See Jesus -Stars to Sawdust (Seeing Jesus →Overflow Part 3)
If we could think of a person that did not need to be teachable, who would that be? Someone so good, that they did not need to learn anything -who would that be? Me? Hmmm… NO! You?…
Who? -of course, Jesus!
Jesus is God, so, of course He does not need to learn anything. He knows everything -His wisdom purposed the stars through to the micro-organism, and He orders the world in ways that go way beyond our understanding.
Yet, Hebrews 5:8 says “he learned obedience.” And Luke 2:52 says “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature.” Rick Altizer writes, “The all-knowing, eternal Son of God, present and active from the creation of the cosmos (John 1:1–5), learned.”
The Gospels don't shed any light on the education of Jesus. But we can surmise what would have happened from the customs of the day. He would have learnt first on the knee of his mother. She would've taught him the history of her people, and would have trained him in the singing and memorising of the Psalms. He would have grown up observing the preparations for the Passover -being storied in the narrative of redemption. He would have learned among the other children, from teachers at the synagogue. From the ages of 6-10 he would have memorised the Old Testament (Deut 6:7)! What a maaaasive thought! God, humbled to a baby -infinite wisdom contracted into the cranium of the infant, Jesus.
And as He grew “in wisdom and stature”…
And all that we hear is the come and go of busy feet,
With sound of hammer down the busy street.
A little two roomed house,
With scarce a breath of air, in busy crowded Nazareth.
Yes! Here for love of thee,
Through silent years oh pause and see,
If thou art wise,
The King of kings dwelt in disguise. -Unknown Author
Oswald Sanders says, “Of 18 years of Christ's life we know absolutely nothing except what is contained in the words “the carpenter” (Mark 6:3). This is all that divine wisdom has seen fit to preserve for us. “The carpenter!” What a title for the Lord of glory!” Sanders, “The Incomparable Christ” P. 33
The Creator of galaxies and dragons (leviathan). See him humble Himself to work with saw, adze, chisel and hammer at the woodworking bench. See the hands of him who made the heavens, carve out a yoke for a pair of oxen.
If he could do that for 18 years of His life, could we not work with our hands to craft things that will be useful and beautiful? To pick up pen and paper and let the ink pour out a song of praise -to the One who measured constellations between thumb and forefinger, now precariously stretching out to hang an oak roofing beam.
Now song that.