Refer to the second half of the lesson
Come Follow Me | New Testament 2023 | Ben Wilcox - Teaching With Power
I really good lesson on what we can learn from scripture about Jesus in his youth
I really love this next portion of the lesson because I’ve spent a large portion of my life teaching the youth of the Church. So I’m so glad that we get at least one story from the life of Christ as a young man. I mean, I wish we had more information about those formative years of the Savior. We have a lot about his birth, and a lot about his ministry from age 30-33 (see Luke 3:23 for how we know that) and this large gap in between. But we do have this one story of Jesus at the temple when he was twelve, and a number of other key verses that describe those years to help us out a little. Additionally, I believe there are some other things that we can assume about his youth based on what we observe about him during his ministry. So for an icebreaker, I have a little handout activity for you. I’ve made a list of a number of scenarios or things we MIGHT have seen Jesus do in his youth. Your job is to circle the number of the ones that have scriptural support? Which one’s are scripturally accurate?
1. Healing the broken arm of a friend who had fallen while playing.
2. Working in Joseph’s carpentry shop.
3. Upon learning how to speak as a toddler, sitting his parents down and teaching them the plan of salvation.
4. Walking across the sea of Galilee to run an errand for his Mother.
5. Walking the hills around Nazareth alone and praying.
6. Playing with brothers and sisters.
7. Observing and learning things about the world around him.
8. Multiplying bread and fish for his family to eat.
9. Spending time with people.
10. Making fun of Samaritans
11. Studying the scriptures.
12. Leading his household and telling Joseph and Mary what to do.
SEARCH
And here are the answers. 2, 5, 6, 7, 9, and 11. But why did I circle those particular statements and not the others? As we go through the answers to this activity, I’m going to take you to a number of scriptures that help us to understand what Jesus was like as a child, teenager, and young adult. If I were teaching the youth, I might entitle this lesson, “How to be a Christlike teenager”. If I were teaching adults, I still might entitle it that, because characteristics of Christ know no age. Or I might just drop the “teenager” and call it “How to be more Christlike”. But either way, I’ve found this lesson to be a really powerful one for young people in particular. As we discuss these, we’ll make a list of things the youth of Jesus teaches us about becoming more Christlike.
Now first, why didn’t I include statements 1, 5 and 9? Did Jesus perform miracles in his youth? Did he have that power with him from the beginning? I don’t believe so. There’s no evidence that he did, and there is quite a bit of evidence to suggest that he didn’t. Not that he couldn’t, but that he didn’t. One reason, for that assumption is that, if Jesus had performed miracles in his youth, you would imagine the people of Nazareth would not have said what they do in Matthew 13:55-58 when Jesus begins to teach there during his ministry. They say:
55 Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?
56 And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?
57 And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.
58 And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
Well, they sure seem to be quite surprised by Jesus’s claims of being the Son of God and by the miracles that he has begun to perform in the region. If he’d been doing miracles all along, I doubt they would have had that incredulous reaction. They’re like, “Jesus, the Son of God??? We know this kid. I mean, yeah, he was always a good boy. But the Messiah? Come on.”
And those verses also reveal the truth behind one of the other statements. Statement 6. Would we have witnessed Jesus spending time with brothers and sisters? Or was he an only child? Those verses right there tell us that he did have brothers and sisters, or at least half brothers and sisters. So yes, Mary and Joseph did have other children after Jesus was born. You see evidence of that truth in a number of places. (Matt. 12:46; Mark 3:31–34; Mark 6:3; Luke 8:19–20; John 2:12, 7:3, 5, 10; Acts 1:14; 1 Cor. 9:5) But then, might he have done miracles amongst his own family members then? I guess we can’t be 100% sure of that, but we do learn from John 7:5 that:
5 For neither did his brethren believe in him.
So at least some of those family members didn’t believe he was the Messiah. Although I suppose there’s plenty of evidence in the scriptures of people seeing miracles and still not believing, but in my opinion, I don’t believe he worked miracles before the time of his ministry. Additionally, we have this comment from John after Jesus changes the water to wine at the marriage in Cana in John 2:11.
11 This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.
That gives us a strong indication that the miracle of changing water to wine was his first.
What about statement #2? Is there any scriptural evidence that Jesus was a carpenter, that he followed in the footsteps of Joseph? Yes. In Mark 6:3, Jesus is referred to as:
3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.
Also, the Joseph Smith Translation gives us some additional detail about the youth of the Savior. In the JST appendix for Matthew 3:24-26 we learn that:
24 And it came to pass that Jesus grew up with his brethren, and waxed strong, and waited upon the Lord for the time of his ministry to come.
25 And he served under his father, and he spake not as other men, neither could he be taught; for he needed not that any man should teach him.
26 And after many years, the hour of his ministry drew nigh.
So we certainly would have seen Jesus working hard in Joseph’s shop sawing lumber, sanding wood, and nailing boards together. Though eventually he would leave behind the workshop and commit himself full time to building people rather than projects.
