WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.859 Okay, get ready for a deep dive into a text that 00:00:02.859 --> 00:00:06.099 presents, well, a version of Jesus' childhood 00:00:06.099 --> 00:00:08.119 you've almost certainly never encountered before. 00:00:09.019 --> 00:00:11.339 Forget those quiet years between Bethlehem and 00:00:11.339 --> 00:00:15.699 the temple. Imagine a newborn speaking clay figures 00:00:15.699 --> 00:00:18.839 coming to life or maybe a royal throne stretching 00:00:18.839 --> 00:00:21.120 on command. Yeah, it's quite something. What 00:00:21.120 --> 00:00:23.280 if everything you thought you knew about Jesus' 00:00:23.519 --> 00:00:26.469 early life was based on just, you know, a few 00:00:26.469 --> 00:00:29.410 brief glimpses. It's true. The standard biblical 00:00:29.410 --> 00:00:32.030 gospel is Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. They 00:00:32.030 --> 00:00:34.130 offer a remarkably little detail about Jesus' 00:00:34.409 --> 00:00:36.890 life from his birth until he appears as an adult 00:00:36.890 --> 00:00:40.009 ready for baptism around age 30. Right. We get 00:00:40.009 --> 00:00:42.289 the nativity stories, the flight to Egypt in 00:00:42.289 --> 00:00:44.670 return, and really just that single event of 00:00:44.670 --> 00:00:47.049 him at age 12 in the temple. Those middle years, 00:00:47.590 --> 00:00:49.609 largely silent. And where there's silence in 00:00:49.609 --> 00:00:51.630 one text, well, other stories often emerge to 00:00:51.630 --> 00:00:53.630 fill the gap, don't they? Exactly. Today, we're 00:00:53.630 --> 00:00:55.740 exploring a text shared by one of you listeners 00:00:55.740 --> 00:00:58.679 called the first gospel of the infancy of Jesus 00:00:58.679 --> 00:01:02.140 Christ. Now this text makes a pretty bold opening 00:01:02.140 --> 00:01:04.359 claim. It purports to be based on the account 00:01:04.359 --> 00:01:06.900 of Joseph the High Priest, which, well, some 00:01:06.900 --> 00:01:09.540 traditions equate with Caiaphas. That attribution 00:01:09.540 --> 00:01:12.879 is certainly. Interesting. Given Caiaphas's prominent 00:01:12.879 --> 00:01:15.760 role in Jesus' later crucifixion story in the 00:01:15.760 --> 00:01:20.019 canonical Gospels, regardless of its actual historical 00:01:20.019 --> 00:01:23.359 origins or authorship, this text was clearly 00:01:23.359 --> 00:01:25.439 circulating in some early Christian communities. 00:01:25.739 --> 00:01:28.739 And it provides this dramatic, action -packed, 00:01:28.840 --> 00:01:31.319 and very different narrative of Jesus' life from 00:01:31.319 --> 00:01:34.299 birth up to age 12. So our mission in this deep 00:01:34.299 --> 00:01:37.500 dive is to unpack this alternative story, pull 00:01:37.500 --> 00:01:40.950 out the most fascinating and perhaps startling 00:01:40.950 --> 00:01:43.430 details. And understand what this text tells 00:01:43.430 --> 00:01:46.150 us about how some people in the early centuries 00:01:46.150 --> 00:01:48.890 imagined the divine power of Jesus manifesting, 00:01:49.049 --> 00:01:50.650 you know, in his earliest years. It's a chance 00:01:50.650 --> 00:01:53.109 to see a childhood absolutely packed with miracles 00:01:53.109 --> 00:01:55.469 really from infancy onward. Okay, let's dive 00:01:55.469 --> 00:01:57.290 in then. Starting where all the gospel narratives 00:01:57.290 --> 00:02:00.670 begin. The nativity. It opens familiar enough, 00:02:00.670 --> 00:02:03.310 right? Augustus's decree. Joseph and Mary heading 00:02:03.310 --> 00:02:06.510 to Bethlehem. Standard stuff. But then it quickly 00:02:06.510 --> 00:02:08.949 diverges. Mary's time comes before they actually 00:02:08.949 --> 00:02:11.110 make it into the city. So they end up seeking 00:02:11.110 --> 00:02:14.550 shelter in a cave instead. And Joseph then goes 00:02:14.550 --> 00:02:17.990 off to fetch a midwife from Jerusalem described 00:02:17.990 --> 00:02:21.469 here as an old Hebrew woman. A cave, not a stable. 00:02:22.169 --> 00:02:24.729 Interesting. And when they get back? Well, they 00:02:24.729 --> 00:02:27.509 find the cave filled with this extraordinary 00:02:27.509 --> 00:02:31.490 light. Not just a gentle glow, but a light The 00:02:31.490 --> 00:02:34.430 text describes as greater than the light of lamps 00:02:34.430 --> 00:02:36.969 and candles, and greater than the light of the 00:02:36.969 --> 00:02:40.289 sun itself. Wow. That's not subtle. An immediate 00:02:40.289 --> 00:02:42.310 supernatural sign. Definitely not subtle. And 00:02:42.310 --> 00:02:44.930 the midwife is, well, understandably stunned 00:02:44.930 --> 00:02:47.550 by this. I bet. When she asks Mary about the 00:02:47.550 --> 00:02:50.210 child, Mary's reply is quite unique, she says. 00:02:50.839 --> 00:02:53.680 As there is not any child like to my son, so 00:02:53.680 --> 00:02:55.680 neither is there any woman like to his mother. 00:02:55.879 --> 00:02:58.080 A declaration, really, of the uniqueness of both 00:02:58.080 --> 00:03:00.060 of them. Absolutely. And a miracle immediately 00:03:00.060 --> 00:03:02.500 follows this. The midwife touches the infant. 00:03:02.840 --> 00:03:06.020 She's instantly healed herself, responds by vowing 00:03:06.020 --> 00:03:08.580 her service to him. So you see physical healing 00:03:08.580 --> 00:03:11.139 linked directly to contact with the baby Jesus 00:03:11.139 --> 00:03:13.479 right from the start. And it prompts a kind of 00:03:13.479 --> 00:03:16.300 discipleship even then. Exactly. Then the shepherds 00:03:16.300 --> 00:03:19.020 arrive, led by the star and angels, and the scene 00:03:19.020 --> 00:03:22.159 shifts again. The cave, instead of being just 00:03:22.159 --> 00:03:25.539 a humble stable, it seems like a glorious temple. 00:03:25.840 --> 00:03:28.620 It's a temple. Yeah, filled with angels and men 00:03:28.620 --> 00:03:31.560 praising God together. The old midwife joins 00:03:31.560 --> 00:03:34.740 in, too, echoing Simeon's later words that her 00:03:34.740 --> 00:03:36.939 eyes have seen the Savior. Okay, so the text 00:03:36.939 --> 00:03:39.080 also includes the circumcision. It does on the 00:03:39.080 --> 00:03:41.639 eighth day, still in the cave. And here's a particularly 00:03:41.639 --> 00:03:45.250 notable point. The old woman takes the foreskin, 00:03:45.509 --> 00:03:47.990 or as the text notes, some say, the navel string, 00:03:48.129 --> 00:03:51.590 and preserves it in an alabaster box of spikenert 00:03:51.590 --> 00:03:54.210 oil. OK, wait. An alabaster box? That sounds 00:03:54.210 --> 00:03:56.090 familiar. It does, doesn't it? And this is where 00:03:56.090 --> 00:03:57.949 the text connects the dots in a really surprising 00:03:57.949 --> 00:04:00.590 way. It explicitly states that this alabaster 00:04:00.590 --> 00:04:02.810 box is the one that Mary, identified as Mary 00:04:02.810 --> 00:04:05.490 the sinner, often understood as Mary Magdalene 00:04:05.490 --> 00:04:08.449 later uses to anoint Jesus. No way. Seriously. 