it is one of the world’s great mysteries a biblical conundrum that has baffled
a biblical conundrum that has baffled
a biblical conundrum that has baffled scholars for years between the ages of
scholars for years between the ages of
scholars for years between the ages of 12 and 30 the life of Jesus Christ is
12 and 30 the life of Jesus Christ is
12 and 30 the life of Jesus Christ is unaccounted for
unaccounted for
unaccounted for there is no written record there are no
there is no written record there are no
there is no written record there are no tales told nature abhors a vacuum and so
tales told nature abhors a vacuum and so
tales told nature abhors a vacuum and so do many religious folks and that’s why
do many religious folks and that’s why
do many religious folks and that’s why many people have talked about these
many people have talked about these
many people have talked about these missing years and have tried to
missing years and have tried to
missing years and have tried to speculate about what Jesus might have
speculate about what Jesus might have
speculate about what Jesus might have done during that time in modern times
done during that time in modern times
done during that time in modern times attempts have been made to fill in the
attempts have been made to fill in the
attempts have been made to fill in the missing years wild stories of Jesus
missing years wild stories of Jesus
missing years wild stories of Jesus traveling to India to study with Eastern
traveling to India to study with Eastern
traveling to India to study with Eastern mystics even Jesus appearing in North
mystics even Jesus appearing in North
mystics even Jesus appearing in North America any good historian who’s worth
America any good historian who’s worth
America any good historian who’s worth his salt will go with the earliest and
his salt will go with the earliest and
his salt will go with the earliest and best evidence not later evidence not
best evidence not later evidence not
best evidence not later evidence not wonky evidence not evidence that
wonky evidence not evidence that
wonky evidence not evidence that contradicts all our earliest and best
contradicts all our earliest and best
contradicts all our earliest and best sources you’re going to go with your
sources you’re going to go with your
sources you’re going to go with your earliest and best evidence and that
earliest and best evidence and that
earliest and best evidence and that happens to be Matthew Mark Luke and John
happens to be Matthew Mark Luke and John
happens to be Matthew Mark Luke and John from historical research and recent
from historical research and recent
from historical research and recent archaeological work in Galilee in
archaeological work in Galilee in
archaeological work in Galilee in particular combined with things that we
particular combined with things that we
particular combined with things that we can deduce from the Gospels themselves
can deduce from the Gospels themselves
can deduce from the Gospels themselves we actually know a fair amount Bethlehem
we actually know a fair amount Bethlehem
we actually know a fair amount Bethlehem is where Christ was born
is where Christ was born
is where Christ was born but the Gospels say his family left soon
but the Gospels say his family left soon
but the Gospels say his family left soon thereafter he went and lived in a town
thereafter he went and lived in a town
thereafter he went and lived in a town called Nazareth so was fulfilled what
called Nazareth so was fulfilled what
called Nazareth so was fulfilled what was said through the prophets he will be
was said through the prophets he will be
was said through the prophets he will be called a Nazarene this was not a party
called a Nazarene this was not a party
called a Nazarene this was not a party area this was not a happening place
area this was not a happening place
area this was not a happening place this was a kind of a quiet area in a lot
this was a kind of a quiet area in a lot
this was a kind of a quiet area in a lot of respects a lot of farming that was
of respects a lot of farming that was
of respects a lot of farming that was going on fishing that went on in the Sea
going on fishing that went on in the Sea
going on fishing that went on in the Sea of Galilee and people that worked there
of Galilee and people that worked there
of Galilee and people that worked there didn’t make a great deal of money
didn’t make a great deal of money
didn’t make a great deal of money typically
typically
typically the Gospels imply during the missing
the Gospels imply during the missing
the Gospels imply during the missing years Jesus’s status was blue-collar
years Jesus’s status was blue-collar
years Jesus’s status was blue-collar once in the New Testament in the Gospel
once in the New Testament in the Gospel
once in the New Testament in the Gospel of Mark Jesus critics in his hometown
of Mark Jesus critics in his hometown
of Mark Jesus critics in his hometown asked is not this the carpenter and then
asked is not this the carpenter and then
asked is not this the carpenter and then in the parallel text in Matthew they
in the parallel text in Matthew they
in the parallel text in Matthew they asked is not this the carpenter’s son
asked is not this the carpenter’s son
asked is not this the carpenter’s son there would not have been much work in
there would not have been much work in
there would not have been much work in Nazareth for Jesus his father or other
Nazareth for Jesus his father or other
Nazareth for Jesus his father or other craftsman instead it’s believed Jesus
craftsman instead it’s believed Jesus
craftsman instead it’s believed Jesus could have found steady work three miles
could have found steady work three miles
could have found steady work three miles away in the bustling town of Sepphoris
away in the bustling town of Sepphoris
away in the bustling town of Sepphoris known for its elaborate mosaic artwork
known for its elaborate mosaic artwork
known for its elaborate mosaic artwork created by the Romans you can envision
created by the Romans you can envision
created by the Romans you can envision the family spending many years building
the family spending many years building
the family spending many years building houses building furniture building halls
houses building furniture building halls
houses building furniture building halls billing in assembling buildings with
billing in assembling buildings with
billing in assembling buildings with limestone and wood that’s the family
limestone and wood that’s the family
limestone and wood that’s the family business
business
business the Nazareth region also provides clues
the Nazareth region also provides clues
the Nazareth region also provides clues to Jesus’s level of education and his
to Jesus’s level of education and his
to Jesus’s level of education and his knowledge of the world the language of
knowledge of the world the language of
knowledge of the world the language of the region was Aramaic and scholars are
the region was Aramaic and scholars are
the region was Aramaic and scholars are certain that Jesus spoke it the Gospels