What about statement 3? Would we have seen Jesus teaching his parents or others as a toddler? In other words, did he already know “everything” about the plan, and the gospel, and who he was from the beginning? Did he come pre-packaged from pre-mortality with omniscience, all understanding and wisdom and scriptural knowledge? No, he didn’t. And we know this from the scriptures. And allow me to point your attention to statement 9 as well to help you understand this. Would we have seen Jesus spending time alone in his youth. And if he did, what was he doing? I believe that there is a lot of evidence in the scriptures that Jesus would have spent a lot of time alone, in the hills surrounding Nazareth praying, meditating, and speaking with his real Father. There are plenty of instances during his ministry where he goes off to be by himself. We see that in all of the following references: Matthew 14:13, Luke 4:1-2, , Luke 5:16, Luke 6:12. And when he prays and suffers in Gethsemane, he does so apart from the apostles (Luke 22:41). But perhaps my favorite reference on this topic is Mark 1:35 where it says:
35 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.
Can you see him doing that? Before the sun coming up. Walking away from the city “a great while before day” and sitting down on a rock somewhere, overlooking the beautiful valley of the Sea of Galilee, watching the sun rise. Alone. Although, I suppose “alone” isn’t really a good description of what took place at those times. He’s praying, conversing with his Father, preparing himself for a busy and soul exhausting day amongst the people. He must have developed that practice in his youth. Therefore, how could I become a more Christlike teenager? A Christlike teenager makes time to be alone with God. Those solitary places were the schoolroom of the Savior. That’s where he would have received his first lessons in Messiahship. That’s where his Father would have taught him. This is where he would learn how to build souls, testimony, and spiritual strength. His Heavenly Father would have shown him things, answered his prayers, and revealed truth to him line upon line.
Jesus himself hints at this in John 5:19-20
19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
20 For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.
And John 8:26
26 I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him.
And verse 28 of the same chapter.
28 Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.
During his ministry, Jesus continually referred to the things that his Father had taught and shown him. When else would that have taken place than in those solitary moments apart.
The New Testament isn’t the only place in scripture that we can go for details about those intervening years. Take a quick look with me at Doctrine and Covenants 93:11-14 where John the Beloved is quoted through a revelation to Joseph Smith. And John really wants us to understand something about the development and preparation of Jesus Christ. A key truth about his youth. Remember that one of the ways God emphasizes things in the scriptures, is through repetition. What truth or phrase about the of youth Jesus Christ is repeated here in these verses?
11 And I, John, bear record that I beheld his glory, as the glory of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth, even the Spirit of truth, which came and dwelt in the flesh, and dwelt among us.
12 And I, John, saw that he received not of the fulness at the first, but received grace for grace;
13 And he received not of the fulness at first, but continued from grace to grace, until he received a fulness;
14 And thus he was called the Son of God, because he received not of the fulness at the first.
Did you catch the phrase? It’s hard to miss it, isn’t it. John really wanted us to know that Jesus did not receive of the fulness (a fulness of light, truth, power, glory, intelligence) at the first. He says it three times. Which tells us that Jesus didn’t start his life with a perfect understanding of who he was, who his Father was, or have a grasp of all wisdom and truth. Like us, he didn’t start mortality in a state of perfect spiritual maturity or remembering everything he had learned in the previous life. He started life as a baby, innocent and naïve. He had to learn. And it wasn’t that at age 8, or 12, or 30 or whatever, that God, all of a sudden just bestowed all of that intelligence, and power, and those divine attributes upon Him. There wasn’t a wave of his hand and now Jesus was “the Savior”. He had to learn. He had to work at it. He had to study. He had to develop those things. And what was that process like? Another phrase we saw more than once in that passage from the Doctrine and Covenants. He did it grace for grace. OR, it’s worded a little differently in verse 13. Grace to grace. Now maybe I’m making too much of that difference, but I think both offer insight. He received grace for grace. Which sounds like an exchange of sorts. God offers the grace of blessings, or truth, or intelligence. But then, what grace is offered back? The grace of obedience and righteousness and sacrifice. But there is also grace TO grace. Which suggests an upward climb, a progression. Christ is getting nearer and nearer to a fulness of glory, and light, and truth. Now we know that Christ wasn’t sinful in his life. He didn’t have any negatives to rid himself of, that’s why I didn’t include statement #10. But did he have a perfect measure of those divine Christlike attributes that we know him for during his ministry? I don’t think so. Christ for certain was always kind. But I imagine he was kinder at age 30 than he was at age 12. I believe he was always humble, but I imagine his meekness and humility increased and strengthened as he grew. We know, that even at a young age, age twelve, that he had a deep and profound understanding of the scriptures. But that understanding and comprehension was far deeper at age 30 than it was when he was a teenager. He developed those characteristics over time, refining them, and growing more proficient in them.
There’s a little scene from the movie Ben Hur that I love that’s set in Joseph’s carpentry shop. A friend of Joseph’s is visiting, and he notices a stack of boards in the corner that haven’t been assembled. And he says: My table is not finished. Where is your son? And Joseph says: He's walking in the hills. The neighbor, in a disapproving voice mumbles, “Mm-hm. He neglects his work, Joseph”. And Joseph responds: No. Once I reproached him with forgetting his work. He said to me, "I must be about my Father's business." Then the neighbor says: “Then why isn't he here, working?” And Joseph, smiling, responds, “He's working.” I love that. Jesus spent those intervening years learning from both his earthly and heavenly fathers. Grace for grace, and grace to grace. It took Jesus thirty years to reach that fulness before he was ready to begin his ministry. I’m sure it’s going to take us more than a lifetime to do the same, but when that time came, he WAS prepared. But it required his study, and perseverance, and work, and experience to get to that point.
So, a Christlike teenager grows and develops spiritually grace for grace—little by little. We can patient with our progress then, because even Jesus didn’t do or know it all at first. If he needed to grow, so must we.
