When we consider how little is found in the Bible about the childhood and the pre-ministerial life of the Lord Jesus, we discover how true is the statement that God did not write Scripture to satisfy man's curiosity; He wrote it to sanctify his conduct! Though there is a lot of speculation (and a great deal of misinformation) about the years between Christ's infancy and the beginning of His public ministry "about thirty years of age" (Luke 3:23), the Bible is almost completely silent.

In this lesson, we will discuss - from the few verses of God' Word about each stage of Christ's early life (1) Jesus the Child, (2) Jesus the Adolescent, (3) Jesus the Young Man, and (4) Jesus the Carpenter.

Although Jesus was God and could have easily by-passed all normal growth processes, He willingly subjected Himself to live in a human body so as to empathize with the whole human experience. He did not simply appear in the world as an infant with an adult mind. He did not come physically as a grown man He was the very Word of God, but He had to learn to speak like we all do. His wisdom and knowledge came to Him by degrees (though greatly accelerated because of His sinless nature).

Who were Jesus' brothers? Did He have sisters? How does the fact that He had half-siblings disprove the perpetual virginity theory about Mary? When do we first know that Jesus knew His mission? What kind of father was Joseph and when did he disappear from the scene? How appropriate is it that the Creator-Carpenter of the Universe chose to be a Carpenter is His pre-ministerial life?

We note that Jesus did not fall victim to fleshly impatience by striving to obtain honor and glory on His own or for His own glory. He waited on His heavenly Father's timing as He spent 30 preparation years laboring diligently at His trade (building things) and in the Word (of which He is both Author and Finisher)! Great, very informative lesson about a lot of things Christians don't normally think about with regard to our Saviour.

Find how some additional Old Testament prophecies came to light and came to fulfillment as the young Christ Child was moved around by the divine hand of His heavenly Father. In this lesson, "Prewritten Pathways," we discuss two journeys made by Joseph and Mary during the early childhood years of Jesus. First, there was their journey from Bethlehem to Egypt (at the direction of a God through a messenger angel to escape the wrath of Herod), and then there was their journey (again at God's direction after the death of Herod) from Egypt to Nazareth.

Learn how these divinely orchestrated movements of Jesus fulfilled three Old Testament propecies: Hosea 11:1 (out of Egypt God would call His Son), Jeremiah 31:15 (Rachel would weep over a massacre of infants, which occurred with Herod's "Slaughter of the Innocents"), and Isaiah 11:1 (the coming Messiah would be called a Nazarene).

It always perplexed the Old Testament scholars how one Messiah could fulfill all three Messianic prophecies concerning His "origin"! How could He be born in Bethlehem Ephrata (Micah 5:2), be called by God "out of Egypt" (Hosea 11:1), and be called a Nazarene, meaning from Nazareth (Isaiah 11:1)? Well, in Jesus Christ all three prophecies were fulfilled! What other possible "would-be" Messianic candidate would ever be able to fulfill them? Yet, the Jews still await a messiah other than Jesus.

In this lesson, we discuss three events in the life of the Lord that took place shortly after His birth: 1. His circumcision at 8 days of age, 2. His presentation in the Temple at 40 days of age (His first visit there) for the ritual of cleansing Mary and redeeming Him, her firstborn son, from priestly service (although the Bible never says Mary and Joseph paid the five shekels to redeem Baby Jesus from the priesthood - fascinating!). 3. The third event of Jesus' Infanthood discussed in this lesson is the public recognition He was given by the lips of two extremely godly and very elderly servants of God - one a man (Simeon),the other a woman (Anna). This lesson is worth listening to just to learn about these two amazing people who were part of the small, but faithful remnant of true Israel. Out of the mouths of two witnesses, the young Jesus was proclaimed in the Temple to be "the Lord's Christ," "the Consolation of Israel," and the long awaited Messiah!