00:04:08.919 --> 00:04:12.620 Seriously. It creates this direct, tangible link 00:04:12.620 --> 00:04:15.419 between the physical remnants of his infancy 00:04:15.419 --> 00:04:18.500 and that really well -known act of devotion before 00:04:18.500 --> 00:04:20.899 his passion. That's incredible. It suggests a 00:04:20.899 --> 00:04:24.560 perspective where, I guess, Jesus' sacredness 00:04:24.560 --> 00:04:27.319 infused even his bodily components right from 00:04:27.319 --> 00:04:29.819 birth. Yes, exactly. Binding these disparate 00:04:29.819 --> 00:04:32.040 moments in his life through a physical object. 00:04:32.300 --> 00:04:34.259 It's quite a theological statement. Definitely. 00:04:35.129 --> 00:04:37.449 Moving on, the presentation in the temple. Right. 00:04:37.589 --> 00:04:40.490 On the 40th day, Simeon is described seeing Jesus 00:04:40.490 --> 00:04:43.790 shining as a pillar of light, attended by angels 00:04:43.790 --> 00:04:46.089 like royal guards. The pillar of light. Yeah. 00:04:46.490 --> 00:04:58.350 In his similar prophecy, And the wise men, they 00:04:58.350 --> 00:05:00.310 arrive too. They do, from the east, bringing 00:05:00.310 --> 00:05:03.310 their gold, frankincense and myrrh. This text 00:05:03.310 --> 00:05:05.639 adds an interesting twist though. It attributes 00:05:05.639 --> 00:05:07.779 their guidings to the prophecy of Zorahdosh, 00:05:07.980 --> 00:05:11.959 which is Zoroaster. Zoroaster? Huh. So pulling 00:05:11.959 --> 00:05:14.060 in elements from other traditions, maybe? It 00:05:14.060 --> 00:05:16.399 seems like it, yeah. It hints at how these stories 00:05:16.399 --> 00:05:18.519 could incorporate different cultural threads. 00:05:19.139 --> 00:05:21.500 But the most striking detail here involves Mary's 00:05:21.500 --> 00:05:23.600 gift to them in return. She gives them a gift? 00:05:24.000 --> 00:05:26.399 What is it? One of Jesus' swaddling clothes. 00:05:26.660 --> 00:05:30.660 A swaddling cloth? Okay. Seems humble. Seems 00:05:30.660 --> 00:05:33.560 humble, but it becomes the focus of an astonishing 00:05:33.560 --> 00:05:36.560 miracle. When the wise men get back home, they 00:05:36.560 --> 00:05:39.000 throw the swaddling cloth into a fire maybe as 00:05:39.000 --> 00:05:41.079 a test or some kind of act of reverence? Let 00:05:41.079 --> 00:05:44.199 me guess. It refuses to burn. Completely unharmed. 00:05:44.319 --> 00:05:47.100 Wow. Not even singed. Not at all. And this leads 00:05:47.100 --> 00:05:49.779 them to worship the cloth and treasure it among 00:05:49.779 --> 00:05:51.920 their possessions. So another strong statement 00:05:51.920 --> 00:05:55.040 about the inherent power and sanctity just radiating 00:05:55.040 --> 00:05:57.439 from Jesus, even through objects he's merely 00:05:57.439 --> 00:06:00.579 touched or worn. Exactly. What does that emphasis 00:06:00.579 --> 00:06:02.819 on the power of physical relics tell us, do you 00:06:02.819 --> 00:06:05.420 think? about the theology, maybe. Well, it suggests 00:06:05.420 --> 00:06:08.300 a worldview where the divine isn't just in Jesus, 00:06:08.379 --> 00:06:10.420 but it's actively radiating from him, right? 00:06:10.600 --> 00:06:12.339 Well, capable of transforming and empowering 00:06:12.339 --> 00:06:15.720 the material world around him. Precisely. This 00:06:15.720 --> 00:06:18.860 kind of emphasis on material conduits of holiness, 00:06:19.339 --> 00:06:22.199 it was present in various ancient beliefs and 00:06:22.199 --> 00:06:24.300 certainly found expression in certain Christian 00:06:24.300 --> 00:06:26.800 traditions later on. Okay, so if the nativity 00:06:26.800 --> 00:06:28.899 was eventful, the flight to Egypt in this text 00:06:28.899 --> 00:06:31.439 is, well, an absolute whirlwind of supernatural 00:06:31.439 --> 00:06:34.560 events. Oh, absolutely. Herod's anger, the angelic 00:06:34.560 --> 00:06:36.779 warning to Joseph to flee as soon as the cock 00:06:36.779 --> 00:06:39.420 crows, that's familiar, but the journey itself, 00:06:39.660 --> 00:06:42.139 anything but a quiet escape. How so? It starts 00:06:42.139 --> 00:06:44.180 with a mundane problem, actually. Their saddle 00:06:44.180 --> 00:06:47.000 girths break. But as they approach a city in 00:06:47.000 --> 00:06:49.720 Egypt, things escalate rapidly. They encounter 00:06:49.720 --> 00:06:52.990 the local idols. Uh -oh. idols. Yeah. And this 00:06:52.990 --> 00:06:55.529 city has a particularly important idol, one that 00:06:55.529 --> 00:06:58.110 other idols apparently make offerings to, and 00:06:58.110 --> 00:07:00.529 the text claims this main idol speaks. It speaks. 00:07:00.829 --> 00:07:03.050 What does it say? It declares, the unknown God 00:07:03.050 --> 00:07:05.829 is come hither, who is truly God. He is truly 00:07:05.829 --> 00:07:08.810 the Son of God. Whoa. The idol itself proclaims 00:07:08.810 --> 00:07:11.129 him. Seems so. And immediately after this declaration, 00:07:11.449 --> 00:07:14.389 that main idol falls down instantly, followed 00:07:14.389 --> 00:07:16.629 by all the other idols throughout Egypt. All 00:07:16.629 --> 00:07:18.459 of them across the whole country. That's what 00:07:18.459 --> 00:07:21.180 the text claims. And then it explicitly links 00:07:21.180 --> 00:07:24.579 this event to the prophecy in Hosea. Ah, out 00:07:24.579 --> 00:07:27.600 of Egypt I have called my son. Exactly. Suggesting 00:07:27.600 --> 00:07:30.399 this wasn't just about Israel's exodus, but specifically 00:07:30.399 --> 00:07:34.000 Jesus' presence literally causing the collapse 00:07:34.000 --> 00:07:38.120 of Egyptian paganism. It's a very literal and 00:07:38.120 --> 00:07:40.699 dramatic interpretation of Scripture. It certainly 00:07:40.699 --> 00:07:42.980 is a powerful theological statement. The arrival 00:07:42.980 --> 00:07:45.610 of the true God displacing all others. Quite 00:07:45.610 --> 00:07:47.889 literally. But you said there were smaller miracles, 00:07:48.009 --> 00:07:50.870 too. Yes. Alongside this big event, the text 00:07:50.870 --> 00:07:53.350 includes many smaller personal miracles during 00:07:53.350 --> 00:07:55.790 their stay. At the inn, near the fallen idol, 00:07:55.970 --> 00:07:58.029 for instance, they meet a priest's son who's 00:07:58.029 --> 00:08:01.269 possessed by devils and throwing stones. So Mary 00:08:01.269 --> 00:08:03.810 washes Jesus' swaddling clothes and hangs them 00:08:03.810 --> 00:08:06.449 up to dry. The possessed boy grabs one of the 00:08:06.449 --> 00:08:08.389 clothes, puts it on his head, and the devils 00:08:08.389 --> 00:08:11.069 visibly leave him, described as flying out in 00:08:11.069 --> 00:08:13.329 the shape of crows and serpents. He's instantly 00:08:13.329 --> 00:08:16.529 healed. Again, with the close, the power residing 00:08:16.529 --> 00:08:18.930 in his belongings. Yeah. It's a recurring theme. 