Episode Three
The Youth of John and Jesus
4 BC to 27 AD
In Judea, John grew up and became spiritually strong.
In Galilee, Jesus grew up and became spiritually strong. Jesus was filled with wisdom, and God was pleased with him.
~~~!~~!~~~
Every spring, Joseph and Mary went to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival.
Jesus always stayed with family in Nazareth, because Joseph was afraid to take him there while Archelaus still ruled in Judea.[1]
~~~!~~!~~~
In 6 AD, the Jews finally complained to Augustus Caesar about abuse by Archelaus. Caesar banished Archelaus to Gaul. Then Caesar declared that Judea and its region would now be a Roman Province, ruled by a Military Commander, called a Procurator.[2]
(Jesus turned twelve years old in May of 6 AD.)
~~~!~~!~~~
Early in 7 AD, when Jesus was twelve years old, they took him up to Jerusalem to keep the custom of the feast.
When the days of Passover were finished, they began travelling home. The boy, Jesus, stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not notice. They thought he was somewhere in the group of travelers.[3]
On the first day of travelling, they looked for him among their friends and relatives. When they did not find him, Joseph and Mary went back to Jerusalem and looked for him some more.
~~~!~~!~~~
After three days of looking, they found Jesus in the Temple. He was surrounded by the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.
Everyone who heard Jesus was amazed at his understanding, and at his answers.
When Joseph and Mary saw him, they were also amazed. His mother said to him, "Son, why have you done this to us? Look! Your father and I have been worried sick, looking for you!"
Jesus said to his parents, "What do you mean you were looking for me? Didn't you know that I must be in the things of my Father?"
They didn't understand what he was saying, but his mother kept all his words in her heart.
~~~!~~!~~~
Jesus went back down to Nazareth with them and was submisive to them. He kept growing up, taller and wiser. He grew in favor with both God and man.
~~~!~~!~~~
John’s elderly parents, Zechariah and Elizabeth, both died.
Then John lived in the deserts[4] until the day he appeared to Israel.
~~~!~~!~~~
Some other major events happened while Jesus and John were growing up.
14 AD – Caesar Augustus dies and Tiberius becomes Caesar
18 AD – Joseph Caiaphas becomes High Priest over Jerusalem
23 AD – Tiberius begins to let his right hand man, Aelius Sejanus, govern Rome and the Empire for him
26 AD – Sejanus makes Pontius Pilate the 5th Procurator of Judea
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FOOTNOTES:
[1] Archelaus ruled Judea as “Tetrarch” for ten years, from 4 BC to 6 AD. (There was no “year zero”.)
[2] The new Province of Judea included Samaria to the North and Idumea, to the south. Galilee was still ruled by Herod’s son Antipater, and Herod’s third son Philip still had his northern region as well. These were called "tetrarchies" and were not considered part of "Provincia Judea" at this time.
[3] It took several days to travel by foot downhill from Jerusalem to Nazareth. Often, many people from a town like this would travel in a group both to and from the festival, for safety, walking and sleeping together along the way.
[4] The term "the deserts" means unused lands west of the Jordan, probably in the barren hills.
4 BC to 27 AD
In Judea, John grew up and became spiritually strong.
In Galilee, Jesus grew up and became spiritually strong. Jesus was filled with wisdom, and God was pleased with him.
~~~!~~!~~~
Every spring, Joseph and Mary went to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival.
Jesus always stayed with family in Nazareth, because Joseph was afraid to take him there while Archelaus still ruled in Judea.[1]
~~~!~~!~~~
In 6 AD, the Jews finally complained to Augustus Caesar about abuse by Archelaus. Caesar banished Archelaus to Gaul. Then Caesar declared that Judea and its region would now be a Roman Province, ruled by a Military Commander, called a Procurator.[2]
(Jesus turned twelve years old in May of 6 AD.)
~~~!~~!~~~
Early in 7 AD, when Jesus was twelve years old, they took him up to Jerusalem to keep the custom of the feast.
When the days of Passover were finished, they began travelling home. The boy, Jesus, stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not notice. They thought he was somewhere in the group of travelers.[3]
On the first day of travelling, they looked for him among their friends and relatives. When they did not find him, Joseph and Mary went back to Jerusalem and looked for him some more.
~~~!~~!~~~
After three days of looking, they found Jesus in the Temple. He was surrounded by the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.
Everyone who heard Jesus was amazed at his understanding, and at his answers.
When Joseph and Mary saw him, they were also amazed. His mother said to him, "Son, why have you done this to us? Look! Your father and I have been worried sick, looking for you!"
Jesus said to his parents, "What do you mean you were looking for me? Didn't you know that I must be in the things of my Father?"
They didn't understand what he was saying, but his mother kept all his words in her heart.
~~~!~~!~~~
Jesus went back down to Nazareth with them and was submisive to them. He kept growing up, taller and wiser. He grew in favor with both God and man.
~~~!~~!~~~
John’s elderly parents, Zechariah and Elizabeth, both died.
Then John lived in the deserts[4] until the day he appeared to Israel.
~~~!~~!~~~
Some other major events happened while Jesus and John were growing up.
14 AD – Caesar Augustus dies and Tiberius becomes Caesar
18 AD – Joseph Caiaphas becomes High Priest over Jerusalem
23 AD – Tiberius begins to let his right hand man, Aelius Sejanus, govern Rome and the Empire for him
26 AD – Sejanus makes Pontius Pilate the 5th Procurator of Judea
27 AD - In the fourteenth year of his rule, Tiberius semi-retires to the Island of Capri, staying in power through Sejanus.
--------------------------------------------------------
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Archelaus ruled Judea as “Tetrarch” for ten years, from 4 BC to 6 AD. (There was no “year zero”.)
[2] The new Province of Judea included Samaria to the North and Idumea, to the south. Galilee was still ruled by Herod’s son Antipater, and Herod’s third son Philip still had his northern region as well. These were called "tetrarchies" and were not considered part of "Provincia Judea" at this time.
[3] It took several days to travel by foot downhill from Jerusalem to Nazareth. Often, many people from a town like this would travel in a group both to and from the festival, for safety, walking and sleeping together along the way.
[4] The term "the deserts" means unused lands west of the Jordan, probably in the barren hills.