Did Jesus go to school? (2024)

FAQs

Did Jesus go to school? ›

When JESUS grew up as a boy in the village of Nazareth, he no doubt attended the synagogue school.

He would have grown up speaking Aramaic and might have learned a trade from his father. He would have been sent to a Jewish school where he learned to read Jewish Scripture, which he also heard recited in synagogues. Or maybe not. Most scholars have long believed that Jesus knew Jewish Scripture well.

His mother Mary would have taught Him things at home, and His Father Joseph would have taught Him about being a carpenter like he was. But when Jesus was probably about six years old, like every other six-year old Jewish boy, He would have gone to the local synagogue school called Bet Sefer.

Like all Jewish boys, He studied the scriptures and Jewish laws. Joseph and Mary obeyed the commandments, and Jesus learned from His earthly parents. Jesus “grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him” (Luke 2:40).

Jesus did his job as a carpenter, served his Father in it, earned money to support himself and the wider family. But work was not his god. In his work he wasn't driven by love of money, trying to get as rich as possible. Or by the desire for security, trying to prove himself or fulfil his potential.

The Bible teaches us that the original apostles of Jesus were Peter; James; John; Andrew; Philip; Judas Iscariot; Matthew; Thomas; James, the son of Alpheus; Bartholomew; Judas Thaddeus; and Simon Zelotes. Among these were fishermen during the time of calling, namely: Peter; James; John; Andrew.

First there was Simon Peter and his brother Andrew. Then followed James, John, Philip, Nathanael bar Tholomi (aka Bartholomew), Matthew-Levi, Thomas, James the Just, Simon the Zealot, Thaddeus, and Judas Iscariot. Most of the initial 12 disciples were either related to Jesus or already knew him well.

Most religious scholars and historians agree with Pope Francis that the historical Jesus principally spoke a Galilean dialect of Aramaic.

Jesus ( c. 6 to 4 BC – AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many other names and titles, was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the central figure of Christianity, the world's largest religion.

To be specific, Jesus drank water and wine, ate only whole grain bread, abstained from pork and shellfish, and ate large quantities of healthy foods like olive oil, grapes, figs, pomegranates, various kinds of vegetables, and fish. This is “the Jesus way of eating” [p. xv].

What did Jesus do at 12 years old? ›

The episode is described in Luke 2:41–52. Jesus, at the age of twelve, accompanies Mary and Joseph, and a large group of their relatives and friends to Jerusalem on pilgrimage, "according to the custom" – that is, Passover.

He may have stood about 5-ft.-5-in. (166 cm) tall, the average man's height at the time.

If as some Christian scholars believe that Jesus spent most of these intervening years working as a carpenter in Galilee, there are few references to this in the Bible. The eighteen-year gap in the scriptures has generated several surprising theories, but so far none corroborated by reliable evidence.

However, if local custom was followed, he would likely have been formally called “Yeshua Bar Yosef” (Jesus son of Joseph). In other settings, he might be called by his hometown, “Jesus of Nazareth.” The name “Jesus” means “the Lord is Salvation” — certainly a fitting name for Our Savior!

The date of the birth of Jesus is not stated in the gospels or in any historical sources and the evidence is too incomplete to allow for consistent dating. However, most biblical scholars and ancient historians believe that his birth date is around 4 to 6 BC.

Considering Jesus' varying chronology, he was 33 to 40 years old at his time of death.

Jesus used two teaching methods—storytelling and a teachable moment—to illustrate and summarize this truth into three words: The Good Samaritan. These three words bring to memory an example of what it takes to be a good neighbor and shows an example of love.

Because Jesus was the first-born amongst his family relatives, he was expected to learn the Law, besides learning his father's occupation. This education took place in the synagogue of Nazareth where primary religious instruction took place.

Parables. Perhaps Jesus's most well-known method of teaching is the parable, which accounts for about one-third of all his teaching. In the Gospels, Jesus tells at least fifty different parables.

One of the most outstanding features of the methods of Jesus as Teacher is that He told stories. He was a Master at it. He was able to hold people's attention, almost entertain, if you would, and yet teach such profound spiritual truths. Jesus' frequent method of storytelling was the parable.