While on Spring Break my wife had us listen to a sermon that a friend of hers had recorded onto a CD. During this wonderful lesson, the speaker brought up the point that Jesus did not always know that he was the Son of God, thus He did not fully realize His mission on Earth until He learned about it later. Hmmmmm?
I was always under the impression that Jesus, from birth, knew who He was and why He was here. The speaker pointed out that if Jesus was truly a man like the rest of us, then when He was born He couldn't have possibly understood who He really was and what His mission was. He correctly stated that Jesus gave up all the "trappings" of being part of the God-Head to become a man, thus His human brain had to develop just like yours and mine did. Wow!!
The speaker said that Jesus' was probably told who He was by His mother Mary. She probably told Him the circumstances of His birth and what the angel Gabriel had told her about Him. Later when the wise men came to visit Him, He was probably introduced to a little more about His true nature. The speaker said, Jesus did not fully realize who He really was and His true mission until he was about 13 years of age, when he went to Jerusalem with his parents for the Passover. It was while He at Jerusalem that Jesus spent some time in the Temple studying with and asking questions with the religious leaders. It was here that Jesus started to research the prophecies regarding who He really was. Being divinely inspired He quickly put together the pieces and discovered the truth about His true Mission in life.
The speaker also pointed out that it wasn't until later that Jesus actually started to perform miracles. The speaker said, that God used this time to mold Jesus' earthly character to best perform what God expected Him to do. After Jesus was prepared and accepted His mission, then the His true power finally came upon Him.
Interesting points. Can you imagine having to try to explain to your child, that you were miraculously conceived, and that you are the Son of God? I'm sure Mary didn't quite understand everything regarding the full nature of Jesus and here she was trying to explain it to Him the best she could. Also can you imagine, from a normal man's point of view, discovering that you were supposed to die for the sins of all mankind? Try to wrap your normal man brain around that one? But if Jesus really was a man like us, He had to have struggled ever so briefly with the reality of what God expected of Him. Even in the Garden before he was crucified, Jesus was still asking God, "Is there another way?" At least Jesus was resolute in doing what God's will for Him was. I on the other hand am still trying to get, 'My own way,' more often that not.
When do you think Jesus realized he was fully God in nature?
About ME
- Mr. E
- Grand Prairie, Texas, United States
- Mr. E is a Christian, Husband, Father of 2, former Army Officer and Texas Rangers Baseball fan.
3 comments:
Obviously we're at a loss since this is the only record of Christ's boyhood, but I'm wondering if maybe he spent a chunk of his day in a first century version of yeshiva (school where Orthodox Jewish kids learn Torah and Talmud) with all the other kids from synagogue learning Torah and the Prophets. I don't want to take the "amazingness" out of the temple episode, but I think it was expected that someone of his age would have been able to carry on a discussion of Torah with the rabbis. In fact, I think Christ always knew he was God's son and was learning Torah with that in mind, and as God's son, he was probably putting more effort into his studies than the other kids. Those two factors would have allowed him to ask the kinds of questions that would have amazed the rabbis at the Temple.
Looking at the text a second time, it says that those who heard him were astonished and when his parents saw him they were astonished. I think those who heard him were astonished for the reasons mentioned above. I wonder if his parents were astonished because maybe they thought he was out of his league discussing Torah with the Temple rabbis. Perhaps it would be like losing your 6th grader (who is pretty good at science) while you're touring Cambridge University and then find him debating theoretical physics with Stephen Hawking.
Those are my two cents. Go easy on me!
It's a good question that I've discussed with people before. I do think we overemphasize the "God" part of Jesus and tend to play-down his "human" aspects. But I really don't know how much knowledge he had of his God-ness. I do imagine it probably was a lot different than how we picture it, though -- I do think it's quite possible that he didn't have the grasp of it that we sometimes think he did.
As Daniel pointed out, it's rather likely that he was spending a great deal of time studying and memorizing the Torah in school. Did he KNOW as a child that he was sent from God to die as a sacrifice for all of humanity? I don't think we can say for sure. But it's quite possible that he did not.
I agree, the only thing different about Jesus from us while He was here on earth was the absence of the curse of Adam as he was not a son of Adam but the only son of God. That is why his baptism was so significant as his first "confirmation" of who his father was. That is why he was immediately tempted by satan, which was the most significant thing jesus did except for his death and resurrection. I don't believe he ever used his divine nature here on earth. One of the main purposes of the Talmud may have been to convey Jesus' mission to Jesus. To me this isn't blasphemy, just the opposite, it glorifies Jesus all the more because he did what he did as a human - in fact our stepbrother! (and now Savior and Lord).
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