Life Summaries

Luke loves to give us some life summaries of John the Baptist and Jesus. John’s appears in Luke 1:80: “And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the desert until he appeared publicly to Israel.” Jesus has two summaries. The first is in Luke 2:40. “And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him.” The second is in Luke 2:52. “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” These summaries or time-passing notations provide us with some insight into human development from a Spirit point of view. There is a human point of view as well.

Luke loves to give us some life summaries of John the Baptist and Jesus. John’s appears in Luke 1:80: “And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the desert until he appeared publicly to Israel.” Jesus has two summaries. The first is in Luke 2:40. “And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him.” The second is in Luke 2:52. “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” These summaries or time-passing notations provide us with some insight into human development from a Spirit point of view. There is a human point of view as well.

We tend to look at children as they “grow and become” in relationship to their height. “You are getting so big,” we say. We would be worried if they didn’t grow physically. But, we seem to show surprise that they are doing so. Or we comment on school. “I can’t believe you are already in first grade. Seems like yesterday I was rocking you.” We comment on personality. “This child is introverted or outgoing, or fearful or fearless.” Or we comment on behavior. “This one is a handful.” But, though there is some of this in Luke, the emphasis of the summaries is spirituality and maturity.

All three emphasize growth, growth in strength of spirit, in wisdom, and in grace with God and men. And, Luke adds stature, though this could mean more than height. The word “stature” is also found in Ephesians 4:13 regarding our growth into the stature of the fullness of Christ. In this context this means 1) no longer being infants, 2) no longer tossed like a wave in regard to teachings and the deceitful schemes of men; 3) instead speaking the truth in love. Is this what Luke meant about Jesus growing in stature?

So how do we look for strength of sprit in our children and grandchildren? The world often defines this kind of strength as rugged independence. I recently watched a documentary on Jack Johnson, the heavy weight champion of the world at the turn of the 20th century. He was the first black heavy weight champion. The emphasis on his strength, besides his knockout punches, focused on the fact that he would not be defined by his blackness, and that he cared little for what anyone thought of his behaviors, including his many sexual encounters, even with white women, a taboo at the time. I doubt this is what Luke meant. True strength of spirit is found in a person who is strong in the Lord and His mighty power, one who is strong in faith and commitment.

Along with strength of spirit is one’s growth in wisdom. Proverbs is our primer for how a son grows in wisdom. He is one who listens to instruction, avoids the pitfalls of temptation, responds appropriately to correction, and stores understanding within the heart. This is certainly true of John and Jesus. Jesus was not merely knowledgeable, he was wise. From his debating within the temple courts at 12 to his standing before Pilate at 33, Jesus demonstrated supernatural wisdom, a wisdom from above.

Jesus also grow in grace with God and man. The favor of God and man was on Him. This goes beyond merely being liked. God and men wanted to help Him be successful. They invested in Him. They saw His potential, and He was given aid and assistance. Jesus learned to live in integrity so that others, including God, would notice that there is something different, and want to be a part of this young man’s future. Of course, this was expected of God, His Father, who sent Him and knew Him, but it became evident to the people around Him, at least until He started preaching and meddling. For some, favor turned to opposition.








These summaries give us insight into the mind of Christ. He was truly growing and becoming, and in this, leaving an example for all who would follow in His steps.

The First Recorded Words of Jesus

The First Recorded Words of Jesus

Luke gives us the event in Luke 2:41-50. This was not Jesus’ first visit to Jerusalem for the Passover. His family went “every year.” (2:41) That is a big deal. The Passover lasted for a period of eight days total, and then you have travel time. Time off work. Planning. A place to stay. Packing. Coordination with the other pilgrims. No travel agents or event planners. Joseph and Mary have at least six other children to bring along (check it out in Matt.13:55-56). No wonder they lost Jesus. We had only five children and we left a couple of them at the church building on occasions, sleeping under the pews. I wish I could say when I found them they were intelligently conversing with the teachers of the law.