That truth is also reiterated in a number of other key verses about the youth of the Savior. One comes from the JST for Matthew chapter 3 and two come from here in Luke 2. I feel that these verses probably best summarize those intervening years between Christ’s birth and ministry. What do they reveal about him?
Matthew 3:24-26
24 And it came to pass that Jesus grew up with his brethren, and waxed strong, and waited upon the Lord for the time of his ministry to come.
25 And he served under his father, and he spake not as other men, neither could he be taught; for he needed not that any man should teach him.
(because he had spent years being taught by his Father in heaven in those quiet moments of prayer and meditation in the hills of Nazareth)
26 And after many years, the hour of his ministry drew nigh.
Luke 2:40
40 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.
Luke 2:52
52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.
So in those verses we saw the words grew, waxed, and increased—more evidence of his grace-to-grace development. But what else do those verses teach us about becoming a Christlike teenager? Let’s zero in on that last verse in particular—Luke 2:52. You may already be aware that this is the verse that inspired the Church’s new worldwide youth program. This is the vision that the brethren have for all young men and young women in the world. It’s a blueprint for becoming like Christ. We tend to emphasize Jesus’s spiritual development. But that wasn’t his only focus. Jesus was what we might call a “well-rounded individual”. He had balance in his life. And in what four areas did Jesus increase and wax strong in? Wisdom-he developed himself intellectually. His mind. His capacity to learn and think. Stature—he developed physically. He would need a strong and healthy body to walk mile after mile down the dusty roads of Judea, and to stand up to the demanding schedule of teaching, and visiting various cities, and healing. Jesus took care of the temple of his body. In favor with God-he developed spiritually. He studied the scriptures. He prayed. He sought time with his Heavenly Father and learned the ways of the Spirit and how to connect with the powers of heaven. But he didn’t only seek favor with God, he also sought favor with man. He developed socially. It’s apparent from the account of his ministry that Jesus liked people. He wasn’t a hermit or a monk who secluded himself from humanity. That was John the Baptist’s approach. But not Jesus. We see him with people all the time. He goes to dinner parties, gathered twelve apostles to lead with him, teaches large groups of people, and was often at the center of giant crowds, thronging him just to catch a glimpse or hear his teaching. Mark 6:31 tells us that:
31 And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.
There were always people around Jesus. So much so that it was hard for him to find time to stop and eat. But we get no indication that Jesus disliked this. Just the opposite. He sought people out. Jesus understood people and human nature better than anyone else who ever lived. He knew how to talk to them, work with them, inspire them, and make them feel better about themselves. He had developed that throughout his youth. He found favor with man. So which statements are supported by those verses? I think we could safely assume statements 7, 9, and 11. Jesus increased in wisdom, and stature, and in favor with God AND man. Christlike teenagers do the same. They seek develop themselves intellectually, physically, spiritually, and socially. They seek balance in all areas of their lives. Sometimes I’ve seen youth who focus almost all their attention on only one or two of those areas. Some that are incredibly athletic and active, but who neglect their education. Or those who are very smart, but haven’t sought to develop their social skills. Or those who are amazing in seminary, and have a deep spiritual understanding of things, but don’t reach out to serve others or take care of the temple of their bodies. Jesus sought to increase in all these areas, and so should we—whether we’re teenagers, adults, or senior citizens.
JESUS AT THE TEMPLE
Now let’s take some time to examine the story about Jesus at the temple as a twelve-year-old boy and what that teaches us about becoming more Christlike. To do that, I usually just like to read it directly to my students and stop to ask them some discussion questions as we go. The story is found in Luke 2:41-51. And I won’t take the time to read through that story verse by verse, but I invite you to and then consider the following questions:
Why do you think it took Mary and Joseph a day to figure out Jesus wasn’t with them? Is this an example of bad parenting? Were Joseph and Mary neglectful? I don’t think so. I think it says much more about Jesus’s character than Mary and Joseph’s parenting. They obviously trusted him. He had lived his life in such a way up to that point that they probably didn’t think twice about checking for him before they left. I’m sure Jesus was well beyond his years in maturity. Also, at Passover, extended families would travel in large groups together for company and safety and I’m sure they would have supposed that he was with relatives or friends of the family. Or, some Biblical scholars have suggested that these big family groups often traveled in genders. The men and the livestock at the front, and the wives and children at the back, to protect them. Perhaps Mary and Joseph weren’t traveling together, and both assumed that Jesus was with the other. And, it’s not like he was a toddler or anything. He was twelve. So what does this teach us about becoming a Christlike teenager? Christlike teenagers are trustworthy.
