Who knew about the boy Jesus?

In Jesus’ family and village, who knew that the boy Jesus was the Messiah?  We know for sure that Mary, his mama, and Joseph, his earthly dad, were given specific knowledge that they were to raise the Son of God as their boy, according to Matthew’s gospel.

Then the gospel writer Luke, records Jesus’ being taken to the temple for his circumcision when he was just eight days old, at which time he was given the name Jesus, dedicated to the Lord, and Mary went through her purification.¹ (The purification rites, cleaning and presenting oneself anew to God-particularly by women, give us glimpses into the devotion and sacred reverence with which devout Jews reverence the law of God—the more conservative branches of Judaism to this very day.)^2,3

While the babe Jesus was at the temple, Simeon a righteous and devout old man, who had been told he would see the Messiah before his death, took Jesus in his arms, and praised God for him.  He confirmed to Mary the destiny of her baby boy, prophesying that the baby in his arms was ‘God’s salvation’.⁴  And Anna, a blessed saint of a woman, called a prophetess by Luke, also thanked God for the birth of Jesus.⁵  (If you do the math, Anna had to be about 105 years of age at this time—her life devoted to worship, prayer and fasting.  How remarkable.)  Both Simeon and Anna recognized Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah, though he was just eight days old.

The next glimpse of Jesus in Scripture is recorded in the latter part of Luke chapter two.  Along with many other families, particularly those who had boys of at least the age of twelve, the little family traveled to Jerusalem for Passover. (You can read the first time we see Jesus speak, as he does so by speaking up to his parents in this account:  https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%202.41-50&ver...)  When Mary and Joseph went looking for Jesus, he said, “Why were you searching for me?  Didn’t you know that I had to be in my Father’s house?”⁶  

How much the Jewish teachers knew or understood about young Jesus we do not know, but all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers.⁷  And from that day forward, things became somewhat different, as Jesus grew in wisdom, and ‘in favor with God and with people.’⁸

That’s it.  From the gospels, that’s what we know of Jesus’ boyhood days and beyond, including those who knew the young Messiah was in their midst. 

We know that Jesus was brought up in the town of Nazareth, a beautiful little agricultural town of probably between 300 and 500 people, which was nestled in the hills south of Galilee.  Nazareth had been the home of Joseph and Mary when they left to travel to Bethlehem to register for the census—where our Lord Jesus was be born in the humblest of settings. 

It is worthwhile to consider what the town was like that Jesus lived in and around for most of his life. Why, a young boy had only to climb the hills for half the world to be at his door.  He could look west and the waters of the blue Mediterranean would meet his eyes in the distance, with ships going out to the ends of the earth. The road from Damascus to Egypt, the land bridge to Africa, was also visible from the hilltop.  It was one of the greatest caravan routes in the world.  There was an eastern road that left the coast and went out toward the frontiers of the Roman Empire; silks and spices found transport on this road, as did the Roman legions.

Joseph and Mary brought Jesus up in strict Jewish learning and study of the scriptures, teaching him to observe the customs, celebrations and ways of devout, righteous Jews.  We will examine those a little more closely.  You see, the recognition by Simeon and Anna when Jesus was a baby, as well as the temple scene in Jerusalem when he was 12, are significant indications that Jesus was every bit Jewish.  I long to know these things of his home life, upbringing and training, and I pray that you do too.

^{Christine     www.pastorwoman.com}    Ladies, check out the Scriptures below -  what's your take on the ritual purification? Did you watch the little video from 3) - www.kveller?

1 – Luke 2.21-24

^{2 -} Immediately after birth, a woman is considered niddah and must remain sexually separated from her husband for a period of seven days, Judaism101, http://www.jewfaq.org/birth.htm

^{3 -} The Mikveh: Everything you need to know about the Jewish ritual bath by Mayim Bialik, http://www.kveller.com/traditions/Jewish-Living/the-mikveh.shtml; http://jewinthecity.com - “Mikvah: Splish Splash Is It a Jewish Bath?” Ep. 6, Season 2 – a five minute video that gives great insight into this sacred element of Judaism

4 – What did Simeon say to Mary about Jesus in Luke 2.34-35? 

5 – Read about the wise woman Anna and what she said of Jesus in Luke 2.36-38. 

6 – Luke 2.41-50

7 – Luke 2.47

8 -  Luke 2.52