What does it mean that they performed all things according to the law of the Lord?

This means Mary and Joseph did everything God’s law required after a child’s birth. They went to the temple, offered the needed sacrifices, and presented Jesus to God as the firstborn son. The verse shows that Jesus’ earthly family lived in obedience to God’s commands. Before Jesus begins his public work, his life is already shaped by obedience to God’s law. This sets the scene for his later ministry, where he fulfills God’s will perfectly, not starting from rebellion but from a home that honors God’s ways.

Why did Mary and Joseph return to Galilee, to their own city Nazareth?

Nazareth was the place where Mary and Joseph actually lived. Bethlehem was the town of Joseph’s family line, but Nazareth was their home. After they finished what the law required in the temple, their life with Jesus continues in ordinary daily routines in their own town. Even though other passages mention a time in Egypt and more travel, this verse focuses on where Jesus grows up. It shows that God’s Son is raised in a small, normal town, not in a palace or famous city.

What does it mean that the child grew and waxed strong in spirit?

This tells us Jesus truly grew as a human child. His body developed over time, just like any other child. “Waxed strong in spirit” means his inner life, his soul and character, were growing stronger too. His understanding, judgment, memory, and desires were all sound and directed to what is good. He did not stay as a baby with a fully displayed adult mind, but advanced in a normal way. This shows he really shared our human condition, yet without sin or weakness toward evil.

What does filled with wisdom mean about Jesus as a child?

Filled with wisdom here speaks about Jesus’ human wisdom. As he grew older, his mind opened up and he gained more understanding, just like other children do, but in a pure and steady way. It does not mean he lacked wisdom as God, but that in his human nature he chose to grow and learn step by step. His wisdom was shaped by the Spirit’s work in him and grew along with his age. This helps us see that he was truly man, learning and growing, yet perfectly pleasing to God.

What is meant by the phrase the grace of God was upon him?

The phrase points to God’s special favor resting on Jesus. God’s love, approval, and help were clearly on him in a unique way. It can include the inner gifts and graces of the Spirit in his human nature, and also the way the Father’s kindness toward him was shown. People around him would have seen something excellent and upright in him. This is not about Jesus needing to be rescued from sin, but about the Father’s delight in his Son, who is living out a holy human life.

What does this passage teach about Jesus’ humanity and divinity?

This passage highlights Jesus’ real humanity. He has a true body that grows, and a human soul that develops in strength and wisdom. His progress belongs to his human nature, not to his divine nature. As God, he is perfect and lacks nothing. Yet he chose to live a fully human life, taking on our weakness, including the need to learn and grow. At the same time, the grace of God on him and his increasing wisdom show that his human life is guided and filled by God in a special way.

Why does it matter that Jesus grew gradually instead of being fully mature at once?

Jesus’ gradual growth shows that he really became like us in every normal human way, apart from sin. He did not pretend to be a child while secretly skipping all the stages of learning and maturing. Instead, he passed through infancy, childhood, and youth. This means he understands from the inside what it is to grow, to learn, and to face weakness. His slow and steady growth also shows how God often works in quiet, ordinary ways, not always in sudden, outwardly impressive moments.

How can this picture of Jesus growing in Nazareth encourage believers today?

Seeing Jesus grow in Nazareth reminds us that God works in ordinary places and seasons. The Son of God spent many hidden years in a small town, in a family that obeyed God quietly. Our daily routines, family life, and years that feel unnoticed are not wasted when lived before God. Jesus knows what it is to live in a regular home and community. This can encourage believers to be faithful in simple duties, trusting that God’s grace can rest on a life that seems small in human eyes.

Luke.2.39

Luke 2:39

KJV

And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth.

Cross References

No cross references available for this verse.