How was Jesus as a kid growing up?

Question

Is there anything in the Bible or any scriptures that tells the story of Jesus growing up? Where he went to school? What he did in his free time? What colour his bike was? His first crush?

All sillyness aside, i just wanna know if there are any stories of how Jesus lived growing up?

LOTR Fan: Wazzap?!

LOTR Fan: Sorry, but feeling a bit serious today. You can check my previous questions, they have a wee bit of humour.

Answer 1

Wow...so far you've gotten almost an entire sentence for an answer. I know it was already pointed out in "Dogma" so I'm not really throwing out a very original idea....but why on earth DID 90% of "god's son's" life NOT get documented? No baby book? No home movies? God's a deadbeat dad!!!! It was left out to cover his not paying child support!

Answer 2

Well, Luke tells us that at age 12 Jesus was carrying on a conversation with various learned men in the temple in Jerusalem, so by that we can infer that He was likely a very good student in school.

For the most part, what we can surmise about Jesus's childhood would be based on what we know about the lives of most Jewish males in that part of the world during that time period (which is why most people agree He was 30 when He started His ministry; the first thing He did was to read aloud from the scriptures in the synagogue, and Jewish men weren't allowed to do that until they were 30). He studied, possibly helped around the house, quite possibly helped Joseph with various carpentry projects.

Unfortunately, we don't know too much of the specific stuff about His early life, probably because for the most part He never really spoke of it, and those around Him probably didn't realize at the time that He was the promised Messiah (and thus didn't think to record what He did in their journals).

I admit it'd be pretty cool if we did know some of the 'mundane' stuff about what Jesus was like as a kid (well, we'll just have to ask Him when we get to heaven!).

Answer 3

I've heard one story from the sufis that when "Isa" (which is their name for jesus) was a boy it was on the sabbath and he was playing outside making pigeons out of clay. When he had finished them they would fly away.

A rabbi saw this and was worried that it was work. And should not be done on the sabbath. A few worried rabbis had a discussion and in the end they decided that as making clay pigeons that fly away was impossible it could not be considered work, and so "Isa" was doing nothing wrong.


Sufi stories however tend not to be factual. They are more interested in a good story than in telling the truth. There maybe some truth in it.

The other story of course is told by the hindus that he studied meditation in india before returning to israel to teach...

Answer 4

Other than Luke 2:41-52, the Bible does not tell us anything about Jesus’ youth. From this incident we do know certain things about Jesus’ childhood. First, He was the son of parents who were devout in their religious observances. As required by their faith, Joseph and Mary made the yearly pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. In addition, they brought their 12-year-old son to celebrate His first Feast in preparation for His bar mitzvah at age 13, when Jewish boys commemorate their passage into adulthood. Here we see a typical boy in a typical family of that day.

We see also in this story that Jesus’ lingering in the temple was neither mischievous nor disobedient, but a natural result of His knowledge that He must be about His Father’s business. That He was astonishing the temple teachers with His wisdom and knowledge speaks to His extraordinary abilities, while His listening and asking questions of His elders shows that He was utterly respectful, taking the role of a student as was fitting for a child of His age.

From this incident to His baptism at age 30, all we know of Jesus’ youth was that He left Jerusalem and returned to Nazareth with His parents and “was obedient to them” Luke 2:51. He fulfilled His duty to His earthly parents in submission to the 5th commandment, an essential part of the perfect obedience to the law of Moses which He rendered on our behalf. Beyond that, all we know is that “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men" (Luke 2:52).

Answer 5

Jesus incarnated in this world at the bading of His heavenly father and His is immaculate conception. He was aware within Himself the Mission for which He descended into this world. He was assisting his earthly father(Joseph) the carpenter. But in his spare time he used to visit the temples and exhorted people about various secrets of Life and living, worship of God, rules governing our life in society etc. He was aware of the society and its pitfalls when He took birth. He has come for the specific purpose of enlightening the hearts of people. He started slowly on his mission when he was a young boy. But after wards, he left the place travel led widely in Asia and it seems he was a student in a monastic in Tibet and His name was found in the Monastery as "Isa'

Answer 6

He was a male child in a Jewish home. He would have learned what Mary and Joseph taught him, including the family business. He was not born with any special knowledge or abilities. That came with his baptism.

He had to have been a very powerful man, being a perfect human, working in a labor intensive field. Likely why no one dared to challenge him when he overturned the tables in the Temple. His humility came from how he presented himself, not from how he appeared. He had to have been a magnificent man in appearance, not the weak man so often represented by Christendom.

Answer 7

Luk 2:42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast.
Luk 2:43 And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not [of it].
Luk 2:44 But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought him among [their] kinsfolk and acquaintance.
Luk 2:45 And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him.
Luk 2:46 And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.
Luk 2:47 And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.
Luk 2:48 And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.
Luk 2:49 And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?

Answer 8

The beginning of St Luke's Gospel.

Answer 9

The "Forbidden" Infancy Gospel of Thomas is an interesting answer.

Answer 10

Like any other kids except with full of the Holy Spirit!