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December 22

Title: Life in Nazareth

Text: Luke 2:39-40

I have often wondered about life in Nazareth—imagining Jesus walking around His hometown. Was He liked? Did He have a lot of friends? Did He stay friends with His childhood buddies? The truth is—the Bible says very little about Jesus’ childhood years. This is all that data we have from the gospel of Luke (see below). 

And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him. (Luke 2:39-40)

I mean—other than the scene in Jerusalem when Jesus was 12—this is all we have. 

Jesus grew up. 

Jesus grew up strong. 

Jesus was filled with wisdom.

Jesus had the favor of God on Him. 

Why didn’t God reveal more to us about Jesus’ childhood? I really don’t know. I can speculate that God knows humanity—we get fixated on the stuff that doesn’t matter. And truthfully, the authors of the gospel had an agenda. Mainly, to convince its reader that Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus’ ministry didn’t start till He was thirty years old. Maybe it was more important to also convince the readers that Jesus was a human boy. Nothing special in one sense. He grew up like the rest of us. He had to figure out friendships, hormones, obeying His sinful parents and slowly embracing His mission as the Messiah of the world. 

Later on, the gospels tell us that Jesus was rejected by His hometown. He actually didn’t go back to His hometown very often. I mean—they tried to throw Him off a cliff. That is rough. He grew up with these people. This is why Jesus said, “Truly I tell you no prophet is acceptable in his hometown.” (Luke 4:24) 

Ultimately, Nazareth’s rejection of Jesus is another example of why Jesus is called the “suffering servant”. This rejection—which I am sure wounded Jesus’ soul—was one of the many human moments Jesus experienced. For us, this brings us comfort, knowing that Jesus truly understands us. He is our great High priest who can sympathize with our weakness, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15). Three days till Christmas.