The Forgotten JesusSample

Jesus’ Childhood

When we hear about someone’s upbringing, we’re more likely to understand why they do certain things, why they find certain things important, and why they have a particular outlook on the world. We can do the same thing with Jesus. Gospel writers, particularly Luke, preserved for us certain details of Jesus’ upbringing. But remember that these writers were addressing people who were alive in the same time period as Jesus. Their readers knew the politics, the cultural conventions, and the events of an average lifetime in that day. 

Through the years we’ve lost a sense of that time. We see a big gap in Jesus’ earthly life—from age thirteen to about thirty—and it causes some people to speculate wildly about it. This speculation isn’t necessary. From historical research we know what life was like for a Jewish boy growing up in first-century Israel. We can use that information to piece together what life may have looked like for young Jesus—what He did, how He was raised, and who His parents were? 

We have been raised thinking that Jesus’ Father was a carpenter, but what if He was a stonemason? 99% of the homes in that day would have been made from stone. When we’re trying to discern the truth of the Bible, we take into consideration not only the language and the culture, but also geography. The town of Nazareth was very close to a Roman city that was being built during Jesus’ earthly life. This city is constructed entirely of stone. 

Additionally, the word translated “carpenter” really means master builder. If Joseph was a stonemason and not a carpenter, this imagery would have filled Jesus’ daily life growing up and gives new meaning to verses like Matthew 7:24–27 and 1 Peter 2:5. They are deeper and richer because we understand that Jesus Himself would’ve related directly to these images. Jesus Christ is not just a piece of our salvation. He’s not just a piece of our belief system. He is the centerpiece of everything.