Luke 2:39-52

Butler's Comments

SECTION 3

Puzzles (Luke 2:39-52)

39 And when they had performed everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. 40And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.

41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover. 42And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom; 43and when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, 44but supposing him to be in the company they went a day's journey, and they sought him among their kinfolk and acquaintances; 45and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking him. 46After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions; 47and all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48And when they saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been looking for you anxiously. 49And he said to them, How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house? 50And they did not understand the saying which he spoke to them. 51And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart.

52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and man.

Luke 2:39-40 Progress: Luke omits the trip to Egypt, since Matthew had duly recorded it, and follows the progress of the Divine Infant from His presentation in the Temple directly to His boyhood home in Nazareth. It was more important to Luke's purpose to record certain information about the Baby's boyhood. He uses some interesting Greek grammar to describe the first twelve years of Jesus-' boyhood. The verbs grew and became strong are both in the imperfect tense which indicates continued development, or, action in progress. As a youngster Jesus grew gradually but continuously in physique and strength. The present passive participle pleroumenon (filled) may be translated literally, And the child. was being filled with wisdom. In other words, His learning was concurrent with His physical development. Hobbs aptly says, We should not be shocked by these statements about Jesus. They do not in any sense detract from His deity. Rather they emphasize His complete humanity. Apart from sin, He completely identified Himself with man. He grew, gained strength, and learned as did any other child. It is just as great an error to deny Jesus-' humanity as to deny his deity.

Nazareth of Galilee was about 15 miles west and slightly south of the Sea of Galilee. Sepphoris, capital of Herod Antipas and the strongest military center in Galilee, was only five miles to the northwest. Many traders, soldiers, and emissaries of the Roman government were to be found in the stream of travelers going back and forth on this road. It was about fifteen miles to Tiberias, the city named in honor of the Roman emperor the Riviera of Palestine, and about as heathen as its namesake. Nazareth was nestled on the side of a Galilean hill in an area known for its fertility and beauty. It is estimated that some three million people lived in the surrounding cities and villages. The more learned and orthodox Jews of Jerusalem were contemptuous of Galileans considering them to be am-ha-eretz (Hebrew for people of the land) or ignorant hillbillies because of their colloquialisms, lack of formal education, cultural crudities, and questionable genealogical background. Most of the Galileans were, in fact, a genetic mixture of Jew and Gentile (a result of the importation of Gentiles into Galilee at the captivity of the Ten Northern Tribes by Assyria, see 2 Kings 17:24). They were a vigorous, homey, hard-working, liberty-loving people, however, and Jesus grew up in their midst. Jesus-' hometown was located at the crossroads of commerce and politics. At the foot of Mt. Tabor (across the valley and only about 5 miles east of Nazareth) passed the Roman road, the Way of the Sea, connecting Damascus (capital of Syria) with Palestine's sea-ports. Another road near Nazareth ran southward to Egypt. Circling round the eastern base of Mt. Tabor was the caravan route to Jerusalem. Perhaps Jesus spent some of His boyhood hours watching the travelers on these roads, maybe even talking to them. From such observations and daily experiences He later drew illustrations for His divine message. Jesus did not isolate Himself from life as it was lived by man when He was an adult and we may assume He did not do so in His youth.

Luke 2:41-50 Precociousness: The word precocious is from Latin, prae and coquere which means to ripen beforehand or exceptionally early in development. Jesus astounded the adult scholars in the temple and His mother and step-father later with His precocity.

In Luke 2:40 Luke calls Jesus paidion, little child; in Luke 2:43 he calls Him pais, boy or lad. Jesus is now twelve years of age. At that age all Jewish male children became barmitzvahs (bar means son and mitzvah means commandment). They were declared men and required to know the law and keep it, learn a trade, and attend the greatest of the Jewish festivals (Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles). This was probably Jesus-' first visit to Jerusalem since being taken there as a baby for presentation.

