Volume 4 — How the Lord Jesus Spent His Boyhood.

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THE CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY AT BETHLEHEM. Used by special permission of the Detroit Photograph Company.

This marble star marks the place of Jesus' birth according to the belief of many.

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I THE NATIVITY How the Lord Jesus Was Born in a Stable.

(In the days of the Roman Emperor Augustus, a census of all the people of the empire was taken. Everyone went to his own city to be counted in the census. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David; to enroll himself with Mary.)

And it came to pass while they were there that she brought forth her firstborn son; and she wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were shepherds in the same country abiding in the field, and keeping watch by night over their flock. And an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were much afraid.

And the angel said unto them, "Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all the people: for there is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this is the sign unto you; Ye shall find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, and lying in a manger."

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,-- {38}

And it came to pass, when the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, "Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see what has come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us."

And they came with haste, and found both Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in the manger. And when they saw it, they made public the saying which was spoken to them about this child. And all that heard it wondered at the things which were spoken unto them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these sayings, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, even as it was spoken unto them.

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THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT. By W. A. Bouguereau (1825-1905)

"Thou wayfaring Jesus, a pilgrim and stranger, Exiled from heaven by love at thy birth, Exiled again from thy rest in the manger, A fugitive child 'mid the perils of earth. "Cheer with thy fellowship all who are weary, Wandering far from the land that they love; Guide every heart that is homeless and dreary Safe to thy home in thy presence above."

--Van Dyke

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II THE WISE MEN How They Came from Afar to See the Lord Jesus.

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is he who is born King of the Jews? for we saw his star in the east, and have come to worship him."

And when Herod the king heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ should be born.

And they said unto him, "In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,--

Then Herod secretly called the wise men, and inquired of them carefully what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, "Go and search out carefully concerning the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word, that I also may come and worship him."

And they, having heard the king, went their way; and {42} lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. And when they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And they came into the house and saw the young child with Mary his mother; and they fell down and worshiped him; and opening their treasures they offered unto him gifts; gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

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THE REPOSE IN EGYPT. This picture shows the Holy Family resting on the long journey to Egypt.

They are within the borders of the land of the Pharaohs, and are passing the night in the shadow of one of the great sphinxes

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III A JOURNEY TO THE LAND OF THE PHARAOHS. How the Lord Jesus Was Taken to Egypt, How He Was Brought Back, and How He Lived in Nazareth.

Now when the wise men had departed behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I tell thee: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him."

And he arose and took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt; and was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying,--

Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked by the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the male children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the borders thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had carefully learned of the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying,--

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But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, "Arise and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead that sought the young child's life."

And he arose and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judaea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither; and being warned of God in a dream, he withdrew into Galilee, and came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth.

And the child grew, and waxed strong, becoming full of wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.

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THE BOY JESUS ON HIS WAY TO JERUSALEM. By O. Mengelberg

"Oh! say not, dream not, heavenly notes To childish ears are vain, That the young mind at random floats And cannot reach the strain. "Was not our Lord a little child, Taught by degrees to pray, By father dear and mother mild Instructed day by day?"

--John Keble

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IV

THE BOYHOOD OF JESUS How the Lord Jesus Went to a Feast at Jerusalem for the First Time.

And his parents went every year to Jerusalem at the feast of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up after the custom of the feast; and when the feast was over, as they were returning, the boy Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and his parents knew it not; but supposing him to be in the company, they went a day's journey; and they sought for him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance: and when they found him not, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking for him.

And it came to pass, after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both hearing them, and asking them questions: and all that heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.

And when they saw him, they were astonished: and his mother said unto him, "Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I sought thee sorrowing."

And he said unto them, "How is it that ye sought me? knew ye not that I must be in my Father's house?"

And they understood not the saying which he spoke unto them. And he went down with them, and came to {50} Nazareth; and he was subject unto them: and his mother kept all these things in her heart.

And Jesus advanced in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

The New Testament tells us very little about the boyhood of Jesus, but fortunately we know from other sources much of the life of children in Palestine in those days. Among the earliest memories of the boy Jesus must have been the tender voice of his mother, as she sang or repeated to him the beautiful songs which we call psalms, and told him those wonderful stories of the heroism and faith of his ancestors, of which we read in the Old Testament. When he was five or six years old, he began to go to school. There he sat on the floor with the other little children of the village, forming a semicircle about their master. He was taught at school to read and write, and to repeat from memory large portions of the Old Testament. He no doubt had a boy's gladness in freedom and play when school was out. It must have been very pleasant to sit in Joseph's shop, and watch the shavings curl from the plane, to see the wood fashioned into various shapes of usefulness. When he grew older he learned the carpenter's trade in this shop. Every Jewish boy had to learn a trade. The home life was very simple. The family was poor, and it was not always easy to make both ends meet. Jesus no doubt helped his mother about her work, especially in drawing water from the village well. Every Sabbath he went to the village church, or synagogue, as it was called, and listened attentively to the service. In the village he often caught glimpses of the outside world, for Nazareth was on one of the main caravan routes. Here he would see merchants from the far East, strange, bearded, swarthy men with trains of camels, laden with bundles of precious merchandise, rugs, and gems, and sweet smelling sandal wood. Here he might see a company of Roman soldiers, marching under command of a centurion, short, stern men, helmeted, with shining armor, sword, and spear, in perfect discipline, showing the pride of the race which had conquered the world by force of arms. Here he saw, too, the poor and the suffering, the beggar, the outcast.

