Bible Question:

If Jesus had such an unusual birth (re: Star in the east, 3 wise men, etc.) why is there so little recorded of his boyhood? Who knew about his birth in the manger which heralded something out of the ordinary? Why was there no follow-up?

Bible Answer:

Jesus Christ was born in about 3-2 B.C. in the city of Bethlehem. There are three studies at this site which will provide you with some details about the events that occurred after His birth. The first one is called, “Jesus Is Born,” the second one is “Arrival of the Magi,” and the third one is called, “Path to Nazareth.”

The Events

The three studies indicate that shepherds, town people, and at least some magi knew about Jesus’ birth, along with King Herod and many Roman soldiers. Herod wanted to destroy the child. As a result, Jesus’ parents fled to Egypt with Him and remained there until He was about eight years of age. Consequently, it is not surprising that few records remain about Jesus’ birth. King Herod probably had any records burned or destroyed in his rage to kill the infant child. King Herod was fearful of the child. That is why He had every child in the Bethlehem area that was two years old or less killed.

The Memories

How would the mothers of the murdered children have felt? Would anyone want to talk about an unusual birth after Roman soldiers had killed all of these infants? How many people would have been bold enough to talk? Most likely, most of the people would have been afraid to say anything or write anything. Only oral traditions would have survived at best.

It is also possible that most people might have thought that Jesus and His parents were murdered too, since they left in the middle of the night. After Jesus was taken to Egypt He did not return to Bethlehem. His parents went to Nazareth, their home town. So the memories of Jesus’ birth among some of the people in Bethlehem were most likely lost due to fear, a missing child, and a child who never returned.

His childhood in Egypt and in Nazareth are not recorded in scripture either. The first glimpse we have of Jesus comes when He is twelve years old, and after that not until He is an adult. His childhood was likely ignored because it appears that he did not perform any miracles in his youth, and His teachings would not have been honored until he was an adult. That is why He waited until He was thirty years of age to start His ministry.

Conclusion:

There are some ancient books which claim to have recorded some events that supposedly occurred during Jesus’ childhood. However, these books were published many centuries after Jesus was born, and are therefore not reliable. Most importantly, God has given us what is necessary for us to know. Jesus’ miracles were designed to prove that He was God and to authenticate His ministry as the Messiah, Lord, and Savior of the world. Therefore, there was no purpose to performing miracles before He started His public ministry. His teachings and miracles together would lead to His death. This was part of His plan. He died for you and me in order to give us life eternal when we believe in Him.