Christ's Unexceptional Childhood

Why aren't there any stories about Jesus as he grew up? Seems to me that these should have been recorded along with his three-and-a-half year ministry.

There are only two recorded incidents of Christ's childhood in the Bible. Matthew 2:19 and 20 (BBE) tells of Joseph's return to Israel after fleeing from Herod's murderous wrath into Egypt. "But when Herod was dead, an angel of the Lord came in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, Saying, 'Get up and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: because they who were attempting to take the young child's life are dead.'"

Luke also records an incident involving Jesus as a boy. That was when he turned twelve and went to the temple with his parents. But instead of joining them as they left Jerusalem, he stayed in the temple.

Luke 2:49   (BBE) records his reason for being apparently disobedient. "And he said to them, 'Why were you looking for me? was it not clear to you that my right place was in my Father's house?'"

This also shows that Jesus knew he was God's son. By calling the Lord his father, he acknowledged his deity.

But there are false accounts of Jesus' childhood which were penned about two-hundred years later. Scholars and church fathers have determined these to be fakes.

We can assume from the lack of stories of Christ's boyhood that he was well-behaved and without Adam's sinful nature. It would have been interesting to have known what his childhood routine was but the Holy Spirit felt we didn't need to know that trivia. We have what we have for our instruction in the faith.

I'll be writing more about our Lord and why we have the Bible books we have in my next book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? Liberal scholars assume that our Bible is unreliable but it's extremely accurate.

Though it might seem like a bad idea, I feel that we need to address the subject of hell next month. This too will be dealt with in my book next .