Epiphany: Growing in Wisdom and Teachability

Epiphany is presented as a season of light and revelation that frames the beginning of Jesus’ ministry and points toward his transfiguration. The narrative draws attention to the strange and holy markers of the season—stars, candles, and the practice of sharing a single guiding word for the year—as tangible invitations to pay attention to how God reveals himself. Using Luke 2:41–52, the text focuses on the only childhood episode of Jesus preserved in the canonical Gospels: the twelve‑year‑old who lingers in the temple, asking questions and astonishing teachers with his understanding. That moment is read not as a display of precocious power but as a sign of vocation and formation: Jesus is already aligning himself with “his Father’s house,” choosing the path of God’s life even as he remains obedient to his earthly parents.

The preacher resists legendary and apocryphal portraits that turn Jesus’ childhood into spectacle or supernatural caprice, emphasizing instead Luke’s quieter claim that Jesus “increased in wisdom and in years and in divine and human favor.” This growth motif underlines a key theological claim: holiness and authority are shaped in time through learning, practice, and teachability. The modern anecdote about an AI‑run vending machine that spectacularly fails is used to lampoon the myth of effortless, instant intelligence and to contrast machine cleverness with the slow, disciplined work of spiritual formation. Teachability is proposed as a spiritual discipline that must be chosen and cultivated; wisdom is not a possession one inherits intact but a life one grows into.

Practical invitations follow: take up a word star as a concrete prompt for reflection and learning over the coming year, receive communion as a communal act that centers growth in Christ, and recommit to practices that cultivate humility and curiosity. The tone is pastoral and expectant—calling people into a new year shaped by attention to revelation, commitment to ongoing growth, and the communal rhythms that form faithful hearts.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Epiphany reveals Jesus' true identity Epiphany is not merely a festival of lights but a theological claim that God’s self‑disclosure reshapes human seeing. When the community marks stars, candles, and signs, it trains attention to the ways God makes presence known—often in surprising, disruptive ways that call for response. This revelation demands both wonder and obedience, a readiness to let prior assumptions be unsettled. [04:29]
• 2. Teachability is a spiritual discipline Learning to be teachable is an intentional habit, not a passive personality trait. It requires humility to receive correction, curiosity to ask hard questions, and perseverance to let insight settle into life. Growing in spiritual maturity means practicing openness to God, Scripture, and community critique over time. [68:17]
• 3. Growth involves learning, not perfection Jesus “increased in wisdom” points away from a myth of fully formed infant divinity toward incarnational maturation. Spiritual authority is tested and proven through years of lived fidelity, not instant mastery; this reframes expectations for saints and sinners alike. Embracing growth frees disciples from the paralysis of needing to appear already complete. [61:29]
• 4. Tradition fuels daily discipleship Rituals—lighting candles, receiving a guiding word star, shared communion—are more than sentiment; they are pedagogies that shape attention and character. Regular practices anchor memory, orient desire, and create spaces where God’s quiet pedagogy can do its work. These small, repeated actions form the rhythms that sustain long obedience. [06:27]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [04:29] - What Epiphany Means
• [05:50] - Epiphany Traditions and Practices
• [07:03] - Announcements & Community Life
• [10:16] - Lighting the Christ Candle
• [43:20] - Reading: Luke 2:41–52
• [50:39] - The Panic of Losing Jesus
• [56:59] - Rejecting Apocryphal Childhood Tales
• [61:29] - Jesus' Growth and Teachability
• [69:00] - Word Star Invitation & Communion
• [77:34] - Communion and Sending Out

Bible reading

Luke 2:41–52 (ESV)
41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. 43 And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, 44 but supposing him to be in the group they went a day's journey, but then they started to look for him among their relatives and acquaintance, 45 and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety.” 49 And he said to them, “Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?” 50 And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. 51 And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was obedient to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.

Observation questions

1. According to the text, what was Jesus doing when his parents finally found him in the temple after three days? [44:08]
2. How did the teachers and the others in the temple react to the twelve-year-old Jesus? (Luke 2:47)
3. What specific words did Mary use to describe the emotional state she and Joseph were in while looking for Jesus? [44:08]
4. In verse 52, what are the four specific areas in which Jesus is said to have "increased"? [01:01:29]

Interpretation questions

1. When Mary says, "your father and I have been searching for you," Jesus responds by asking if they knew he must be in his "Father’s house" [01:00:06]. What does this reveal about Jesus’ developing understanding of his own identity and his relationship with God?
2. The Greek word for "increased" in verse 52 is in a tense that suggests Jesus "kept increasing" or "kept growing" [01:02:20]. Why is it important for us to see Jesus as someone who had to learn and grow rather than someone who was born "fully formed" with all knowledge? [01:04:38]
3. Jesus is described as "listening" and "asking questions" [44:08] before he is described as giving answers. What does this sequence suggest about the nature of spiritual authority and the process of gaining wisdom?
4. Even after his moment of "astonishing" the teachers in the temple, Jesus returned to Nazareth and "was obedient" to his earthly parents (Luke 2:51). How does this balance his divine calling with his human growth and formation?

Application questions

1. Mary and Joseph experienced an "acute feeling of panic" [52:45] when they realized Jesus wasn't where they expected him to be. Have you ever felt like you "lost track" of God’s presence in your life? How did you go about "searching" for Him again?
2. Teachability is a "spiritual discipline" [01:08:17] that we have to choose. When was the last time you approached a situation with "holy curiosity" [45:42] rather than assuming you already had the answers?
3. We often live in a world that expects "instant intelligence" or "uncontrollable growth" [46:59], much like the promises of AI. How can you resist the pressure to be "perfect" or "fully formed" right now and instead embrace the "slow work" of growing in wisdom over time? [01:02:41]
4. Jesus "gravitated to the temple" [57:49] because he felt at home there. What are the places or practices in your life—like communion, prayer, or study—that feel most like being in your "Father’s house"? [58:05]
5. If you were to choose a "guiding word" for this coming year to help you "ponder, reflect, and learn" [01:09:00], what would it be? How might that word challenge you to be more "teachable" in the months ahead? [01:09:55]
6. Jesus faced "competing realities" [01:00:32] between his family obligations and his fidelity to God’s call. What are the competing priorities in your life right now, and how can you ensure that your relationship with God remains the primary focus? [01:00:32]