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.
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever
61-0519 §26
Now what type of a person would we look ... if we were looking in Dawson tonight to find Jesus? You'd like to see Him, so what type of a person would we look for? Would we look for some strange dressed person, some man dressed in religious clothes such as robes, or collars around, or some other religious... ? No, for Jesus wore common clothes. Would we look for someone that looked different from someone else? No. He was a man, looked just like any man does. He went in and out. Men, no one, knew no more than what He...
The infallible proof of the resurrection
57-0114 §11
And I knowed not... God being my soul judge, I never knew one thing about this meeting out there till Leo and Gene come and told me that they were broadcasting it in Canada and everywhere. And I've never heard nothing about it yet. So then, I called up Brother Moore, and I said, "Brother Moore, you know anything about it?" "No." Well, I said, "Well, Brother Leo and Gene told me that I was advertised." So he gets a hold of Mr. Peterson. Said, "Hallelujah. Yes, the Lord said so." He's done put it...
Just once more, Lord
63-1201E §42
Samson knew one thing, and I wonder if the church realizes today. He knew that his backslidden condition couldn't meet the challenge of the hour. And I know, today, that the backslidden condition of the church can't meet the challenge of this hour. And it's going to be worse. The Bible said, "As Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so will they; men of reprobate mind, concerning the faith." They can almost impersonate it exactly. Moses went down with his command from God, with a stick in his hand. And God said, "Do...
Jesus arose
56-0405 §6
As well stated, predestination looks back to foreknowledge, and foreknowledge looks on to destiny, see. And God in the beginning could see all things the way it would happen. Therefore, He could tell, this will be this way, and that'll be that way, and this will be this way, and that that way, because by foreknowledge, He wasn't willing that the left side would be wrong, that this would be... He didn't want that to happen. But, being God He knew it would happen that way. So therefore, He could foretell what would b...
Sirs, we would see Jesus
57-1211 §40
He said, "How did You know me, Rabbi? How did You know me?" And Jesus said, "Before Philip called you yesterday, or whenever it was, when you were under the tree praying, as it was, I saw you." What eyes, through a mountain thirty miles away. Looked through a mountain and saw him on his knees praying. It proved what He was. Then that so astonished this Jewish Orthodox believer, until he said, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God. You are the King of Israel." What was he? The chosen, the selected, the foreordained, the pr...