Hidden Life of Jesus of Nazareth; Childhood

We know most of the issues of Jesus, his miracles, his life as a preacher, his passion, death and resurrection, however in this article we are going to deal with the hidden life of Jesus of Nazareth, which covers his childhood or infancy. We invite you to discover more.

Hidden life of Jesus

In relation to the hidden life of Jesus , we can tell the reader that it is about the time when Jesus lived in Nazareth, from birth to thirty-three years.

The life of Jesus in his childhood has almost never been spoken of, nor do the evangelists speak almost of it, and it is that they began to describe the hidden life of Jesus by the end, that is, by the experience of the Resurrection. Later they continued narrating what they knew about Jesus and the words that they heard during their coexistence with Him.

At the time of narrating the childhood of Jesus, they noticed that they knew very little about it. For this reason they used to ask his own Mother the Virgin Mary as well as the people who were close to him in the process of his growth.

Due to the above and collecting data from the people who knew him in childhood, they were able to narrate the hidden life of Jesus, from the very moment of his birth until he was thirty years old; moment in which Jesus goes out to meet John to be baptized in the Jordan.

Somehow they realized that although Jesus was a man, they also knew that he was special, and because of that knowledge they had, they captured such elements of his life in the Gospels.

In this way, in the Bible itself we get details at the time of Jesus’ birth that do not normally occur with other types of people, such as the star over the manger in Bethlehem when Jesus was born. Likewise the Kings who went to worship him and the Angels who announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds on the way.

What do we know about the hidden life of Jesus?

Jesus like any other person lived a daily life, without important events; he also shared, throughout his hidden life, the life of most men, as we said a normal life like any other, he had his religious life, a life of work, he participated in community activities .

According to what the Gospel reflects at this time, Jesus had a life that was subject to his parents, however he was growing full of knowledge, stature, wisdom and grace before God and man».

Although Jesus was under the control of his parents, he fulfills commandment number four. Loving his Father with total obedience and fidelity.

“Nazareth becomes the school where the life of Jesus begins as an institution of the Gospel. It is also the silent lesson, of family life and work».

What happened during those years?

We must take a tour of the mysteries that the Gospel shows in relation to the hidden life of Jesus, and among these we can determine the following:

The visitation; annunciation, birth of Jesus in Bethlehem; Joseph’s test; purification in the Temple; death of the innocents, hidden life of Jesus in Nazareth; the baby Jesus lost and found in the temple; death of Joseph and faith of Mary.

The hidden life of Jesus takes place in Nazareth. The inhabitants themselves do not know very well the events or hidden life of Jesus.

Go to Nazareth

«After Herod’s death, an Angel of God appeared in a dream and said to Joseph: Get up, take the child and his mother and go to Israel; since those who sought the child’s death have died.

Later Joseph got up and took the child and his mother and went to Israel. However when Joseph learned that Herod’s successor was Archelaus, he was afraid to go there; in a dream he was warned again and they went to Galilee. Then they went to Nazareth, for the fulfillment of what the prophets had determined: “he will be called a Nazarene”.

Back in Nazareth

Nazareth is the place where what is called the often mentioned hidden life of the Lord takes place. The inhabitants did not know very well about such events. The neighbors of the time asked when registering what had happened.

The residents of the city are happy to see them back and note that the marriage comes with a very beautiful child; They accept him and José begins his work as a craftsman. During his life in Nazareth, it develops like the life of all the men of the place, simple, of work, a totally normal life. Christ converts work and life into walks of salvation and attachment to God. At that time he sanctifies the family.

Other data of interest

It is known by all what Jesus did throughout his years of public life, as he preached, he traveled entire places bringing hope and words of encouragement to those who needed it. He healed the sick, raised the dead and taught people through parables that left a teaching.

However, some may wonder what he did during the previous 30 years? The only thing we know and are clear about is the event that occurred when he was 12 years old, which is the moment in which he was lost in the temple, since he had been preaching since that age.

This event happened at an Easter party; His parents found him in the temple surrounded by many people who listened to him and asked him questions, including teachers; everyone looked at him amazed and amazed at the intelligence he possessed.

However, the Gospel says that after this event he returned to Nazareth, and from then on the veil of uncertainty of the hidden life of Jesus is loosened again, for 20 more years.

This mysterious silence regarding the youth of Jesus, allowed many stories to be created and invented, unusual stories on the subject. Some with a more developed imagination say that Jesus traveled to the city of England with his uncle and grandfather Joseph of Arimathea, there it is said that he met the religion of the Celts and obtained knowledge of the knowledge that he would later preach, about the Trinity and the arrival of a Messiah.

Unlike other people who say that he went to India, there they say that the Buddhas taught him to read, heal the sick and perform exorcisms. Others determine that he went to Egypt and learned some secrets from the Pharaohs and was filled with the energy of the pyramids and their mysteries.

The most innocent or naive believe that he came to America and began with the knowledge of the redskins.

We must read the gospels well

All these facts have been created by pure popular belief, the gospels say nothing on the subject and do not determine anything about the hidden years of Jesus. However, we must ask ourselves: do the Gospels really say nothing in this regard? Are there no signs of what Jesus did in these years of mystery?

We must properly tell the reader that this is not real, since in the Gospel of Saint Luke two ideas are observed that we consider important.

The first is that after the presentation of Jesus in the Temple of Jerusalem, a few days after his birth; he returns with his parents Joseph and Mary to Galilee to the city of Nazareth. There the child grew, became strong and also acquired wisdom and the grace of the Father was upon him”.

Then we can conclude by saying that the evangelist himself tells us that Jesus spent the years after his departure in the town of Nazareth, and there he developed physically, religiously and intellectually like a normal child of his age.

As a second characteristic we see that at the age of twelve he is lost in the Temple in Jerusalem and is found by his parents in the Temple. Later it is determined that he returns with his parents to Nazareth and there he lived paying attention to everything they indicated. Jesus was growing full of stature, wisdom and above all with the grace of God and man.

One more from the town

If we think only of what the Gospel determines, we can conclude that Jesus was all the time in Nazareth in all the time of the mysterious years of his hidden life. Lucas affirms: “There he lived”.

And together with his family circle he obtained experience in relation to his maturity as a man, as well as the psychological and intellectual part, in the same way that any child of the time and of that city could do.

This determination is confirmed in the passage from the Gospel of Mark when Jesus preaches in the synagogue of Nazareth, when the people of that place listened to him they were amazed and wondered: Where does he get the wisdom he possesses and the power to perform miracles? Is he not the son of Mary?

As we see the hidden life of Jesus, he must have run in a normal and ordinary way in the place where he lived, such as the town of Nazareth, and the day he preached in public with such wisdom, which was not common, the members of the town were surprised and amazed.

They did not imagine in any way that Jesus was not only “the carpenter”, or the son of Mary. If Jesus had not been absent in order to study and perfect himself, as the legends mention, if so, why were the Galileans so amazed at the knowledge that Jesus had?

Likewise, if Jesus had not left the town of Nazareth in his time of childhood and youth, or had not left on a momentary journey, we could ask ourselves: what did he do in all those years?

Is it possible to know something about the hidden life of Jesus? The answer is yes, due to the various archaeological and literary events that we currently have.

Who is Jesus?

We can have thousands and thousands of definitions of Jesus, one of the most important is that he is the Son of God the Father. Likewise, Jesus belonged to the Jewish people itself. He is equally considered a descendant of the great Old Testament participants such as David, Abraham, and Jacob.

It is equally defined as Jesus being a special being and becoming the great hope of the people of Israel; they see it as the miracle of a Savior, a Messiah or simply the Lord.

We can also say of Jesus that his birth was God’s own idea, it is a consequence of his own initiative. As is known by all, she was conceived by the work of the Holy Spirit in Mary, she being a virgin or that she had not known a man.

