A child can understand what is necessary to believe in Jesus, but no one can fully understand Jesus because He is the infinite God.<\/p>\n
Jesus allowed Himself to be misunderstood often. We cannot fully understand what He said. If He explained what he said and did, even to those who believe in Him, it would take limitless books if it were written.<\/p>\n
At the time of His birth, a few people, Mary, Joseph, the shepherds and the Magi (who came from probably 600 miles away to worship Him), Simeon and Anna were the closest to understanding. They probably knew He was Immanuel \u201cGod with us\u201d<\/strong><\/em> and the Savior of the world. The Jew<\/strong>s were looking for a Messiah. What they understood about Him varied according to their closeness to God and their study of the Scripture. The rest of the world knew nothing.<\/p>\n God reveals Himself to those who seek for Him and often His grace is extended to others, but most of the world doesn\u2019t know Him. God is Spirit and because we don\u2019t see Him many don\u2019t believe. But He did come in the flesh \u2013 that is who Jesus is: The devil entices people to sin and to unbelief. Nature is enough to know there is a God worth knowing: We see that Jesus was completely misunderstood by those who refuse to believe in Him. But Jesus was misunderstood even by those who seek Him and know Him. Jesus was misunderstood when He was twelve years old: Jesus was certainly not being disobedient or inconsiderate when He didn\u2019t tell His parents He w<\/strong>as going to the temple. He simply assumed they would know where He was. However, it did cause them suffering.<\/p>\n Probably, if He had asked, they would have told Him not to go to the temple because they had to return home. And going to the temple was God the Father\u2019s plan for Jesus. We can know that He realized His calling even then. It all worked out for good.<\/p>\n Possibly, \u201che went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them\u201d<\/strong><\/em>, was added to make sure we understand that Jesus was obedient to His parents even though there had been this misunderstanding. We can know that we are to be obedient to our parents. Even Jesus, who was God who created everything, knows everything and is all powerful, was obedient to His earthly parents.<\/p>\n Jesus learned wisdom and how to deal with people. He had to learn just as we do: When Jesus spoke in parables, He knew that He wouldn\u2019t be understood by most: A prerequisite to understanding Jesus is \u201cthe fear of the Lord\u201d<\/strong><\/em>: John the Baptist came before Jesus to prepare their hearts to accept Him: If we believe in Jesus, we will be able to understand Him more and more: Jesus is the Word: If we do not understand something Jesus said or think it contradicts the rest of Scripture or known facts, it is simply because we do not understand Him. We can pray that we will, study to find the answer and then wait patiently till it is revealed: The knowledge of Him will go on for eternity. We will always have the excitement of learning more about Him.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A child can understand what is necessary to believe in Jesus, but no one can fully understand Jesus because He is the infinite God. Jesus allowed Himself to be misunderstood often. We cannot fully understand what He said. If He explained what he said and did, even to those who believe in Him, it would<\/p>\n
\nAn angle told Joseph:
\n\u201cShe will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.\u201d<\/strong>
\n All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: \u201cThe virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel\u201d (which means \u201cGod with us\u201d). Matthew 1:22-23<\/strong>
\nAn angle told Mary:
\n\u201cHe will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob\u2019s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end\u2026The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.\u201d Luke 1:32-35<\/strong>
\nAn angel told the shepherds:
\n\u201cBut the angel said to them, \u201cDo not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.\u201d Luke 2:10-11<\/strong>
\nWhat God had revealed to Simeon and Anna:
\n\u201cNow there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord\u2019s Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:<\/strong>
\n \u201cSovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss[d] your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.\u201d<\/strong>
\n The child\u2019s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: \u201cThis child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.\u201d<\/strong>
\n There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.\u201d Luke 2:25-38<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n\u201cBeyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.\u201d 1 Timothy 3:16<\/strong>
\n\u201cThis is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God.,,\u201d 1 John 4:2-3<\/strong>
\n \u201cI say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.\u201d 2 John 1:7<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n\u201cFor since the creation of the world God\u2019s invisible qualities\u2014his eternal power and divine nature\u2014have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.\u201d Romans 1:20<\/strong>
\nBesides nature itself, there are countless references that link God to nature in the Bible.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cEvery year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up to the Feast, according to the custom. After the Feast was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”<\/strong>
\n “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he was saying to them.<\/strong>
\n Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.\u201d Luke 2:41-52<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n\u201cAnd Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.\u201d<\/strong> <\/em>This was God\u2019s plan for Jesus just as it is for us.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cThe disciples came to him and asked, \u201cWhy do you speak to the people in parables?\u201d<\/strong>
\n He replied, \u201cBecause the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. This is why I speak to them in parables:<\/strong>
\n \u201cThough seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: \u201c\u2018You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people\u2019s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts<\/strong>
\n and turn, and I would heal them.\u2019 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.\u2019\u201d Matthew 13:10-17<\/strong>
\nJesus knew some people would not understand because their \u201cheart has become calloused\u201d<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cThe fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.\u201d Proverbs 1:7<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n\u201cA voice of one calling: \u201cIn the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.\u201d Isaiah 40:3 Matthew 3:3 Mark 1:3 Luke 3:4<\/strong>
\n \u201cI will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,\u201d says the Lord Almighty.\u201d Malachi 3:1 Matthew 11:10 Mark 1:2 Luke 7:27<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n\u201cWhoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.\u201d Matthew 13:12, 25:29 Mark 4:25<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n\u201cIn the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind\u2026<\/strong>
\n The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only<\/strong> Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.\u201d John 1:1-14<\/strong>
\nWe know that whenever we read the Word, we learn something new. Sometimes we misunderstand a passage, but that misunderstanding will be cleared eventually if we trust in Jesus.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cDo your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth,\u201d 2 Timothy 2:15<\/strong><\/p>\n