Understanding Luke 2:39-40 in Depth: Growing in God's Favor

Context of Luke 2:39-40

After completing all the requirements of the Law in Jerusalem, Joseph and Mary returned with Jesus to their hometown of Nazareth, where He grew in strength, wisdom, and God’s favor.

This moment follows the family’s faithful obedience - circumcising Jesus on the eighth day (Luke 2:21), presenting Him at the temple (Luke 2:22-24), and meeting Simeon and Anna, who both recognized Him as the promised Savior (Luke 2:25-38). Now back in Nazareth, the spotlight shifts from public recognition to private growth.

These quiet years in Nazareth show that God values ordinary life - family, growth, daily faithfulness - as much as dramatic moments of revelation.

Understanding 'According to the Law' and Jesus' Early Growth

After the dramatic encounters in the temple with Simeon and Anna, Luke shifts focus to Jesus’ ordinary upbringing, showing how holiness takes root in daily life.

Joseph and Mary’s return to Nazareth only after completing everything according to the Law of the Lord highlights their deep respect for Jewish customs - things like circumcision, purification, and temple presentation (Leviticus 12, Exodus 13). These weren’t just rituals. They were acts of honor and obedience in a culture where following God’s commands showed loyalty to His covenant. By emphasizing this, Luke shows that Jesus’ family lived with integrity, modeling faithfulness even when no one was watching.

God’s favor isn’t just for big moments - it grows in the quiet, everyday faithfulness of family life and obedience.

The description of Jesus growing strong, filled with wisdom, and having God’s favor echoes Samuel’s childhood in 1 Samuel 2:26, where he also grew in stature and favor with the Lord and people. The phrase 'filled with wisdom' means He understood how to live well before God, making right choices from a young age. And 'the favor of God was upon him' signals divine blessing, not popularity, showing that God was actively shaping His life behind the scenes.

The Quiet Growth of God's Son: A Model for Faithful Living

After the temple encounters and faithful obedience to the Law, Jesus’ childhood in Nazareth shows how God shapes holiness not in spectacle, but through steady, everyday faithfulness.

Luke highlights that Jesus grew in wisdom and God’s favor within the ordinary rhythms of family life - reminding us that godly character isn’t built in a day, but over years of quiet growth. This aligns with Luke’s broader theme of God working through humble, obedient people like Mary, Joseph, and now Jesus, who fulfills God’s plan not with fanfare, but in faithful development.

The takeaway is clear: Jesus’ early life models how we are to grow - not by chasing attention, but by living with integrity, learning, and staying close to God in the everyday. This sets the stage for His later ministry, where wisdom and divine purpose shine all the more because of the years of unseen preparation.

Jesus’ Growth and the Fulfillment of God’s Promised Pattern

Jesus’ quiet growth in Nazareth fulfills the pattern God established with earlier faithful figures, showing that divine purpose often unfolds in hidden years of preparation.

Samuel grew in wisdom and favor with the Lord before being called to lead Israel (1 Samuel 2:26); similarly, Jesus’ childhood in Nazareth reflects the same holy development - ordinary in appearance, but deeply shaped by God. This continuity shows that God has always raised up people after His own heart, but now, in Jesus, we see the perfect fulfillment: a faithful servant who is also the faithful Son.

This foundation of growth sets the stage for Jesus’ public ministry, where His wisdom and divine authority will astonish everyone who hears Him.

Application