Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/469

 And rising,  He  went  with  his  mother  (who  “kept  all  these  words in  her  heart" )  and  His  foster-father  to  Nazareth,  and  was  subject to  them.  And  Jesus  increased in  wisdom,  and  age,  and  grace with  God  and  men.

The Two  Natures  in  Jesus  Christ. Our  Lord  is  at  once  true  God and true  Man. The foregoing  story  manifests  both  His  natures  to  us. As Man,  Jesus  was  the  Child  of  Mary;  as  Man,  He  increased  in  age, and with  time  developed  into  boyhood,  youth  and  manhood. Each of the  foregoing  chapters  testify  also  to  Jesus  being  true  God, though  we have  hitherto  seen  the  Incarnate  Son  of  God  in  a state  of  humility, poverty, and  persecution,  and  have  heard  no  word  proceed  from  His mouth. In this  last  chapter  we  hear  Jesus  speak  for  the  first  time,  and His words  are  words  of  superhuman  wisdom,  and  bear  most  clear testimony to  His  divine  nature. As soon  as  Jesus  had  completed  His twelfth year,  He  was  an  adult  in  spiritual  matters,  so  now,  for  a time, He withdrew  Himself  from  the  protection  of  His  parents,  and  came forward, according  to  the  will  of  His  Father,  as  a teacher  of  the  law, and allowed  a few  gleams  of  His  divine  wisdom  to  escape  Him,  thus preparing the  way  for  His  future  public  appearance  as  fulfiller  of  the law and  prophets. He Himself  refers  directly  to  His  divine  nature  by the  words:  “Did  you  not  know  that  I must  be  about  My  Father’s business?” He  calls  God  His  Father,  and  thus  proclaims  Himself  to be  the  Son  of  God. This was  our  Lord’s  first  declaration  of  His Divinity.