Luke 2:40 (KJV)

Passage

And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.

Nearby Context

Luke 2:38 And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

Luke 2:39 And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth.

Luke 2:40 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.

Luke 2:41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover.

Luke 2:42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "Spirit", "grace", "child", "grew", "waxed", "strong", "filled", and "wisdom". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "Spirit" and "grace", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 39's "And when they had performed all things..." into verse 41's "Now his parents went to Jerusalem every...", so "Spirit" and "grace" belong inside that flow. In Luke context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "Spirit" and "grace" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.