And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.
English Standard Version (ESV)
What's easy to miss is that Jesus' growth in "wisdom" and "favor" is presented as a continuous, natural process, just like His physical growth. This highlights the reality of His full humanity – He experienced development and increased capacity, rather than possessing all knowledge and favor instantly, which is a powerful defense against heresies that tried to explain away His human nature.
And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse is a brief summary of Jesus' childhood, spanning the years from his infancy to just before his public ministry. Luke tells us that these were quiet years, intentionally omitting the fantastical tales found in non-canonical texts to emphasize Jesus' true, ordinary human development. The statement highlights his physical and intellectual growth, as well as his favor with God, setting the stage for his later public life.
We often focus on Jesus' divine power, but what about his ordinary human development? This verse reveals a key aspect of his humanity.
Luke emphasizes that Jesus was truly human. He "grew" physically and "waxed strong" mentally and spiritually. This wasn't a facade; he experienced genuine human development.
Growing Pains and Gains
This shows us that Jesus' divine nature didn't bypass or replace his human development. He lived a full human life, experiencing growth and learning just like we do.
While Jesus was fully human, he was also uniquely divine. How did God's favor manifest in his early life?
The phrase 'the favor of God was upon him' points to God's special blessing and approval resting on Jesus. This wasn't just general goodwill, but a divine recognition of his unique identity and purpose.
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Understand the original words
sophia · Greek Noun
The ability to perceive reality from God’s perspective and to apply spiritual truth to life. It is rooted in the fear of the Lord and is demonstrated through godly conduct and decision-making.
charis · Greek Noun
The gracious, unmerited approval, kindness, or enabling power of God bestowed upon an individual. It signifies God's active, benevolent presence directing and blessing a person’s life.
This passage describes John the Baptist's growth, noting he 'grew and became strong in spirit,' similar to Jesus, but Luke distinguishes Jesus by stating He was 'filled with wisdom' and had 'the favor of God' upon Him, highlighting Jesus' unique divine-human development.
Isaiah 11:2-3This prophecy describes the Spirit of the Lord resting on a future ruler, detailing the wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, and fear of the Lord that will fill him. This strongly parallels Luke 2:40's description of Jesus being 'filled with wisdom' and God's favor, pointing to the promised Messiah.
Luke 2:52This verse directly follows Luke 2:40, stating that Jesus 'increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.' It shows that the growth and favor mentioned in verse 40 were not static but continued throughout Jesus' human development.
Philippians 2:7This verse speaks of Jesus 'emptying himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.' Luke 2:40 illustrates this kenosis (emptying) by showing Jesus' genuine human growth, including physical and spiritual development, just like any other child, while still being divine.
clarkeLuke 2:40: "And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him."
The child grew - As to his body - being in perfect health. Waxed strong in spirit - His rational soul became strong and vigorous. Filled with wisdom - The divinity continuing to communicate itself more and more, in proportion to the increase of the rational principle. The reader should never forget that Jesus was perfect man, as well as God. And the grace of God was upon him - The…
meyerLuke 2:40: "And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him."
Luke 2:40 . Similar to Luke 1:80 , but more distinctive and more characteristic, in keeping with the human development of the Song of Solomon of God , who was to grow up to be the organ of truth and grace . Comp. Luke 2:52 . πληρούμ . σοφ .] the internal state of things accompanying the ἐκραταιοῦτο ; He became a vigorous child ( ἐκρατ .[58]), while at the same time He became fille…
What's easy to miss is that Jesus' growth in "wisdom" and "favor" is presented as a continuous, natural process, just like His physical growth. This highlights the reality of His full humanity – He experienced development and increased capacity, rather than possessing all knowledge and favor instantly, which is a powerful defense against heresies that tried to explain away His human nature.
This verse is a brief summary of Jesus' childhood, spanning the years from his infancy to just before his public ministry. Luke tells us that these were quiet years, intentionally omitting the fantastical tales found in non-canonical texts to emphasize Jesus' true, ordinary human development. The statement highlights his physical and intellectual growth, as well as his favor with God, setting the stage for his later public life.
This verse is a brief summary of Jesus' childhood, spanning the years from his infancy to just before his public ministry. Luke tells us that these were quiet years, intentionally omitting the fantastical tales found in non-canonical texts to emphasize Jesus' true, ordinary human development. The statement highlights his physical and intellectual growth, as well as his favor with God, setting the stage for his later public life.
"And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him." — What's easy to miss is that Jesus' growth in "wisdom" and "favor" is presented as a continuous, natural process, just like His physical growth. This highlights the reality of His full humanity – He e…
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Last reviewed October 2026