The Early Days of Jesus

This article explores topics and excerpts from the newly released book Journey Through the Bible and Your Story, now available on Amazon.

Before Jesus stepped into public ministry around the age of 30, His early life quietly fulfilled promise after promise spoken long before His birth. Though His early years are covered in only a few Gospel chapters, they are rich with meaning, divine orchestration, and prophetic fulfillment.

Jesus was born in Bethlehem to Mary, a young virgin engaged to Joseph. This miraculous birth fulfilled Isaiah’s ancient words: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son…” (Isaiah 7:14). His arrival was first announced to humble shepherds and later honored by Magi who traveled far, recognizing in Him the long-awaited “King of the Jews.”

Though the Gospels don’t give us a specific date, most scholars place His birth between 6 and 4 BC. What they do give us is something far more important—His lineage. Matthew’s Gospel traces Jesus’ family line through Joseph, connecting Him to King David and Abraham. Luke takes a different path, tracing through Mary’s side to show Jesus’ connection to all humanity. Together, they affirm His legal and spiritual qualifications to be the promised Messiah.

As an infant, Jesus was presented at the Temple where Simeon and Anna, faithful servants waiting for the Redeemer, recognized Him immediately. Shortly after, His family fled to Egypt to escape Herod’s brutal decree to kill all infant boys in Bethlehem. This flight fulfilled Hosea’s prophecy: “Out of Egypt I called My son” (Hosea 11:1).

When Jesus was twelve, we catch another glimpse—this time in Jerusalem during Passover. Separated from His parents, He was found in the Temple, sitting among the teachers and amazing them with His understanding. His words to Mary and Joseph still echo today: “Did you not know that I must be in My Father’s house?”

Then the Gospels go quiet. From ages 12 to 30, we read only that He “grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man” (Luke 2:52). We assume He worked as a carpenter and lived a faithful, obedient life—fully human, yet set apart.

Even in this quieter season, Jesus fulfilled the prophecies: born of a virgin, in Bethlehem, from the line of David, called out of Egypt, raised in Nazareth, and preceded by John the Baptist. Every detail was part of God’s perfect plan.

These early years remind us: God prepares quietly, purposefully. Long before public ministry or miracles, Jesus lived a faithful life in obscurity, walking steadily toward the mission that would change the world—and our stories forever.