However, in this case, I guess you could argue that he wasn’t where they thought he was. So why would Jesus do this? Why did he tarry behind in Jerusalem. Did he intentionally try to worry his parents, or did he not care? And my answer to that is no. I don’t think he meant to cause anxiety for Mary and Joseph. You know what I think it was? I think it may just have been the result of youthful enthusiasm. Perhaps it was just too irresistible for him to talk with people who really understood the scriptures closer to his level. He probably didn’t have much of a chance to do that back in Nazareth—since it was such a small kind of backwater community in his day. There probably wouldn’t have been anyone his equal there. And the doctors there at the temple (that means, the teachers of the law, see the footnote) had studied the Torah as their profession. And I love that description of what happens there. When Mary and Joseph finally find him, he’s “sitting in the midst” of these scholars and the JST changes that next phrase to, “and they were hearing him, and asking him questions.” So here you have this twelve-year-old boy walk up and join the conversation of these grown Jewish men who have been studying the scriptures their entire lives. And then this random twelve-year-old pipes up and says: “Oh, I have a thought about that. And there’s a stunned pause in the groups. And they look back at him incredulously, and think, “Aww, that’s cute, this little boy wants to share his ideas. “Go ahead young man. What do you think? “ And then Jesus speaks. And their expression changes. And they say, “Woah. That’s actually quite profound. Huh. I’ve never thought of that way. Well, what do you mean by such and such?” And Jesus just keeps going. And they continue to enquire after his thoughts. And Jesus is just loving it as a twelve-year old. Not the attention, but the intellectual and spiritual exhilaration of it. Have you ever had that kind of experience? When you meet someone who loves what you love just as much as you do? The connection can be magical. And the hours tend to just fly by as you’re reveling in your shared zeal. And when he comes to, the sun is going down, and Mom and Dad are nowhere to be found. So he does what every good little boy and girl does when they get lost. What’s the rule? Stay where you are. Stay in one place and wait to be found. So he stays there and thinks to himself. As long as I’m here, I might as well continue to talk with these guys. Here in the temple. Probably the safest place for a young man to hang out in, in this big bustling city. So, a Christlike teenager loves to talk about the scriptures.
But can you imagine how Joseph and Mary must have felt when they discovered Jesus was gone? That must have been terrifying. I mean, God has put YOU in charge of raising the Messiah, the very Son of God, and you’ve lost him! They must have been absolutely frantic looking all over Jerusalem for their boy. And maybe they think to themselves, where would a twelve-year-old go in Jerusalem? Is he at the marketplace looking at all the exciting things for sale? Is he down at the Hippodrome stables admiring the racehorses? Is he over at the garrison outpost, watching the Roman soldiers. Jerusalem would have been quite an exciting place for a twelve-year-old from a small Galilean village. And he’s not there in any of these places. Three days later, near the point of full despair—maybe Mary gets an idea. What about the temple? Let’s go check there. And finally, there he is, in the middle of a crowd. And oh the relief. He’s ok. And then they say what any parent would probably say in that situation. “Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? Behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.” How could you do this to us? We’ve been hysterical these past three days.
And that leads me to my next question. What do you make of Jesus’s answer? Which isn’t really an answer, but a question of his own. “How is it that ye sought me? Wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?” What do you think he meant by that?
Now I definitely don’t think he’s saying, “Why did you come looking for me?” Of course they’re going to come looking for him. They’re his parents. I don’t think Jesus just planned to stay in Jerusalem and live in the temple the rest of his youth. No, what I think that phrase means is, “Why did it take you so long to find me? Three whole days before you get the idea to come look for me here, in the temple. Isn’t this the first place you should have looked? Here, in my “FATHER’S” house, about HIS business.” And I certainly don’t think it was said with disdain, or smugness, or disrespect of any kind. With great humility and love and concern for his parents anxiety, but with a little bit of surprise in his voice, “Mom, Dad. You know what kind of boy I am. What I love, and what I’ve come to do. This probably should have been the first place you’d look.” And perhaps in that there is just a bit of a relevant lesson for us. When WE feel that we’ve lost the Savior in our own lives. When we can’t seem to find Him? Where should we go? Where can we always find Jesus? In the temple. Go to the temple. You’re sure to find him there. Christlike teenagers love to spend time in the temple.
AND, A Christlike teenager is always “about his Father’s business”. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if our parents, or our spouses, or our families weren’t sure where we were and began to wonder where to start looking. And then they could calmly and quietly say something like, “Oh, I’m sure I know where they are. I bet they’re down at the temple doing baptisms for the dead. That’s the first place we should look.” Or if that’s not very realistic, to at least be able to say to themselves, knowing what kind of person you are, “I don’t know exactly where they are at right now. But I’m sure they’re doing something good—that I would find them in a righteous environment. I know I don’t really need to worry because they must be about their Father’s business. There’s no cause for concern.” Wouldn’t it be an amazing thing if the people who love us could always say that about us.
And then I love what happens next in the story. Verse 51 is so great. What does this verse teach you about Jesus?
51 And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.
And think that this can address statement number 12 from our activity. Would we have seen Jesus running the household, telling Joseph and Mary what to do? No. He was subject unto them. He listened to them, obeyed them, respected them. Jesus honored his father and his mother, abiding by the rule he himself gave to Moses through the thunders of Mt. Sinai. Now I don’t think I’ve ever met a teenager out there who doesn’t THINK they know more than their parents. But in Jesus’s case, it was actually true! Here was the one time in history when a child knew more than Mom and Dad. And yet, what did Jesus do? He was still subject unto them. He was humble. He was respectful. He was obedient to them. Therefore, a Christlike teenager honors their father and their mother. They’re subject to them and defer to their authority, rules, and requests. Even if they think they know better.
TRUTH
So let’s take an overall look at our list that we’ve created here. Here’s how to be a Christlike teenager.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
In what areas do you need to develop more like Christ? Pick at least one. Now, what could you do this week to work on that?