Jesus used to be a child like any other on the one hand, however he is a special being, since he is the very son of the Father God. The birth of Jesus was considered good news not only for the Jewish people but for all other people of the towns, races and even religiosity.

For Christians it is well known that the beginning of the life of Jesus is developed under a situation of poverty, humility and simplicity. The poor show him their appreciation or solidarity but the people in power harass, criticize and persecute him.

What was his real name?

At the moment the child is born, the first thing their parents do is give it a name, this was a very emotional ceremony that was celebrated on the eighth day and in the presence of witnesses.

The name that Joseph and Mary gave their son was “Yehoshua”, which in the Hebrew language means Joshua. According to the Bible in Palestine the name must have been shorter and that is why it was pronounced “Yeshúa”, for family reasons. Also due to customs in Galilee and because they spoke differently there, the abbreviation must have been greater, so its pronunciation was “Yeshú”.

Later the original Christians made a translation of the same name from the Greek language and then its pronunciation would remain as “Jesus”. This name of Yeshúa was very common and ordinary, this happened during the first century.

It is also determined in the same way by the writer Flavio Josefo, who states that a number greater than 20 people bore this same name, however at least 10 are simultaneous with Jesus of Nazareth.

In the language of the Hebrews, the name Jesus or Joshua means “God saves”. The name was not placed as nothing more than a tribute to the Hebrew Joshua, but on the contrary, as Matthew tells us in his Gospel, it was due to an Angel of God who said to Joseph: “You will name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

Did Jesus learn to read and write?

In relation to this question, many think that it is illogical, since in three of the Gospels it is clearly determined that he did know how to read and write. This is determined in several passages of the Bible that we are going to name so that the reader has his own idea about it, namely:

The first episode is about the moment when the scribes and Pharisees presented Jesus with a woman who was imbued with the sin of adultery, they brought her before him to see if they stoned her or not, at that moment Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with your finger. This, as we see, is an indication that he did know how to write.

Another episode happened when, presenting himself at the Nazareth synagogue, he was invited to read the book of Isaiah. Obviously it is proof that he did know how to read perfectly.

As a third case is that of the Jews who at the time of the sermons listened to him and were surprised and said: “How is it that you know how to write without having studied.”

However, unfortunately, we must say that the three texts mentioned above are not reliable proof that this was the case or to prove whether Jesus read and wrote.

Because the first one shows the example that Jesus was writing something on the ground with his finger, however, it cannot be known for sure that he was writing. This has led some to imagine that it could only be that he drew lines on the sand, perhaps as a sign of annoyance at the accusation made against the adulteress; but it would not be a writing as such.

The second case is due to the fact that the text of Isaiah defines that if Jesus read in the synagogue of Nazareth, as it is said, it does not exist, since it is thought that it is an episode invented by Luke skipping the verses of the book.

As for the third where Jesus is presented with knowledge of writing without having studies, it does not really say that Jesus had learned to write, but on the contrary he only knew how to use the Scriptures and in a theological way it was that he had the knowledge that did develop orally without knowing how to read.

The two study cycles

For this reason, there is no certainty in the gospels that Jesus has learned to read and write. We wonder: Can we find out in another way? Yes. This through the literature of the Jewish people.

In relation to the above we must inform the reader that in those times when Jesus was still a child, in Nazareth as in all the towns of Palestine, there were small schools where children attended from the age of 5. In the case that concerns us, the synagogue was next to such a school, and consisted of a school program with two basic cycles.

The first cycle of studies lasted 5 years. The children began as usual learning the letters, in this case it was the Hebrew alphabet, later they started reading the Bible, beginning with Leviticus; followed by this they continued with other biblical books, until they learned the sacred text perfectly.

When they finished this stage, they went on to the next cycle, which lasted 2 years; it dealt with knowledge about the Oral Law, that is, the interpretation of law doctors in relation to biblical laws.

When the children reached the age of 12 they finished their studies. The brightest could go on to deeper studies; for this purpose they had to go to Jerusalem or another important city and enter schools that were guided by doctors of the Law.

This was because the privilege could only be enjoyed by a few; Most of the children who finished stayed with their families, at which time they were trained for a trade that they could learn and thus earn a living. Jesus himself attended, like any child, the two cycles of his childhood school stage; this happened in the synagogue of Nazareth with other children; there he began to write and read.

Was Jesus a carpenter?

What is known in relation to this is that every family had to grant an occupation to their children for the future; the rabbis of the time maintained: “He who does not teach his son a trade, he teaches her to steal.”

When Jesus was preaching in the Nazareth synagogue and the villagers saw him, they wondered “Isn’t this the carpenter?” Because of this question, we can presume that Jesus became a carpenter, a trade that his father, Joseph, practiced.

However, some people have doubts about it; since the gospels have another version. Example in San Mateo, the question is: “Is not this the son of the carpenter?”, That is, it differs since he is referring directly to Joseph. Instead, in Luke the question is reflected: “Is not this the son of Joseph?”, in which none is reflected as a carpenter.

As another point we can say that Nazareth was inhabited mostly by peasants and the vast majority were farmers or raised cattle. And as a third and last point since in most of the parables there are images of an agricultural type environment and not of carpentry.

How did Jesus pray?

Another of the activities learned by Jesus was to pray, every Israelite child had to have the habit of praying frequently, this happened from the age of 13. To this end, he was taught to cover his head and shoulders with a special mantilla called “tallit”, this had the characteristic of having a kind of fringe called “zitzit” hanging from its four corners.

Such bangs were an allegorical representation of divine laws. The use of the cloak with fringes was ordered by God himself to use Moses, as we can see in Deuteronomy: “Speak to the Israelites so that they put some fringes on the corner of their cloaks. Thus, with it, they will remember the commandments of the Lord.

The prayers that the Jews had to learn in their teenage years had to be performed every day. One of the prayers was named “Shema” in Hebrew means “Listen”, it began: “Listen, Israel: Yahweh is our only God.” This prayer was considered a profession of faith, it was extracted directly from Deuteronomy.

The second prayer was called “Shemoné Esre” in Hebrew means “Eighteen” since it contains eighteen prayers; twelve requests, three praises and three thanks to God.

Through the constant repetition of these prayers, Jesus learned to call God “Our Father”, and through these same prayers the spiritual climate in which he grew was created; They also had a high impact on his religious psychology as a child.

Where did you go on Saturdays?

On Saturdays, Jesus attended the synagogue of Nazareth like any child. It could be thought that, like other children, he would feel bored and impatient with the long prayers of the assembly, since they lasted half a day, and since Jesus spoke Aramaic, he could feel more uneasy since the prayers were in Hebrew.

However, with the passage of time, he acquired knowledge of prayers and rites until they became familiar to him. Apart from attending the synagogue, the Sabbath day was respected and absolute or total rest was practiced.

So, taking the above into consideration, we must think that Jesus helped Mary, his mother, from Friday afternoons like any child, he helped her in the moments before the celebration such as: looking for a supply of water, cleaning the house, tidying or put the work tools in their proper place; while he was doing this, Maria was in charge of preparing the meals.

On Saturdays there was also a custom that, although it began on Friday afternoons, lasted until the moment of going to the synagogue, such a custom was a rite called light. In this case, Jesus used to stand by the table while Mary recited a blessing and lit a lamp, which had to be kept lit until the next day.

When they returned at noon, the families of the town used to meet and they did it among several people, in order to share a lunch in which the main theme was religious.

worry about today

According to what we have seen previously, the hidden life of Jesus is nothing to write home about or does not turn out to be as prodigious as they make it out to be.

On the contrary, it was a life like any other child who grew up with different family customs, which made Jesus grow until he became the man we all know according to the Gospels and his lived experiences as well as his passion, crucifixion until reaching death. Resurrection.

At the time that his Father God asked him to leave everything and fulfill the mission of preaching the message of the salvation of men, Jesus never felt regret for the years prior to this.

