broken, submissive, hungering
and thirsting for righteousness, and pure in heart
THAT IS THE FOUNDATION OF LUKE’S GOSPEL
• Now you know why John the Baptist is about to show up.
• Now you know why Jesus is going to preach the way He does.
• Now you know why Jesus will oppose those religious leaders and cling to
the poor.
And most importantly you know that He is the Savior
Of all who will see their desperate need for salvation.