00:08:19.629 --> 00:08:22.250 Now, the text notes that Joseph and Mary were, 00:08:22.430 --> 00:08:24.769 you know, understandably fighting by the reaction 00:08:24.769 --> 00:08:26.689 to the idols falling. Yeah, I imagine that caused 00:08:26.689 --> 00:08:29.209 a stir. They feared Egyptian anger, so they moved 00:08:29.209 --> 00:08:32.289 towards secret places of robbers. Towards robbers? 00:08:32.409 --> 00:08:34.590 That doesn't sound safer. Well, they do encounter 00:08:34.590 --> 00:08:38.500 robbers, but they don't need to fight. The thieves 00:08:38.500 --> 00:08:41.379 hear a noise like a vast army approaching trumpets, 00:08:41.480 --> 00:08:44.019 horses, the whole thing, and they flee in terror, 00:08:44.279 --> 00:08:47.000 leaving behind their captives in loot. And Joseph 00:08:47.000 --> 00:08:49.600 and Mary didn't do anything. Nope. The freed 00:08:49.600 --> 00:08:51.919 prisoners meet them, and Joseph and Mary simply 00:08:51.919 --> 00:08:54.600 tell them the king will come after them. It seems 00:08:54.600 --> 00:08:57.460 the infant Jesus' mere presence generates this 00:08:57.460 --> 00:09:00.659 divine protective force field, almost. Incredible. 00:09:00.960 --> 00:09:03.820 So the journey continues. More healings. Oh, 00:09:03.860 --> 00:09:06.990 yes. The text piles them on. There's an encounter 00:09:06.990 --> 00:09:09.690 with a woman possessed by Satan, Mary pities 00:09:09.690 --> 00:09:11.870 her, and Satan leaves in the form of a young 00:09:11.870 --> 00:09:14.789 man crying out in distress against Mary and her 00:09:14.789 --> 00:09:17.110 son. Satan himself addresses Mary. Apparently 00:09:17.110 --> 00:09:20.350 so. Then in another town, they meet a bride who 00:09:20.350 --> 00:09:22.870 had been struck dumb by sorcerers. Struck dumb. 00:09:23.169 --> 00:09:26.409 Yeah. She sees Mary holding Jesus, takes him, 00:09:26.809 --> 00:09:30.210 hugs and kisses him, and boom. Her tongue is 00:09:30.210 --> 00:09:32.330 immediately loosed, her ears are open, and she 00:09:32.330 --> 00:09:34.850 starts singing praises. Direct physical contact 00:09:34.850 --> 00:09:37.070 again. That's the key in many of these stories, 00:09:37.389 --> 00:09:39.850 and that theme of power through physical contact, 00:09:39.950 --> 00:09:42.529 particularly with Jesus' things, gets reinforced 00:09:42.529 --> 00:09:45.470 again and again. Like how? Well, there's a whole 00:09:45.470 --> 00:09:48.450 series of healing specifically involving the 00:09:48.450 --> 00:09:51.250 water used to wash Jesus or His swaddling clothes. 00:09:51.570 --> 00:09:54.120 Okay, tell me about those. There's a woman afflicted 00:09:54.120 --> 00:09:56.659 by Satan appearing as a serpent wrapped around 00:09:56.659 --> 00:09:59.639 her. She asks to hold Jesus and the serpent leaves 00:09:59.639 --> 00:10:02.370 when she moves him. Okay, fine. But the next 00:10:02.370 --> 00:10:05.350 day, she washes Jesus and saves the water. Saves 00:10:05.350 --> 00:10:07.549 the wash water. Why? Well, because that water 00:10:07.549 --> 00:10:10.909 becomes a potent healing agent. A girl suffering 00:10:10.909 --> 00:10:13.830 from leprosy is sprinkled and washed with the 00:10:13.830 --> 00:10:16.389 saved water and is instantly cleansed. Instantly. 00:10:16.710 --> 00:10:18.789 From leprosy. Instantly. And the people are astonished, 00:10:18.830 --> 00:10:21.250 naturally. They start wondering if Joseph, Mary, 00:10:21.429 --> 00:10:23.990 and Jesus are actually gods. Understandable reaction, 00:10:24.110 --> 00:10:26.110 I suppose. And the healed girl is so grateful 00:10:26.110 --> 00:10:28.730 she actually joins their traveling group. She 00:10:28.730 --> 00:10:31.450 travels with them. Wow. And this cured girl becomes 00:10:31.450 --> 00:10:34.809 important later. She encounters a sorrowful prince's 00:10:34.809 --> 00:10:37.169 wife whose marriage is void because she and her 00:10:37.169 --> 00:10:40.250 son are leprous. Oh dear. So the cured girl shares 00:10:40.250 --> 00:10:43.409 her story about the wash water. The prince's 00:10:43.409 --> 00:10:46.509 wife gets the water, pours it on her own leprous 00:10:46.509 --> 00:10:50.429 son, and he too is instantly cleansed. She praises 00:10:50.429 --> 00:10:54.610 God, rewards Mary richly. You see how the benefits 00:10:54.610 --> 00:10:56.889 ripple outwards. It's like a chain reaction of 00:10:56.889 --> 00:10:59.700 healing. Any other examples? Yep. They lodged 00:10:59.700 --> 00:11:02.059 with a recently married man who's been afflicted 00:11:02.059 --> 00:11:04.980 by sorcerers, unable to consummate his marriage. 00:11:05.179 --> 00:11:08.139 Awkward. Very. But simply having the holy family 00:11:08.139 --> 00:11:10.879 stay in his house overnight cures him. Just their 00:11:10.879 --> 00:11:13.559 presence. He's so gratefully host this lavish 00:11:13.559 --> 00:11:15.639 celebration for them. Just being near them fixed 00:11:15.639 --> 00:11:17.679 it. Amazing. But perhaps the most surprising 00:11:17.679 --> 00:11:20.519 miracle in Egypt involves a mule. A mule? What 00:11:20.519 --> 00:11:22.850 happens with a mule? They come to a city where 00:11:22.850 --> 00:11:25.409 some women are mourning their brother, who has 00:11:25.409 --> 00:11:27.669 been turned into a mule by witchcraft. Turned 00:11:27.669 --> 00:11:30.190 into a mule? Seriously? Like in a fairy tale? 00:11:30.490 --> 00:11:33.649 Exactly like that. So the cured leper girl, who's 00:11:33.649 --> 00:11:35.669 still traveling with them, tells the sisters 00:11:35.669 --> 00:11:39.230 about Mary and Jesus. The women plead with Mary 00:11:39.230 --> 00:11:41.690 for help. What does Mary do? She places the baby 00:11:41.690 --> 00:11:44.610 Jesus on the mule's back and prays. The mule 00:11:44.610 --> 00:11:47.029 immediately turns back into a young man, right 00:11:47.029 --> 00:11:50.370 there. Get out! That's wild. It is. The family 00:11:50.370 --> 00:11:53.509 is overjoyed. They worship Mary and Jesus. And 00:11:53.509 --> 00:11:56.950 then, incredibly, the restored young man marries 00:11:56.950 --> 00:11:59.529 the cured leper girl who brought his sisters 00:11:59.529 --> 00:12:02.269 to Mary in the first place. A wedding. So it 00:12:02.269 --> 00:12:04.809 combines healing, transformation, and a happy 00:12:04.809 --> 00:12:07.259 ending. That story has everything. It really 00:12:07.259 --> 00:12:09.480 highlights the boundless and sometimes, yeah, 00:12:09.820 --> 00:12:12.320 totally unexpected nature of the divine power 00:12:12.320 --> 00:12:14.500 depicted in this text. Okay, what about those 00:12:14.500 --> 00:12:16.159 robbers again? You mentioned they encountered 00:12:16.159 --> 00:12:17.899 them. Right. As they travel through a desert 00:12:17.899 --> 00:12:20.419 region infested with robbers, they encounter 00:12:20.419 --> 00:12:23.240 two specific leaders named Titus and Dumakus 00:12:23.240 --> 00:12:25.360 who are asleep. Titus and Dumakus. Those names 00:12:25.360 --> 00:12:28.279 sound vaguely familiar. They might. Titus wants 00:12:28.279 --> 00:12:30.279 to let the family pass peacefully, so he actually 00:12:30.279 --> 00:12:32.759 offers a bribe to Dumakus not to make a fuss 00:12:32.759 --> 00:12:35.759 or wake the others. Mary sees this kindness. 