Why did Jesus have to wait 30 years before ministering?

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Our Lord Jesus Christ
Our Lord Jesus Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Being “about thirty years of age. . .”—the period of maturity. Who was it reached maturity? The Son of God as Man—the maturity of all physical powers, all soul powers, all spiritual powers, and not until that point was reached did God thrust Him out into the three years of service. “I do always those things that are pleasing to [My Father] ” (rv). Where did Jesus learn that power? In those thirty silent years.

Can God say of us—“That soul is learning, ‘precept upon precept; line upon line’; it is not nearly so petulant and stupid as it used to be, it no longer sulks in corners, it no longer murmurs against discipline, it is getting slowly to the place where I shall be able to do with it what I did with My own Son”? What was that? God took His hand off, as it were, and said to the world, the flesh and the devil, "Do your worst”— “. . . greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.” God shielded His Son from no requirements of a son, and when we are rightly related to God He will not shield us from any requirements of sons.

In spiritual maturity all our powers are thoroughly adjusted into a calm poise, rightly balanced, and God can begin to trust us with His work. “If a man love Me, . . . he will keep My words," said Jesus; He is referring to the freedom of the disciple to keep His commandments. No natural man is free to keep the commandments of God, he is utterly unable to unless he is born again of the Holy Spirit. Freedom means ability to keep the law; every kind of freedom has to be earned. “and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make Our abode with him”—an unspeakable, unstateable communion, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost, and the sinner saved and sanctified by grace, communing together. That is the sheer sovereign work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Chambers, O. (1996). Bringing sons into glory: studies in the life of our Lord. London: Marshall, Morgan & Scott.

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