Personal character is first formed in the context of family. As an infant and as a child, Jesus of Nazareth was raised in a family of dedicated and spiritually-sensitive women and men. In the face of the unusual circumstances that surrounded his birth, these relatives demonstrated faith in God and in God’s purposes. By their actions, these people embodied faithfulness and passed that trait on to Jesus.

In the best of circumstances, birthing and rearing children is an act of faith: faith in parents and family members, faith in the future, and ultimately, faith in God. As a mother and father gaze at the face of their child sleeping in the cradle, they become aware that this newborn offers the opportunity to redeem the past and to impart cherished hopes and dreams to the next generation. With patience and maturity, the nurture, care, comfort, and protection of a child can become a spiritual discipline, a discipline that can build and form the character of both parent and child. During the childhood years, it is the responsibility of parents and family members to hand children a heritage. Then, as they mature and gain experience, children can provide parents with new awareness, perception, and insight. In time, if they are open to their children’s questions, parents may be challenged anew about life and its varied meanings. The questions of the older child confront parents with their own unanswered and unarticulated issues and dreams (Nelson, 492-93).

In light of the highly unusual circumstances surrounding his conception, the birthing and rearing of Jesus of Nazareth was indeed a profound act of faith. A young woman and various members of her family were asked to demonstrate a remarkable level of faith in themselves, in the future of all humanity, and ultimately, in God when she became pregnant prior to her marriage. In faith, as this mother gazed at her child in the manger, her personal hopes and dreams for her son were tempered by her knowledge that this child would indeed redeem the past and communicate God’s vision for the future. This child’s character would develop in a faithful home. From his parents and other members of his family, this child would learn about his rich family and religious heritage. Eventually, this child would grow and mature to the point that he would ask deep questions, questions that cause religious leaders, and even his mother, to reflection on life and faith in fresh ways.

The focal passages for this lesson were selected from the infancy narratives, Luke 1:5–2:52. As indicated in the introduction to the study, the stories contained in this section of scripture are found only in the Gospel of Luke. These verses provide the reader of the Gospel with a unique perspective regarding a number of events surrounding the birth of Jesus, a selected event from his childhood, and his family’s reactions to all of these events.

Biblical scholars have developed a number of insights regarding the interpretation of these passages. First, scholars have noted the highly personal nature of the stories included in this section of the book. In these passages, intimate images and reflections of members of the holy family were shared in detail. Because of the highly personal content of these stories, some scholars have speculated that Mary or other members of the holy family may have recorded their own stories in a collection of private documents. According to this theory, Luke alone had access to these family diaries as he wrote his Gospel (Culpepper, 7). Second, some scholars speculate that Luke felt compelled to include these unique stories in order to address lingering questions about the circumstances surrounding Jesus’ birth, especially with regard to the virgin conception. Third, other scholars believe that The Infancy Narrative were not included in the earliest versions of the Gospel. These experts speculate that someone other than Luke, again to address specific challenges to Jesus’ parentage, added this section later. If these scholars are correct, the Gospel, as Luke wrote it, actually began with Luke 3:1, with both John and Jesus as adults (Craddock, 21).

Regardless of the source of the material or the timing of their writing, these passages provide the reader with unique insights into the family in which Jesus grew up, was nurtured, and first experienced faith.

The infancy narratives begin with a remarkable story about members of Jesus’ extended family. In Luke 1:5-25, the reader of the Gospel was introduced to Zechariah, a priest of the order of Abijah, and Elizabeth, his wife. Elizabeth, who was also descended from the priestly line of Aaron, was described as a relative, though not necessarily a cousin, of Mary (See Lk 1:36). The couple lived in a Judean town in the hill country (See Lk 1:39). The scriptures described Zechariah and Elizabeth as a pious couple, righteous before God and living blamelessly according to the Law. Their piety, however, was juxtaposed against their childlessness. Like Abraham and Sarah before them, the couple was advanced in age and had no child. In that context, it was assumed that the wife was responsible for the failure to have children; the scriptures concurred with that assessment. Further, barrenness was regarded, at best, a social stigma and, at worst, a sign of God’s punishment. The scriptures implied that the couple lived in the tension between personal piety and public disgrace (Culpepper, 45) (See Lk 1:25).

As a descendent of the priestly class, Zechariah was a member of one of twenty-four divisions of priests. Twice annually, and for a period of one week each time, the members of each division were required to travel to Jerusalem to serve in the Temple. The priests performed a variety of tasks associated with public worship. Their most important task was performing sacrifices on two main altars in the Temple complex. One of these altars was located in a courtyard outside the sanctuary. In this public venue, the people could watch the priest as he led in worship. A second altar was located inside the sanctuary, out of public view. Twice each day, while the people prayed, sacrifices were offered and incense was burned simultaneously on these two altars. The priests would typically draw lots to determine which of the two altars each would serve. It was considered a high honor to be selected to serve the inner altar (45-46).

