The life of Christ is the most important event in the history of the world. Every Bible student should obtain as clear an understanding of the leading events as possible and associate them with the places where they occurred. The chronological arrangement of these events is of inestimable value to any student.
There are about one hundred and fifty events mentioned by the gospels. In about a hundred of these events, there seems to be no difficulty as to their chronological order. In the remaining fifty, there is some doubt.
In arranging these events, we have pretty much followed J. W. McGarvey’s arrangement of events and dates. A number of maps have also been inserted to help visualise the location of our Lord at the time of these events. So often we read the names of cities and places in the Bible without any concept of their location.
The Bible provides us with four accounts of the life of Christ called “The Gospels.” The first one in the order arranged in our Bible is Matthew. It is said to be the most widely read book in the world because of its distinct position as the first book of the New Testament.
The word “gospel” is a translation of the Greek word “euangelion”, which means “good News.” Very little is known about this Galilean Jew who lived in Capernaum.
He is also called Levi, Mark 2:14 / Luke 5:27. He is listed as an apostle, Mark 3:13-19. The only other mention of him is his call to follow Jesus. Matthew 9:9-13.
We know that he was a Publican or a collector of taxes, Matthew 9:9-13. These public officials were notorious as extortioners and were generally despised by the Jews. However, there is every indication that he was trustworthy, competent and efficient. It is a credit that he loses sight of himself and devotes his attention to Christ.
There have been many false theories about Matthew and His gospel. One says he wrote his gospel in Hebrew or Aramaic, and it was later translated into Greek. There is no evidence that such a text ever existed.
Another theory is that Matthew copied from Mark’s gospel. As an eyewitness to the life of Christ, why would he have to depend on someone like Mark? Some place the date of this book as early as AD 37, while others have it as late as AD 70. It makes very little difference as to when.
His purpose was to show that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah foretold by the Old Testament prophets, Matthew 1. He uses the word “fulfilled” seventeen times, quoting repeatedly from the Old Testament.
There are about forty proof passages from the Old Testament involving minor details of Christ’s life, which are cited to show Christ fulfilled these prophesies. He devotes more attention than the other three writers to these prophecies. Almost in every chapter, he quotes from the Old Testament. In all, there are sixty-five quotations.
For this reason, it seems evident that he wrote specifically for the Jews, frequently translating into Greek, Hebrew words for the benefit of Greek-speaking Jews, Matthew 1:23 / Matthew 27:33 / Matthew 27:46.
He also mentions Jewish customs without an explanation, Matthew 9:14 / Matthew 15:2 / Matthew 23:5. It is as if his readers were already familiar with them.
He does not arrange events in chronological order. Instead, there is an arrangement of His speeches, His parables and His miracles. He devotes more space to them than any writer of the teachings of Jesus. Emphasis is placed on the kingdom. The expression “Kingdom of Heaven” is found thirty-two times.
Mark was not an apostle but an evangelist; John was his Hebrew name, and Mark, Acts 12:12, (common among the Romans) was a name adopted later. He was the son of a woman in Jerusalem whose name was Mary, whose house was used as a meeting place for the disciples, Acts 12:12. He was a cousin of Barnabas, Colossians 4:10.
He started out on the first missionary trip of Paul and Barnabas, but turned back, Acts 13:13. He was later associated with Peter, 1 Peter 5:13, and then again with Paul, Colossians 4:10. It seems he became a beloved helper to Paul.
Since Christians assembled in Mary’s house frequently, Acts 12:12, it is logical that Mark would have had much association with the apostles. He could have gained much knowledge about the life of Jesus from them. Also, his close associations with Paul, Barnabas and Peter would have provided him with much information.
It is generally believed that he wrote primarily for the Romans and more specifically for those who lived in Rome, or he knew that most of his readers would be Gentiles. He omits the genealogy, accounts of the early life of Jesus, and quotes little from the Old Testament.
Mark introduces Jesus as “the Son of God,” Mark 1:1. This was his main purpose: to prove the divinity of Christ. This differs from Matthew’s purpose, which was to show the Messiahship of Christ. Mark devotes much more space to the miracles than do the other writers.