CONCLUSION
Isn’t that a great story. Oh. So instructive. Every part of Jesus’s life has something to teach us. And I hope that if you’re already past your teenage years that you still gained something profound from this lesson. Because, Jesus was probably further along the straight and narrow path at age 12 than most of us will be at age 90. The youth of our Savior have lessons for all. We too, all throughout our lives are going to need to continue to develop grace for grace, spending solitary time apart from the world learning from our Heavenly Father, increasing in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man, and perhaps most of all, making sure that we are always about our Father’s business. And I believe that if we do that, then the promise assured the Savior in Luke 2:40 will also be true of us, “the grace of God” will rest upon us as well.
1. Healing the broken arm of a friend who had fallen while playing.
2. Working in Joseph’s carpentry shop.
3. Upon learning how to speak as a toddler, sitting his parents down and teaching them the plan of salvation.
4. Walking across the sea of Galilee to run an errand for his Mother.
5. Walking the hills around Nazareth alone and praying.
6. Playing with brothers and sisters.
7. Observing and learning things about the world around him.
8. Multiplying bread and fish for his family to eat.
9. Spending time with people.
10. Making fun of Samaritans
11. Studying the scriptures.
12. Leading his household and telling Joseph and Mary what to do.
SEARCH
And here are the answers. 2, 5, 6, 7, 9, and 11. But why did I circle those particular statements and not the others? As we go through the answers to this activity, I’m going to take you to a number of scriptures that help us to understand what Jesus was like as a child, teenager, and young adult. If I were teaching the youth, I might entitle this lesson, “How to be a Christlike teenager”. If I were teaching adults, I still might entitle it that, because characteristics of Christ know no age. Or I might just drop the “teenager” and call it “How to be more Christlike”. But either way, I’ve found this lesson to be a really powerful one for young people in particular. As we discuss these, we’ll make a list of things the youth of Jesus teaches us about becoming more Christlike.
Now first, why didn’t I include statements 1, 5 and 9? Did Jesus perform miracles in his youth? Did he have that power with him from the beginning? I don’t believe so. There’s no evidence that he did, and there is quite a bit of evidence to suggest that he didn’t. Not that he couldn’t, but that he didn’t. One reason, for that assumption is that, if Jesus had performed miracles in his youth, you would imagine the people of Nazareth would not have said what they do in Matthew 13:55-58 when Jesus begins to teach there during his ministry. They say:
55 Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?
56 And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?
57 And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.
58 And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
Well, they sure seem to be quite surprised by Jesus’s claims of being the Son of God and by the miracles that he has begun to perform in the region. If he’d been doing miracles all along, I doubt they would have had that incredulous reaction. They’re like, “Jesus, the Son of God??? We know this kid. I mean, yeah, he was always a good boy. But the Messiah? Come on.”
And those verses also reveal the truth behind one of the other statements. Statement 6. Would we have witnessed Jesus spending time with brothers and sisters? Or was he an only child? Those verses right there tell us that he did have brothers and sisters, or at least half brothers and sisters. So yes, Mary and Joseph did have other children after Jesus was born. You see evidence of that truth in a number of places. (Matt. 12:46; Mark 3:31–34; Mark 6:3; Luke 8:19–20; John 2:12, 7:3, 5, 10; Acts 1:14; 1 Cor. 9:5) But then, might he have done miracles amongst his own family members then? I guess we can’t be 100% sure of that, but we do learn from John 7:5 that:
5 For neither did his brethren believe in him.
So at least some of those family members didn’t believe he was the Messiah. Although I suppose there’s plenty of evidence in the scriptures of people seeing miracles and still not believing, but in my opinion, I don’t believe he worked miracles before the time of his ministry. Additionally, we have this comment from John after Jesus changes the water to wine at the marriage in Cana in John 2:11.
11 This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.
That gives us a strong indication that the miracle of changing water to wine was his first.
What about statement #2? Is there any scriptural evidence that Jesus was a carpenter, that he followed in the footsteps of Joseph? Yes. In Mark 6:3, Jesus is referred to as:
3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.
Also, the Joseph Smith Translation gives us some additional detail about the youth of the Savior. In the JST appendix for Matthew 3:24-26 we learn that:
24 And it came to pass that Jesus grew up with his brethren, and waxed strong, and waited upon the Lord for the time of his ministry to come.
25 And he served under his father, and he spake not as other men, neither could he be taught; for he needed not that any man should teach him.
26 And after many years, the hour of his ministry drew nigh.
So we certainly would have seen Jesus working hard in Joseph’s shop sawing lumber, sanding wood, and nailing boards together. Though eventually he would leave behind the workshop and commit himself full time to building people rather than projects.
What about statement 3? Would we have seen Jesus teaching his parents or others as a toddler? In other words, did he already know “everything” about the plan, and the gospel, and who he was from the beginning? Did he come pre-packaged from pre-mortality with omniscience, all understanding and wisdom and scriptural knowledge? No, he didn’t. And we know this from the scriptures. And allow me to point your attention to statement 9 as well to help you understand this. Would we have seen Jesus spending time alone in his youth. And if he did, what was he doing? I believe that there is a lot of evidence in the scriptures that Jesus would have spent a lot of time alone, in the hills surrounding Nazareth praying, meditating, and speaking with his real Father. There are plenty of instances during his ministry where he goes off to be by himself. We see that in all of the following references: Matthew 14:13, Luke 4:1-2, , Luke 5:16, Luke 6:12. And when he prays and suffers in Gethsemane, he does so apart from the apostles (Luke 22:41). But perhaps my favorite reference on this topic is Mark 1:35 where it says:
35 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.
