Yesterday on Things Unseen, we were thinking about how important it is that we all grow

in the knowledge of who Jesus really is. And I was saying that I believe we need to hear

more preaching and to reflect more on the way in which the New Testament focuses on who

he is, his person, and what he is really like. I don't think anyone who knew me would

misunderstand what I'm trying to say here, because I love great works of biblical

exegesis. I love biblical theology, and I really love systematic theology. But none of

these became incarnate, none of these was crucified for me. Is Jesus Christ Himself

I need and want? I sometimes think there's a good litmus test that indicates whether

or not I have a healthy biblical view of Jesus, and whether he is truly real to me, as we

sometimes say, is this found in a single verse in the gospels, Luke chapter 2, verse 52,

and Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and man. Now it's obvious

isn't it that Jesus must have grown in stature. He was a baby small enough to fit into

a manger, he became a boy, and Luke's words cover his teenage years, at least he grew

in height, he filled out, no doubt as he worked in Joseph's carpenter shop and elsewhere

he became stronger, so he grew in stature, yes, check. And I think we can understand that

Jesus also grew in favor with men and women as they got to know him. It was only later

in his ministry that people seemed to turn against him and he fell into disfavor. So

grow in physical stature, check, grow in favor with man, check. But then there's this other

statement, Jesus grew in wisdom. Well, you'll allow, I think, that if he worked with Joseph

the woodworker, and if he learned a trade, then from that point of view, he grew in wisdom,

he didn't have all Joseph skills when he was a three year old presumably. He learned the tricks

of the trade, how you get two pieces of wood to hold together, how to shape the wood, how to

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