This obviously was done to prove the divinity of Jesus. One who had worshipped a heathen god, or had believed Caesar was divine, would see in Jesus someone who was far superior and more powerful than any heathen deity. Jesus was the worker of miracles, the incarnation of power. This would appeal to the Roman mind.
Mark omits many events in the life of Christ, but the events he gives seem to be chronological. His gospel can be divided into two parts. The first part, Mark 1-9, is concerned with the ministry of Jesus in Galilee.
The Galilean ministry can be divided into three periods. The second division, Mark 10-16, covers the last six months with emphasis on the last seven days in the life of Jesus.
The Gospel is addressed to ‘Theophilus’, Luke 1:3, a Greek name. It was probably written primarily for Greek readers. There seems to be no doubt that the writer is “Luke, the beloved physician”, Colossians 4:14. Being a Gentile, he is the only Gentile to write any part of the New Testament.
He did not write as an eyewitness, but he obtained his information from eyewitnesses. He said he had traced everything accurately from the beginning from those who were eyewitnesses, Luke 1:1-4.
We meet Luke in Acts 16:10-11, where he joined Paul on his second missionary journey at Troas. He will become a constant companion with Paul in his travels. Luke’s gospel was probably written around 60 AD. He is thought to be “the brother whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches,” 2 Corinthians 8:18.
Greek culture glorified man. The ideal was to be a perfect man. Luke emphasises the humanity of Jesus, showing him to be a perfect universal man. The expression, “Son of man”, occurs twenty-six times.
It is natural that if Matthew wrote to the Jews and Mark to the Romans, someone would write a gospel that would appeal to the Greeks, who were quite different culturally.
Luke differs from Matthew and Mark in that his sentence structures are more elaborate and his style of composition more finished. He uses six hundred and fourteen more Greek words than the other two, which shows Luke had a tremendous vocabulary.
He is also unique in his use of so many medical terms, Luke 4:23 / Luke 4:38 / Luke 8:43 / Luke 14:2 . Being a physician, this is to be expected. His education had been more extensive than that of Matthew or Mark.
Luke devotes considerable space to the early years of Jesus. He gives less space to the Galilean ministry of Jesus than Matthew or Mark. On the other hand, he gives us information about Jesus’ Perean ministry which the others do not give.
The last six chapters deal with the last six months of the Lord’s life. No other gospel gives women anything like so large a place as Luke. A good portion of the first two chapters deals with women.
Throughout the gospel, there are numerous references to women. These first three gospels have been called the Synoptics because all three give a review of Christ’s life. Luke’s record is the fullest of all. About one-half of Luke’s gospel is in no other gospel.
It is interesting that none of the gospel writers gives their names. There is strong evidence that this fourth gospel was written by John the apostle, John 21:21 / John 21:24.
He is never called by name anywhere in the book. He was the son of Zebedee, Matthew 4:21, and Salome, Matthew 27:56. Salome may have been a sister of Mary, the mother of Jesus. If so, then John and Jesus were cousins.
John and his brother worked with their father as fishermen until called by the Lord, Matthew 4:21-22 / Mark 1:19-20. They were among the first to be called apostles.
Along with Peter, they seem to have been nearer to the Lord than the other apostles. James and John are called “Boanerges” (sons of thunder) by the Lord, which may indicate vehemence and violence on their part, Mark 9:38 / Luke 9:34.
On the other hand, John is often referred to as the “apostle of love.” He is probably the one who leaned on the bosom of Jesus at the Last Supper, John 13:23 / John 13:25. The word love is found fifty-seven times in his gospel.
There is evidence that he moved from Jerusalem to Ephesus before Jerusalem’s destruction in 70 AD. It is believed it was here he wrote his gospel. A late date is usually assigned to his gospel. Thus, it is assumed he meant for his work to be supplementary to the other gospels. His purpose was to give information which they had omitted.
Also, near the end of the first century, a heresy arose which denied the divine nature of Jesus. Some feel John wrote to counteract and destroy this heresy. There is no doubt that he stresses the divinity of Jesus.
It could be said that the theme of his gospel is the Deity of Jesus. The truth that He was the Son of God is given more prominence by John than by the other writers. His purpose in writing is stated in John 20:21. His gospel was for no specific group or race but for all.