Nor did he regret the meetings with friends, his work in the workshop, family gatherings, since he lived every moment as the best day by day. Jesus never considered this time lived as “lost”. And he also taught it to everyone: “Don’t worry about tomorrow; tomorrow there will be time to worry”.

As we all know at Christmas time, we are always shown the details of Jesus’ childhood, these stories have also been taught to us in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. In these gospels, stories are told about wonderful events that the inhabitants of Galilee and Judea were able to determine at the time of the birth of Jesus and John the Baptist.

There are many studies, investigations on these stories of the childhood of Jesus and how they happened or how they are told. The birth and infancy of Jesus is often a subject greatly distorted by various people and opinions.

However, despite the fact that these opinions have been questioned, for Christians or believers the fact of the birth of Jesus is still important, and is considered a fundamental event. Since through this God enters the history of the entire world and becomes a participant in it.

Likewise, a more serious problem is created regarding how the life, childhood, adolescence, youth and adulthood of Jesus developed, as well as how the life of that child who would become a special being could be. Or what is the same as how was the “hidden life” of Jesus the Nazarene.

Another story that is determined in the Gospel of Mark, talks about how Jesus’ relatives saw with concern that he lived so attached and stuck among people that he often forgot to eat; for this reason sometimes they tried to get him out by force and commented: “that he had lost his mind”.

What does the hidden life of Jesus in Nazareth teach us?

Of the hidden life of Jesus in Nazareth we can say that he remains silent as to normal or ordinary existence. In this way we can feel that we are in direct communion with him in a private, holy way, through prayer, simplicity, love, work and family love.

As for his parents, Jesus was always submerged in full obedience to Mary, his mother, and Joseph, his biological father; since his legal father is the living image of obedience, fidelity of Jesus to his Heavenly Father. His parents through faith receive the mystery of Jesus, although many times they often do not fully understand it.

Neither the hidden nor the public life is explained in the Creed. Unlike this in the Gospel, the mysteries of childhood and hidden life are precisely pointed out, explaining this phenomenon throughout public life.

However, Christians or believers must imitate the life of Jesus, investigate it from his birth to his death and Resurrection, his life in Egypt, Bethlehem and Nazareth, as well as the years of his preaching about the Kingdom of God.

Main ideas

Regarding this theme of the life of Jesus, a series of main ideas are given, which we must as Christians and believers in Christ put into practice throughout our lives, and be true imitators of that of Jesus. The life of Jesus was a constant teaching:

• its concealment.
• obedience.
• worked.
• his miracles.
• the sentence.
• love for men.
• his preference towards children and the poor.
• the acceptance on the sacrifice on the cross for the redemption of humanity.
• everything he did.

Jesus as an example of life

It is well known that Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judah: God sent his beloved Son, from the most pure womb of the Most Holy Virgin Mary. Jesus is born in a very poor stable from a very humble family.

We must take this example as a teaching for our daily lives, that our life be one of humility, simplicity and not complain so much about the poverty that may be happening. In this we must remember Jesus at all times.

Mysteries of the childhood of Jesus

There were certain situations in the life of the infant of Jesus that some were even taken as mysteries of the hidden life of Jesus, among these we can determine:

• Circumcision: ceremony that anticipates baptism.
• Epiphany or declaration of Jesus as Messiah or envoy of Israel; With this, the adoration of the Magi is given.
• Presentation of Jesus in the Temple: Mary did not need this because she was a virgin and had no sin, however she submitted to the law of God.
• Flight to Egypt and death of children.

The role of Saint Joseph

God decided that Jesus would have a father on earth. For this he destined Joseph who was Mary’s virginal husband. José assumed that mission together with María in a humble, simple way; he taught Jesus the trade that he practiced; he assumed the obligation to provide food, care for Mary and Jesus himself. This was truly a holy family.

Sanctification in ordinary work

Through work we must imitate Jesus because through work we sanctify ourselves and through this sanctification we find God and we can love him. We must carry out our work with the idea of ​​serving God and others. We must see this as an example to follow from the life of Jesus who teaches us many good things according to his life.

You have to treat the Holy Family

The holy family is made up as we know by Jesus, Mary and Joseph. We must as a family take their example and apply their example in our lives, their virtues and take the examples they gave us.

purposes to move forward

We must at all times keep in mind and investigate the hidden life of Jesus, we can do it through the Gospels, so we must meditate on it daily.

We must make a personal reflection on how the example of the lives of Jesus, Mary and Joseph affects our lives, if we sanctify our work. Let us keep in mind Joseph as the head of the Holy Family, as well as Mary and Jesus, and let us imitate their virtues and examples in our families and daily walk with them.

Jesus and his family

As most Catholics know, the birthplace of Jesus was Bethlehem, in Israel. The full name of Jesus was “Jesus of Nazareth”, since at that time it was not customary to have surnames, the surname was the place where they came from at his birth.

That is why his name is Jesus of Nazareth, since he came from there; the name of the parents could also be used. This custom is still seen in certain Galician villages.

María and José were his parents, José was a carpenter by profession and had his job in this specialty, his mother María worked in housework, in the past this type of work used to be harder than today since there were not so many conveniences such as those that exist today such as work tools, appliances, etc.

Jesus’ family belonged to a lower middle society, due to the carpentry work carried out by his father José.

The childhood of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew

As for the childhood or infancy of Jesus, Matthew begins the theme in the Gospel by listing a number of ancestors of Jesus himself, this in order to show that Jesus belongs to Israel and is the Messiah that the people of Israel expected.

Jesus birth

In relation to the theme of the birth of Jesus, Matthew points out in the Gospel that Mary became pregnant without having had sexual intercourse. Therefore, he clearly determines that Mary’s pregnancy was due to the special action of the Holy Spirit.

At all times Joseph acted as the legal father of Jesus, it was he who named the child by order of the Angel of God, who told him to name him JESUS ​​(Savior of the World) by the will of God; Likewise, José at all times accepted the mission that his son had when he came to the world and for all of humanity.

The wise men of the East

The wise men of the East or commonly known as the Magi, came from a distant country. They considered that Jesus was good both to worship him and to know him, knowing that these Kings or wise men did not practice Jewish religion or culture.

With the previous theme, Matthew in his Gospel seeks to determine that the birth of Jesus is in order to save all humanity and not just the Israelites. The above is known as “Epiphany”, which deals with the manifestation of God before men.

Persecution of Herod and flight to Egypt

From the moment that Herod learns of the birth of Jesus, he rejects this situation and that is why Joseph and Mary have to flee from Egypt, because Herod’s hatred causes him to unleash mortality on innocent children.

Due to the departure of Joseph and Mary with Jesus to Egypt and later their return, Matthew seeks to remember what happened to the ancestors of Jesus regarding the slavery of Egypt and the exit to the promised land in the time of Moses.

Narrative of the infancy of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke

In relation to this theme of the childhood of Jesus; Likewise, Luke presents the elements of John the Baptist and Jesus in a level way. In this way Luke seeks to mention the relationship between John and Jesus.

We can say that John the Baptist is the last of the prophets presented in the Old Testament. John’s mission is the announcement of the coming of a Messiah to the people of Israel, of the Savior they have been waiting for. After this, Jesus begins the stage of his salvation.

Lucas, in the episode of the annunciation, focuses on the important theme that Mary represents; since she has a direct conversation with the Messiah of God and assumes the mission entrusted to her. In this case, Luke seeks to mention and show the importance of the history of salvation.

Mary’s visit to her cousin Elizabeth

When it comes to the meeting of Mary and Elizabeth, the meeting of John and Jesus in the womb of their respective mothers is also being mentioned. At this moment when María arrives, Juan jumps in the womb of his mother; in this way he allows himself to see the superiority and magnificence of Jesus. As is known by all at this time, Elizabeth praises Mary through words similar to those said by the Angel at the moment of the Annunciation.

