The Gospel for this Second Sunday after Christmas (Luke 2:40-52) concludes Luke's account about Christ's childhood. It contains the story of the pre-teen Jesus visiting the Temple. As important as that story is in itself, this time I would focus on two verses that frame the account. Luke 2:40 (ESV) refers to the days after the infant Jesus was presented at the Temple. The verse says, "And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him." Then after the twelve-year-old Jesus is reunited with His earthly parents, Luke 2:52 (ESV) says, "And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man."
These two verses point us to important truths about the Incarnation. We believe that Jesus Christ is unique. He is the divine Word, the eternal Son of the God the Father, made flesh and dwelling among us. As the Nicene Creed affirms, He is "true God from true God." At the same time, we also believe that He took on human nature in all its reality, excepting sin. These two natures in one person are the great mystery indicated in our verses from Luke. Jesus the Christ is holy and different. Yet, He also has a human body and a human mind. He grows and develops physically, He increases in wisdom and divine favor or grace is upon Him.
In many ways, this mystery is beyond our words, but is also at the heart of our Christian faith and hope. God loves us and wants to save us from our fallen human condition. To save us, God the eternal Word comes to earth, takes our human nature upon Himself and lives among us. He models human perfection, teaches in ways we can understand and dies and rises to give us eternal life.
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