His gospel is chronological throughout. It consists chiefly of Christ’s discourses and conversations. He gives things Jesus said rather than things He did. He mentions seven miracles and is void of the parables of Jesus. John begins with the profound statement of the eternal and divine existence of Jesus, John 1:1-3.
He records many of the discourses of Jesus in John 2-12. John 13-17 records the teachings of Jesus to His disciples on the night before his crucifixion. John 18-19 gives an account of the trials, sufferings, death and burial of Jesus. John 20-¬21 tell of His resurrection and manifestations to the disciples.
Two of the gospels give a genealogy, Matthew 1:11-17 / Luke 3:23-30. It is a commonly accepted view that Matthew gives Joseph’s line and Luke gives Mary’s.
Matthew gives his in a descending order using the word “begat”, while Luke’s is ascending using the expression “the son of.” Matthew says Joseph was the son of Jacob, Matthew 1:16, while Luke says he was the son of Heli, Luke 3:23.
When giving a genealogy where there was a daughter, it was often ascribed to her husband. Thus, Joseph would have been the son-in-law of Heli. On the other hand, Joseph’s father could have had two names, as did Paul and Peter.
The name Jesus means Saviour, and the word Christ means “anointed one.” Christ is a Greek term, and Messiah is a Hebrew word. Many think the genealogies are abridged. A grandson or great-grandson is often called a son. “Son of David,” etc. He was very much disliked by the Jews.
This account is found only in Luke, Luke 1:5-25. It happened in the days of King Herod, Luke 1:5. He was an Edomite by birth and the beginning of the Herodian family. A proselyte to Judaism, he had the Temple rebuilt to please the Jews. He ruled from 37 BC to AD 4 and was known as “Herod the Great.”
Zacharias, a priest, was of the course of Abijah, Luke 1:5. David had divided the priests into twenty-four courses, 1 Chronicles 24. Abijah was the eighth. Each course would serve for one week, two times a year. His wife, Elizabeth, was of the priestly tribe also, Luke 1:5.
Levitical law stated that no priest should marry out of the tribe of Levi, Leviticus 21:14. Both were “well stricken in years,” Luke 1:5. No priest was to serve after the age of fifty, Numbers 8:25, so they were not what we would call elderly, but beyond the age of bearing children.
Priests had various duties at the temple. They were to change the showbread, put fire on the altar, burn the incense, etc. They would cast lots each day to determine what service each one would perform, Exodus 30:7-8.
The lot fell to Zacharias to offer the burnt incense, Luke 1:9. It was called the hour of prayer in Acts 3:1, which may have been about 3 p.m., Acts 3:1. People gathered in the courts of the temple to pray at this time, Luke 1:10.
The altar on which the incense was burned stood in front of the veil, Exodus 30:6-10. It was made of acacia wood, overlaid with gold. An angel appeared to him, telling him that Elizabeth would bear him a son, and he was to be called John, Luke 1:11-13.
These are the first inspired words since the close of Old Testament history, as far as we know. He wanted a sign as proof, Luke 1:18. He was given one. Because of his unbelief, he was struck deaf and dumb, Luke 1:19-20. This announcement broke four hundred years of prophetic silence.
Six months later, Gabriel appeared to a young virgin, Mary of Nazareth, Luke 1:26-38, telling her she would have a son who would be named Jesus, Luke 1:31. She was very perplexed, but she was assured that she had found favour with God, Luke 1:26-38.
Of all the descendants of David, God chose this humble teenager, in a lowly home, from an obscure village to be the mother of His Son. At the same time, this speaks highly of Mary that God would choose her above all the women of Palestine to be the mother of Jesus.
All this would be difficult and frightening for Mary, for she knew she was a virgin, Luke 1:34. It would not be long until she would be labelled an adulteress, but Mary’s faith in God drove her to say, “May it be to me as you have said,” Luke 1:38.
She “went with haste” to visit Elizabeth in the “hill country, to a city of Judah,” Luke 1:39-40. This may have been Hebron. It was a logical place to go for the seclusion necessary for the first months of her pregnancy. It would take three to four days to travel from Nazareth to the hill country.
Elizabeth and Mary were related, but how, since they were from different tribes, Levi and Judah? It may have been on one of their mother’s sides. On the arrival of Mary, Elizabeth is filled with the Spirit and blesses her, Luke 1:41-42.