To the above, Mary responds with a beautiful poem through which she gives thanks to God the Father for fulfilling in her his promises determined in the Old Testament.

Birth of John the Baptist and Jesus

In relation to this, it is noted how God acts through this child, it is observed in the events that take place since the birth and circumcision of John. Regarding the birth of Jesus, the evangelist Luke also determines that he is born in Bethlehem. Through this we want to make clear the relationship between Jesus and David who was also born in Bethlehem.

Regarding the issue of the shepherds, Luke seeks to determine that Jesus addresses the poor and simple people.

circumcision and presentation

With this method it is determined that Jesus accepts and fulfills the requirements of the Jewish Law. Simeon and Anna, are the representatives of the Jewish people, they determine Jesus as the Savior.

Not just for the people of Israel, but on the contrary for all peoples in general. Similarly Simeon states that Jesus will be a figure of contradiction.

Jesus in the temple

Regarding the childhood of Jesus, the evangelist Luke speaks about the mission that he had over all humanity, since it was the will of his Father.

Public life of Jesus

Regarding this term, we can say that it is the life process of Jesus from the age of thirty to thirty-three, since it was in this period of time that he made himself known in relation to the teachings and preaching of the word, his works and miracles.

The baptism

This happened in the Jordan River, at this time the first public appearance of Jesus took place, Jesus arrives at the place like any Israelite and is received by John the Baptist himself.

For John the Baptist it was strange that Jesus was there, since Jesus did not need conversion; however, the only intention of Jesus was the need to receive baptism, this with the purpose of showing that he had to fulfill the will of the Father who had entrusted him.

temptations in the desert

After Jesus receives baptism, he retires for a period of time to the desert where he fasted and devoted himself to praying. In that same time as it is known by all, Jesus is tempted by the devil on three occasions.

Through this temptation, the possibility of fulfilling the will of the Father through the growth of material goods is envisioned; success, power, however Jesus does not agree to accept these temptations and rejects them; and unlike him he follows the path of humility, poverty and service.

Jesus proclaims the Kingdom of God

Through this proclamation Jesus makes it known that the Kingdom of his Father is near and that it is found among people. This is considered great news, since the Kingdom of God is the execution in the world of the salvation that God himself has promised to the people with the coming of a Messiah.

Jesus names the first followers of his word or disciples who are: Simon, who is called Peter, Andrew, James and John, brother of James. Later when his followers grew, it is the moment when he appoints his twelve apostles in order to help him.

Along with the company of the disciples, Jesus travels to villages, nearby towns in order to make known the arrival of the Kingdom of God the Father, as was the task of prophets long before him.

In the times when Jesus preached the explanations were made through comparisons, for this reason Jesus did not say what the Kingdom of God meant, he only made comparisons to the people of the time. He executed these definitions through parables or stories that issued a certain teaching.

Jesus called the Kingdom of God in order not to confuse it with other existing kingdoms, such as the kingdom of Israel when Solomon. The Kingdom of God can be defined as the place where people are fair, free, supportive, it is the place where you can live happily with everyone who lives there.

Similarly, Jesus preached the Kingdom of God through works, and as we said before through parables, miracles. It is also defined that the Kingdom of God is for everyone, however only those who fulfill the will of God the Father enter.

Jesus says that God is Father

At all times Jesus mentioned God as Father. At the time of prayer he used the Aramaic term “obba”, which means dad. He also told the disciples at all times to call God, Father and that at all times they trusted him.

Jesus always maintained that the Father is a figure who professes mercy, and is always aware of what his children need, he also selflessly grants forgiveness in order to convert sinners.

Jesus introduces himself

Jesus himself attributed various titles, such as Son of Man, Son of God. His presentation to others as Messiah or God’s anointed with the mission of saving all of humanity.

The mission of Jesus with the world is the salvation of humanity, avoiding its condemnation according to those who are misguided or lacking in conversion of heart, and in this way grant it light.

Jesus presents himself as the friend who gives everything he has and what he owns. So much so that he offers himself as food or bread so that everyone can live. Jesus expects all people to love him above all things in the world.

Jesus promotes a different way of living religion

As we know, Jesus was Jewish, in fact with his preaching he surpasses Judaism and gives himself a new way of feeling religion. The most important thing about it is both love for God and love for neighbor.

Every religion has norms and laws that must be respected and complied with, this religion was no exception, norms and measures had to be complied with in the same way, however, love prevails over all of them. People must not only comply with the rules externally but must be from the heart, sincerely feel love.

Many times the case of feelings of false religion is presented since it is about different purposes such as taking advantage of others and the appearance of being a good person, among others.

Jesus lives with sinners and offers God’s forgiveness

Jesus, due to the number of people with whom he was surrounded, was also close to the family treatment of publicly known people who were sinners; however, Jesus himself promised them forgiveness and eternal life in heaven, as long as his repentance is sincere.

Jesus protects all people, he entered their houses, he shared with them. He apart he had the power to forgive people’s sins in the name of God. This situation was cause for uproar by many people, as they considered it blasphemy and disrespect for the laws of the Jewish religion.

Jesus always acted according to the will of God the Father which was to save sinners and achieve their conversion and salvation. He himself felt like a doctor worried about the sick recovering their health.

Jesus heals many diseases

Another aspect in the life of Jesus is the healing of many people from physical and mental illnesses. Those afflicted with illness approached him trusting and Jesus healed them with faith. He always maintained that the love that God dispensed was infinite and he professed it to the weak and dispossessed.

Some people, due to their type of illness, were considered lacking in purity in relation to religiosity and who lived marginalized such as the blind, demon-possessed, lepers, among others. To all of them, Jesus returns his dignity and being children of God.

Forgiveness and healing are a sign of the presence of the Kingdom

The healing through the miracles that Jesus did was not in order to demonstrate his power or for people to believe in him, on the contrary, he did it because it is a way of teaching God’s love to his people and their needs. .

The miraculous attitudes of Jesus is an example that the Kingdom of God exists and is among all. In the same way it happens with forgiveness, since through forgiveness Jesus shows a loving heart, kind as a Father; Likewise, the salvation promised by God is externalized.

The cures and miracles of Jesus were characteristic of forgiveness and healing, if these had not existed, the preaching of Jesus would not have been so true. He had to testify with facts that the Kingdom of God was on earth.

The enemies of Jesus

Just as he had thousands of friends, Jesus also provoked the enmity of the Pharisees, this was caused by the fear that the Jews had that the authority and the law would be rejected. Likewise, some Jews were concerned that both Jesus and his followers might turn the Roman authorities against the return of the monarchy.

Although this grew, the popularity of Jesus spread among the oppressed and marginalized.

Passion, death and burial

The public life of Jesus was often questioned. At the beginning he had several followers, later unfavorable situations began to be seen for him, such as the Pharisees and people related to the Law did not admit the doctrines of Jesus regarding the Jewish laws, mainly the one that dealt with the law of the Sabbath day.

Nor did they admit that Jesus forgives sins without complying with what was established by the law of those times. Some people felt feelings of disappointment because they were looking for miracles in Jesus and what he was asking of them was the true conversion of their hearts.

Jesus’ own disciples did not fully understand him; An example was that Peter did not accept that the Messiah was going to die violently or be executed; Judas’ betrayal.

For the Sanhedrin, who were the law ministers of those times, they thought that Jesus was a danger to everyone, especially to the temple in Jerusalem.

This situation created an unfavorable environment for Jesus, and because of this his arrival in Jerusalem was tense when the Passover feast was to take place. At that very moment the Sanhedrin decides by all means to attack Jesus.

Jesus faces rejection

Jesus himself was clear that his activity would provoke unfavorable attitudes and that this could end his life. On different occasions he made them known to the disciples. Yet despite everything he never changed the message he preached or the works he did. On the contrary, he thought that death itself was part of the mission that his Father had entrusted to him.

