Knowledge of Jesus

By Kyle Blackwell

And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and with people. -Luke‬ ‭2‬:‭52‬

This verse astounds me every time. Jesus had to increase in knowledge just like the rest of us. Maybe it wouldn’t be such a powerful verse if it were not true that Jesus is both 100% God, while also being 100% man, but the Bible, when read as a whole, proves Him being just that, God Himself. Jesus set an example of how we are to live our lives.

When God made a promise to send a savior for the world He could have done many things, but He chose to send us a human being. Not only did He send a human, but Jesus was born in an animal’s feeding trough. How much more down to earth can one be? Humility is what I take from this.

When I look at all the man made gods throughout the Bible I see gold, silver and bronze statues. That is man’s version of a god. But here we see the God of the universe, leaving His comfortable seat in Heaven, to be around sinners like me, in order to fulfill 39 books worth of prophecy, only to be born in an animal’s feeding trough…?  What kind of God is this?

Every Christmas I read Luke chapter 2, and every Christmas I get stuck on this same verse. I am so thankful that I serve a God with such humility. Jesus could have come out of nowhere like He did in the form of Melchizedek, but He didn’t. While I do believe Melchizedek was the pre incarnate Jesus, history cannot provide us with either a birth nor death of the king, which is equal to God. He was both king of righteousness and peace, just like Jesus. He was also the high priest. The only man besides Jesus and Melchizedek who were both king and priest was Jesus’ earthly father, David, and even he was not a permanent priest.  And lastly, Abraham gave tithes to Melchizedek just like his descendants offer tithes to God.

You see, God could have used an established man such as Melchizedek, but he didn’t. While Jesus is my king, Jesus lived His life on earth as a servant, and that is true even from birth.

Jesus grew in both wisdom and stature even though He was the one and only Son of God. Jesus had to be one of us. He had to endure the things we endure.

For He has not subjected to angels the world to come that we are talking about. But one has somewhere testified: What is man that You remember him, or the son of man that You care for him? You made him lower than the angels for a short time… Hebrews‬ ‭2‬:‭5‬-‭7

In this world we endure many things, especially in the weird times which we currently live. This is why 1 Timothy says we have one Mediator, who is Jesus.

But we do see Jesus — made lower than the angels for a short time so that by God’s grace He might taste death for everyone — crowned with glory and honor because of His suffering in death. -Hebrews‬ ‭2‬:‭9‬

Going back to Melchizedek, he did not suffer what Jesus suffered. Being both priest and king, he was more like the Jesus we see on the throne in heaven. However, Jesus made salvation perfect through His sufferings. For through His sufferings there is a death brought to the table, and through that death, we are now able to reach sanctification through the humanity of blood that which was shed.

Now since the children have flesh and blood in common, Jesus also shared in these, so that through His death He might destroy the one holding the power of death — that is, the Devil — and free those who were held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death. -Hebrews‬ ‭2:14‬-‭15‬

And here we go! It took flesh and blood to cancel the debt of sin. There is no other way.

Therefore, He had to be like His brothers in every way, so that He could become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For since He Himself was tested and has suffered, He is able to help those who are tested. -Hebrews‬ ‭2‬:‭17‬-‭18‬

Now, we go back to the very beginning, back to that old feeding trough. He learned, He lived, He survived and He endured the same things we experience. And now, because of Him, we also suffer, but not the kind of suffering that the world sees. The suffering we experience as a follower of Christ also brings peace, an unexplainable peace, even in times of much trouble.

These last few months have been difficult for me. I feel like I have been distancing myself from God. Working the night shift for so long has gotten me out of my routine. I have not been reading God’s Word as much as I should. My prayers have been fewer. However, I’m getting back to the basics just like Jesus did when He was a child.

God has been working on my heart over the last couple weeks.  Before I started to write this article, I prayed that God would reveal what He wanted in one of the most known and recited chapters in the entire Bible. I think we can all use a little bit of slowness and rejection in our lives. And I believe that is what God wants me to take from this chapter.

Let us slow down, get back to the basics and enjoy the mercy of God revealed to us in the deliverance of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

If you do not know Jesus as the Lord and Savior of your life please click on the Road to Salvation tab at the top, so my wife and I can personally pray for you and lead you to a life filled with an immeasurable peace. No matter the burden of your past sins Jesus died a death that brings an everlasting redemption. Jesus died so that we may live. He released the strain of sin that the devil once held over my life, and He is willing to do the same for you too.

-My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge - Hosea 4:6