Can you see him doing that? Before the sun coming up. Walking away from the city “a great while before day” and sitting down on a rock somewhere, overlooking the beautiful valley of the Sea of Galilee, watching the sun rise. Alone. Although, I suppose “alone” isn’t really a good description of what took place at those times. He’s praying, conversing with his Father, preparing himself for a busy and soul exhausting day amongst the people. He must have developed that practice in his youth. Therefore, how could I become a more Christlike teenager? A Christlike teenager makes time to be alone with God. Those solitary places were the schoolroom of the Savior. That’s where he would have received his first lessons in Messiahship. That’s where his Father would have taught him. This is where he would learn how to build souls, testimony, and spiritual strength. His Heavenly Father would have shown him things, answered his prayers, and revealed truth to him line upon line.
Jesus himself hints at this in John 5:19-20
19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
20 For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.
And John 8:26
26 I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him.
And verse 28 of the same chapter.
28 Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.
During his ministry, Jesus continually referred to the things that his Father had taught and shown him. When else would that have taken place than in those solitary moments apart.
The New Testament isn’t the only place in scripture that we can go for details about those intervening years. Take a quick look with me at Doctrine and Covenants 93:11-14 where John the Beloved is quoted through a revelation to Joseph Smith. And John really wants us to understand something about the development and preparation of Jesus Christ. A key truth about his youth. Remember that one of the ways God emphasizes things in the scriptures, is through repetition. What truth or phrase about the of youth Jesus Christ is repeated here in these verses?
11 And I, John, bear record that I beheld his glory, as the glory of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth, even the Spirit of truth, which came and dwelt in the flesh, and dwelt among us.
12 And I, John, saw that he received not of the fulness at the first, but received grace for grace;
13 And he received not of the fulness at first, but continued from grace to grace, until he received a fulness;
14 And thus he was called the Son of God, because he received not of the fulness at the first.
Did you catch the phrase? It’s hard to miss it, isn’t it. John really wanted us to know that Jesus did not receive of the fulness (a fulness of light, truth, power, glory, intelligence) at the first. He says it three times. Which tells us that Jesus didn’t start his life with a perfect understanding of who he was, who his Father was, or have a grasp of all wisdom and truth. Like us, he didn’t start mortality in a state of perfect spiritual maturity or remembering everything he had learned in the previous life. He started life as a baby, innocent and naïve. He had to learn. And it wasn’t that at age 8, or 12, or 30 or whatever, that God, all of a sudden just bestowed all of that intelligence, and power, and those divine attributes upon Him. There wasn’t a wave of his hand and now Jesus was “the Savior”. He had to learn. He had to work at it. He had to study. He had to develop those things. And what was that process like? Another phrase we saw more than once in that passage from the Doctrine and Covenants. He did it grace for grace. OR, it’s worded a little differently in verse 13. Grace to grace. Now maybe I’m making too much of that difference, but I think both offer insight. He received grace for grace. Which sounds like an exchange of sorts. God offers the grace of blessings, or truth, or intelligence. But then, what grace is offered back? The grace of obedience and righteousness and sacrifice. But there is also grace TO grace. Which suggests an upward climb, a progression. Christ is getting nearer and nearer to a fulness of glory, and light, and truth. Now we know that Christ wasn’t sinful in his life. He didn’t have any negatives to rid himself of, that’s why I didn’t include statement #10. But did he have a perfect measure of those divine Christlike attributes that we know him for during his ministry? I don’t think so. Christ for certain was always kind. But I imagine he was kinder at age 30 than he was at age 12. I believe he was always humble, but I imagine his meekness and humility increased and strengthened as he grew. We know, that even at a young age, age twelve, that he had a deep and profound understanding of the scriptures. But that understanding and comprehension was far deeper at age 30 than it was when he was a teenager. He developed those characteristics over time, refining them, and growing more proficient in them.
There’s a little scene from the movie Ben Hur that I love that’s set in Joseph’s carpentry shop. A friend of Joseph’s is visiting, and he notices a stack of boards in the corner that haven’t been assembled. And he says: My table is not finished. Where is your son? And Joseph says: He's walking in the hills. The neighbor, in a disapproving voice mumbles, “Mm-hm. He neglects his work, Joseph”. And Joseph responds: No. Once I reproached him with forgetting his work. He said to me, "I must be about my Father's business." Then the neighbor says: “Then why isn't he here, working?” And Joseph, smiling, responds, “He's working.” I love that. Jesus spent those intervening years learning from both his earthly and heavenly fathers. Grace for grace, and grace to grace. It took Jesus thirty years to reach that fulness before he was ready to begin his ministry. I’m sure it’s going to take us more than a lifetime to do the same, but when that time came, he WAS prepared. But it required his study, and perseverance, and work, and experience to get to that point.
So, a Christlike teenager grows and develops spiritually grace for grace—little by little. We can patient with our progress then, because even Jesus didn’t do or know it all at first. If he needed to grow, so must we.
That truth is also reiterated in a number of other key verses about the youth of the Savior. One comes from the JST for Matthew chapter 3 and two come from here in Luke 2. I feel that these verses probably best summarize those intervening years between Christ’s birth and ministry. What do they reveal about him?
Matthew 3:24-26
24 And it came to pass that Jesus grew up with his brethren, and waxed strong, and waited upon the Lord for the time of his ministry to come.
