From my reading in Luke 2:25-52 in the One Year New Testament.
The Teens and Twenties Are For Training!
There is an awesome story of 12 year old Jesus who went to Jerusalem for the Passover festival with his parents. When the feast was over, his parents started on their way back and realized Jesus was not there! They searched high and low; this is what they found.
The Task Is To Ask
“After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.” Luke 2:46–47
Jesus was wise to sit and listen to what the teachers of God’s Word said! Asking questions is one of the best ways to learn. I heard a well known pastor say this in a sermon on asking questions:
“The task is to ask! Ask the right people, the right questions, in order to get the right answers.” Ed Young Jr.
Jesus was fully God; he was also fully human. He still engaged the process of learning God’s word. Asking questions and listening to the experts was one of the great ways to do that. We can see that Jesus had amazing understanding and was able to answer questions with wisdom beyond his years.
One of the pastors I look up to is Andy Wood at South Bay Church. He asks more questions than anyone I know, and because of that God has blessed him with a lot of wisdom in how to build a successful church. Ask yourself these questions:
What am I currently going through that I need wisdom about?
What older person could I ask about it?
Through asking questions of older people (even your parents) you can gain wisdom in all different areas. You can ask about money, dating, dealing with conflict, hard-to-understand parts of the Bible, and big decisions you are facing.
Don’t be to shy to ask a question!
What Did Jesus Do From Ages 12-30?
We basically have two verses that describes what Jesus did all of his teens and twenties.
Jesus Was Submissive
“And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them.” Luke 2:51
Learning to follow is the greatest prerequisite for leadership. Jesus was submissive to his parents in childhood and was submissive to the Father throughout his life.
Submission is the path to accomplishing God’s mission.
The next verse summarizes the areas Jesus grew in as a teen/twenty-something.
“And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.” Luke 2:52
Jesus Grew In Wisdom
Jesus learned. In his ministry, it was evident that he knew the scriptures better than anyone and he used it wisely. Not only knowing the scripture, he also grew in wisdom about how life works and how to deal with people. We see this wisdom throughout the gospel accounts as he encounters various questions, critics and difficult situations.
Jesus Grew Physically
It doesn’t say that Jesus lifted weights or ran, but he did literally grow up! Also, we know that his father, Joseph, was a builder. We assume that Jesus spent much of his time building with heavy materials and was in good physical condition.
Jesus Grew In Favor With God
Jesus already had an eternal connection with the Father and the Holy Spirit. How could he grow in favor with God? Jesus grew in favor with God by staying continually connected to God. People in their teens and twenties should make connecting with God an absolute priority to build a spiritual foundation for their lives.
Jesus Grew Relationally
Jesus grew in favor with people. He grew in people skills. One of the most important things a teen or twenty-something should know is how to relate to people well. This one vital area will impact your success in life tremendously. Jesus used these people skills effectively to lead his ministry and impact thousands!
Which of these areas do you need to grow in?
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