Mary’s response was a beautiful, inspired poem, Luke 1:46-55. Mary’s song of thanksgiving is similar to Hannah’s in 1 Samuel 2:1-10. She probably stayed three months until the birth of John.
Upon John’s birth, the entire community celebrates, Luke 1:57-58. Zachariah, filled with the Spirit, suddenly breaks his silence, Luke 1:64, and delivers an inspired poem, Luke 1:67-79.
Mary is now beginning to show. It was a humiliating experience for Mary. Her reputation, honour, and her very life were at stake. She knew she had done nothing wrong, but who would have believed her story? Under the law, Deuteronomy 22:23-24, she could be put to death.
In order for Joseph to deny any involvement in her pregnancy, he had two options. He can make a public and humiliating trial of her, or he can give her a certificate of divorce in the presence of two witnesses without giving the cause, so that she would not be exposed to public shame. He was about to take this second option, Matthew 1:19, and spare Mary public humiliation.
In a dream, he is told three things.
1. Mary is not defiled; her pregnancy is due to the Holy Spirit, not fornication, Matthew 1:20.
2. She is going to have a baby boy, and as his adopted father, he is to call him Jesus, Matthew 1:21.
3. He was going to be a special child as he would “save His people from their sins,” Matthew 1:21.
Immediately, Joseph took Mary to be his wife, Matthew 1:24.
Caesar Augustus, the nephew of Julius Caesar, called for a census to be taken, Luke 2:1-7, 5 BC. A census was usually the first step in taxation. In order to register, Joseph would have to go to Bethlehem, where the genealogical records were kept, Luke 2:4. He, being the head of the house, would have been the only one necessary to go to Bethlehem.
So why did he take Mary? Luke 2:5. Did he drag his pregnant wife along in order to spare her the disgrace of childbirth in her home village? He would have known that her time for delivery was near at hand.
He took Mary and travelled nearly seventy miles to Bethlehem. Upon their arrival, Mary was ready to deliver her child, but there was no place to stay. The place where they stayed was probably a house with an extra room, Luke 2:6-7.
Adjoining houses were stalls or rooms for animals, where animals were kept in cold weather. There would be a feeding trough for the animals. It is here that Jesus was born. Jesus is wrapped in bands of cloth and laid to sleep in a feeding trough, Luke 2:7.
The year of Christ’s birth was probably around 5 B.C. Dionysius Exiguus, an abbot in Rome, was asked to make a new calendar using Jesus’ birth as year one. He calculated the birth of Christ as seven hundred and fifty-three years from the founding of Rome.
Years later, it was discovered that Herod died in March of 750. Jesus was born before Herod’s death. Also, Dionysius did not begin Jesus’ birth with the year zero, but year one, which was twelve months later. Thus, he was off for four or five years.
The date on which He was born is uncertain. Early Christians made no records of this date. Not until the fourth century was December 25th set as the date. The silence of the Scriptures is an indication that no one knows.
The celebration of Christmas, rhymed with carols, recited by children in plays, illustrated on cards, has become so familiar that most have missed the real message of this occasion. The supreme event here is God incarnate.
God becomes a baby. God comes to live in the flesh. Yet there is no fanfare. God shrank down, down so small as to become an ovum that would divide, and a fetus took shape, enlarging cell by cell inside a nervous teenager. God, who created matter, now takes shape within it.
There is a great contrast between the birth of John the Baptist and Jesus. In Elizabeth’s case, there was great fanfare, complete with midwives, doting relatives, and the traditional village chorus celebrating the birth of a Jewish male. Six months later, Jesus was born far from home, with no midwife, extended family, or village chorus present.
God did, however, provide a celebration, Luke 2:8-20. Angels appeared to the shepherds in the fields who were keeping watch over their flocks, Luke 2:8. They announced the coming of “a Saviour,” Luke 2:10-11. The announcement was not made to kings, dignitaries or the High Priest but to shepherds. Being a shepherd was a common but lowly occupation.
When flocks were too far from a village to lead them to the fold, shepherds would abide with them in the field. It must have been an awesome experience. There is nothing said about their singing.
They were told that a Savoir was born. The name Jesus means Saviour. They were given a sign. “You shall find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger,” Luke 2:12.
