Resurrection Life of Jesus Church

THE CHILDHOOD OF JESUS
The birth of Jesus was special in that He was born to a virgin in Bethlehem because of the Roman taxation.

Mary followed all the laws concerning childbirth.

Jesus was taken to the temple in Jerusalem and dedicated to the Lord.

Joseph did not return to Nazareth but continued living in Bethlehem. This is where the wise men found them two years later.

The wise men brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh that were used by Joseph to fund an escape to Egypt.

Joseph slowly liquidated the gifts during their two year stay in Egypt.

Jesus was four years old when Joseph returned to Nazareth. Matthew 2:19-23

NAZARENE VS NAZARITE
There can be confusion among the Christians who have not understood the difference between the words “Nazarene” and “Nazarite.”

1. A Nazarene was someone who lived in the city of Nazareth.

2. A Nazarite was someone who had been “consecrated” or “separated.” The law for a Nazarite is set forth in Numbers 6:1-8.

Living in Nazareth fulfilled a prophecy when Jesus was called a Nazarene. Matthew 2:23

FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS
Elizabeth – the mother of John the Baptist – and Mary were cousins. Luke 1:36

None of the Gospel writers reveal anything about Jesus’ life from age four until He visited the temple in Jerusalem at the age of twelve.

We know that Joseph and Mary consummated their marriage after the birth of Jesus resulting in four sons, James, Joses (Joseph), Juda (Jude), and Simon. There were also multiple daughters, but Mathew and Mark do not reveal their names. Matthew 13:54- 58; Mark 6:3

After the resurrection of Jesus, James became a leader in the Jerusalem church. The apostle Paul identified him as the half-brother of Jesus. Galatians 1:17-19

Jude identified himself as the brother of James in his epistle. Jude 1

Jesus as the elder sibling must have interacted with his younger siblings and had a normal family life.

We are given a glimpse into the childhood of Jesus when Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. There is no mention of His brothers and sisters on this journey. Luke 2:40-42

Once Jesus made it to the temple, He decided not to return home with His parents. The priority was to stay and discuss theology and the Old Testament with the Jewish scholars. verse 43

Joseph and Mary traveled with a caravan and assumed that Jesus was walking with relatives. verse 44

They returned to Jerusalem and found Jesus in the temple. He was scolded for staying behind but responded that He was taking care of His Father’s business. verses 45-50

Jesus obediently went back to Nazareth. verses 51-52

WHO WAS JOHN THE BAPTIST?
The Gospel of Luke tells us that John the Baptist was the son of an elderly priest named Zacharias and his barren wife, Elisabeth.

Zacharias was on duty in the temple at Jerusalem when he was met by the angel Gabriel, who told him that Elisabeth was going to get pregnant, and the child would prepare the way for the Messiah as prophesied by the prophet Malachi. Luke 1:5-17; Malachi 4:5-6

Zacharias was not that excited and doubted Gabriel because of his advanced age. Gabriel expected compliance and pronounced a judgment upon Zacharias for his lack of faith. Zacharias would be unable to speak until the promised baby was born to Elisabeth. Luke 1:18-25

There is not much information about John’s childhood. We know that he grew up, was strong spiritually, and kept to the deserts until God activated him.

THE MINISTRY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST
We do not know how old John was when he started his ministry. It is obvious that he had been preaching for some time. Matthew states that the prophecy by Isaiah was fulfilled in John. Isaiah 40:1-5; Matthew 3:1-6

ENCOUNTERING THE KABBALISTS
When the Pharisees and Sadducees came to repent and be baptized, John addressed them as a “generation of vipers.” Matthew 3:7-10

Jesus used the same expression when He encountered the Jewish leadership.
Matthew 12:34

The majority of Christians have probably never understood why both John and Jesus labeled the Jewish leadership as “vipers.” The reason for this supposed name calling was a hidden teaching of the Jews known as the Kabbalah.¹
The word “Kabbalah” in Hebrew has two meanings:

1. tradition

2. receive, accept

A proper English translation would be “a received, accepted tradition.” It consists of a massive volume of some 550 books, the oldest dating back to King Solomon.

The Kabbalah should not be confused with the “Talmud,” which is a commentary on the Old Testament by Jewish rabbis.

The Kabbalah will be the religion of the coming Antichrist. Daniel 11:36-39