Luke 2:51-52 tells us, “Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” Here lies the secret to what makes a successful child– “favor with God and men.”
In Luke 2 Jesus remained at the temple instead of going home with his parents. This caused quite a commotion and distress for them. In the end they found Him discussing with leaders and elders at the temple. This account has some powerful implications for our children as well as our lives. It’s is important to remember that even though Jesus was never disobedient, as a full human being, He learned obedience (Hebrews 5:8).This is very hard for us to understand. Jesus was always fully God but He chose to restrict Himself and be like us. He chose to grow up as a normal human child.
Ever wonder what it was like for Joseph and Mary to raise Jesus! They knew that He was the Son of God but at the same time He was fully human. Of course, we immediately think of Him as the perfect child since He was sinless. Who wouldn’t want a child like that! But let’s not forget that Jesus chose to restrict Himself and “learn obedience” (Hebrews 5:8). As parents, there are some very valuable truths that we can learn about the development of children from the childhood years of Jesus. This series will also teach our children some very important lessons on what it means to be a young boy or girl who pleases God.