Jesus himself saw death with a different meaning since it was the way to grant life to others, and with this attitude his mission or task would give the desired result. Jesus maintained that if the grain of wheat is not buried and rots, the spike will not come out and it will not bear the desired fruit.

Jesus spoke of his death and in the same way of the Resurrection since he felt full confidence in the Father since he would not allow death to be the end for him. If he had been like that with it he would have agreed with those who criticized him.

The Last Supper and the Eucharist

For the celebration of the Passover feast, Jesus goes up to Jerusalem with his disciples. Within the celebration of Easter, a family dinner is held in which several prayers are performed. At this moment, Jesus takes advantage of the moment to carry out a symbol of transcendence.

It is the moment where, shortly before his death, he blesses the bread, breaks it and shares it with all those present, he does the same with the wine, making it clear that the two symbols are his body and his blood and that they must all eat of it. He also tells them that he will give up all body and blood in order to save all mankind.

With this act, a new covenant is created, a close relationship between man and God, in a more complete and wise way than the one made between God and the people of Israel. He asked his disciples to repeat this act of blessing the bread and wine at all times.

He maintained that in this way he would be present in their midst giving his very life for all. In this way the consequences of salvation would spread throughout history. It is in this way that with a simple gesture with a lot of content, the birth of the Eucharist takes place.

Prayer of the garden and apprehension of Jesus

After the last supper, they went out of the city of Jerusalem. Jesus prayed at all times. This prayer was characterized by much suffering since he knew that the time had come and what awaited him to live.

However, Jesus accepted the will of his Father as he did at all times. At that moment his disciples who were asleep, is the moment in which they arrest Jesus.

The religious judgment

After his arrest, Jesus is taken before the Sanhedrin, which, as we mentioned before, was the highest authority in terms of Jewish religiosity. The Sanhedrin was presided over by the high priest.

At that time they accused him and they were accusations in a religious way, such as having expressed himself in opposition to the temple. What truly condemns Jesus is the fact that at all times he accepted to be the Messiah and the Son of God.

In the eyes of the Sanhedrin, Jesus was a blasphemer and this would condemn him to death, since he considered himself Messiah, which means “sent by God” and this was considered blasphemy according to Jewish law.

impeachment

Then Jesus is led by Jewish authorities before Pontius Pilate, governor of Rome, they lead him for two reasons, namely:

1. a) Somehow they preferred that the Roman authority appeared as responsible for his death and not the Jews.
2. b) Somehow there would be good relations with the Romans, since with the surrender of Jesus they would thus recognize the political authority.

This trial with Pilate is totally different from the one carried out by the Sanhedrin. Jesus is accused of claiming the title of King of the Jews. This is a political accusation, since before the Romans he was seen as a dangerous agitator of the peace of the people.

It is Pilate who condemns Jesus to death by the method of crucifixion, this execution was practiced in cases of criminals considered dangerous and members of the lower classes. In both processes Jesus appears crucified due to law and order.

crucifixion and death

In this painful process, Jesus is subjected to the harshest torture such as ridicule, spitting, beatings, whipping, whipping, among others. His crucifixion was carried out outside the walls of Jerusalem alongside two other men. In the eyes of his enemies and his followers, Jesus was branded a failure.

In moments before dying, Jesus performs an act of love between his mother Mary and the beloved disciple, which was the delivery of Mary as mother to the disciple and he gave Mary as son. It is at this moment that Mary becomes the mother of all the disciples of her son.

The death of Jesus becomes a salvific situation before the whole of humanity; In the same way, his fidelity to the mission entrusted to him by his Father also becomes an important event.

Way of the Cross

This was a process of Jesus walking through Calvary or Golgotha. This fact of the way of the cross is represented by 14 crosses, in most cases it is accompanied by images related to the Passion of Christ and the consequences it generated.

In each one of the stations the path of Jesus through Calvary is represented and each fact or event experienced during that walk is also called Gólgotha ​​(which means, place of Skulls).

The complete Via Crucis is the representation of the painful life of Christ while he was led to Calvary. It is customary that in some churches or religious temples pictures related to the passion of Christ or the so-called Via Crucis are placed on the walls.

Explanation of the Via Crucis

To illustrate the reader we are going to determine each of the processes or situations experienced by Jesus during this painful journey to Calvary, moments before the crucifixion, namely:

I.- The soldiers apprehend Jesus on the Mount of Olives and he is sentenced to death. He is tried and sentenced at night, this situation was prohibited in Israel, for this reason this trial is considered unfair.

II.- Jesus carries the cross. At this time he carries only one of the sticks. Due to blood loss he could not bear the full weight of the cross.

III .- Jesus has the first fall. This happens because each moment that passed he became weaker to support the weight of the cross, with the purpose that the people who saw him in the course of his walk, repented and redeemed themselves.

IV .- Jesus sees and finds his mother, Mary.

V .- In this step a man named Simon of Cyrene appears to him and helps him carry the heavy cross.

VI .- The face of Jesus is dried with the Veronica (canvas that was passed over the face of Jesus). Some disagree that this was actually true.

VII .- At this moment Jesus falls for the second time.

VIII .- Jesus comforts the various women of Jerusalem who accompanied him; and he tells them not to cry for him, seeing that they did not stop crying, he also tells them to cry for them and his children.

IX.- Jesus has his fall for the third time.

X.- At this moment Jesus is robbed of his clothes. Such an attitude was a humiliation to any Israelite and left him naked before the public.

XI .- In this phase of the Via Crucis, Jesus happens to be crucified.

XII.- Jesus dies on the cross. Before dying, as is well known by all Catholics and believers, Jesus says seven words: I am thirsty, Father, forgive them because they do not know what they are doing, today you will be with me in Paradise, everything is finished, among others that the reader will already know according to with the history of the times.

XIII .- Jesus is descended from the cross.

XIV.- After the descent, Jesus is placed in the tomb.

The resurrection

There is a difference between the terms revive and resurrect. To revive means to return to life through the body, in space and time. This was the case of Saint Teresa of Jesus, she suffered from catalepsy, a disease characterized by the fact that apparently the body is lifeless but in reality it is not.

Due to this, everyone thought that she was dead and they only waited for the father to arrive to proceed with her burial, motivated by the delay of the same, it gave time for the Saint to react and continue alive.

To resuscitate is to live but in a different way than before. The resurrection is related to faith in God the Father, who is the one who grants us life itself and does not allow it to be lost. However, we do not know how we will be resurrected.

the empty tomb

The moment in which they realize that the tomb of Jesus was empty was not the cause of faith regarding the resurrection of Jesus, since the fact causes that there were many opinions. It was only a symbology that achieved the preparation of the disciples so that they would receive and accept the message that the resurrection process brought.

Encounters with the Risen Jesus

When Jesus is reunited with his disciples after the resurrection, it provoked their faith in Jesus. It caused them peace, joy and desire to make known what happened.

At the moment that Jesus rose from the dead, nothing else is said that is present in the memory of his disciples or that his message was still alive in them. When it is said that Jesus was resurrected, it is affirming that he remains alive until the end of time and beyond, making himself present at all times.

Jesus ascends to Heaven

We must keep in mind that talking about heaven is complex since it is not a place as such, it cannot be said if it is below or above; since heaven is the so-called “world of God”. Heaven can be defined as the constant relationship with God.

In the different Gospels they try to make us see that Jesus only appeared to the disciples for a while, since those encounters will not take place anymore, since Jesus from that appearance has been in divine life since then, all of this from the moment of his “Ascension”. These phases of appearances had a beginning and an end.

How can we believe that Jesus is alive today?

If we take into account what was stated in the previous paragraph about whether the appearances of the resurrected Jesus will never happen again, we can ask ourselves, how can we believe today that Jesus resurrected?

The answers are as follows:

– First of all, we must look at the testimony or experience of those who were witnesses of such apparitions. Most gave their lives for this reason until they died.