Growing up Jewish, Jesus was exposed to the history and the culture on a regular basis. His life had context. He probably asked the question in the seder, i.e. “What does this ceremony mean to you?” (Exodus 12:26) Context is important for any child. In our mobile and family-dysfunctional society many children do not grow up with the stories of their past. They don’t know who they are. For Jesus these stories were profound, because most of them pre-figured Him. He was coming to realize that He was the Lamb of God, slain, and whose blood is on the door-post of all who would seek deliverance from death. He was the first-born one whose sacrifice insured life for everyone qualifying them to be co-heirs with Him. When Jesus heard John proclaim Him as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29) did He reflect back on the 30 Passovers He had celebrated with His family? How did He feel about eating lamb?

Luke calls Jesus “the boy” (2:43). One year later he will be declared a man. But, for now, He is Mary’s boy, and she was clearly not alright with His becoming more independent. How mothers love to hold on to their children! But, this was no ordinary child. Jesus was “gifted.” He had maturity beyond his 12 years. But, surely He should have not stayed behind. How did that happen? Was He so engaged in conversation with the Jewish scholars that He just did not realize they had left, and when He did He thought it better to stay with these responsible leaders instead of setting off on His own to find the family? Did He stay in the temple courts, a public place, to make it easier to be found by His family? Was He surprised it took three days? Was this a full three days, or was it like His time in the tomb, a part of three days, a minimum of 26 hours of separation from Mary and Joseph? Was this the longest period of time He had ever been away from His earthly family? He had already been away from His heavenly family for 12 years. The caravan was composed of his relatives and friends. (Some wonder why they get overlooked in a church. Jesus was overlooked in His company. See He does understand.) Freeze frame the moment for Mary when she realized Jesus was not with them. There is that separation anxiety that any parent would feel knowing their child is MISSING.  Posters come out. Radio, TV, and social media is utilized. Reward money is raised for information leading to any clue. The rescue dogs are brought out. What was He wearing when you last saw Him? Height? Weight? Color of Hair? DNA?

It was probably Joseph who first saw Jesus because He was likely in the court of the men, where women would not be allowed. Let’s size up the situation. Jesus is in the heiron-a sacred place. Joseph discovered Jesus conversing with the teachers, asking and answering questions. Amazement was the only word for the learning Jesus displayed. What topics were discussed? Did Jesus take notes? Years later does Jesus recall this discussion when He encounters the teachers of the law during His ministry? This is Jesus’ debate prep. They were amazed at His “understanding.” The word sunesis is where everything comes together, as when two streams merge. Jesus was putting things together at age 12.

Imagine Jesus reunion with mom. All that anxious adrenaline in Mary, fear, worry, anger, and relief came together in a moment. She didn’t know whether to hug Jesus or whip Him. She certainly took this matter personally. “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.” (2:48) Later did Jesus recall this experience when He told the parable of the lost sheep (Matt.18:12) or the story of searching for the pearl of great price (Matt.13:35). Jesus’ response was calm and measured. When Jesus said, “Why were you searching for me?” He could have been saying, “Why are you questioning me?” He was not a runaway. He was not getting into trouble. He was not being disrespectful or disobedient. And, His being left behind was probably more His parents fault than His. Jesus seemed to expect that they should know what He would be doing.

The phrase Jesus uses to explain where He had to be is a little ambiguous. The words “house and business” are not found in the Greek. What He was doing pertained to His Father. It was about His Father. In fact Jesus’ whole life was about His Father. It was an obligation (had to be-must). These were the first recorded words of Jesus, unless we count the pre-incarnate words, “Let there be light!” These first words were not even understood. I guess Jesus had to get use to people not being able to understand what He was saying. They simply did not understand this unique and supremely important relationship Jesus has with His Father. This is key to understanding the Mind of Christ. Nevertheless, Jesus submitted to His parents and went with them. Things changed that day for Mary and Jesus. He is experiencing the implications of His heavenly origins and purpose, and Mary is storing these things in her heart, and beginning to realize what she has always known, this son of hers is no ordinary child.

