Matthew 2:22-23, Luke 2:39-40 (The childhood of Jesus at Nazareth)

Rachel Workman:

Matthew	Mark	Luke	John
22 But when he learned that the new ruler of Judea was Herod’s son Archelaus, he was afraid to go there. Then, after being warned in a dream, he left for the region of Galilee. 23 So the family went and lived in a town called Nazareth. This fulfilled what the prophets had said: “He will be called a Nazarene.” Hard to imagine that the earthly parents of the Messiah had to live like fugitives on the run. But we know God provided all the things they needed.		39 And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favour of God was upon him. I love verse 40. Who can truly know the wisdom of our Lord? The favour of God was upon him, that's an understatement.

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John Burnett:  Matthew 2:22-23

²² But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, ²³ and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene. 

Luke 2:39-40

³⁹ When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. ⁴⁰ And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.

It is interesting that Matthew’s version has a dream driving Mary and Joseph to Nazareth and Luke’s version says they went to their own town of Nazareth like they had lived there before and claimed it as their hometown.  Matthew shows how God fulfilled another prophesy concerning Jesus.  Luke gives a short description of Jesus’s childhood.  I would love to have been a fly on the wall when Jesus was talking to the Priest in the Temple and telling them what they may or may not have already known.

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Krista Cook:  - More fulfilling of prophecy.  I love that it says in Luke that they had "performed everything according to the Law of the Lord" - do we do EVERYTHING according to His word?  And then it says that the "favor of God was upon Him" - as Jesus grew and became wiser, He was also growing in the ways of God.  This would be a great prayer for us each day - to live our lives in such a way that the favor of God is upon us.

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Mike Grimm:  Matthew 2:22-23

²² But when he learned that the new ruler of Judea was Herod’s son Archelaus, he was afraid to go there. Then, after being warned in a dream, he left for the region of Galilee. ²³ So the family went and lived in a town called Nazareth. This fulfilled what the prophets had said: “He will be called a Nazarene.” What about the “Hidden Years” of Jesus? It is vain to speculate here on what God chose to keep silent; many people who want to distort the Biblical Jesus insert whatever they want during those “silent years” to make Jesus conform to their weird notions. If those years were important, God would have told us.

Luke 2:39-40

³⁹ When Jesus’ parents had fulfilled all the requirements of the law of the Lord, they returned home to Nazareth in Galilee. ⁴⁰ There the child grew up healthy and strong. He was filled with wisdom, and God’s favor was on him.

Having obeyed the Mosaic Law, Jesus' parents return with him to Nazareth in Galilee. There Jesus grows in strength and wisdom, receiving the favor of God. There he awaits the ministry that will fulfill what Mary, Zechariah, the angels, the shepherds, Simeon and Anna have proclaimed. God will fulfill his word and perform his plan.

It is at this point that they returned to Nazareth. Now, Luke does not record it, but we know from Matthew that before they returned to Nazareth, the wise men showed up in Bethlehem, and then Mary and Joseph flee to Egypt, and only then returned to Nazareth. It is in Nazareth where Jesus grew up, and was raised by his parents. But Luke 2:40 shows us that although he was like other children in some ways, He was unlike them in others. As Jesus grew physically, he was also developing mentally and spiritually. All three are necessary for the proper growth and development of children.

But see verse 40? While most children are weak in their understanding of spiritual matters, Jesus was strong in spirit. Some of the translations don’t say “strong in spirit”—only that he was strong. Personally, I think that all translations should say “strong in spirit.” Jesus not only grew physically, but he also grew spiritually.