This second half of Lesson 6 is on "Three Responses to Jesus" at the time He was about 2 years of age. Those responses were from the Wise Men, Herod the Great, and Israel's chief priests. The Wise Men, who were not even Jewish, traveled a very long distance (likely from the area of ancient Southern Babylonia), carrying gifts fit for a King in order to adore the young Christ Child. Herod, the wicked, murderous, usurper Idumean "king" of Israel, was heavily agitated when he heard the news of the Christ's arrival. Israel's chief priests, who should have been very excited to learn about the star out of Jacob that led the elite Gentile Magi to seek out the Christ, were so utterly apathetic they didn't even travel a few miles to Bethlehem to check it out!

Did you know that 700 years before the birth of Christ, Isaiah (60:3, 6, 9) predicted the arrival of Gentiles on camels coming to the light of the Lord, bearing gifts of gold and frankincense? Learn in this study why there is no mention of myrrh in that prophecy! Find out how Balaam, the "prophet for profit," is part of the narrative regarding the Wise Men. Find out how the extraordinary Daniel was also involved in the story of the Magi from the East!

Listen to this message, and you will have much additional information to share with your family this Christmas about the early life of Christ (of course, you don't have to wait for Christmas, but you may have to rearrange your Nativity sets - the Wise Men weren't there at His birth).

This lesson is about the births of two of the greatest men ever born: John the Baptist and Jesus Christ. Of course, the first man rightly understood he was not worthy to loosen the shoe latches of the Second. Nonetheless, John was an extraordinary man; the bold forerunner to the long-awaited Messiah; the voice crying in the wilderness to introduce Israel to the Lamb of God Who came to take away the sins of the world. Learn the details about John's birth and of his priestly father's inspired praises and prophecies (once he was "unmuted").

In this important lesson, we also discuss the birth of "the Lamb of God"! Perhaps you think there is not much new you could hear about "the Christmas Story," but have you ever considered how divinely orchestrated all the various circumstances had to be for Christ's birth to be in Bethlehem (not Nazareth)? To bring about just that one fulfillment, God set "the whole world" in motion! For one thing, He "inspired" Herod the Great to choose the Roman method of taxation rather than the Jewish method. That one decision, if different, would have disqualified to be the True Messiah!

YOU CANNOT STUDY THE DETAILS OF CHRIST'S BIRTH AND DENY WHO HE IS!

Mankind has aways desired to have a "god" who is both visible and tangible, which is why idolatry has been expressed by men of all cultures throughout history. Even devout Job expressed a desire to see the One he worshipped (Job 23:8, 9). The Divine answer to this universal longing is the Incarnation of the Second Person of the Godhead, Christ Jesus.

In this lesson, we look at the the divine announcements regarding the marvelous event of the great Creator entering the very world He created to dwell among us as a Man! The first two divine announcements were made to a Jewish priest named Zacharias (see Lesson 3) and a virgin Jewish girl named Mary (in the direct bloodline of King David). The mysterious "Seed" of Genesis 3:15 was finally to be understood, as were Isaiah 7:14 ("a virgin shall conceive") and Jeremiah 31:22 ("a woman shall compass a Man")!

The third announcement was to Joseph (in the direct royal-line of David), betrothed to Mary. Learn about this wonderful man God chose to be the human step-father of His Eternal Son (talk about a privilege and heavy-duty responsibility)!

Among other fascinating truths, find why the two genealogical records of Christ (Matthew and Luke) demonstrate He is the only Messianic Candidate Who circumvented the Jeconian Curse of Jeremiah 22:30. Learn of the five women in His ancestral lineage, as well as the God-given announcement that broke a 400-year silence from Heaven!

John's gospel prologue (1:1-5) aimed at refuting Gnosticism (the denial of Christ's deity). These first five verses are a literary gem and the best capsule statement of Christ's eternal Deity found anywhere. Misunderstanding the doctrinal truths of these verses results in a flawed, deficient understanding of Who Jesus is, which affects one's eternal destiny. Serious!

Christ's life is more worth knowing than your own!