Luke 2:40 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.

NIV: And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.

NASB: Now the Child continued to grow and to become strong, increasing in wisdom; and the favor of God was upon Him.

CSB: The boy grew up and became strong, filled with wisdom, and God's grace was on him.

NLT: There the child grew up healthy and strong. He was filled with wisdom, and God’s favor was on him.

KJV: And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.

NKJV: And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.

Very little is told about Jesus' childhood, between His birth and the beginning of His public ministry. The few stories which are recorded are here in the Gospel of Luke. One is the encounter between an infant Jesus, Mary, Joseph, and the devout Simeon in the temple (Luke 2:25–32). Another, on the same day, involves the prophetess Anna (Luke 2:36–38). Another is an incident, when Jesus is twelve, where his family loses track of Him only to find Him in the temple (Luke 2:46–49).

This verse comes with tremendous implications. Jesus Christ is the Son of God—God incarnate—and divinity in human form (Hebrews 1:3; John 1:1, 14). However, His humanity is complete. Jesus' early life included almost everything universal to mankind while growing out of infancy, including physical and intellectual development. The only thing Jesus did not experience was sin (Hebrews 4:15; 1 Peter 2:22). After the incident at the temple, Luke will once again point out that Jesus' youth included growing, learning, and developing (Luke 2:52).

A common point of controversy about these verses is rooted in the claim that Jesus was "perfect," therefore He could not learn nor develop. This presumes that Jesus already knew everything, actively, and never gained information from anyone. It's helpful to remember that not all "mistakes" are "sins." A child who sincerely forgets the name of a carpentry tool, makes an arithmetic error, or trips while learning to walk is not committing sin. Nothing in Scripture suggests Jesus' divine nature disqualified Him from the human experiences of learning and development.

Luke 2:39–52 relates Scripture's only record of an event in Jesus' life occurring between His infancy and adulthood. His family travels to Jerusalem for a feast. When returning, Mary and Joseph lose track of Jesus, assuming He is with others in their large group. Once they realize He's missing, they find Him in the temple having a deep discussion with the teachers there. Jesus refers to the temple as His "Father's house," and the family returns to Nazareth. After this, Jesus grows and develops much the same as any other young boy.

The early part of this chapter is famously read at Christmas, while celebrating the birth of Jesus. Luke gives a relatively brief description of how Mary came to give birth in a stable, laying Jesus in a feeding trough. Nearby shepherds are informed of the news by multiple angels. Two people speak in praise of God at Jesus' circumcision. Years later, Joseph and Mary lose track of Jesus on the way back from Jerusalem, only to find Him astounding teachers in the temple with His wisdom.

Luke began his well-organized account by explaining the conceptions of Jesus Christ and John the Baptist, in chapter 1. In chapter 2, he briefly summarizes Jesus' birth and the arrival of shepherds directed by angels. Prophecies and prayers celebrate His dedication at the temple. After briefly losing track of a twelve-year-old Jesus in the temple, Jesus' parents take Him home to Nazareth. There, He grows up relatively normally. Chapter 3 leaps forward many years to the beginning of John the Baptist's preaching. This is followed by Jesus' genealogy. Chapter 4 relates Jesus' temptations by Satan and the start of His public ministry.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.