What Did Jesus Do As A Child?


What does the Bible say about how Jesus’ spent his childhood?

Luke 2:52 tells us that “Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and men.” Luke 2:40 says the same thing, saying Jesus “grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.”

So the Bible says Jesus spent his childhood increasing in “wisdom and stature and in favor with God and men.” How did he do this?

In Isaiah 50:4 we find Jesus saying, “The Lord God has given Me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to hear as the learned.”

From 1 Corinthians 2 we know that it’s the Holy Spirit who helps us to understand spiritual truths. In the case of Jesus it seems He received unique, personal training.

Of course it’s very important to note that verses like these are referring to Jesus’ human nature. Jesus is fully God and fully man. As God He’s unlimited in His power and knowledge, but in becoming a man, Jesus willingly laid aside His heavenly position. Philippians 2:7 teaches us that Christ “emptied Himself, taking the form of a bondservant.”

So Jesus, when He took on a human nature, willingly limited himself in order to accomplish his work. As a child he needed to grow physically, mentally and spiritually, yet did so without ever sinning. (Hebrews 4:15)

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