How Do We Explain Jesus Increasing in Wisdom (luke 2:52) When He Was God and Knew All Things?
1) Direct Answer
Jesus increasing in wisdom speaks of His true humanity; God in Him did not increase. The one God veiled Himself in a real human body and mind that had to grow, learn, and mature. As the Son (the body), He grew in wisdom; as God dwelling in Him, He knew all things.
2) Scriptural Explanation
- Luke 2:40,52 says the child grew, waxed strong in spirit, and increased in wisdom and stature. That’s the human side maturing.
- Hebrews 2:17; 4:15: He was made like His brethren and was tempted in all points, yet without sin. A true man must truly develop.
- Philippians 2:7-8: He made Himself of no reputation and took the form of a servant. He chose the servant pathway, not displaying divine prerogatives at will.
- John 14:10: “The Father that dwelleth in me, He doeth the works.” The indwelling Father is the source.
- John 5:19-20: “The Son can do nothing of Himself… the Father sheweth Him.” He lived in dependence, not self-display.
- Colossians 2:9; 1 Timothy 3:16: In Him dwelt all the fulness; God was manifested in flesh. Not part of God—God Himself veiled.
- John 3:34; Luke 3:21-22; 4:18: The Spirit was upon Him without measure, openly anointing Him for ministry.
- Mark 13:32 and Acts 1:7: When He did not declare the day or hour, He was speaking from the servant position, keeping that knowledge under the Father’s authority.
- Yet Scriptures also say, “Jesus knowing all things” (John 18:4) and “Lord, Thou knowest all things” (John 21:17), and He “knew what was in man” (John 2:25). That’s the Father in Him made known.
3) Simple Clarifying Logic
- God does not grow; a child does. The Son is the body—born, eating, sleeping, learning; the indwelling is God—eternal, unchanging, omniscient.
- Therefore Luke 2:52 describes the human mind of Jesus maturing in perfect obedience, while the divine Spirit in Him never increased.
- At times He speaks and acts as a man in the servant role; at times the Father speaks and works through Him. It’s not two persons; it’s one God revealed—Father above us, then with us in that body as the Son, now in us as the Holy Spirit.
4) Reinforcing Statement
Now notice, that’s the mystery: God hiding Himself in simplicity. He became like us to redeem us, yet never ceased to be God. So His increase in wisdom was the real growth of His humanity; His omniscience remained in the indwelling Father who did the works.
Ask a Follow-up Question
What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
Thou knowest all things
52-0716 §23
Now, you talking about, "These things that I do, and greater will you do." Just look what's happened here, day after day. Look and the Masters ... Our Lord when He was here on earth, in a body of flesh, the Son of God. Well, He only had, not more than a half a dozen, or a dozen times at the most, that He ever spoke out, as recorded, we don't know He's all done. But is recorded here of things that He saw and done. See what He did in His ministry of three and a half years. But maybe God did more. Now notice what's in...
Thou knowest all things
52-0716 §33
...tever you want to call it, 'When did You know me?' Said, 'For Philip called you, when you was under the tree, I saw you.' "Why, he said, 'Why, Thou art the Son of God, the King of Israel.' Said, no man, we all know that no man can do that except God be with Him." Where Peter said, "God approved Jesus among you, by the signs and wonders. He raised the dead. He healed the sick. He foretold things. He said this would be. He knew the secrets of their hearts. He perceived your thoughts. But we know that God was with Him...
We would see Jesus
61-0409 §32
And John the Baptist---the Elijah that was coming---that he would be some great fellow, because the mountains was to skip like rams, and the leaves was to clap their hands, and the high places made low, and the low places high. Well, they expected some great outstanding something to shake the nation. But when he came, what was he? He was a man with a piece of sheepskin draped around, with beard all over his face, lived off of locusts and wild honey, and came forth preaching on the muddy banks of Jordan, and shaking...
Hear ye Him
56-1215 §15
And Christ promised that He would meet on the earth wherever two or three were gathered together. He promised it. Now, sometimes He meets and counsels with ... one time with five hundred. Another time after His resurrection, He met with seventy. Another time with twelve. Another time with three. Another time with one. Wherever men are gathered together, Christ promised to meet with them. He's omnipresent, everywhere, covers all space. He's omnipresent, omniscient, and He's omnipotent, all wisdom, all power, all pla...
Christ is the mystery of God revealed
63-0728 §149
There, see there's the gospel, see. Jesus said, "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel." Didn't say, "Go teach", He said, "Go preach." In other words, demonstrate the power, and these signs shall follow them. Just teaching doesn't do it. It takes the actual Spirit itself demonstrating these signs. Listen to this. That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. Oh my! See, to change the man. Not in what I can explain away and say, "He's not the same," when He is the same. If...