– As a second answer, we can say that we have a personal and intimate relationship with the living Jesus. We can find him in many ways: in the church, the sacraments, the Eucharist, his word in the Bible. The people who live on these roads have and can attest that Jesus still lives among us.

the people of israel

We could talk about many things about the people of Israel since in the Bible it has a special appearance and forms an important part of the life of Jesus, Israel is considered by Jesus as the child of his eyes.

In fact, in the Holy Scriptures, God’s concern for the people of Israel in the times of Pharaoh can be seen; and how he guided Moses to try to get them out of the oppression and slavery that they lived by the Pharaoh’s mandate.

Physical geography

At the time of Jesus, Israel was made up of eight regions namely: Galilee, Phoenicia, Samaria, Idumea, Samaria, Decapolis, Perea and Trachonitides. It was a country crossed by the Dead Sea, Lake Tiberias and the famous Jordan River; to the west it bordered the Mediterranean Sea.

Human geography

Houses: in the times of Jesus the houses that were the most humble were made of adobe material (mixture of clay with straw). Unlike the ones in the city they were made of stone and brick. They looked like a large box with a courtyard in the center. Some might have a terrace built of beams covered with mud and branches.

Like houses of higher quality, they were mainly found in the cities, as we have already said, there could be a large room and the family would gather in the upper part.

Pharisees: These used to be loved by their people. Jesus defined them as whitewashed tombs since inside they were one thing and outside quite another. These had the belief in the resurrection of the dead.

Sadducees: these were not as respected as the Pharisees, however they had their followers, they did not share in the resurrection.

Essenes: it was a group of men and women who did not share being in the society of those times. For this reason they went to the desert and live in caves that were inside rocks. His life was very orderly.

Both men and women each lived separately, only marriage was between some for the purpose of creating offspring and thus maintaining the group.

Among them there was a leader who was in charge of establishing meal times, prayers, daily work. According to some data it is believed that John the Baptist belonged to the Essenes group.

Zealots: it was a radical and nationalist group. These managed to achieve what they proposed to the point that if they had to kill, they did. It was characteristic of them to wear a short dagger at their waist.

When there were difficult situations they took advantage of it and murdered Romans and they took revenge by crucifying several Israelites. It is said that Judas Iscariot belonged to this group.

Scribes: they were characterized by the perfect knowledge of the Law of Moses, Jesus himself calls them teachers or Rabbis.

Social classes

In the country of Jesus those who ruled were men. When a child came into the world everyone was happy, unlike if she was a girl it was a disappointment.

Both boys and girls were transferred to the temple, in that place they offered a certain amount for them. For boys the sum was double the sum for girls.

At twelve years old, children were already of legal age, because there were not as many medical resources as today and people at that time died around the age of forty.

Their marriage process occurred between the ages of thirteen and fifteen. From the moment the child was born, the father looked for a partner to marry. The groom bought the bride or couple and did it in three ways:

• He gave money to the father of the bride. However this was not very common as everyone did not have enough money.
• They gave the father of the bride animals or land. Owning animals and land was considered very profitable economically.
• Another way was to work for the father of the bride for a while (this was the case of Jacob who worked for Laban and later married his daughters Leah and Rachel).

In this species the men had several women, these made them superior to them. The number of women depended on the fortune that the husband had to support her.

Parents could sell their daughters with slaves if there was a need, this was a reason for inequality.

When a girl was born, if the parents could not take care of her and could not sell her, she was taken out of the city so that the existing caravans would collect her from the merchants and later sell her as slaves.

The man has the right to separate from his wife for legal reasons such as: loss of beauty, adultery, burning a meal, etc. When the woman loses her husband or is widowed, or is left without children; a relative of her husband may take her as his wife.

However, in the event that this man does not want to do so, he should publicly resign so that another man can marry her.

In the times of Jesus, societies had their place, for example children and women were in last place. Later came the various, the priests and Levites and superior to these the High Priest.

The excavation of the houses was in rocks, due to the need of the land for the cultivation of salable products in the market. In these times it was customary that the woman was the last to eat, when the food was little, the man ate first, the elderly, the children and the woman last.

There was also the custom that every fifty years those who owned land returned it to the State. The slaves regain their freedom and the State makes the distribution of land according to the number of family members. This is called the Year of Grace or Jubilee.

The duration of weddings or marriages was between three and seven days. The whole town attended it, the family had to borrow money if they did not have enough money for the wedding. Red wine was not lacking in wedding celebrations as a symbol of joy and life.

As important festivals were considered Easter, Feast of Forgiveness, Yon Kippur, the festival of stores or fruit harvest.

There was also a law that established that on Saturdays people did not work, not even at home. Jesus always said that the laws were made for the good of the people and that the person should be first and then the law.

People who rule in the people of Israel

As we said in previous paragraphs of this article, the Sanhedrin was the most emblematic institution of the Jews. It was designed as a type of parliament with an executive, legislative, and judicial branch. Its limitation was only by the Roman occupants.

The Sanhedrin was constituted by seventy-one elected members and constituted by three phases:

Elders, representatives of the upper class, rich and in power.

The high priests who did not exercise functions, the members of four families chosen mostly by the high priests.

The scribes or doctors who belonged to the law, as well as to the party of the Pharisees.

family line

There was a man of virtues who lived in Ur. His name was Abraham. God spoke to Abraham saying, “Leave your country and your father’s house and go to the land of Canaan.” At all times Abraham trusted the voice of God.

Abraham was a wandering man born in a village in Ur; he always showed a following to the human part due to his Faith, but unshakeable in God due to his hope that he was coming a Redeemer.

The wickedness of man weakened his intelligence; and the only true God was almost forgotten; This is because most people worshiped idols. However, for God everything is possible and he found the means to prevent man from forgetting him, through his great mercy for humanity.

Although Abraham did not want to leave the city he inhabited, he did so quickly as God commanded him to do so. Abraham left along with his wife Sarai, his father Lot, his nephew and a large number of people. They brought food, their cattle, some goods and camels.

The fulfillment of God’s order to Abraham, made God feel pleased and later he made a promise to Abraham: “To you and your offspring I will give the land of Canaan. You will be the father of a great people and through you all nations will be blessed.” From this moment Canaan was recognized as the Promised Land.

God gave blessings to Abraham. Live in peace, he was appreciated by his neighbors, his cattle grew unstoppably. However, his heart ached. In this way the years passed. On the other hand Sarai ordered his slave Hagar to have a son with Abraham, they called him Ishmael.

When Isaac was born, Hagar and Ishmael were thrown into the desert by Sarai herself. Abraham and Sarai were getting older, and they had no children. Abraham went to talk to God about it.

God understood Abraham and felt sorry for him, for this reason one night God said to Abraham: “Look at the sky. Count the stars if you can. More numerous than the stars of heaven will be your children and your children’s children.

As Abraham always did, he believed in the promises of God and this gave him enormous hope. God spoke to Abraham again and said:

“Your name will be Abraham, not Abram, since you will be the father of many peoples. And Sarai will be called Sara, because she will be the mother of kings. God said to Abraham I will keep my promise to you and I will give you a son. He will be the father of nations and kings. You will call him Isaac.”

The promise that God made to Abraham several times that he would be a father, was about to be fulfilled. However, despite Abraham’s advanced age, he and Sarah had a son as God promised. They named this son Isaac, as God commanded Abraham to be called.

Like any father, Abraham adored and loved Isaac and took into account that all the hope of the nations to come rested on that son. He enjoyed the moment of his growth and watching him become a handsome young man.

On one occasion when Abraham was sleeping in his tent, he heard the voice of God calling him. God’s words were clear and unmistakable, he said: “Take your beloved son Isaac, and take him to the mountain that I will indicate to you, and when you get there you will offer him to me as sacrifices.”

