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.
An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages
CAB 3:E-104
Now that we have come this far, let me try to crystallize your thinking on this subject so you can see the necessity of our going into the 'serpent seed doctrine' as I have. We start with the fact that there were TWO trees in the midst of the garden. The Tree of Life was Jesus. The other tree is definitely Satan because of what came forth of the fruit of that tree. Now then, we know that both of those trees had a relationship to man or they would never have been placed there. They must have had a part in the sovere...
When their eyes were opened, they knew Him
64-0212 §19
Jesus is the Word. And the Word always comes to the prophet. You remember when this prophet was prophesying making straight the path. And then, when the Word was on earth, the Word walked right out into the water, and come to the prophet. Amen. How perfect! The Word comes to the prophet, and He was the Word. For, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God ... And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. And we beheld Him." No wonder He said "It's behooving to us that we fulfi...
An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages
CAB 5:E-82
The ancient histories agree with the Bible that this Babylonish religion was most certainly not the original religion of earth's early peoples. It was the first to drift away from the original faith; but it was not itself the original one. Historians such as Wilkinson and Mallett have proven conclusively from the ancient documents that at one time all the peoples of the earth believed in ONE GOD, supreme, eternal, invisible, Who by the Word of His mouth spoke all things into existence, and that in His character He...
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever
52-0810E §33
So here was Jesus had the prayer line. We'd say it was a prayer line, whatever condition He was in, the Bible doesn't quote. But when he came to Jesus, when Jesus seen him coming, He said, "Behold, an Israelite in whom there's no guile." That shocked him quickly. "How did He know me?" Said, "Whence knowest thou Me, Rabbi?" He said, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the tree. I saw you." Now, he didn't step back and say, "Now, wait a minute. Are You reading my mind? Is that mental telepathy? Are You Bee...
Godhead explained
61-0119A §57
It's revealed to those who God calls and is predestinated by his foreknowledge. "All my sheep hear my voice," see. Look at them Jews standing there, just as scholarly as they could be, and Jesus showing them He was Messiah by Messiahic signs. They said, "He's Beelzebub." How could...? They were blinded. Yeah, and a little ragged shepherd or a fisherman down on the river said ... they knew Him, see. He just ... God has a way of doing things and we just have to cope with his way. Just be thankful that your eyes could...