00:12:36.269 --> 00:12:39.429 and blesses Titus. Okay, consider it thief. And 00:12:39.429 --> 00:12:43.389 then, right there, the infant Jesus speaks and 00:12:43.389 --> 00:12:46.009 makes a specific prophecy. He speaks again. What 00:12:46.009 --> 00:12:48.750 does he say this time? He foretells his own crucifixion 00:12:48.750 --> 00:12:52.210 in 30 years and states that these two thieves, 00:12:52.669 --> 00:12:54.970 Titus and Demacus, will be crucified with him, 00:12:55.370 --> 00:12:58.129 specifically Titus on his right hand entering 00:12:58.129 --> 00:13:01.429 paradise. That's incredibly specific and connects 00:13:01.429 --> 00:13:04.169 directly to the passion narratives. Mary must 00:13:04.169 --> 00:13:06.340 have been distressed. The text says she was. 00:13:06.720 --> 00:13:08.559 It's a sterk foreshadowing, this glimpse into 00:13:08.559 --> 00:13:10.639 the future revealing his divine knowledge so 00:13:10.639 --> 00:13:13.559 early on, linking his infancy directly to his 00:13:13.559 --> 00:13:16.000 ultimate fate. Heavy stuff for a baby to predict. 00:13:16.259 --> 00:13:17.879 What happens next? Well, as they near another 00:13:17.879 --> 00:13:20.539 city, one apparently filled with idols, the text 00:13:20.539 --> 00:13:22.860 says the entire city just turns into sandhills. 00:13:23.360 --> 00:13:26.580 Gone. Oof. Just like that. Another swift judgment 00:13:26.580 --> 00:13:28.879 against paganism. Seems so. Even more complete 00:13:28.879 --> 00:13:31.320 than the idols just falling. Then they come to 00:13:31.320 --> 00:13:34.539 Metaria. Yeah. And there, the text says Jesus 00:13:34.539 --> 00:13:37.769 caused a well to spring forth. This is supposedly 00:13:37.769 --> 00:13:40.970 where Mary washes his coat and that balsam grew 00:13:40.970 --> 00:13:43.429 from his sweat. More details connecting him physically 00:13:43.429 --> 00:13:46.149 to the land leading signs. Exactly. Enduring 00:13:46.149 --> 00:13:49.289 signs of his presence. Finally, the text notes 00:13:49.289 --> 00:13:51.750 they proceed to Memphis. See Pharaoh, though 00:13:51.750 --> 00:13:53.990 it doesn't elaborate on that, and stay for three 00:13:53.990 --> 00:13:56.950 years in Egypt. Three years. And it explicitly 00:13:56.950 --> 00:13:59.549 states that Jesus performed very many miracles 00:13:59.549 --> 00:14:01.750 there that are not recorded elsewhere. It hints 00:14:01.750 --> 00:14:04.370 at this even vaster store of hidden stories, 00:14:04.509 --> 00:14:06.830 you know? Right. A whole lost chapter. potentially. 00:14:07.570 --> 00:14:10.549 Okay, so after these three incredibly eventful 00:14:10.549 --> 00:14:13.230 years, they finally return from Egypt. They do. 00:14:13.610 --> 00:14:16.250 But Joseph is hesitant to re -enter Judea. He 00:14:16.250 --> 00:14:18.809 hears Herod is dead, but his son, Archelaus, 00:14:18.870 --> 00:14:21.230 who was apparently just as bad as reigning. So 00:14:21.230 --> 00:14:24.090 still dangerous. Yeah. An angel directs him to 00:14:24.090 --> 00:14:26.750 go to Nazareth instead. And the text pauses here 00:14:26.750 --> 00:14:28.889 for a moment, reflecting on this profound paradox, 00:14:29.070 --> 00:14:31.529 right? The Lord of all countries being carried 00:14:31.529 --> 00:14:33.850 around, directed by an angel, dependent on his 00:14:33.850 --> 00:14:36.909 parents. It is a powerful thought. how the divine 00:14:36.909 --> 00:14:39.490 submitted to human conditions. As they settle 00:14:39.490 --> 00:14:42.269 back, maybe in Nazareth or nearby, the text says 00:14:42.269 --> 00:14:44.929 they encounter desperate distempers killing children. 00:14:45.470 --> 00:14:47.570 Lots of sickness around. So more healings are 00:14:47.570 --> 00:14:50.850 needed. Seems so. And we see a return to that 00:14:50.850 --> 00:14:53.409 recurring theme. More healings involving the 00:14:53.409 --> 00:14:56.070 washwater or swaddling clothes. The greatest 00:14:56.070 --> 00:14:59.659 hits. Pretty much. Children near death or with 00:14:59.659 --> 00:15:02.360 severe diseases are cured simply through contact 00:15:02.360 --> 00:15:05.379 with these items that carry Jesus' power. There's 00:15:05.379 --> 00:15:08.840 even a specific story about a boy named Bartholomew. 00:15:08.919 --> 00:15:11.279 like the apostle. Could be the connection intended. 00:15:11.620 --> 00:15:13.980 He was near death but was cured after being laid 00:15:13.980 --> 00:15:16.100 in Jesus' bed and just smelling his clothes. 00:15:16.320 --> 00:15:19.080 Smelling his clothes. Wow, that's potent. It 00:15:19.080 --> 00:15:22.120 is. And these texts often name individuals like 00:15:22.120 --> 00:15:24.639 this, maybe linking them to later figures or 00:15:24.639 --> 00:15:26.879 implying a known tradition behind these stories. 00:15:27.200 --> 00:15:29.299 Interesting. Are there other stories from this 00:15:29.299 --> 00:15:32.100 period back home? Yes, there's also a story involving 00:15:32.100 --> 00:15:35.620 a family conflict. A man with two wives. One 00:15:35.620 --> 00:15:37.899 rival wife tries to kill Caleb, who the text 00:15:37.899 --> 00:15:40.500 identifies as Mary's son, probably meaning Jesus' 00:15:40.779 --> 00:15:43.159 mother's child or relative, not Jesus himself. 00:15:43.879 --> 00:15:48.500 This wife tries twice. Ow! First, throws him 00:15:48.500 --> 00:15:50.759 in a hot oven. He's found unharmed, laughing. 00:15:51.559 --> 00:15:54.799 Yep. Then she throws him into a well. He's found 00:15:54.799 --> 00:15:58.019 just sitting safely on the water's surface. Mary 00:15:58.019 --> 00:16:00.919 tells Lady Mary, presumably Jesus' mother, who 00:16:00.919 --> 00:16:05.080 trusts God, will vindicate. And does he? According 00:16:05.080 --> 00:16:08.279 to the text, yes. The rival wife later falls 00:16:08.279 --> 00:16:11.539 into that same well and dies. A moment of divine 00:16:11.539 --> 00:16:14.470 justice protecting the child. Intense. What else? 00:16:14.769 --> 00:16:17.269 Another really dramatic healing involves a girl 00:16:17.269 --> 00:16:20.769 tormented by Satan, who appears as a dragon sucking 00:16:20.769 --> 00:16:23.509 her blood. A dragon? Yeah, appearing as a dragon. 