On one occasion, Zechariah was chosen to perform the sacrifices and burn the incense on the altar in the inner sanctuary. In that high and holy place, while performing a sacred function, Zechariah encountered the angel Gabriel, a messenger sent from the presence of God. Not surprisingly, Zechariah was overwhelmed and fearful. Gabriel offered words of comfort, words of promise, and words of mild rebuke to the frightened priest. The words of comfort were, “Do not be afraid for your prayers have been answered” (See Lk 1:11). The words of promise came in four parts:

The mild rebuke came when Zechariah questioned the words of promise. Even a pious and faithful man such as Zechariah found it hard to believe that he and Elizabeth could have a child. When he questioned the prophecy, Gabriel informed him that he would unable to speak until the day that the prophecy was fulfilled, i.e., the birth of the child.

Outside, in the courtyard of the Temple, the people were waiting for Zechariah to emerge from the inner sanctum and to pronounce a blessing. When he finally came out, he was unable to speak. Crude sign language was inadequate to communicate what had happened. The people concluded, correctly, that he must have experienced some form of vision while in the inner sanctuary. Awed by his encounter and still unable to speak, the dutiful priest completed his tour of duty and returned home.

In spite of his initial skepticism, Zechariah and Elizabeth conceived a child. It was then time for Elizabeth to be overwhelmed by the good news of the impending birth. She secluded herself from the community, from the same people who had viewed her with disgrace. Instead of proclaiming the news from the rooftops, she chose to privately reflect on her great fortunes. Zechariah was mute, but obedient. Elizabeth was pregnant and cloistered. Both members of Jesus’ extended family were faithful in unbelievable circumstance. Their faith culminated in the birth of their son, John. (See Lk 1:57-80)

In The Annunciation of the Birth of Jesus, Luke 1:26-38, the Gospel writer recorded a second story of faith in the context of unbelievable circumstances. In some ways, the situation described in this second narrative was similar to the situation outlined in the first story:

While Zechariah lost his voice as a result of his momentary lack of faith, Mary found a unique voice when she readily accepted God’s calling for her life. She used this voice to sing a song of praise, a song recorded in Luke 1:46-55.

Mary’s song was recorded in the context of a broader passage of scripture entitled The Visitation, Luke 1:39-56. In this passage, the Gospel writer reported that, after the announcement of the birth of Jesus, Mary left Nazareth to visit Elizabeth in the Judean hill country (See Lk 39-41a.) Some biblical scholars speculated that Mary initiated this visit in order to ascertain the validity of the angel’s prophecy about Elizabeth. According to this approach, the only way to see if Elizabeth was indeed pregnant was for Mary to make a visit to her relative. Commentator Fred Craddock discounts this theory. He believes that Mary had already accepted Gabriel’s word as gospel truth. Craddock believed that Mary was drawn to Elizabeth by a common experience and for mutual support. It was simply a case of one family member needing the company of another (29).

When Mary arrived at the home of Zechariah and Elizabeth, she offered words of greeting to her hostess. Verses 41b-45 record an “inspired speech” delivered by Elizabeth upon hearing this greeting. A spiritually-sensitive person, Elizabeth was overwhelmed by Mary’s presence. Filled with the Holy Spirit, Elizabeth praised both Mary and her unborn child. She blessed Mary on two grounds. First, Elizabeth exalted Mary because she had been chosen to the mother of the Lord. Second, Elizabeth affirmed Mary because she had immediately believed the promise of God and had responded in humility to the responsibility.

Mary’s response to this outpouring of the Spirit was to give voice to her own feelings in song. Traditionally, this song, recorded in Luke 1:46-55, has been identified as The Magnificant, so termed from the opening word in the Latin translation. (Note: Some scholars have speculated that this passage was heavily influenced by the prayer of Hannah found in 1 Samuel 2:1-10 [Tolbert, 24].) The first section of the passage is autobiographical. In verses 46-49, Mary offered personal words of praise to God for the special favor that God bestowed on her, even though she was a handmaiden of low estate. The remainder of the passage expanded these words of personal testimony to demonstrate a general principle about the nature of God and the pattern of God’s relationship with humanity. Verses 50-55 developed the idea that God’s selection of Mary anticipated and modeled what God would do for the poor, the powerless, and the oppressed of the world. In these verses, Mary extolled the God who will bring down the mighty and will exalt those of low degree, the God who will fill the hungry and will send the rich away empty. In the final analysis, the unexpected choice of Mary to fulfill this unique role in God’s plan mirrored the complete reversal of fortunes that will characterize the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promises to Israel and to all humanity.