It was a harsh order from God. However, Abraham at all times complied with God’s orders and the next morning he prepared the wood for the sacrifice, took the mule and left with Isaac and a servant.

After walking for three days they reached Mount Moriah, at which point Abraham gave the order to his servant to stay there with the mule while he returned. Next Abraham takes the wood for the sacrifice and loads it on the back of his son, himself taking in his hands the fire and the knife.

Later they went up Mount Moriah, at one point Isaac asked Abraham: “Father, we have wood, fire and a knife for the sacrifice. But what about the victim? Abraham answered his son: “God will provide, son.” When they reached the top of the mountain, they both made an altar and arranged the wood for the sacrifice.

Abraham then proceeded to prepare the victim, for this he took his son and tied him to the wood, at that moment he raised his arm to kill his son, when he was about to do so, an Angel of God appeared to him and stopped him by the arm God was pleased with Abraham, since he had shown true trust in God.

God gave Abraham a sacrificial victim, it was a ram that was caught nearby. With gratitude both Abraham and his son offered this sacrifice that God had given them, later they came down from the mountain and returned to their house.

Abraham earned the name “Father of Many Nations” because of his obedience and trust in God’s word.

Isaac (which means in the Hebrew language, “he will make people laugh”), was a patriarch who appeared in the Old Testament, he was the son of Abraham, he was the stepbrother of Ishmael; he married Rebekah, with whom they had two sons: Jacob and Esau.

Esau was the son of Rebekah and Isaac; he was Jacob’s twin brother; he was considered the firstborn; he enjoyed the love of his father. Esau turned out to be very determined in his thoughts and decisions, as he did not think twice about what he did.

One afternoon he was hungry, Jacob traded him a plate of lentils for the right to be the firstborn that his brother had. After time Isaac was old, almost unable to see, he wanted to bless his firstborn Esau.

Jacob, with the help of Rebekah, due to the plate of food that he exchanged with Esau managed to deceive Isaac and in this way Jacob obtained the birthright that Esau had.

However, after the deception that Isaac received from Jacob and Rebekah, Esau even tried to get his father to give him the blessing on his deathbed but he did not succeed, but what his father gave him was a secondary blessing.

Esau, annoyed, decided to kill his brother for which Jacob had the need to flee. When this one returned the reconciliation between both brothers took place. Because of Jacob’s deception of Esau about depriving him of his father’s blessing and his birthright, he had to flee to the house of Laban, his uncle.

After that he fell in love with his uncle’s daughter named Raquel. They came to an agreement that Jacob would serve Laban for seven years and then marry Rachel. When he arrived this day, her uncle tricked Jacob, since under the bride’s veil the one who was found was Leah, Raquel’s older sister.

After this Jacob had to work again for seven more days for Laban and then he would marry Rachel, and so it happened.

Jacob had two children with Rachel and another ten with Leah. The youngest of the children was Benjamin, however the favorite was José. José had a gift to see in dreams what could happen, because of this he was called “the dreamer”. Joseph once meeting Benjamin since the other brothers lived far away.

Jacob sent Joseph to see how his brothers were, however when he arrived at the place, his brothers invaded by feelings of jealousy, took away the tunic that his father had given him, and later threw him into an empty well.

After a while some merchants passed by the place and the ten brothers, except Reuben and Benjamin who was in his house, proceeded to sell Joseph for twenty silver coins. Then they stained the robe with the blood of a goat and showed it to Jacob, who thought that Joseph had been devoured to death.

Joseph is sold to Pharaoh in Egypt; he had confidence in him. On one occasion, Pharaoh’s wife was willing to have sex with Joseph, however, imagining what could happen later, Joseph refused.

The woman got upset and told Pharaoh that Joseph had abused her and in retaliation Pharaoh put Joseph in jail. After a few years, Pharaoh had two dreams, and the one who interpreted them was only Joseph.

Joseph interpreted such dreams to mean that in Egypt there would come seven years of plenty but also seven years of scarcity. With this Pharaoh took pleasure in Joseph again and made him his steward. Thanks to the interpretation of Joseph’s dreams they were able to take forecasts and thus Egypt did not go hungry.

As a forecast, they made forecasts in such a way that they created granaries for several years and at the time of the shortage they already had food. This situation in Egypt became famous and was known in various parts. When Jacob’s supplies ran out, he sent his sons for wheat. Benjamin stayed with his father.

Joseph who had recognized his brothers, took interest in them, however the brothers did not know him, Joseph also asked about his father. Then he asked them to look for Benjamin and kept Simeon as a hostage.

The father was glad that the sons got wheat, but he was not pleased that Simeon stayed in Egypt or that he had to separate from Benjamin.

The food reserves were running out and they had no choice but for Benjamin to go as José requested. However, Judah got the solution and made sure that Benjamin would return, Jacob agreed and they left together.

When José saw Benjamin, he could not contain his joy, he left the room and moved away to cry where they would not see him. Later he ordered that food be served with everyone participating including Simeon. Everyone was surprised but at the same time they were happy.

Joseph filled the sacks and they set off back home with Simeon. When they were a few meters from having left, they found some officers on horseback, who forced him to stop.

They accused them of having stolen a silver cup from their Lord. The bags of the sacks were checked with the assurance that they would be innocent. When they checked the sacks they were amazed to see that the cup was inside Benjamin’s sack.

They all returned to Joseph’s palace. The one who had given the order to place the cup inside Benjamin’s sack was Joseph himself. After they were all together he told them you can go but Benjamin stays since the cup was found in his bag.

The brothers were distraught. Judah wondered what our father will say if we return without Benjamin? I offer to stay. José could not take it anymore and seeing that they had a good heart, he told them: I am José!

The brothers, all confused and in a repentant attitude, knelt at his feet; Jose immediately picked them up. With this act he had just found his brothers again.

Over the years, the Jews grew in such numbers that Pharaoh himself feared for the safety of Egypt, since he was anguished that there would be a rebellion. He got an idea that males born should be thrown into the Nile.

After a few years an Israelite woman had a son, she managed to hide him for three months, however after that time she could not do it anymore and with a hope placed in heaven she placed the child inside a prepared basket and placed it between some reeds of the Nile waters.

The basket was found by the King’s daughter who was in the habit of bathing in the River. This happened because she called her attention to a basket that swam over the waters, so she had her servant take it and ordered her to open it, when she did so inside it she saw a child.

The princess immediately took great affection for the child and tried to save him, Maria, who was the child’s sister, observed from afar what happened. She immediately found herself a wet nurse for the baby. Immediately Maria went to look for her mother. The baby named Moses, which means “Saved from the waters” was entrusted to her mother.

Years passed and the boy was taken before the pharaoh where he was treated as one of them, receiving quality education, all under the education of his mother, he was taught about religious traditions of the place. For this reason he lived between two cultures.

When Moses was already a young man, he understood the sufferings of Egypt. This made him feel very sad and ashamed, due to the treatment they received from the Israelites. One day he felt so bad to see a citizen beaten with a whip, this made Moses angry and he beat the Egyptian and took his life.

Moses knew that Pharaoh would be upset with him, so he left Egypt immediately. After fleeing he joined a caravan going to Midian. He lived with Jethro, and later married one of her daughters, thus becoming a humble shepherd.

In Midian he led a peaceful and quiet life. On a certain day, a situation caught his attention that he could see on Mount Horeb from a certain distance, a flame of strong light that burned in the middle of a bush, however it was not consumed.

Frightened and at the same time surprised, he decided to get closer and observe what was happening more closely. Suddenly he heard a loud voice telling him: “Don’t come closer! Take off your sandals, because the ground you walk on is sacred.”

From this moment Moses understood that the one speaking to him was God himself. She proceeded as he told her, taking off her sandals, she fell on her knees covering her face. I await with respect and at the same time with a certain fear the word of God.