00:16:24.149 --> 00:16:26.330 The healed leper prince's daughter, remember 00:16:26.330 --> 00:16:28.870 her? The one traveling with them. Yes, the one 00:16:28.870 --> 00:16:30.909 cured by the wash water. She tells the girl's 00:16:30.909 --> 00:16:33.419 mother to take her to Mary. Mary gives them more 00:16:33.419 --> 00:16:36.340 wash water and another swaddling cloth, instructing 00:16:36.340 --> 00:16:38.039 the mother to tell the girl to show it to the 00:16:38.039 --> 00:16:40.220 enemy when it appears. Show the cloth to the 00:16:40.220 --> 00:16:42.500 dragon. Right. So when the dragon appears, the 00:16:42.500 --> 00:16:45.059 girl puts the cloth on her head and eyes, and 00:16:45.059 --> 00:16:47.519 flames and burning coals shoot from the cloth 00:16:47.519 --> 00:16:49.740 hitting the dragon. Flames from the swaddling 00:16:49.740 --> 00:16:53.179 cloth. Seriously. That's the image. The dragon 00:16:53.179 --> 00:16:56.379 cries out against Jesus and flees. It's incredibly 00:16:56.379 --> 00:16:59.440 vivid, a swaddling cloth, literally weaponized 00:16:59.440 --> 00:17:01.960 with divine fire against Satan. That underscores 00:17:01.960 --> 00:17:04.099 the power in those objects like nothing else. 00:17:04.599 --> 00:17:08.339 Absolutely. Then comes a really unsettling story 00:17:08.339 --> 00:17:12.740 about a boy named Judas. Judas, as in? As in 00:17:12.740 --> 00:17:16.140 Judas Iscariot, yes. The text says he was possessed 00:17:16.140 --> 00:17:18.500 by Satan as a child and had a habit of biting 00:17:18.500 --> 00:17:21.460 people. His mother brings him to Mary. Okay. 00:17:21.640 --> 00:17:23.940 While Jesus is playing, Judas tries to bite him, 00:17:24.039 --> 00:17:26.200 but instead he strikes Jesus on his right side. 00:17:26.359 --> 00:17:29.259 He hits Jesus. He does. And at that moment, Satan 00:17:29.259 --> 00:17:31.519 immediately leaves Judas, described as flying 00:17:31.519 --> 00:17:34.460 out like a mad dog. Wow. But the text identifies 00:17:34.460 --> 00:17:36.940 him as a scarier. Explicitly. And it makes this 00:17:36.940 --> 00:17:40.380 direct, chilling link. This boy was Judas Iscariot, 00:17:40.440 --> 00:17:42.819 the future betrayer, and the side he struck as 00:17:42.819 --> 00:17:44.779 a possessed child. That's the very side, later 00:17:44.779 --> 00:17:46.559 pierced by the spirit, the crucifixion. Oh my 00:17:46.559 --> 00:17:49.140 goodness, that's dark. A complex foreshadowing, 00:17:49.319 --> 00:17:51.339 suggesting his fate was maybe linked to this 00:17:51.339 --> 00:17:53.460 early demonic influence and violence towards 00:17:53.460 --> 00:17:56.160 Jesus. It's a deeply troubling connection presented 00:17:56.160 --> 00:17:59.819 here. Okay, so as Jesus grows a bit older, say 00:17:59.819 --> 00:18:02.839 around age seven, do the miracles continue? They 00:18:02.839 --> 00:18:05.420 do, but now they become intertwined with childhood 00:18:05.420 --> 00:18:07.779 play, though they're no less powerful. He's playing 00:18:07.779 --> 00:18:10.380 with other boys, making figures out of clay asses, 00:18:10.519 --> 00:18:13.519 oxen, birds. Like kids do. Right, but then he 00:18:13.519 --> 00:18:17.019 commands them to become real, to walk, fly, eat, 00:18:17.720 --> 00:18:20.380 and they do. The clay figures come alive. Exactly. 00:18:20.920 --> 00:18:23.059 When the other boys tell their parents, the parents 00:18:23.059 --> 00:18:26.680 are horrified. They call Jesus a sorcerer and 00:18:26.680 --> 00:18:28.940 warn their children to stay away from him. Ah, 00:18:29.079 --> 00:18:32.380 so his power... starts to be misunderstood or 00:18:32.380 --> 00:18:35.599 feared. Precisely. Okay. It shows how his inherent 00:18:35.599 --> 00:18:37.799 divine power could be perceived as something 00:18:37.799 --> 00:18:41.339 illicit or, you know, dangerous magic by those 00:18:41.339 --> 00:18:43.500 who didn't understand its source. Does this happen 00:18:43.500 --> 00:18:45.759 again, this perception of magic? It does. There's 00:18:45.759 --> 00:18:48.200 the story of the Dire shop. Jesus goes into the 00:18:48.200 --> 00:18:50.359 shop, takes all the cloths the Dire has prepared 00:18:50.359 --> 00:18:52.180 for various customers, each needing a different 00:18:52.180 --> 00:18:54.559 color. Okay. And he throws them all into a furnace 00:18:54.559 --> 00:18:57.259 full of, say, black dye. All of them. Together, 00:18:57.559 --> 00:19:00.299 the Dire must have freaked out. Completely panic, 00:19:00.420 --> 00:19:02.819 but then Jesus pulls the cloths out and each 00:19:02.819 --> 00:19:06.119 one is dyed the precise correct color that each 00:19:06.119 --> 00:19:09.400 individual customer wanted how? Okay, that's 00:19:09.400 --> 00:19:12.519 definitely miraculous a display of control over 00:19:12.519 --> 00:19:16.539 material transformation playful, but astonishing. 00:19:16.960 --> 00:19:19.319 And maybe a way to help Joseph's trade or provide 00:19:19.319 --> 00:19:22.000 for the family, perhaps. He also helps Joseph 00:19:22.000 --> 00:19:24.799 the carpenter more directly. The text notes Joseph 00:19:24.799 --> 00:19:27.640 isn't particularly skilled. Not a great carpenter? 00:19:27.839 --> 00:19:29.880 Apparently not. If a piece of wood is cut too 00:19:29.880 --> 00:19:32.640 long or too short for a job, Jesus safely stretches 00:19:32.640 --> 00:19:35.240 out his hand and the wood becomes exactly the 00:19:35.240 --> 00:19:38.799 right size needed instantly. Handy. That must 00:19:38.799 --> 00:19:40.759 have saved Joseph a lot of work in wood. You'd 00:19:40.759 --> 00:19:43.509 think so. There's one specific instance mentioned. 00:19:43.930 --> 00:19:46.650 Joseph spends two years making a throne for the 00:19:46.650 --> 00:19:49.009 king of Jerusalem, made of special wood from 00:19:49.009 --> 00:19:51.109 Solomon's time, apparently. A royal commission. 00:19:51.630 --> 00:19:54.609 High stakes. Very. But when he finishes, its 00:19:54.609 --> 00:19:56.809 tube spans too short on each side. It doesn't 00:19:56.809 --> 00:19:59.890 fit. Oh no. After two years, the king must have 00:19:59.890 --> 00:20:02.069 been furious. He was, and Joseph was in despair. 00:20:02.849 --> 00:20:04.970 But Jesus tells Joseph not to worry. He says, 00:20:05.049 --> 00:20:06.890 you pull one side, I'll pull the other. Pull 00:20:06.890 --> 00:20:10.210 the throne. Yeah. They both pull, and the throne 00:20:10.210 --> 00:20:13.609 stretches out perfectly to fit the required space. 00:20:13.910 --> 00:20:17.690 Stretches solid wood. Wow. That's a striking 00:20:17.690 --> 00:20:21.329 visual of divine power reshaping reality to fix 00:20:21.329 --> 00:20:24.650 a human mistake. And on a royal throne, no less. 00:20:24.970 --> 00:20:28.250 Exactly. Grand scale stuff. There are more stories 00:20:28.250 --> 00:20:30.869 from his playtime, too. Jesus is playing with 00:20:30.869 --> 00:20:33.450 boys, and they decide to hide from him. They 00:20:33.450 --> 00:20:36.019 hide inside a furnace. In a furnace, okay. Jesus 00:20:36.019 --> 00:20:38.619 asks some nearby women where the boys are. The 00:20:38.619 --> 00:20:40.660 women lie, maybe jokingly, maybe trying to protect 00:20:40.660 --> 00:20:42.839 the kids, and say there are just some three -year 00:20:42.839 --> 00:20:44.880 -old kids, meaning young goats in the furnace. 