25 And he served under his father, and he spake not as other men, neither could he be taught; for he needed not that any man should teach him.
(because he had spent years being taught by his Father in heaven in those quiet moments of prayer and meditation in the hills of Nazareth)
26 And after many years, the hour of his ministry drew nigh.
Luke 2:40
40 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.
Luke 2:52
52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.
So in those verses we saw the words grew, waxed, and increased—more evidence of his grace-to-grace development. But what else do those verses teach us about becoming a Christlike teenager? Let’s zero in on that last verse in particular—Luke 2:52. You may already be aware that this is the verse that inspired the Church’s new worldwide youth program. This is the vision that the brethren have for all young men and young women in the world. It’s a blueprint for becoming like Christ. We tend to emphasize Jesus’s spiritual development. But that wasn’t his only focus. Jesus was what we might call a “well-rounded individual”. He had balance in his life. And in what four areas did Jesus increase and wax strong in? Wisdom-he developed himself intellectually. His mind. His capacity to learn and think. Stature—he developed physically. He would need a strong and healthy body to walk mile after mile down the dusty roads of Judea, and to stand up to the demanding schedule of teaching, and visiting various cities, and healing. Jesus took care of the temple of his body. In favor with God-he developed spiritually. He studied the scriptures. He prayed. He sought time with his Heavenly Father and learned the ways of the Spirit and how to connect with the powers of heaven. But he didn’t only seek favor with God, he also sought favor with man. He developed socially. It’s apparent from the account of his ministry that Jesus liked people. He wasn’t a hermit or a monk who secluded himself from humanity. That was John the Baptist’s approach. But not Jesus. We see him with people all the time. He goes to dinner parties, gathered twelve apostles to lead with him, teaches large groups of people, and was often at the center of giant crowds, thronging him just to catch a glimpse or hear his teaching. Mark 6:31 tells us that:
31 And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.
There were always people around Jesus. So much so that it was hard for him to find time to stop and eat. But we get no indication that Jesus disliked this. Just the opposite. He sought people out. Jesus understood people and human nature better than anyone else who ever lived. He knew how to talk to them, work with them, inspire them, and make them feel better about themselves. He had developed that throughout his youth. He found favor with man. So which statements are supported by those verses? I think we could safely assume statements 7, 9, and 11. Jesus increased in wisdom, and stature, and in favor with God AND man. Christlike teenagers do the same. They seek develop themselves intellectually, physically, spiritually, and socially. They seek balance in all areas of their lives. Sometimes I’ve seen youth who focus almost all their attention on only one or two of those areas. Some that are incredibly athletic and active, but who neglect their education. Or those who are very smart, but haven’t sought to develop their social skills. Or those who are amazing in seminary, and have a deep spiritual understanding of things, but don’t reach out to serve others or take care of the temple of their bodies. Jesus sought to increase in all these areas, and so should we—whether we’re teenagers, adults, or senior citizens.
JESUS AT THE TEMPLE
Now let’s take some time to examine the story about Jesus at the temple as a twelve-year-old boy and what that teaches us about becoming more Christlike. To do that, I usually just like to read it directly to my students and stop to ask them some discussion questions as we go. The story is found in Luke 2:41-51. And I won’t take the time to read through that story verse by verse, but I invite you to and then consider the following questions:
Why do you think it took Mary and Joseph a day to figure out Jesus wasn’t with them? Is this an example of bad parenting? Were Joseph and Mary neglectful? I don’t think so. I think it says much more about Jesus’s character than Mary and Joseph’s parenting. They obviously trusted him. He had lived his life in such a way up to that point that they probably didn’t think twice about checking for him before they left. I’m sure Jesus was well beyond his years in maturity. Also, at Passover, extended families would travel in large groups together for company and safety and I’m sure they would have supposed that he was with relatives or friends of the family. Or, some Biblical scholars have suggested that these big family groups often traveled in genders. The men and the livestock at the front, and the wives and children at the back, to protect them. Perhaps Mary and Joseph weren’t traveling together, and both assumed that Jesus was with the other. And, it’s not like he was a toddler or anything. He was twelve. So what does this teach us about becoming a Christlike teenager? Christlike teenagers are trustworthy.
However, in this case, I guess you could argue that he wasn’t where they thought he was. So why would Jesus do this? Why did he tarry behind in Jerusalem. Did he intentionally try to worry his parents, or did he not care? And my answer to that is no. I don’t think he meant to cause anxiety for Mary and Joseph. You know what I think it was? I think it may just have been the result of youthful enthusiasm. Perhaps it was just too irresistible for him to talk with people who really understood the scriptures closer to his level. He probably didn’t have much of a chance to do that back in Nazareth—since it was such a small kind of backwater community in his day. There probably wouldn’t have been anyone his equal there. And the doctors there at the temple (that means, the teachers of the law, see the footnote) had studied the Torah as their profession. And I love that description of what happens there. When Mary and Joseph finally find him, he’s “sitting in the midst” of these scholars and the JST changes that next phrase to, “and they were hearing him, and asking him questions.” So here you have this twelve-year-old boy walk up and join the conversation of these grown Jewish men who have been studying the scriptures their entire lives. And then this random twelve-year-old pipes up and says: “Oh, I have a thought about that. And there’s a stunned pause in the groups. And they look back at him incredulously, and think, “Aww, that’s cute, this little boy wants to share his ideas. “Go ahead young man. What do you think? “ And then Jesus speaks. And their expression changes. And they say, “Woah. That’s actually quite profound. Huh. I’ve never thought of that way. Well, what do you mean by such and such?” And Jesus just keeps going. And they continue to enquire after his thoughts. And Jesus is just loving it as a twelve-year old. Not the attention, but the intellectual and spiritual exhilaration of it. Have you ever had that kind of experience? When you meet someone who loves what you love just as much as you do? The connection can be magical. And the hours tend to just fly by as you’re reveling in your shared zeal. And when he comes to, the sun is going down, and Mom and Dad are nowhere to be found. So he does what every good little boy and girl does when they get lost. What’s the rule? Stay where you are. Stay in one place and wait to be found. So he stays there and thinks to himself. As long as I’m here, I might as well continue to talk with these guys. Here in the temple. Probably the safest place for a young man to hang out in, in this big bustling city. So, a Christlike teenager loves to talk about the scriptures.