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FINDING OF CHRIST IN THE TEMPLE. Holman Hunt (1821-1910)

From a photograph belonging to the Forbes Library, Northampton, Mass., and used by special permission.

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He began to see, no doubt, as a boy, how much the world needed a saviour, and he began to form his resolution to be a hero, not a hero like the Roman soldier, but a hero of peace, one who should help and uplift humanity. So the days of his boyhood passed, in study, and work, and play, as he steadily grew toward manhood.

Every year three great feasts were kept by the Jews. The greatest of these was the Passover. People who could do so, left their homes, and journeyed to Jerusalem, the great sacred city of the Jews, to keep this feast; so that all the houses of the city were full of guests, all the villages near by were crowded with people, and the hills about were covered with the tents of those who could find no shelter in the houses. Women and little children were not required to take the hard journey, though they sometimes went. The journey had to be made on foot, or on the backs of horses or mules, the men carrying their food with them, and stopping at night where the dark found them. When they could arrange it, groups of friends and neighbors liked to go together, for company and safety. It was then often a happy journey, though it was never easy, and much as the boys looked forward to it, they often found that it was tiresome to tramp all day over the hills, and that they did not sleep as well at night on the open ground, with the cold stars looking down at them, as they did in their own beds at home. Yet the boys liked to go. Boys no doubt liked to "camp out" then, as they do now, and there was always a touch of adventure; the possibility of meeting robbers, or wild beasts. Besides, it was taking a part in man's work; for they were sometimes allowed to go when they were twelve years old. When they reached this age, they were to "keep the law," as their fathers did, and that made them feel like men. So it must have been a great day for Jesus, when he, now twelve years old, was allowed for the first time to start by his father's side, while his mother rode on an ass beside them, for the long walk of sixty miles in the soft spring air, over the hills to the city and the temple of which he had heard so much.

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IMMORTAL LOVE

Immortal love, forever full, Forever flowing free, Forever shared, forever whole, A never-ebbing sea. Blow, winds of God, awake and blow The mists of earth away! Shine out, O Light Divine, and show How wide and far we stray! We may not climb the heavenly steeps To bring the Lord Christ down: In vain we search the lowest deeps, For Him no depths can drown. But warm, sweet, tender, even yet A present help is He; And faith has still its Olivet, And love its Galilee. The healing of His seamless dress Is by our beds of pain; We touch Him in life's throng and press, And we are whole again. Through Him the first fond prayers are said Our lips of childhood frame, The last low whispers of our dead Are burdened with His name. O Lord and Master of us all! Whate'er our name or sign, We own Thy sway, we hear Thy call, We test our lives by Thine.

--John Greenleaf Whittier.

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A CARPENTER SHOP. From a photograph taken by Prof. Lewis Bayles Paton of Hartford Theological Seminary, and used by his kind permission.

This is a most interesting picture of an Eastern carpenter's shop. Some of the young workmen look very keen and intelligent. So the boy Jesus must have looked in the little shop of Joseph at Nazareth.

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JESUS, I MY CROSS HAVE TAKEN

Jesus, I my cross have taken, All to leave and follow Thee; Destitute, despised, forsaken, Thou from hence my all shalt be: Perish every fond ambition, All I've sought and hoped and known; Yet how rich is my condition, God and heaven are still my own. Let the world despise and leave me, They have left my Saviour, too; Human hearts and looks deceive me; Thou art not, like man, untrue; And while Thou shalt smile upon me, God of wisdom, love, and might, Foes may hate, and friends may shun me, Show Thy face, and all is bright. Go, then, earthly fame and treasure; Come, disaster, scorn, and pain! In Thy service, pain is pleasure; With Thy favor, loss is gain. I have called Thee, Abba, Father; I have stayed my heart on Thee: Storms may howl, and clouds may gather, All must work for good to me. Man may trouble and distress me, 'Twill but drive me to Thy breast; Life with trials hard may press me, Heaven will bring me sweeter rest. O 'tis not in grief to harm me, While Thy love is left to me; O 'twere not in joy to charm me, Were that joy unmixed with Thee.

--Henry Francis Lyte.

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AM I A SOLDIER OF THE CROSS

Am I a soldier of the cross, A follower of the Lamb? And shall I fear to own His cause, Or blush to speak His name? Must I be carried to the skies On flowery beds of ease, While others fought to win the prize, And sailed through bloody seas? Are there no foes for me to face? Must I not stem the flood? Is this vile world a friend to grace, To help me on to God? Sure I must fight, if I would reign; Increase my courage, Lord; I'll bear the toil, endure the pain, Supported by Thy word. Thy saints, in all this glorious war, Shall conquer, though they die; They view the triumph from afar, And seize it with their eye. When that illustrious day shall rise, And all Thine armies shine In robes of victory through the skies, The glory shall be Thine.

--Isaac Watts.

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NAZARETH.

The village of Nazareth itself lies in a basin, but from the hills all about it the most extended view can be obtained. The scenes of many of the most thrilling episodes in the history of Israel are in sight. In Jesus' time it was near the great caravan roads, and the center of a busy civilization.

"It was not as a rustic preaching to rustics that our Lord went about. He went forth in a part of the Roman empire full of Roman civilization, busy and populous."--Walter Besant

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