00:20:45.039 --> 00:20:47.500 I said goats. Yeah, kids. So Jesus calls out, 00:20:47.619 --> 00:20:49.460 come out here, there are O .E. kids. Don't tell 00:20:49.460 --> 00:20:51.809 me. The boys emerge from the furnace transformed 00:20:51.809 --> 00:20:54.430 into actual young goats leaping around him. No, 00:20:54.690 --> 00:20:56.470 he turned them into goats. That's the story. 00:20:56.869 --> 00:20:59.150 The women are terrified, obviously, and they 00:20:59.150 --> 00:21:02.250 beg him to change them back. Jesus obliges, calls, 00:21:02.730 --> 00:21:05.029 come hither, oh boys, and they return to human 00:21:05.029 --> 00:21:08.230 form. That's remarkable, almost unsettling that 00:21:08.230 --> 00:21:11.430 power over identity and form even in play. It 00:21:11.430 --> 00:21:13.789 is. In the text notes, Jesus makes a comment 00:21:13.789 --> 00:21:18.140 after this. The children of Israel are like Ethiopians 00:21:18.140 --> 00:21:20.660 among the people. What does that mean? It sounds 00:21:20.660 --> 00:21:24.740 odd. It's a puzzling line, honestly. Often debated. 00:21:25.220 --> 00:21:27.619 Maybe suggesting a disconnect between their outward 00:21:27.619 --> 00:21:29.779 appearance or actions and their true nature. 00:21:30.299 --> 00:21:33.140 Or maybe a commentary on spiritual darkness or 00:21:33.140 --> 00:21:36.940 misunderstanding. It's unclear. Hmm. Okay, so 00:21:36.940 --> 00:21:40.660 the miracles keep mixing play with power. Are 00:21:40.660 --> 00:21:43.940 there more healings? Yes, including during another 00:21:43.940 --> 00:21:47.000 game. While playing king with other boys, this 00:21:47.000 --> 00:21:48.940 is in the month of Adar, the text says they dress 00:21:48.940 --> 00:21:51.000 them up with a flower ground, make passersby 00:21:51.000 --> 00:21:53.619 worship their king. Standard kid stuff, maybe. 00:21:53.859 --> 00:21:56.259 Plain pretend. Right. But then a boy who was 00:21:56.259 --> 00:21:58.200 bitten by a poisonous serpent is brought to them 00:21:58.200 --> 00:22:00.599 on a couch. Oh dear. Jesus insists they all go 00:22:00.599 --> 00:22:02.380 find and kill the serpent, even though the parents 00:22:02.380 --> 00:22:05.079 are scared. At the nest, Jesus calls the serpent 00:22:05.079 --> 00:22:07.839 out. Calls the snake. Yep, commands it to suck 00:22:07.839 --> 00:22:10.000 its poison back out of the boy. What? Does it 00:22:10.000 --> 00:22:12.740 work? It does. The serpent sucks the poison out, 00:22:12.799 --> 00:22:15.180 healing the boy. Then Jesus curses the serpent 00:22:15.180 --> 00:22:18.059 and it will soap in and dies. Wow. Curses it 00:22:18.059 --> 00:22:20.960 to death. And then Jesus touches the healed boy, 00:22:21.119 --> 00:22:23.900 tells him to stop crying and says, Hereafter 00:22:23.900 --> 00:22:26.759 thou shalt be my disciple. And the text identifies 00:22:26.759 --> 00:22:29.619 this boy as Simon the Canaanite. Simon the Canaanite. 00:22:30.400 --> 00:22:32.119 Another future apostle linked to a childhood 00:22:32.119 --> 00:22:34.359 miracle, just like Bartholomew maybe? Seems to 00:22:34.359 --> 00:22:36.700 be a pattern. His own family isn't immune to 00:22:36.700 --> 00:22:39.819 danger either. His brother James... Presumably 00:22:39.819 --> 00:22:41.920 the Lord's brother gets bitten by a viper while 00:22:41.920 --> 00:22:44.519 gathering wood with Jesus. James, too. Viper's 00:22:44.519 --> 00:22:46.720 everywhere. Apparently. But Jesus simply blows 00:22:46.720 --> 00:22:48.880 on the bite and it's instantly healed. Simple 00:22:48.880 --> 00:22:50.980 as that. It's just a breath. Okay. What about 00:22:50.980 --> 00:22:52.900 raising the dead? Does that happen early, too? 00:22:53.279 --> 00:22:55.519 It does. Remarkably early, according to this 00:22:55.519 --> 00:23:06.319 text. The other boys flee, leaving Jesus alone, 00:23:06.720 --> 00:23:09.319 potentially looking guilty. But Jesus denies 00:23:09.319 --> 00:23:12.059 any fault, goes to the body, calls out the boy's 00:23:12.059 --> 00:23:15.680 name, the dead boy answers, and identifies who 00:23:15.680 --> 00:23:18.039 actually pushed him off the roof. He speaks from 00:23:18.039 --> 00:23:21.700 death to clear Jesus' name and identify the culprit. 00:23:22.099 --> 00:23:25.200 Exactly. Raising the dead, maybe age 10 or 11, 00:23:25.640 --> 00:23:27.900 presented almost casually within his everyday 00:23:27.900 --> 00:23:30.380 activities, much earlier than similar events 00:23:30.380 --> 00:23:33.039 in the canonical gospels. That's a huge difference. 00:23:33.339 --> 00:23:35.920 Are there other smaller miracles mentioned? Yeah, 00:23:36.099 --> 00:23:38.539 woven in, like when Mary asks him to fetch water, 00:23:38.779 --> 00:23:41.079 the pitcher breaks, but Jesus just gathers the 00:23:41.079 --> 00:23:43.539 water up in his mantle, his cloak, and brings 00:23:43.539 --> 00:23:46.240 it to her perfectly fine. Shows his power over 00:23:46.240 --> 00:23:49.579 natural elements, even gravity or cohesion, I 00:23:49.579 --> 00:23:52.200 guess. Okay, so far most of these miracles are 00:23:52.200 --> 00:23:55.279 helpful, or at least playful, even the goat thing, 00:23:55.660 --> 00:24:00.359 but some sound darker. Yes, some miracles in 00:24:00.359 --> 00:24:02.880 this text show a much more immediate, even punitive 00:24:02.880 --> 00:24:05.279 aspect to his power. This is where it gets quite 00:24:05.279 --> 00:24:07.559 different from the usual image. By the river 00:24:07.559 --> 00:24:09.779 on the Sabbath, Jesus is making clay sparrows 00:24:09.779 --> 00:24:12.519 and little pools playing again. The son of a 00:24:12.519 --> 00:24:14.839 Jew named Hanani sees him doing this work, making 00:24:14.839 --> 00:24:17.240 figures and accuses him of breaking the Sabbath. 00:24:17.559 --> 00:24:20.279 Okay, a confrontation. Right. When Hanani's son 00:24:20.279 --> 00:24:22.559 tries to destroy the pools Jesus made, Jesus 00:24:22.559 --> 00:24:24.920 says, in like manner as this water has vanished, 00:24:25.200 --> 00:24:27.779 so shall thy life vanish. The boy drops dead 00:24:27.779 --> 00:24:31.200 instantly. He curses him to death for messing 00:24:31.200 --> 00:24:34.240 up his pools. That's harsh. It is. And there's 00:24:34.240 --> 00:24:36.799 another similar instance. Jesus is coming home 00:24:36.799 --> 00:24:39.299 with Joseph and another boy runs into him, maybe 00:24:39.299 --> 00:24:41.220 accidentally, maybe carelessly, and throws him 00:24:41.220 --> 00:24:43.579 down. Can I exhale over? Yeah. Jesus responds, 00:24:44.400 --> 00:24:46.920 As thou hast thrown me down, so shalt thou fall, 00:24:47.019 --> 00:24:50.000 nor ever rise. And that boy immediately falls 00:24:50.000 --> 00:24:53.539 down and dies too. Just like that. For bumping 00:24:53.539 --> 00:24:56.390 into him. Just like that. These stories present 00:24:56.390 --> 00:24:59.069 a really startling picture of divine authority 00:24:59.069 --> 00:25:02.170 manifesting with swift fatal consequences for 00:25:02.170 --> 00:25:04.710 those who oppose or even just accidentally offend 00:25:04.710 --> 00:25:08.349 him. It's a stark contrast to the often patient 00:25:08.349 --> 00:25:10.410 portrayal in the canonical Gospels, isn't it? 00:25:10.589 --> 00:25:12.490 Absolutely. It's a very different kind of power 00:25:12.490 --> 00:25:15.500 being depicted. Does this cause fear? It seems 00:25:15.500 --> 00:25:17.180 to. There's an account of Jesus going to school. 