Middle School Messiah

Jesu Juva

Luke 2:40-52                                                   

January 4, 2026

Christmas 2A          

Dear saints of our Savior~

        Today the wonder of Christmas continues.  Today’s Holy Gospel affords us a glimpse into the boyhood of our Lord Jesus Christ.  This morning’s opening hymn teaches us just how to view this middle school Messiah:  For He is our childhood’s pattern, Day by day like us He grew; He was little, weak, and helpless, Tears and smiles like us He knew.

        In that stanza, it’s easy to gloss over the phrase, “He grew.  Like us He grew."  Now, of course He grew in height and weight.  He grew in muscle mass.  Bones lengthened.  He grew in strength and stature.  But Saint Luke tells us that Jesus also grew in other ways.  He also grew in wisdom.  He grew in the favor of God.  And He grew in submission and in obedience to Mary and Joseph.

        Are you surprised to learn that Jesus—who is God in the flesh—had so much learning and growing to do?  We sometimes think that already at the age of twelve, Jesus was some kind of superman—a wunderkind—who was already running circles around His parents and the teachers of the Law.  Since Jesus was both God and man from the time of His conception, we sometimes think that omniscience and omnipotence were just oozing out of Jesus from the moment He was born.

        But today’s account of Jesus as a twelve-year-old shows that, while Jesus did indeed have both a divine and human nature, yet the divine nature was mostly quiet and dormant during our Lord’s youth.  This gave Jesus room to grow—according to His human nature.  The all-knowing Son of God increased in knowledge and wisdom.  The perfect and sinless Son of God grew in obedience and submission to His earthly parents.  The eternal Word needed to learn the Word of God—needed to be catechized in the Scriptures.  Day by day, like us, He grew.

        This is what Mary and Joseph discovered after they lost track of Jesus in Jerusalem for three whole days.  They had come to Jerusalem for the Passover, likely as part of a large group of pilgrims from Nazareth.  Surrounded by so many relatives and friends made for a safe and enjoyable journey.  But it also made it easier to lose track of people, which is what happened with twelve-year-old Jesus.

        After three days, when they finally found Him, Jesus was in the temple with the teachers of the Law.  But Jesus wasn’t lecturing them.  Jesus wasn’t instructing them.  Jesus was listening and learning.  He was asking questions and answering them.  What does this mean?  This middle school Messiah was attending confirmation class.  Junior catechesis for Jesus!  Our Savior was learning the Scriptures, distinguishing law and gospel.  And it had to be this way.  As Jesus told His mother:  Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?

        The boy Jesus didn’t merely get lost or left behind; He was busy growing—growing in wisdom, growing in the favor of God, growing in submission and obedience to every authority and growing in God’s holy Word.

        This is an important point for us to consider—especially at the beginning of a new calendar year when so many of us are setting goals and making resolutions.  If it was necessary for Jesus to study the Word of God—to be taught and catechized and educated—then how much more is it both necessary and critical that we open our Bibles daily to be instructed in the way of life?

        Do you want to grow?  Do you want to grow in the ways that Jesus grew according to His human nature?  In wisdom?  In the grace and favor of God?  In submission and obedience to those in authority over you?  Then you must allow yourself to be nourished and guided by the Scriptures—just like Jesus.  Do you want to grow in wisdom?  Do you want to grow in faith?  In forgiveness?  In stewardship?  In fervent love for one another?  Then you must attend Bible study.  You must listen to preaching.  You must read your Bible daily—not just as some box to be checked-off—but open your Bible with faith and expectancy and anticipation and the sure and certain hope that God Himself will give you the growth you need—trusting that His Word is like the rain and snow that falls from heaven, never returning void, but always giving the growth that God desires and achieving the results for which He sent it (Is. 55:10-11).

        The Lord Jesus grew and became strong, filled with wisdom.  Jesus grew in submission and obedience.  Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.  Jesus grew.  And Jesus wants to give you growth.  As Jesus grew into His identity as the Son of God and the Son of Man, so He wants to give you growth into your identity as a baptized child of God.  God has given you His Word to treasure up and ponder in your heart.

        This text from Luke 2 is full of surprises.  Not only do we learn that Jesus grew in the Word—that He Himself underwent a catechesis of sorts—but Jesus was submissive.  He subordinated Himself to Mary and Joseph.  This too, is part of our humanity.  Everybody submits to somebody.  This is the holy order God Himself has prescribed for us to live together in harmony.  Our sinful nature chafes and objects to the idea that we should be in submission to anyone at all.  But if it was good enough for Jesus . . . well, then get busy learning submission.

        Perhaps this is why the Holy Spirit prompted St. Luke to tell us about that time when the boy Jesus went missing for three days.  This child of Mary who is the Son of God, came to be our righteousness—to fulfill the Law precisely in those areas where we could not and would not.  Though Jesus was owed the obedience of Mary and Joseph as their Lord and Savior, yet He became obedient to them as their Son.  Though over them, He was ordered under them.  Though Lord of all, He became the servant of all.  Though He was the wisdom of God in human flesh, He sat at the feet of the teachers and learned in ordered obedience.  For us.  For you.  For your salvation.  His obedience is, in fact, your righteousness before God.  He is the one obedient man; and by His death He atones for the sins of all the disobedient—all the rebellious children of God.

        Do you need forgiveness for your rebellion?  Does your life need to be re-ordered for 2026?  Do you need help to be submissive to your imperfect parents, your insensitive employer, your unsatisfactory spouse?  Do you want to grow in the wisdom and love of God?  Jesus can help you with that.  You are definitely in the right place.  The wisdom of His Words is preached and proclaimed here with you in mind.  His body and blood is given here with you in mind.  His wisdom is your wisdom.  His Father’s house is your house.  His death and life are your death and life.  His obedient life is His gift to you; and your obedient life is your gift of thanks to Him—to Jesus, who came as a Child to save you.

        In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.