The manger was actually a feeding trough for animals. After the visit of the angels, Mary had a lot to think about as she “pondered these sayings in her heart,” Luke 2:19.
How different are God’s ways from man’s ways? Isaiah 55:8-9. We would never have allowed the Son of God to be born under such circumstances. But God does not depend upon man’s wisdom to accomplish his purposes. He can bring about His purposes under the most humbling circumstances, 1 Corinthians 1:27.
Eight days after the birth of a male Jew, he was to be circumcised, Luke 2:21 / Leviticus 12:1-8. This dates back to the days of Abraham. By this act, Jesus was “made like unto his brethren”, Hebrews 2:16-17.
The act was probably performed by Joseph. The child usually received his name at this time. Thus, Joseph was carrying out what the angel had instructed before Jesus was even conceived, Matthew 1:21.
Purification took place forty days after the birth of a male child, Luke 2:22-39, and eighty days after a female child at the temple, Leviticus 12. At this time, Jesus was presented to the Lord.
Also, until she was purified, a woman was considered unclean, thus remaining secluded in her house, Leviticus 15:19-24. The offering of two pigeons, Luke 2:22, instead of a lamb and a pigeon, is an indication that Joseph and Mary were poor. This allowed the poor to substitute pigeons for the lamb, Leviticus 12:8.
An elderly man, Simeon, “just and devout”, had been looking “for the consolation of Israel,” Luke 2:25. This is the same as the “hope of Israel”, Acts 28:20. He was looking for the Messiah. The Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would not die before seeing Christ, Luke 2:26.
Upon seeing the babe, he breaks into a poetic prayer, Luke 2:27-32. His statements were prophetic. Many would stumble and fall at the teachings of Jesus, yet many would receive them, Luke 2:34-35.
Mary’s heart was pierced when she saw her son die on the cross, Luke 2:35. Also present on this occasion was an elderly prophetess, Anna. A widow of eighty-four years, she had remained at the temple “serving God with fasting and prayers night and day,” Luke 2:36-37.
People today would consider her a fanatic, but not God. She speaks out in thanksgiving and tells about the child to those who looked for a Messiah, Luke 2:38.
How many were there? Matthew 2:1-12. We do not know. Only tradition says three, not the Scriptures. There were three gifts which may have led to this tradition, Matthew 2:11. They were from the East, Matthew 2:1. Obviously, they were from a distant place. It seems obvious they were religious men.
How did they learn of Jesus’ birth? Why were they interested in the “King of the Jews” above all other kings? Some think they learned from the Jews who lived in their area (some think Persia), who pointed out the Old Testament prophecies concerning a Messiah.
Something, however, prompted them to leave. Since the temple was well known throughout the East. It was natural that they would go there first in their search. The star was some supernatural phenomenon. It was specially prepared to guide them to the exact place where Jesus lived, Matthew 2:2 / Matthew 2:9-10.
Mary has more to ponder in her heart. The more she hears the various statements made concerning her son, the more she must have wondered about what he would be like.
The wise men came to Herod to find out where they would find Jesus, Matthew 2:13-18. This instantly got the attention of Herod. The purpose of their mission stirred him to immediately plan for the death of this child. Herod calls a meeting of the chief priests and scribes to find out where “the Christ was to be born,” Matthew 2:4.
They inform him that according to Micah 5:2, it was to be “In Bethlehem of Judea,” Matthew 2:5-6. Herod wastes no time. He first asks the wise men to find the place, and then informs them so he can go and worship too, Matthew 2:8.
After presenting their gifts, they were warned in a dream that they should not report back to Herod, so they “departed for their own country another way,” Matthew 2:12.
An “angel of the Lord” appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, `Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word,” Matthew 2:13.
Knowing the character of Herod, we are not surprised at his actions, Matthew 2:16. These events, Matthew 2:15 / Matthew 2:18, were prophesied in Hosea 11:1 and Jeremiah 31:15. Herod had kept his throne by crimes of unspeakable brutality, murdering even his wife and two of his sons.
He was cruel, cunning and cold-blooded. The killing of the babes two years and under was not below his character. Bethlehem, being but a small village, would not have involved more than twenty little ones.
