“And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. And the Child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon Him … And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.”
(Luke 2:39-40, 52 ESV)
These are the quiet years of Jesus’ life—years when the most unusual thing that happened was the time His parents misplaced Him in Jerusalem for a couple of days and found Him again (see Luke 2). Other than that, what? A normal life for the Son of God. Learning basic life skills from His mother and carpentry skills from His father. Praying with His parents. Going to school with His classmates at the local synagogue. Learning to read and write. Learning to know the Bible by heart.
And throughout it all, there was the world around Him, from which He drew so many of His parables later. Harvest and planting. Shepherds with their sheep. Men out on fishing boats. Builders who did their job well—or poorly. Families and their arguments.
During these years, Jesus was getting ready for the heart of His mission—three years when He would teach, preach, heal, and finally save the people God loves through His own suffering and death on the cross. Three years until His death and resurrection—which opened everlasting life to all of us who love Him. Just look how He loves us!
We Pray: Dear Jesus, come with me as we leave the days of Christmas behind and enter a new year of life. Keep me with You forever. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
* Do you, too, hope for a year of quiet?
* What do you hope for or fear in the new year?
* How will you rely on Jesus to get you through it all?
Advent Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo
Originally published in The Lutheran Hour on January 6, 2024
Used by permission from International Lutheran Laymen’s League, all rights