He heard the Lord telling him: “The prayers, miseries and sufferings of my Chosen People have filled me with pity. I am going to deliver them from the hands of Pharaoh, and I will take them to the Promised Land. Go and tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go into the desert to offer a sacrifice there.”

Thinking Moses about what he could say, Pharaoh replied: “I can’t, because I am a stutterer and he wouldn’t understand me.” At that moment God tells him to seek help and in this way he meets Aaron.

They returned to the Pharaoh and at the time of their arrival all the people were happy as they learned what had happened and were filled with hope. Moses appeared together with Aaron, before Pharaoh. At first he refused but then agreed to receive them.

Later the Israelites undertook the trip and prepared Passover (this is the passage from slavery to freedom), Pharaoh repented of what had happened and gave the order to persecute the Israelites. They were already going through the Red Sea when they realized they were being persecuted and became nervous.

At that time Moses, thanks to what he had studied, was aware of the time when the tide went out and it happened like this and in this way the whole town could pass through the middle of the sea.

When they finished passing the entire town, Pharaoh’s army arrived and tried to cross the sea, at that moment the tide rose again and everyone drowned.

After this they all continued the trip; They were thirsty and hungry. The Israelites began to doubt Moses and the vast majority became sinners, except for Joshua and Caleb. God seeing the rebellion of his people was upset and punished them.

Later, in the north of the Dead Sea, with little time left for Moses to die, God orders him to grant authority and power to Joshua, with whom after forty years (only one generation) they reached the Promised Land, Canaan.

They undertook the conquest, from which they emerged victorious

After all that the Israelites had gone through, they were grouped into twelve tribes, each one was the ancestor of the sons of Jacob. These tribes came together for war and festivals. The Israelites were established in a region that they could call their own, however it was difficult to defend the lands from the Philistines.

At this time the formation of a kingdom was necessary and for this reason they requested to have a King in order to achieve a social evolution according to that of their neighbors. This desire to have a king came from the elders, military leaders.

This ambition could be considered as negative since it was a kind of ingratitude towards God, since he had always been considered, revered and seen as a King, and he had led them to the freedom they possessed.

For this reason Samuel felt displeased, he was the judge of that time. After a thoughtful reflection and greater maturity, Samuel became the last Judge of the people of Israel. Samuel told the people the advantages and disadvantages of having a King.

After understanding that God wanted a King for the people of Israel, Samuel followed God’s strict orders and got a King in Saul. In the beginning Saul was very successful, he won battles against the Ammonites, however in a battle with the Philistines, Saul committed sin and the Spirit of God left him alone.

It is at this time that the giant of the Philistine army appears, called Goliath, he made a challenge to all the Israelites to face him. No one dared to challenge him, however a boy named David who was passing through the place came up to Goliath, took his slingshot and put a stone in it and threw it at Goliath.

The stone hit Goliath in the forehead throwing him to the ground, at that moment David took Goliath’s sword and cut off his head with it. In this way David belonged to the court of Saul. The war continued for several years and this made Saul seek the idea of ​​suicide to die for the soldiers.

Israel needed and had to seek a King. In this case God sends a message to Samuel: Samuel himself was to tell David that he would be chosen by God to be King. The town accepted him since they knew the fact that he did when he was little.

David became King and did so for several years, one day he fell in love with a woman named Bathsheba, her husband, Uriah, was at war. Bathsheba had intercourse with David and became pregnant. Uriah was the head of his army, and for this reason he had to go to war last, since if he went first he risked dying.

David knew of this situation and being afraid of what could happen and being discovered, he sent it first, and for this Uriah died. David subsequently married Bathsheba. After a few days the prophet Nathan, who was sent from God, tells David a story and through it, David realizes the mistake he made and the sin towards himself, his people and God himself. .

Years passed and David was already an old man. His son, Adonijah, proclaimed out loud that he would be the next King, however, God told David that the King would be Solomon, and this is how it happened.

Solomon was David’s successor on the throne by order of God. Likewise, God granted him the opportunity to decide on a desire. Anyone would have wanted money, or fun; however, what Solomon asked God for was Wisdom, and God himself granted it to him.

Solomon was characterized as a wise man, the people recognized him this way due to the situation that happened with the two women who carried a baby in front of Solomon. One of the women said that one had drowned the child while he slept; and that she, without realizing it, had changed it for the other’s.

The other woman held the same opinion, and maintained that her son was the one who was alive. Solomon seeing that they could not reach an agreement, she ordered a guard to cut the child in half. One of the women identified with Solomon’s decision, but the other asked the King with tears in her eyes not to cut him off and to hand him over to the other woman.

When Solomon saw this, he ordered the guard to give the baby to the woman who was crying for the child, since he understood that this was his real mother, and thus managed to do justice.

This made Solomon wealthier, and thanks to his wisdom he was able to build his temple, and his kingdom was famous. However, Solomon made mistakes due to the greed to get more money and began to raise taxes, this allowed the poor to ask the rich for more money and through this the poor were poorer and the rich richer.

This happened until the moment in which the kingdom was divided into: North Israel and South Israel. The people were divided and among them there were very bad relations, some prophets according to their opinions, this was a weak people and would fall if attacked.

So it happened, the first to fall was North Israel and followed by South Israel, due to the attack of the Babylonian Chief Nebuchadnezzar. The Israelites had to remain as slaves in Babylon for a few years; until the founder of the Persian Empire, Cyrus, conquered Babylon.

This was positive for the Israelites, since Cyrus respected the religion of the Israelites and let them go to his land which was a Persian province. Cyrus returned to them everything that Nebuchadnezzar had stolen from them, such as gold and silver vessels, as well as the sacred ornaments; and after this they set out on a journey.

When they arrived at the place they found everything destroyed, the Israelites began to rebuild the temple. They started well but later began to have difficulties.

The Persian king of Babylon had them help by a priest named Ezra to help them in everything, and thanks to this knowledge as a priest, he was able to take care of the religious part.

The people should not and could not function without a leader, which is why God sends Nehemiah; he succeeded in rebuilding a wall around Jerusalem. Nehemiah was very well seen in the town. With the help of Ezra and Nehemiah, Israel became a great city.

Today it can be said that as long as they do not learn to live with others, whether they are of a different race or a different religion, they will not find a fixed life.

Food: in relation to food in the time of Jesus, it was usually done twice, the most important was at night, when the family gathered.

Like any rule, hands were cleaned before eating, not only to maintain hygiene but it was a kind of religious rite that was religious purification. After everyone was seated, the person in charge of the family issued a blessing over the food.

At this time the Jewish religion prohibited the consumption of pork, among others. For this reason, what they consumed the most was nuts and other foods.

Coins: in these times of Jesus several coins were used: some of Greek origin and others Roman.

In the Gospels, two types of coins are named: the talent and the drachma; the first was higher than the Greek unit, its equivalence was 6,000 drachmas. The drachma was a silver coin roughly equivalent to a Roman denarius.

There are other coins such as the denarius, it was a silver coin whose representation was of a day’s work of a day laborer; it constituted a habitual currency with which the merchandise was handled.

conclusion

This article deals with a topic that has not been very common in the Bible, nor has it been projected in any of the films that have been so many times during Holy Week or in special times about the hidden life of Jesus.

That is why we wanted to develop it, albeit very briefly, about these moments that are little known.

It is said that not even the disciples themselves knew the hidden life of Jesus, so much so that in order to half describe it in the Holy Scriptures they had to ask some questions of both his own Mother Mary and some close people who lived with Jesus since his birth. childhood and throughout the growth process until reaching the age of 30.

We hope that for the reader it has been an enrichment of knowledge about the very special life of Jesus our Lord.

May all this narration serve as an example so that we apply all the positive and enriching teachings that Jesus gives us throughout his life, being a humble, kind man, with a pure life and faith.

Let us see in Jesus a great example of life to be followed by all his children and we must adore him and thank him at all times for the great sacrifice of love he made for the redemption of all the sins of humanity.