Bible Question:
How did the followers of Jesus know about His childhood and what was said at His birth? Who told them to write it in the Bible?
Bible Answer:
Many people have been interested recently about the childhood of Jesus. So, they have searched for information about His childhood in the writings of the ancient Gnostics. Some Gnostic books are called the Lost Books of the Bible. However, Gnostics were anti-Christians. Their writings were fanciful and speculative and untrustworthy.
The Bible contains minimal information about the childhood of Jesus. It does not contain information about His teenage years or His years as a young adult. The gospels are primarily focused on last years of His life. At the time of Christ, it was believed that how a person ended his or her life revealed the true character of a person because the latter years reflected a life’s learning and maturity. So, we should not be surprised that the four gospels in the Bible focused primarily on the last three to four years of the childhood of Jesus.
Jesus Teaching In The Temple Among The Pharisees
Jesus’ Childhood in the Four Gospels
The four gospels of the New Testament are accepted by the vast majority of Bible scholars as being inspired by God, and therefore, trustworthy. However, the gospels do not tell us very much about Jesus’ childhood, teenage, and young adult years. The table below provides a quick summary of those years. The links are helpful in understanding what we do know about Jesus’ early years.
Authority of the Gospels
What do we know about Jesus’ birth? What did the disciples know about Jesus’ birth? We know what is recorded in the Bible. The apostle Luke tells us how he learned about Jesus’ childhood. He said,
Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word have handed them down to us, it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus . . . Luke 1:1-3 (NASB)
That is, he asked questions of many people. He carefully researched the information about Jesus. In addition, the Holy Spirit guided what both Matthew and Luke recorded.
But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. 2 Peter 1:20-21 (NASB)
God did not let them make a mistake for 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says that Scripture is inspired. God was in control of the things they wrote.
Childhood of Jesus Christ
Both Matthew and Luke described the events that occurred before Jesus’ birth. We know that many people knew His mother, father, brothers, and sisters. Jesus was not unknown. They knew Him as a person in the city of Nazareth, which was the town in which He grew up as a child, teenager, and young adult. For Matthew 13:54-57 says,
And coming to His home town He began teaching them in their synagogue, so that they became astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom, and these miraculous powers? Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary, and His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his home town, and in his own household.” Matthew 13:54-57 (NASB)
Adulthood of Jesus Christ
Jesus started His ministry at the age of thirty years. The genealogy of Mary reveals that He was born in the priestly line. So, He was God in human flesh, and as a man He was a descendant of King David (Luke 1:30-32; Romans 1:2-3). and a priest. He qualified as king and priest.
When Jesus performed miracles as an adult, people were surprised. This implies that Jesus did not perform any public miracles as a child. They really did not know Him as a child. They did not know Him as Mary did. They knew that Jesus’ father was a carpenter. They had thought that Jesus was like them. They did not know that Jesus was both God and man.
Not only were Jesus’ parents surprised that He was teaching the Pharisees in the temple at the age of twelve years of age, other people were also amazed. He had amazed everyone with His teaching.
But his mother knew that He could perform miracles. We discover this at the wedding of Cana (John 2:1-11). There Jesus’ mother asks Him to make wine for the guests. What miracles did He perform as a child? The answer is, “We do not know.” Scripture never tells us anything more about His childhood. Why? Because it is not important. Knowing more about His childhood is not necessary for us to understand that Jesus came to earth to die for our sins and that He was resurrected from the dead. His childhood history is not needed for us to believe in Jesus.
John 20:30-32 tells us that the miracles recorded in the gospel of John were given so that we might be believers in Jesus Christ.
Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is 1the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name. John 20:30-32 (NASB)
He came so that we have our sins forgiven and have eternal life (Romans 6:23).
Conclusion:
The gospels do not record everything that Jesus did during His ministry. It would be wonderful if it did, but then we might miss the message about who Jesus was. The apostle John summarizes the information about Jesus’ life with these words,
And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books which were written. John 21:25 (NASB)