00:25:17.759 --> 00:25:19.880 A master named Zacchaeus tries to teach him the 00:25:19.880 --> 00:25:22.240 alphabet, starting with Aleph. Okay, school time. 00:25:22.319 --> 00:25:24.099 But Jesus says he'll only pronounce the next 00:25:24.099 --> 00:25:26.839 letter, Beth, if Zacchaeus first explains the 00:25:26.839 --> 00:25:29.900 meaning of Aleph. The deeper meaning. Challenging 00:25:29.900 --> 00:25:32.240 the teacher on the first letter, bold. Very. 00:25:33.079 --> 00:25:35.380 When Zacchaeus threatens to whip him for being 00:25:35.380 --> 00:25:38.400 difficult, Jesus doesn't just explain the profound 00:25:38.400 --> 00:25:40.779 meaning of the letters himself, but demonstrates 00:25:40.779 --> 00:25:44.680 knowledge far beyond any master. Zacchaeus is 00:25:44.680 --> 00:25:47.599 astonished and says Jesus was born before Noah. 00:25:47.920 --> 00:25:50.359 Born before Noah. Yeah. Implying pre -existence 00:25:50.359 --> 00:25:52.500 again. So what happens with the whipping threat? 00:25:52.720 --> 00:25:55.000 Well, they try sending him to a supposedly more 00:25:55.000 --> 00:25:58.019 learned master, but when this master lifts his 00:25:58.019 --> 00:26:01.779 hand to strike Jesus, his hand withers and he 00:26:01.779 --> 00:26:03.900 dies. The teacher dies for trying to discipline 00:26:03.900 --> 00:26:07.069 him. According to this text, yes. Joseph becomes 00:26:07.069 --> 00:26:09.970 fearful after this, understandably, afraid to 00:26:09.970 --> 00:26:12.029 let Jesus out of the house because it seems everyone 00:26:12.029 --> 00:26:14.950 who displeases him meets a swift negative end. 00:26:15.210 --> 00:26:17.069 Yeah, I can see why Joseph would be worried. 00:26:17.710 --> 00:26:19.529 Which brings us, I guess, to the one childhood 00:26:19.529 --> 00:26:21.670 event that is shared with the canonical Gospels. 00:26:22.069 --> 00:26:25.150 Jesus at age 12 in the temple. Right. During 00:26:25.150 --> 00:26:27.630 the feast in Jerusalem, they go up, Jesus stays 00:26:27.630 --> 00:26:29.710 behind among the doctors, elders, learned men. 00:26:30.069 --> 00:26:32.150 That part's familiar from Luke. But this text 00:26:32.150 --> 00:26:35.180 expands on it. Dramatically, his interaction 00:26:35.180 --> 00:26:37.799 isn't just passively asking questions like a 00:26:37.799 --> 00:26:41.279 curious kid. He's actively engaging, debating, 00:26:41.619 --> 00:26:44.500 teaching, really. How so? What does he do? He 00:26:44.500 --> 00:26:48.200 asks these profound theological questions, probing 00:26:48.200 --> 00:26:50.279 their understanding of Scripture. Things like, 00:26:50.500 --> 00:26:53.319 whose son is the Messiah? Why does David call 00:26:53.319 --> 00:26:56.099 him Lord? questions that, you know, pop up again 00:26:56.099 --> 00:26:58.539 in his adult ministry. So already engaging in 00:26:58.539 --> 00:27:01.079 serious theological debate. Absolutely. And he 00:27:01.079 --> 00:27:03.839 displays astonishing knowledge that goes way 00:27:03.839 --> 00:27:06.339 beyond scripture alone. He explains the meaning 00:27:06.339 --> 00:27:08.440 of the letters, the law, the prophets, sure, 00:27:08.859 --> 00:27:11.759 but also mysteries that, quote, the mind of no 00:27:11.759 --> 00:27:14.400 creature could reach. Mysteries beyond human 00:27:14.400 --> 00:27:17.390 understanding. That's the claim. a rabbi is amazed, 00:27:17.670 --> 00:27:19.789 declaring him more learned than any master, and 00:27:19.789 --> 00:27:22.109 repeating that idea that he was born before Noah, 00:27:22.450 --> 00:27:24.269 reinforcing that pre -existence theme. And it 00:27:24.269 --> 00:27:26.369 wasn't just religious knowledge, right? The outline 00:27:26.369 --> 00:27:29.390 mentioned science. Exactly. His knowledge isn't 00:27:29.390 --> 00:27:31.809 limited to religious topics. An astronomer questions 00:27:31.809 --> 00:27:34.630 him, and Jesus explains the number of spheres, 00:27:35.230 --> 00:27:38.210 the heavenly bodies, their motions, sizes, how 00:27:38.210 --> 00:27:40.329 to interpret them, things human reason had never 00:27:40.329 --> 00:27:42.809 discovered, innate astronomical knowledge. At 00:27:42.809 --> 00:27:45.869 age 12. Okay. What else? Then a philosopher and 00:27:45.869 --> 00:27:48.190 physician probes him on science and philosophy. 00:27:48.650 --> 00:27:51.170 And Jesus explains physics, metaphysics, things 00:27:51.170 --> 00:27:54.509 above and below nature, the entire workings of 00:27:54.509 --> 00:27:57.289 the human body. It's powers, humors, members, 00:27:57.690 --> 00:28:00.990 bones, veins, arteries, nerves, constitutions, 00:28:01.450 --> 00:28:04.210 even the soul's operations, sensations, faculties, 00:28:04.329 --> 00:28:06.869 how things are composed and dissolved. The text 00:28:06.869 --> 00:28:08.990 claims these are things the understanding of 00:28:08.990 --> 00:28:11.490 no creature had ever reached. Complete knowledge 00:28:11.490 --> 00:28:12.950 of everything, basically. That's the picture 00:28:12.950 --> 00:28:15.630 painted. The philosopher is so overwhelmed he 00:28:15.630 --> 00:28:18.069 worships Jesus right there and vows to be his 00:28:18.069 --> 00:28:20.829 disciple. So it's a 12 year old not just why 00:28:20.829 --> 00:28:23.430 is beyond his years in religion but possessing 00:28:23.430 --> 00:28:25.910 this complete innate divine and scientific knowledge 00:28:25.910 --> 00:28:28.809 that surpasses all human understanding and discovery. 00:28:29.230 --> 00:28:31.089 A very different scene from Luke's brief mention. 00:28:31.430 --> 00:28:34.670 Very different indeed. Then Mary and Joseph find 00:28:34.670 --> 00:28:38.109 him after three days of searching. Mary asks 00:28:38.109 --> 00:28:41.029 you know why he did this causing them such worry. 00:28:41.309 --> 00:28:44.079 And his reply. Is it the same? Similar to the 00:28:44.079 --> 00:28:46.619 canonical account. Why did you seek me? Did you 00:28:46.619 --> 00:28:48.599 not know that I ought to be employed in my father's 00:28:48.599 --> 00:28:51.950 house? But this text explicitly adds that they 00:28:51.950 --> 00:28:55.890 did not understand his meaning. Ah, okay. Reinforcing 00:28:55.890 --> 00:28:57.869 their lack of comprehension of his true nature, 00:28:57.950 --> 00:29:00.710 maybe? Could be. They return to Nazareth, and 00:29:00.710 --> 00:29:02.930 the text says he was obedient to them, and Mary, 00:29:03.089 --> 00:29:04.950 just like in Luke, keeps all these things in 00:29:04.950 --> 00:29:07.349 her memory. It concludes this section by noting 00:29:07.349 --> 00:29:10.470 Jesus grew in stature, wisdom, and favor, echoing 00:29:10.470 --> 00:29:12.730 the more familiar gospel ending for that period. 