We know a lot about Jesus’s ministry, a fair amount about His birth, but we know little about His childhood and teen years. This is brought to our attention a lot as teens. We speculate what it would have been like for Jesus to be a teenager. Would He have faced the same issues as we do today? Certainly, the standard struggles of simply growing up would have been relevant in His life, just as it is in ours: fitting in, learning to develop relationships, establishing communication skills, comprehending changes in body and emotions, understanding who God created us to be – what skills, talents, gifts, etc. we’ve been called to have and use.
In the Jewish heritage, a teenager becomes a man at the age of 13. A ceremony celebrating his transition into manhood would have taken place and he would need to take on new responsibilities. At this age, boys would typically start working an apprenticeship to gain vocational skills. However, we know that Jesus was a Rabbi, so His training would have been different.
We also know that Jesus’ earthly parents, Mary and Joseph, were from Nazareth, a town in Galilee (Luke 1:26-27). They traveled to Bethlehem where Jesus was born (Luke 2:4). Then, they were warned in a dream to flee Bethlehem and stay in Egypt until it was safe to return to Nazareth (Matthew 2:13-15). We also know that every year, the family would travel to Jerusalem (Luke 2:41). We don’t know at what age Jesus returned to Nazareth (Matthew 2:19-23). Yes, this was His home, but He certainly would have felt like a foreigner there. By the time His family re-established themselves, He would have been the new kid in town.
Not only is Jesus new to the Nazareth scene, He’s also the Son of God – a reputation that no one can comprehend. As the Son of God, Jesus is going to feel like a foreigner in His own land. His home is heaven, not Earth. The only place that He truly feels at home is with His Father in Heaven.
At Home in Heaven
This is the same for us. Once we accept Christ into our lives and the Holy Spirit enters our heart, we too feel a void that our home here on Earth can never fulfill. We’re meant for greater things than what Earth has to offer. We’re made for heaven and heavenly things!
Due to our ultimate home being heaven, we can actually relate to Jesus on more levels than we realize. Certainly, He’s the Son of God, so He seems much more elevated than we ever would be. But, since we’re not made to remain here, He too can understand our longing for something greater than what the world currently offers. We know that He understands the trials, temptations and tests that we experience because of His humanness and separation from God after the cross. But, that connection is for all mankind, not just teenagers. Christ, as a young man, longed to know more about God, His Father (Luke 2:42-47). He wanted to spend as much time with God as He could. He wanted to remain in God’s presence always. He wanted to know more about God’s creation. He wanted to share God’s goodness with other people. He wanted to know who God created Him to be so He could be the full expression of that person. He wanted to grow up and take His place in the world (which He didn’t do until He was 30). He wanted to honor His parents, so He obeyed them (even if He didn’t understand their reasoning, approach or belief).
As you journey through your teen years, go to God with all your uncertainties, troubles, experiences, questions and lack of understanding. Tell Christ what you want or need. Tell Him your desires. Pursue Him and what your heart desires. He will gladly listen and respond. He’ll gladly help you and support you as you go through life. He wants to see you succeed and can’t wait to be a part of your growth and development. Don’t see Him as someone who’s unwilling to help or too great to help. His desires are the same as yours. Relish in His goodness. Take advantage of your relationship with Him and pursue the life you both desire.
