18 Year Account of Jesus' Adolescence (series: Harmony of the Gospels)

by John Lowe
(Woodruff, S.C.)

-AD 7-8-
Nazareth
(17) 18 Year Account of Jesus' Adolescence
(1 Samuel 2:26) Luke 2:51-52

I want to know everything about Jesus, but God doesn’t tell us very much about his life, until He is baptized. After that, we have an abundance of information. Why is the gospel record written in this manner? It is because God has given us what we need. We need a Savior and Jesus came to save mankind. We need His teaching, the miracles, the parables, the sermons, the cross, His death, His resurrection, His ascension-We need a Savior.

The Bible is silent about Jesus from the time He was 12 years old until He began His ministry, at thirty. All we know comes from Luke 2:51-52. There it says that He was obedient to His parents and that He grew physically, mentally, socially and spiritually.

In 1 Samuel 2:26, something very similar is said about the prophet Samuel, “And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the Lord and with men.” Samuel was a boy when he was put into a terrible environment. The people of Israel and their priests were far from God and doing whatever they desired. However, even in this environment Samuel grew in stature (physically), in favor with the Lord (spiritually) and with men (socially).