Last night at our Sonship group, Dan Rothwell started us off by looking at the names for Jesus that appear in the Book of John, Chapter 1. We then discussed what it meant that Jesus was called both the Son of God and the Son of Man. We determined that in some ways it seems easier to picture Jesus as the Son of God, since Son of Man refers to His “humanness.” This raises questions about what He must have been like as a baby, a child, an adolescent. Did He throw fits and tantrums like we all did? Was He inclined to be selfish? Did His sinless nature mean that He was a sweet, loving thing from day one? How did He learn His heavenly Father’s ways? How old was He when He “only did as the Father instructed Him?” So many questions and so few Biblical references. We do know the story of Jesus staying behind at the Temple in Jerusalem when He was 12 years old to ask questions and discuss matters of spiritual concern with religious leaders. But that’s about all we read about His childhood.
So we were speculating. Some thought He might never have done a wrong thing. Others thought maybe he was just like a normal child until He reached the age of accountability which, at least in today’s Jewish world, would mean around 13 when boys and girls participate in their Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah and are considered adults, responsible for their own actions after that ceremony. Others just weren't sure what Jesus was like. It was fun to speculate, but of course, no one knows these answers for sure, so no one can claim to have a full understanding of this.
This whole thing made me think of how much the Bible tells us...and how much it doesn't. How privileged we are to have a written document, inspired by the Spirit of God, handed down over the centuries, validated over and over by hundreds of manuscripts and by archaeology. The Almighty God and Creator of the Universe has chosen to reveal Himself to us by the written Word. How incredible is that!! But at the same time, we are left to wonder about those things left out. Why did God leave us to wonder? Why did He leave mystery surrounding so many things? The saying, “God works in mysterious ways” is certainly an understatement when we think of all the unknown and unanswered questions.
I’d like to suggest that wonder is a wonderful thing. When we wonder we become like children. We recognize our smallness in this big universe. We recognize that we have, and need to depend upon: a Father who is bigger and wiser than we are ourselves. If everything were answered for us in the Bible or elsewhere, we wouldn't need to communicate with God. As it is, we have somewhere to go with our questions, our needs and our pain, and He has a relationship with His children, which is what He has wanted all along.
Romans 8:3 "For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering."
Philippians 2:5-8 "In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death — even death on a cross!"
Luke 2:4-7 "So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them."