But can you imagine how Joseph and Mary must have felt when they discovered Jesus was gone? That must have been terrifying. I mean, God has put YOU in charge of raising the Messiah, the very Son of God, and you’ve lost him! They must have been absolutely frantic looking all over Jerusalem for their boy. And maybe they think to themselves, where would a twelve-year-old go in Jerusalem? Is he at the marketplace looking at all the exciting things for sale? Is he down at the Hippodrome stables admiring the racehorses? Is he over at the garrison outpost, watching the Roman soldiers. Jerusalem would have been quite an exciting place for a twelve-year-old from a small Galilean village. And he’s not there in any of these places. Three days later, near the point of full despair—maybe Mary gets an idea. What about the temple? Let’s go check there. And finally, there he is, in the middle of a crowd. And oh the relief. He’s ok. And then they say what any parent would probably say in that situation. “Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? Behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.” How could you do this to us? We’ve been hysterical these past three days.
And that leads me to my next question. What do you make of Jesus’s answer? Which isn’t really an answer, but a question of his own. “How is it that ye sought me? Wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?” What do you think he meant by that?
Now I definitely don’t think he’s saying, “Why did you come looking for me?” Of course they’re going to come looking for him. They’re his parents. I don’t think Jesus just planned to stay in Jerusalem and live in the temple the rest of his youth. No, what I think that phrase means is, “Why did it take you so long to find me? Three whole days before you get the idea to come look for me here, in the temple. Isn’t this the first place you should have looked? Here, in my “FATHER’S” house, about HIS business.” And I certainly don’t think it was said with disdain, or smugness, or disrespect of any kind. With great humility and love and concern for his parents anxiety, but with a little bit of surprise in his voice, “Mom, Dad. You know what kind of boy I am. What I love, and what I’ve come to do. This probably should have been the first place you’d look.” And perhaps in that there is just a bit of a relevant lesson for us. When WE feel that we’ve lost the Savior in our own lives. When we can’t seem to find Him? Where should we go? Where can we always find Jesus? In the temple. Go to the temple. You’re sure to find him there. Christlike teenagers love to spend time in the temple.
AND, A Christlike teenager is always “about his Father’s business”. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if our parents, or our spouses, or our families weren’t sure where we were and began to wonder where to start looking. And then they could calmly and quietly say something like, “Oh, I’m sure I know where they are. I bet they’re down at the temple doing baptisms for the dead. That’s the first place we should look.” Or if that’s not very realistic, to at least be able to say to themselves, knowing what kind of person you are, “I don’t know exactly where they are at right now. But I’m sure they’re doing something good—that I would find them in a righteous environment. I know I don’t really need to worry because they must be about their Father’s business. There’s no cause for concern.” Wouldn’t it be an amazing thing if the people who love us could always say that about us.
And then I love what happens next in the story. Verse 51 is so great. What does this verse teach you about Jesus?
51 And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.
And think that this can address statement number 12 from our activity. Would we have seen Jesus running the household, telling Joseph and Mary what to do? No. He was subject unto them. He listened to them, obeyed them, respected them. Jesus honored his father and his mother, abiding by the rule he himself gave to Moses through the thunders of Mt. Sinai. Now I don’t think I’ve ever met a teenager out there who doesn’t THINK they know more than their parents. But in Jesus’s case, it was actually true! Here was the one time in history when a child knew more than Mom and Dad. And yet, what did Jesus do? He was still subject unto them. He was humble. He was respectful. He was obedient to them. Therefore, a Christlike teenager honors their father and their mother. They’re subject to them and defer to their authority, rules, and requests. Even if they think they know better.
TRUTH
So let’s take an overall look at our list that we’ve created here. Here’s how to be a Christlike teenager.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
In what areas do you need to develop more like Christ? Pick at least one. Now, what could you do this week to work on that?
CONCLUSION
Isn’t that a great story. Oh. So instructive. Every part of Jesus’s life has something to teach us. And I hope that if you’re already past your teenage years that you still gained something profound from this lesson. Because, Jesus was probably further along the straight and narrow path at age 12 than most of us will be at age 90. The youth of our Savior have lessons for all. We too, all throughout our lives are going to need to continue to develop grace for grace, spending solitary time apart from the world learning from our Heavenly Father, increasing in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man, and perhaps most of all, making sure that we are always about our Father’s business. And I believe that if we do that, then the promise assured the Savior in Luke 2:40 will also be true of us, “the grace of God” will rest upon us as well.
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