What an exciting experience for a lad of twelve. The journey from Nazareth to Jerusalem would take about three or four days. They would come in large groups or caravans of Jewish pilgrims from all over the Roman empire headed toward the holy city. Jerusalem would be jammed with almost two million people, laughing, talking, buying, selling; sleeping on the flat roof-tops of the houses, in the alleys, in the animal shelters or anywhere safe lodging might be found. There would be the sights and smells of the temple court where thousands of animals poured out rivers of blood at sacrifice and the smell of burning flesh as the columns of black smoke floated to the sky. Family reunions with heated conversations of politics, economics and religion would permeate the city. We can imagine the wonder of it all to Jesus as He gathered with His family and listened as Joseph told the story of the Passover observance and the history of Israel. He would experience for the first time the roasted lamb and the bitter herbs (see comments on Luke 22:1 ff for more details on the Passover feast). As impressive as all this might have been to Him, Jesus was deeply interested in another aspect of the goings on in Jerusalemthe didaskalon (teachers).

After seven days the feast ended and Mary and Joseph began the journey back to Nazareth. At the end of the first day's journey, when they stopped for the night, they realized Jesus was not with the caravan. How could they have missed Him all day? In such caravans the men and women usually traveled separately. A boy who has become barmitzvah should be capable of caring for himself during a day's travel. Mary probably presumed He was with Joseph and Joseph thought He was with Mary. But Jesus, fascinated by the aged scribes and teachers of the Law, and so immersed in listening and questioning about God's Word, chose to be about His Father's business rather than leave Jerusalem at that particular time. It is doubtful that Jesus forgot or made a mistake about the time of departure, for when chided by His mother, He indicated His actions were deliberately chosen and exercised. One day traveling from Jerusalem; one day traveling back; and one day looking throughout the city for Him; after three days absence they found Him in the temple courts (kathezomenon) sitting down at the feet of the teachers. The twelve-year-old Jesus was hearing, questioning and answering the teachers. The word eperotonta is an intensified form of a Greek word (questioning) suggesting that the one asking is on a footing of equality with the person whom he is questioning. It is the word used of a king in making request from another king, (Luke 14:32). Jesus always uses this word in making request to His Father. The usual reaction of learned men toward a precocious lad would be at best amusement, if not scorn. Here they cannot conceal their amazement. Luke uses the Greek word sunesei to describe His understanding answers to the questions of the teachers. The word means to join the skills of perception to that which is perceived. At twelve Jesus had a grasp and comprehension beyond anything these teachers had ever seen. Mary and Joseph were also astonished when they found Him amazing the scholars.

Mary uses tenderness to rebuke Jesus. Teknon is a Greek word for child but it is different from the word huios (son) in that teknon emphasizes the special mother-child relationship of birth. Mothers always think of their children as their babies. Yet, there was probably a chiding note in Mary's voice too. Literally translated, Mary said, Child, why did you to us thus? She also reminded Him of the sorrow (odunomenio pain) He had caused them when they thought they had lost Him.

Jesus-' reply shows surprise that His parents did not understand His uniqueness. He implies they knew or should have known He had a special mission; that His life was not going to be that of an ordinary person of His age. He was surprised they were surprised that He would be more interested in discussing God's Law than in returning to Nazareth. They already had many signs about Him. Jesus expected the Jews to recognize in Him a uniqueness not to be found in other people and was disturbed when they did not (cf. for example, Luke 24:25 ff).

The first recorded words from the lips of Jesus are these: Why is it that you sought me? Do you not know that in the things (affairs) of my Father it is necessary for me to be? The word house is not in the Greek text. For a twelve-year-old boy to say, I must be involved in the affairs of My Father is unique among all twelve-year-old boys. And, further, Jesus used here, as He always did, the definite article when speaking of God as His Father. He never used the definite article when speaking of God as the Father of anyone else. The Sonship of Jesus is uniquely different than that of any one else. John calls Jesus the monogenes (John 1:14; John 1:18; John 3:16). Monogenes is translated only begotten but means more precisely, only unique Son of God. We may become sons by being born again; He is Son from eternity.

