The Boy Jesus

This picture is by Murillo (1618-1682) and is one of the few that depicts Jesus looking like a Real Boy.

 In 1996, at Lent, the Bible Society produced tapes covering the New Testament, with different voices reading, as the various characters speak. Naturally they used a child's voice in Luke Chapter 2 verse 49. Did you not know that I must be in my Father's House. But I cannot remember hearing it so read before and it stunned me. And it brought home with new emphasis what God had actually done in sending His Son.

We can imagine very easily how Joseph and Mary felt when they lost Him. I once lost my son when he was ten for just a couple of hours and it remains the worst day of my life. Note that it is Mary who tells Him off! Perhaps Joseph was already in awe of this strange adopted Son. This cannot be the only surprising thing He did in His first twelve years! Since he enthralled the Jewish teachers with His knowledge He must have surprised others before, especially His proud (adopted) Dad. And since we have no knowledge of 90% of our Lord's earthly life, we can only guess at how He surprised Himself as He gradually understood who He was. We must not lose that surprise.

There are other infancy stories which are apocryphal. They can be found from:

And a certain Jew saw all this and was distressed that Jesus should be playing on the Sabbath and immediately went to complain to his father. Joseph, not wanting to cause offence, went down with the Jew to the river and shouted at Jesus. What do you think you are doing, breaking the law of the Sabbath. Jesus stood up from his task, looked at Joseph and then back to the clay sparrows, clapped his little hands together and, with surprising authority, said Go! The sparrows took flight, chirping as they went! The Jew was amazed and hurried off to tell what he had seen Jesus do.

Away in a manger no crib for a bed,  the little Lord Jesus lay down His sweet head  The stars in the Bright sky looked down where he lay  the little Lord Jesus asleep in the hay  -

His childhood was complex, as He grew up in strength  His wisdom increasing and kindness at length  To Mary and Joseph He was a fine son  gradually  realising  that He was The One - He died for our blessing,  He died for our sin  And rose into heaven that we might come in  We pray for the children, we pray for the world  and ask Him for mercy as we seek to serve.  - Your children are hungry Your children are hurt  and many are dying in pain in the dirt.  Please save them Lord Jesus, we earnestly pray  so they can be happy and follow Your way.  - Be near them Lord Jesus, we ask You to stay  Close by them for ever and love them we pray  Bless all Your dear Children with Your tender care  and fit us for heaven to live with them there.  - Tune (USA) Tune (UK)