Basic HTML Version
40
From Heaven With Love
of heavenly things. As He advanced to youth, He did not seek the
schools of the rabbis. He needed not the education to be obtained
from such sources. His intimate acquaintance with the Scriptures
shows how diligently His early years were given to the study of
God’s Word.
Nature Supplemented the Bible
Spread out before Him was the great library of God’s created
works. He who had made all things studied the lessons His own
hand had written in earth and sea and sky. He gathered stores of
scientific knowledge from nature—from plants, animals, and man.
The parables by which He loved to teach lessons of truth show how
He gathered spiritual teaching from nature and the surroundings of
His daily life.
As Jesus was trying to understand the reason of things, heavenly
beings were His attendants. From the first dawning of intelligence
He was constantly growing in spiritual grace and knowledge of truth.
Every child may gain knowledge as Jesus did. As we try to
become acquainted with our heavenly Father, angels will draw near,
our minds will be strengthened, our characters elevated and refined.
We shall become more like our Saviour. And as we behold the
beautiful and grand in nature, our affections go out after God. The
spirit is awed, the soul invigorated by coming in contact with the
Infinite through His works. Communion with God through prayer
develops the mental and moral faculties.
While Jesus was a child, He thought and spoke as a child, but no
trace of sin marred the image of God within Him. Yet He was not ex-
empt from temptation. The inhabitants of Nazareth were proverbial
[42]
for their wickedness. See
John 1:46
. It was necessary for Jesus to be
constantly on guard in order to preserve His purity. He was subject
to all the conflicts we have to meet, that He might be an example to
us in childhood, youth, and manhood.
From His earliest years Jesus was guarded by heavenly angels,
yet His life was one long struggle against the powers of darkness.
The prince of darkness left no means untried to ensnare Jesus with
temptation.