Did Jesus disobey His parents when He stayed behind to question the teachers? Hobbs makes it plain that He did not: In the first place, there is no evidence that either Mary or Joseph had told Him not to remain behind in Jerusalem.. In the second place, the record does not show that they had told Him to come with them.. In the third place, as a -Son of the law-' Jesus was responsible within Himself for His religious obligations.. If there was any error here, it was that of Mary and Joseph, not that of Jesus. The Bible makes it plain that children are to obey their parents in the Lord. In other words, submission to parental authority can never mean a child must disobey the Lord. The will of God, when plainly revealed, is sovereign in every human life. There is no higher authority than that, and every human being capable of making moral choices rejects it at the peril of eternal damnation.

Luke 2:51 Pliancy: Jesus returned to His village home with Mary and Joseph in Nazareth of Galilee. There He lived in obedience to them until He began His ministry at about the age of 30. The Greek word translated obedience is hupotassomenos and is usually translated subjection (Ephesians 5:21; Colossians 3:18). Hupotasso was primarily a military term meaning, to rank under; to subordinate. It is a term which stresses the chain of command relationship. G. Campbell Morgan says, ... the perfect response of the Boy to the will of God meant for Him natural correspondence to ordinary conditions. Although Jesus was uniquely the Son of God, He was also son of Mary. It was God's will that The Son should experience the full gamut of human subordination (cf. Hebrews 2:14-18; Hebrews 4:14-16; Hebrews 5:7-9; Philippians 2:5-11). In obedience to the will of God, He subordinated His life to the authority of the home. As we pointed out before, His obedience to the home was qualified by His obedience to God's authority whenever it was clearly revealed that it was proper to do so. This is evident also from two other parental confrontations (cf. John 2:4; Matthew 12:46-50; Mark 3:31-35; Luke 8:19-21).

Luke 2:52 Perfection: The word increased is the Greek word proekopten and means literally, a striking or cutting forward, like a pioneer cutting his way through brush. Thayer says the word means to lengthen out by hammering as a smith forges metals. The word means to go forward chopping one's way by struggle or strenuous activity. It certainly does not infer a passive development. Jesus-' young manhood was a daily hammering out of His human life in the crucible of God's will, Each day He chopped through the jungle of human experience, the divine Way, Truth and Life so that all who follow might find God. Jesus hacked out of the wilderness of human sinfulness a life of perfect sinlessness and walked completely in the will of God. He did so in boyhood, young manhood and adulthood. He did so mentally, physically and spiritually. He mastered all of life as He pioneered the Way in human flesh. The Greek preposition para (translated with) means, along side. Jesus did not start as a youngster with less favor and, growing up, become more and more a favorite with God and man. The preposition para indicates that as He cut his way forward each day He was constantly along side dwelling in the favor (grace) of God and man. The development of Jesus from Boyhood to Manhood was constantly along side or within the will of God and in proper relationship to man. This is manhood as God intends it for all men! Jesus demonstrated it is possible to live life in the flesh as God intended it. He suffered and experienced obedience to the will of God to bring us to the same glorious ideal manhood (cf. Hebrews 2:10-18; Hebrews 5:7-10). He is the pioneer and author of our salvation. Incidentally, the phrase and being made perfect, in Hebrews 5:9 does not mean Jesus was less than perfect in the area of obedience to God. He was sinless in His relationship to God and man always. The word teleiotheis (perfect) means in His case, that at His crucifixion and resurrection He brought to completion the will of God as far as His temporary human experience was concerned. In His human experience Jesus progressed or advanced in a forward manner toward a God-appointed goal. He was born as a baby, developed as a child, cut forward along side the grace of God as a young man, and completed the goal for which God sent Him at the cross and the empty tomb. Thus He perfected His incarnation.

STUDY STIMULATORS:

1.

Do you think God had any specific purpose in Jesus-' living His young manhood (about 30 years) in the village of Nazareth in Galilee?

2.

What is a barmitzvah?

3.

Should we expect children of 12 or 13 years of age today to be held accountable for obeying the commands of the N.T. about becoming a Christian and living the Christian life?

4.

Did Jesus get lost in Jerusalem from childish inattention, or did He plan to stay and question the teachers in the temple?

5.

Did He disobey His parents in staying in Jerusalem?

6.

Did Jesus always do everything His parents thought He should do?

7.

Was Jesus a little less than He should have been in relation to God and men as He grew up?

8.

How did Jesus increase and become perfected?