A Model For Children

  There are two verses in the early life of Jesus that tell us how he is doing, Luke 2:40,52. "And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him." "And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men."  What does this spiritual growth chart tell us about Jesus as a child? Before I delve into this, let me first say something about children today. My greatest fear about our kids is that we don't expect enough from them. I fear we have come to fear our children. Kids intimidate us because they seem to be able to play a trump card when we require "too much" of them, i.e. they tune us out. They have so many more ways to do that these days-they don't even have to leave the room. They can just push a touchscreen and get sucked into cyberspace, and they are gone. We love our children so much we allow them to check in and out at will because we fear they will check out and never come back.  I know I am being a little over dramatic here, but I don't think I am far from the truth. The ideals expressed in these two verses that constitute the "stature of the full of Christ" in his youth should be our standard for our kids. We say we want them to be like Jesus. Well what was Jesus like when he was a kid?

He was strong. How so? I assume there is some indication here that he was physically strong, but not completely. The other things being said here are spiritual in nature. I can't imagine that Jesus' physical strength is the focus on this word. In what ways do we want our children to be strong? How about standing up to bullies, or taking a stand in moral choices, or being strong in their faith. I was much more impressed with my children's ability to defend their faith than to prove how many muscles they had.  I want my grandchildren to be strong of heart, mind, will, and emotions. I want some spiritual toughness that can withstand the knocks of life.

He was wise. How so? He didn't do stupid things. A child's brain isn't fully formed until the mid-twenties. So they often do stupid things. But, do we assume because of this that this is par for the course? Jesus proved that a child can be wise. In our desire to be always "age-appropriate" do we fail to expose our children to the wisdom of the older generation that can help them reach maturity sooner? Wisdom begets wisdom. If a child is only around other children who are as immature as they are, then how do they gain wisdom. So at twelve Jesus is holding his own in the temple among the teachers of the law. Perhaps we should ask the question, "How was he able to do that and what went into his training that produced such an outcome?"

He had grace all over him. There is much that could be said about grace, but how did it manifest itself in a child?  Jesus learn to give. He was not selfish, self-centered, entitled. He received the grace of God into his life, allowing him to have grace to give others. A child can only pass on what they have. Is your child receiving the grace of God, knowing they are blessed, sensing his love and presence? I fear too many children are all about what is in it for them. Being able to sympathize with other children, to notice when a friend is sad or hurt, to sense when mommy is tired and care , is all a part of being full of grace. 

A child like Jesus does not happen by accident. There is a deliberate training and philosophy of child-rearing that produces these results. In knowing the mind of Christ, it is essential that we even explore his mind as a child. In doing so, we find nuggets (not chicken) of truth and insight that can pay tremendous dividends for our children. 

Early Childhood Experiences

“Experiences between birth and age 5 matter significantly to children's long-term emotional and psychological health, and changing these experiences for the better pays dividends, according to an editorial and several new reports in the May (2010) issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.” (Science Daily, May 7, 2010)

Have you ever considered the effects of the events of Jesus’ early life on him as he grew up?  Though some of these events are recorded, e.g. the slaying of the children in Bethlehem, the sojourn in Egypt, and the move back to Nazareth, there is very little to suggest the effects these events had on Jesus. But, we would be foolish to believe they had no effect on him.

I have snapshots in my head of events that happened in my life before the age of 2. These snapshots come mostly in the form of stories that I repeatedly heard growing up, an in a few cases the photographs that recorded the events. One photo that was particularly fortuitous was of me sitting in a pink bathtub on the back porch, and two snapshots in quick succession of me biting a cat’s tale as he ran by. Now, this wasn’t particularly traumatic (well the pink bathtub is troubling) for me since I don’t like cats much anyway, but I am sure the cat would have different memory of this event. Another memory I have is staying with my aunt Lois and her three daughters (my cousins) for a few days while my mother had some surgery when I was about a year old. I was told I would grab their hairpins, run to the far corner of my baby bed, gleefully exclaiming, “Can’t get, get.” I smile to think of this.