Regardless, it was a terrible and brutal deed. Under the cover of darkness, Joseph flees with his little family. We wonder about where they stayed in Egypt. There were around one million Jews living in Egypt at this time, Matthew 2:13-15. Joseph and his family would not have been among strangers.
The gifts left by the wise men would bring a good price, Matthew 2:11. The money received would have been of help in the upkeep of the family. However, Joseph, being a carpenter, may have found work among the Jews. We can be certain that the Lord took good care of them. They would remain in Egypt until after the death of Herod, Matthew 2:19-20.
We know Herod died in the 37th year of his reign. He was seventy years old. The family may not have stayed long in Egypt. Jesus may have been only about four months old when Herod died.
After Herod’s death, the kingdom was divided among his three sons. Archelaus was given Judea, Idumea and Samaria. Another son, Herod Antipas, obtained Galilee and Perea.
Philip, another son, received other portions of the area. When Joseph learned that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in Herod’s place, he was afraid to return to that area or Bethlehem, Matthew 2:22.
Being warned by God in a dream, he withdrew to Galilee, Matthew 2:22. This is the fourth revelation Joseph has received concerning the child Jesus.
Herod Antipas, ruler over Galilee, was a different man and governed with more leniency than did his brother Archelaus. In fact, the two did not get along well with each other.
Nazareth was the former home of Joseph and Mary, Matthew 2:23 / Luke 2:39. “Nazareth” means a shoot or branch. This name is prophetically given to the Messiah in Isaiah 11:1.
The figure of a tree is given by Isaiah, and is applied to a descendant of Jesse. As David sprang from the humble family of Jesse, the second David would arise out of humble surroundings, too.
The village of Nazareth was an insignificant place. Like all people in Galilee, their speech sounded hillbilly-ish. They had a tendency to “swallow” their guttural vowels, thus giving them a dialect different from those who lived in Judea. They were not called upon to read from the Torah in synagogues in Judea.
Jesus probably spoke in the Galilean dialect, which would cause scepticism about Him from the educated class of Jerusalem. Certainly, worldly wisdom would not have the Messiah come from such an insignificant and obscure place.
It is well to keep in mind that Jesus came into this world as an infant. He had to grow and develop in body and in mind, Matthew 2:40. As a child, He would have acted as a child.
He would have played their games, sung their songs, and gone to the synagogue school, as this was the only education available to them. He would have had the same childhood diseases and sicknesses as other children. He was as human as any child in the village of Nazareth.
Like all Jewish boys, He would have learned a trade from his father, which in His case was carpentry. No doubt, He was a very intelligent child, as we shall see in the next section. Luke tells us, “And the child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him,” Luke 2:40.
All Jews were required to attend the yearly Passover feast in Jerusalem, Luke 2:41-50. This was always an exciting time. When Jesus was twelve years old, the family made their annual trip to Jerusalem, Luke 2:41-42. This was special for Jesus because at age twelve, a Jewish boy became a man. Today, this event is called `bar mitzvah.”
In a crowd of thousands of people, Jesus would maybe see for the first time the priests offering sacrifices in their colourful robes. He would have observed the washings in the great basin before the temple; He would see the animals being sacrificed and certainly the money changers. The temple was an awesome edifice, especially for a child from a little village in Galilee.
Luke tells us that “when they had finished the days”, Luke 2:43, they went back home to Nazareth. People from Galilee generally travelled in large groups of friends and family, Luke 2:44.
It is not surprising that a mature twelve-year-old would not need constant watching. It would just be assumed He would be with family members or other boys his age.
After travelling for a day, the caravan stopped for the night. Mary and Joseph look for their son. He was not to be found, Luke 2:44-45. It took a day to return to Jerusalem and another day to find Him “in the Temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions,” Luke 2:46.
It is said, “all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers,” Luke 2:47. Jesus was not only asking mature questions and listening to the answers, but He was also giving answers to their questions.
Jesus’ answer as to why he was there, “I must be about My Father’s business,” Luke 2:49, was a powerful statement from a twelve-year-old boy. His parents must have been mystified by his answer, Luke 2:50.
It is this writer’s belief that it was on this occasion that Jesus fully realised that He was God’s Son. Returning home, Luke 2:51, it is said, “Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and men,” Luke 2:52. He will remain there the next eighteen years until his public ministry.