Page 24 - Biblical Counseling II

Development Through the Lifespan
“And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature,
and in favor with God and man.” Luke 2:52

Connect…

“
There is very little information in the New Testament regarding the first thirty years of Jesus’ life upon this
earth. And that is not without purpose. The details of those early years are obviously not essential to the
divine scheme of redemption. The fact is, the brevity of the Gospel narratives provides subtle evidence of
biblical inspiration. Mere human authors would have filled in the blanks with a variety of interesting matters
that cater to natural curiosity. The authenticity of Scripture is established by what the text does not say, as
well as by what it does say.

Both Matthew and Luke chronicle the thrilling account of the Son of God’s birth to a virgin whose name was
Mary (Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 2:1-20). Luke mentions the presentation of the Savior in the temple when the
child was approximately six weeks old (2:1-39; cf. Leviticus 12:1-4). Then there is that intriguing narrative
when the boy Jesus, at the age of twelve, was found in the temple challenging the doctors of the law (Luke
2:41-51).

Following that episode, the inspired historian sums up the subsequent years of the Lord’s development:

And Jesus advanced in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men (Luke 2:52)” (Jackson, 2020).

This section will focus on human development as we learn about how we progress from birth to death. Pay
attention to the details of each section and imagine how the information you are learning will help you
counsel people in each stage. You will notice several places where you are asked to stop and reflect on
several questions. Take time to think about your life and how these different stages of development made
you who you are today.

The Lesson ...

Development through your lifespan

Developmental Psychology examines how people are continually developing – physically, cognitively, and
socially – from infancy through old age. Much of its research centers on three major issues:

1. Nature/nurture: How does our nature (genetic) inheritance and our nurture (environment) influence
our development?

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