So what effect did the slaying of the babies in Bethlehem have on Jesus? What effect did the visit by an angel have on Jesus? What effect did fleeing to and living in Egypt have on Jesus? What effect did the long journey back to Nazareth have on him, and the fear that was associated with all these events? We don’t know, but we know He lived through these, and surely heard stories about them as he grew up. It was part of his human history. It was part of his life story. Though he was too young to understand, these events are significant and traumatic in the lives of Joseph and Mary. They were deeply affected by them. It is a big deal for a ruthless king to put out a “hit” on your baby! This king was no less than Herod the Great, a man who had his own children and wife killed to preserve his power.

The word “fear” seems appropriate to characterize the state of mind of this young family. There was much to be afraid of. A study conducted at King’s College in London and published in the American Journal of Psychiatry in 2015 concludes that children who grow up in an atmosphere of anxiety tend to be more anxious. The stated results of the study are: For both anxiety and neuroticism, the models provide support for significant direct environmental transmission from parents to their adolescent offspring.

What was Jesus exposed to as a young child? How did this affect his view of the world? Did these experiences make him more vulnerable in some situations? Do these questions make you uncomfortable? Remember the Hebrew writer’s words: “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity…” (2:14) Again, “He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he Himself is subject to weakness.” (3:2) So when someone who lived in fear said to Jesus, “You could not understand” he might say, “Did you ever have a hit put out on your head by the most powerful king in our land?”

Teachable

"It is written in the Prophets: 'They will all be taught by God.' Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from Him comes to me." John 6:45 Jesus knew his Bible. He could quote it. He could apply it. He could use it in His own teachable moments. His text was Isaiah 54:13, a messianic continuation of the great "suffering servant" text of Isa.53. The chapter begins with the "barren woman" who never bore a child eventually having more children to the point of having to enlarge her tent. Paul quotes this in Galatians 4:27 as a reference to Sarah who stayed childless for years and eventually gave birth to a Promise through whom all the nations of the earth would be blessed. God's family is expanding and He must teach His children. 

But notice in Isaiah 54:13 that the intended outcome of the teaching of God is the peace or wellbeing of his children. Just as earthly fathers are not to provoke their children to wrath, our heavenly Father knows that his school must be a place of peace. Jesus' word for this wellbeing is "eternal life." The ultimate homeostasis is a result of being taught by our Father, the ultimate homeschooler. The key to this wellbeing is allowing ourselves to be taught by the Father. The chaos and confusion of lives is a direct indicator of an unteachable spirit. 

The text says the hearer or listener learns. Jesus told the Pharisees who complained against Him, "Go and learn what this means..." (Mark 9:13) The one yoked to Jesus' easy yoke learns from Jesus. (Matt.11:29) The children and grandchildren of widows must learn to put their religion into practice. (1 Tim.5:3-4) Timothy was admonished to continue in the things he had learned. (2 Tim.3:14) Notice, in this text, learning should lead to conviction. There is a certain way we "learn Christ" according to Paul in Eph.4:20, not as the Gentiles walk. 

To live in our Father's house is to be in an environment of learning. God doesn't entertain His children; rather, He teaches them. For us earthly fathers to be able to follow in the footsteps of our heavenly Father, we must serve as His teaching assistant to facilitate learning in our homes. Study and learning should be a natural practice in a Christian home, and certainly within the church. Though we bemoan the fact that the government has taken prayer and Bible reading out of their schools, we still have two other much more effective institutions, the home and the church, where we can provide as many godly teachable moments as we desire, without hindrance. But, for this to happen each of us have to be teachable.

The Drawing Power

To the grumbler, Jesus says, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day." (John 6:44) In John 21:6, 11 the disciples drew the net, or hauled it in. Get the image of a net being tightened around fish, and then being gently pulled into the boat or onto shore. In John 18:10, Peter drew his sword. It was in a case or tucked into his belt, and he carefully drew it out and promptly cut off an ear. In Acts 16:19, Paul and Silas were dragged into the market and later off to jail. In James 2:6, the rich drag the poor into court. In Acts 21:30, Paul was dragged out of the temple. And in John 12:32, Jesus says, "If I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men to myself."