00:29:13.109 --> 00:29:15.950 So after all that, what happens next according 00:29:15.950 --> 00:29:18.579 to this text? Does he keep doing miracles? Interestingly, 00:29:18.859 --> 00:29:21.220 no. From this point, the text states that Jesus 00:29:21.220 --> 00:29:23.480 began to conceal his miracles. Conceal them. 00:29:23.700 --> 00:29:26.180 Why? It suggests a deliberate choice, perhaps. 00:29:26.559 --> 00:29:28.460 He dedicated himself instead to studying the 00:29:28.460 --> 00:29:30.940 law until he reached the age of 30. A period 00:29:30.940 --> 00:29:33.380 of quiet preparation, stepping back from those 00:29:33.380 --> 00:29:35.839 constant public displays of power during his 00:29:35.839 --> 00:29:38.380 late childhood and young adulthood. So a shift 00:29:38.380 --> 00:29:40.660 happens after the temple incident. Seems so. 00:29:41.059 --> 00:29:42.859 He then reemerges, of course, for his public 00:29:42.859 --> 00:29:45.420 ministry, affirmed at the Jordan baptism by the 00:29:45.420 --> 00:29:48.869 voice from heaven and the descending dove. more 00:29:48.869 --> 00:29:51.710 closely with the familiar narrative. And how 00:29:51.710 --> 00:29:54.990 does this particular text end? It concludes with 00:29:54.990 --> 00:29:57.630 the beautiful doxological passage just praising 00:29:57.630 --> 00:30:01.190 God for life, being, redemption, mercy, and grace. 00:30:01.809 --> 00:30:04.470 It roots this whole extraordinary sometimes wild 00:30:04.470 --> 00:30:07.230 narrative firmly within a context of worship 00:30:07.230 --> 00:30:10.990 and divine providence. Wow. Okay. Taking a step 00:30:10.990 --> 00:30:13.880 back now from this deep dive. the contrast between 00:30:13.880 --> 00:30:17.299 this account and the, well, the very brief mentions 00:30:17.299 --> 00:30:19.500 of Jesus' childhood in the canonical Gospels 00:30:19.500 --> 00:30:22.619 is just stark, isn't it? Absolutely stark. The 00:30:22.619 --> 00:30:25.019 New Testament Gospels offer what a handful of 00:30:25.019 --> 00:30:27.220 verses about these years. This text gives us 00:30:27.220 --> 00:30:29.900 a full detailed and frankly kind of mind -boggling 00:30:29.900 --> 00:30:32.960 narrative filled with constant powerful and, 00:30:33.019 --> 00:30:35.380 yeah, sometimes unsettling miracles. It certainly 00:30:35.380 --> 00:30:37.599 offers a fascinating window into how some early 00:30:37.599 --> 00:30:39.480 Christian communities might have imagined Jesus' 00:30:39.759 --> 00:30:41.759 divine nature manifesting right from his earliest 00:30:41.759 --> 00:30:45.730 moments. Definitely. The sheer volume and variety 00:30:45.730 --> 00:30:49.130 of miracles. I mean, from healing and transformation 00:30:49.130 --> 00:30:52.569 to raising the dead and even inflicting swift 00:30:52.569 --> 00:30:56.029 judgment, it paints a picture of a child absolutely 00:30:56.029 --> 00:30:59.230 saturated with divine power, active and potent 00:30:59.230 --> 00:31:01.890 in the world from infancy. It suggests a really 00:31:01.890 --> 00:31:04.769 strong desire to emphasize his divinity and authority. 00:31:05.099 --> 00:31:08.599 like from day one, no waiting around. Precisely. 00:31:09.039 --> 00:31:11.700 So what does exploring a source like this offer 00:31:11.700 --> 00:31:13.680 you, the listener? Well, it gives you a unique 00:31:13.680 --> 00:31:15.900 perspective on the diverse landscape of early 00:31:15.900 --> 00:31:17.859 Christian thought and storytelling. Right. It 00:31:17.859 --> 00:31:19.720 shows you that the familiar biblical narratives 00:31:19.720 --> 00:31:21.619 weren't the only stories about Jesus circulating 00:31:21.619 --> 00:31:24.819 back then. Exactly. And that other communities 00:31:24.819 --> 00:31:27.539 held in shared accounts that emphasize very different 00:31:27.539 --> 00:31:29.599 aspects of his identity and power during his 00:31:29.599 --> 00:31:31.960 childhood. So maybe you could consider how this 00:31:31.960 --> 00:31:34.299 particular narrative of Jesus' childhood resonated. 00:31:34.480 --> 00:31:37.460 or maybe clashes with the more familiar one you 00:31:37.460 --> 00:31:39.819 grew up with. Yeah, and think about what the 00:31:39.819 --> 00:31:42.440 inclusion of these specific types of miracles. 00:31:43.220 --> 00:31:45.980 The speaking infant, the walking clay figures, 00:31:46.119 --> 00:31:49.700 the transforming mules, even those fatal curses 00:31:49.700 --> 00:31:53.500 on people who cross him. What might that tell 00:31:53.500 --> 00:31:55.559 us about the beliefs, maybe the anxieties, the 00:31:55.559 --> 00:31:58.079 theological priorities of the people who wrote, 00:31:58.500 --> 00:32:01.660 copied, and valued these stories? It really forces 00:32:01.660 --> 00:32:04.009 you to think about... the choices made when the 00:32:04.009 --> 00:32:06.089 biblical canon, the collection of books we know, 00:32:06.549 --> 00:32:08.910 was being formed, doesn't it? It does. And that 00:32:08.910 --> 00:32:11.009 leads us to our final provocative thought for 00:32:11.009 --> 00:32:14.170 you to mull over. Given how detailed, dramatic, 00:32:14.569 --> 00:32:17.329 and seemingly miraculous these stories are, why? 00:32:17.799 --> 00:32:20.200 Why were they ultimately not included in the 00:32:20.200 --> 00:32:22.299 collection of books that became the widely accepted 00:32:22.299 --> 00:32:24.680 New Testament? Mm -hmm. Good question. What might 00:32:24.680 --> 00:32:27.299 the exclusion of this really action -packed infancy 00:32:27.299 --> 00:32:29.920 narrative tell us about the theological perspectives, 00:32:30.180 --> 00:32:32.680 maybe the historical standards, or perhaps even 00:32:32.680 --> 00:32:34.359 the perceived audience of those who compiled 00:32:34.359 --> 00:32:36.599 the canonical Gospels? It definitely opens up 00:32:36.599 --> 00:32:38.900 a whole line of questioning about the process 00:32:38.900 --> 00:32:41.119 of canon formation itself, doesn't it? And the 00:32:41.119 --> 00:32:43.319 criteria by which early Christian texts were 00:32:43.319 --> 00:32:45.819 judged and selected or deselected. Absolutely. 00:32:46.500 --> 00:32:48.319 Well, thank you again for bringing this truly 00:32:48.319 --> 00:32:51.920 fascinating and really unexpected source material 00:32:51.920 --> 00:32:53.740 to our attention. It's been an extraordinary 00:32:53.740 --> 00:32:56.420 deep dive into a very different kind of childhood. 00:32:56.740 --> 00:32:58.400 It certainly has quite the journey.