certain that Jesus spoke it the Gospels
certain that Jesus spoke it the Gospels also say Jesus knew how to read meaning
also say Jesus knew how to read meaning
also say Jesus knew how to read meaning he was educated during the missing years
he was educated during the missing years
he was educated during the missing years apparently he knows how to read because
apparently he knows how to read because
apparently he knows how to read because he goes into the synagogue according to
he goes into the synagogue according to
he goes into the synagogue according to Luke and he reads from the scroll the
Luke and he reads from the scroll the
Luke and he reads from the scroll the prophets he may not have been just a
prophets he may not have been just a
prophets he may not have been just a carpenter either because Nazareth was
carpenter either because Nazareth was
carpenter either because Nazareth was close to the Sea of Galilee it’s
close to the Sea of Galilee it’s
close to the Sea of Galilee it’s possible Jesus went there to fish if he
possible Jesus went there to fish if he
possible Jesus went there to fish if he did he most likely would have run into a
did he most likely would have run into a
did he most likely would have run into a group of fishermen men who years later
group of fishermen men who years later
group of fishermen men who years later would lay down their nets and become his
would lay down their nets and become his
would lay down their nets and become his apostles as he walked by the Sea of
apostles as he walked by the Sea of
apostles as he walked by the Sea of Galilee he saw Simon and Andrew his
Galilee he saw Simon and Andrew his
Galilee he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea for
brother casting a net into the sea for
brother casting a net into the sea for they were fishermen then jesus said to
they were fishermen then jesus said to
they were fishermen then jesus said to them follow me and I will make you
them follow me and I will make you
them follow me and I will make you become fishers of men it’s written in
become fishers of men it’s written in
become fishers of men it’s written in the Gospels that Jesus had a father on
the Gospels that Jesus had a father on
the Gospels that Jesus had a father on earth named Joseph
earth named Joseph
earth named Joseph he appears several times in the texts
he appears several times in the texts
he appears several times in the texts but disappears after Jesus teaches at
but disappears after Jesus teaches at
but disappears after Jesus teaches at the temple at age 12 it makes sense to
the temple at age 12 it makes sense to
the temple at age 12 it makes sense to presume that at some point during this
presume that at some point during this
presume that at some point during this time he died and that Jesus would have
time he died and that Jesus would have
time he died and that Jesus would have had to deal with the death of his father
had to deal with the death of his father
had to deal with the death of his father and would have done the appropriate
and would have done the appropriate
and would have done the appropriate things as a son namely attend to the
things as a son namely attend to the
things as a son namely attend to the burial services and attend to the
burial services and attend to the
burial services and attend to the various rituals and then be especially
various rituals and then be especially
various rituals and then be especially attentive to his mother and the needs
attentive to his mother and the needs
attentive to his mother and the needs that his mother would have had but being
that his mother would have had but being
that his mother would have had but being the one responsible for his family would
the one responsible for his family would
the one responsible for his family would not last
not last
not last there are clues in the Gospels that
there are clues in the Gospels that
there are clues in the Gospels that suggest Jesus would leave them behind in
suggest Jesus would leave them behind in
suggest Jesus would leave them behind in order for Jesus’s ministry to work he
order for Jesus’s ministry to work he
order for Jesus’s ministry to work he would have to shun the people closest to
would have to shun the people closest to
would have to shun the people closest to him his brothers and sisters and his
him his brothers and sisters and his
him his brothers and sisters and his mother he went walkabout he went out on
mother he went walkabout he went out on
mother he went walkabout he went out on tour he went out to do miracles and
tour he went out to do miracles and
tour he went out to do miracles and signs and wonders and preach and teach
signs and wonders and preach and teach
signs and wonders and preach and teach all over the place leaving James and the
all over the place leaving James and the
all over the place leaving James and the other members of the family to take over
other members of the family to take over
other members of the family to take over the family business this in a small town
the family business this in a small town
the family business this in a small town would have been considered scandalous
would have been considered scandalous
would have been considered scandalous there is of course a great deal about
there is of course a great deal about
there is of course a great deal about those years that we don’t know but what
those years that we don’t know but what
those years that we don’t know but what we do know is not insignificant and that
we do know is not insignificant and that
we do know is not insignificant and that is that Jesus grew up as a boy in the
is that Jesus grew up as a boy in the
is that Jesus grew up as a boy in the synagogue learning Scripture drinking
synagogue learning Scripture drinking
synagogue learning Scripture drinking deeply from the wells of Scripture
deeply from the wells of Scripture
deeply from the wells of Scripture experiencing firsthand the social and
experiencing firsthand the social and
experiencing firsthand the social and economic oppression of the Palestinian
economic oppression of the Palestinian
economic oppression of the Palestinian Jewish peasantry of his time of which he
Jewish peasantry of his time of which he
Jewish peasantry of his time of which he was apart and envisioning a day as he
was apart and envisioning a day as he
was apart and envisioning a day as he would later say of a kingdom of God
would later say of a kingdom of God
would later say of a kingdom of God where the cause of the poor and the
where the cause of the poor and the
where the cause of the poor and the lowly and the disadvantaged would be
lowly and the disadvantaged would be
lowly and the disadvantaged would be championed over those who oppressed them
championed over those who oppressed them
championed over those who oppressed them by studying stories agreed upon to be
by studying stories agreed upon to be
by studying stories agreed upon to be true a clearer albeit hypothesized
true a clearer albeit hypothesized
true a clearer albeit hypothesized portrait of Christ’s life can emerge
”
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