The influence, power, force, and work necessary to connect men with God is essentially, primarily, and effectively an act of God Himself. While it is understandable that we want to understand the role man plays in this process, there is a danger in focusing too much on man's part. Though we are ambassadors of reconciliation, it is God Himself who is reconciling the world to Himself. (2 Cor.5) The work of God in drawing mankind is so vast and so timeless how could we think the drawing power is centered in us and our expert abilities to effect lasting, heart changes in another human being. We have a hard time effecting these kind of changes in ourselves. Yet, there is something in us that rebels against the notion that we might be controlled by someone else. We want to maintain our independence and autonomy. Such is an illusion, yet it is important to preserve our freedom of will in this process. 

There are extremes in this discussion. One is pure Calvinism that says man plays no part in being drawn to the Father since 1) man is totally depraved-incapable of any good; 2) God has already determined through unconditional election-predestination-who will be lost and who will be saved. Yet the other extreme relegates God to some bystander in the process, merely a voiceless and powerless sign with a big arrow pointing the way. Neither picture is true. The grumblers in John 6 not only could walk away, but did walk away. However, they did so while feeling the tug of the Spirit of God pulling on their hearts, and no doubt, later winning this tug-of-war for the hearts of some. 

Our question is not whether God draws people to Himself, but how. The gospel has a persuasive power to it. "Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men." (2 Cor.5:11) But, what percentage is our persuasive powers and what percentage is the powerful effect of the fear of the Lord? How do we weight the process? Man has a responsibility not to fight the drawing power of God like some child who kicks and screams while a parent drags them out of harm's way. His power is measured. It is on the right setting. Not too strong to over-power our will, and yet not too soft to make it easy to walk away. Only God knows the right tension for each person. 

Vegas Lessons

Jesus describes two types of tragedies in Luke 13:1-5. The first was state terrorism carried out by Pilate on some Galileans whose blood was mixed with their sacrifices. The second was a horrible accident when the tower of Siloam fell on 18 people in Jerusalem killing each one. Just as in John 9 and in the book of Job, Jesus knew it was the tendency of man to explain such events as retribution for sin. Reduced to a maxim it was concluded that bad things happen to sinners. We often don't say the corollary to it, i.e. if you are good nothing bad will happen to you. Don't you wish things worked that way? Well maybe not, since "there is no one righteous, no not one." (Rom.3:10) So, if we all were to get what we deserve for our sins, no one could be saved from the cruelties of life or the fires of hell.

So today, like the rest of the world, I awoke to yet another horrific scene of death in Las Vegas, often called "sin city." I know when I visited that city a few years ago, I felt a little dirty. With a slogan like "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas," what do you expect? But before we connect the dots and conclude some kind of divine retribution on the partiers of Vegas (BTW this was a country music concert), we need to be reminded of Jesus' words in Luke 13. Were those killed by Pilate and those on whom the tower fell worse sinners than others who escaped these horrors?  Jesus says, "I tell you 'no.'" But Jesus did add, "But unless you repent, you too will all perish." What is Jesus saying? Since we all are sinners, then we all need to repent of our sins. Such front page news stories serve to show that horrible things happen to all people at times for often unknown reasons. But, there is a day that is coming when destruction will come upon all mankind. No one will escape. No one will be able to plead personal righteousness as an exemption. 

So what is the response we should all give to our sins? Jesus' answer is "repent." Since we do not know what any day or night will bring, we live in a state of repentance before a holy God, not to attempt to avoid being in the line of fire of an evil gunman, but to avoid waking up on the otherside of death before a just and holy God unprepared. What does Vegas show us? It shows us that life is unpredictable, there is a day of death for all of us, and some will die "innocently" and tragically. But, whatever day it is, and however we die, there is one thing we all have in common, i.e. we will meet God. In the meantime, we are like unproductive fig trees needing some digging and fertilizing so that we can bear fruit. Much attention will be given in the coming days to how can we avoid this happening again. Less attention will be given to how can we live in such a way that if it does happen again (and it will in many other forms), will I be in a right relationship with God? 

May God bless the families of those who died, and the victims who are recovering, and all those who will forever be affected by this event.