In Luke 1:56, the Visitation story ended with a simple statement. Mary stayed with Elizabeth for three months, presumably through the birth of John, and then returned to own home (Craddock, 29-31).

The story of Jesus in the temple, Luke 2:41-52, is the only Gospel account of a childhood experience in the life of Jesus.

Why tell did Luke choose to include this story in his Gospel? Biblical scholars speculated that, in both The Dedication of Jesus in the Temple (Lk 2:21-38) and in this passage, Luke attempted to establish two facts: first, that Jesus’ family actively and faithfully practiced the Jewish faith, and second, that, from birth, Jesus was thoroughly grounded in the heritage and rituals of Judaism (41). In sharing the dedication stories, Luke demonstrated that Joseph and Mary followed the rituals associated with the birth of a first-born, male child. (See Leviticus 12:2-8.) In relating the Story of Jesus in the Temple, Luke reported the fact that the family made annual pilgrimages to Jerusalem for religious festivals. As outlined in Exodus 23:14-17, all male Israelites, and by implications, their families, should travel each year to Jerusalem to celebrate the festivals of Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. If the family lived at some distance from Jerusalem, all efforts should be made to celebrate at least Passover in Jerusalem. In the end, the passages conveyed the impression that, as good, Jewish parents, Joseph and Mary both practiced the faith and modeled the faith for their son.

This passage described the annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival during the year that Jesus was twelve years old. At age twelve, it was unlikely that Jesus had yet participated in the Jewish rituals signaling the transition from childhood to adulthood. But as an older child, Jesus would have been given some measure of independence both during their journey to and from Jerusalem and during their stay in the city. While in Jerusalem, Jesus may have been allowed to explore the city with friends and relatives, checking in with his parents on occasion. At the conclusion of the festival, Joseph and Mary began their trip back home, assuming that Jesus was somewhere in the group of travelers. Moving at a pace of fifteen miles a day, their journey from Jerusalem to Nazareth should have taken four or five days (Culpepper, 76). Their journey was cut short when they discovered that Jesus was not in the caravan.

The anxious parents retraced their steps up the steep hill that led to the city. For three fear-filled days, they searched in vain for their wayward child. At last, they discovered their son on the grounds of the Temple complex. In all probability, Jesus had joined a small group of rabbis in one of the side halls adjacent to the outer courts of the complex. Using a Socratic approach to teaching,. that is, asking questions, soliciting individual answers, and critiquing the responses, these rabbis and their students would spend hours in spirited debate. As a novice, Jesus would not have played a prominent role of leadership in these discussions, but the scriptures indicated that the rabbis were amazed with his understanding and his responses. For a child raised by a peasant family and educated in a provincial synagogue, Jesus was astonishing (Gilmour, 67).

His behavior also astonished his anxious parents, particularly his mother. The same Mary who had once so readily accepted the words of promise offered by Gabriel so many years before was now a fretting parent who had not seen her son for at least four days! The same Mary who had once sung the praises of God for her role in God’s redemption of humanity was now the mother of an inconsiderate child! In a rather terse rebuke, Mary chided Jesus: “Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety” (Lk 2:48b, NRSV).

The scriptures implied that Jesus is also astonished at his mother’s response to the situation. In paraphrase, he said, “You, above all others, should have known where I would be. I now understand what you have known all along; I must be in my Father’s house, doing my Father’s business.” According to Craddock, this passage demonstrates that, at age twelve, Jesus had already claimed for himself a unique relationship to God. To this point, other people had proclaimed and celebrated this relationship: in the angel Gabriel’s annunciation to Mary, in Elizabeth’s reaction to Mary’s visit, and in Simeon’s and Anna’s reaction to Jesus during his dedication in the Temple (See Lk 2:22-38). Now, in the context of parental anxiety and disappointment, Jesus demonstrated faithfulness to God and to God’s purposes as he claimed his own unique relationship to God and his special responsibilities (Craddock, 42).

The scriptures stated that Joseph and Mary did not understand their son’s response or reaction to their concerns. Nonetheless, Jesus returned home with his family while Mary “treasured all these things in her heart” (Lk 2:51, NRSV). As Jesus continued to grow and mature in the context of his dedicated peasant family, he demonstrated the faithfulness that he had seen embodied in his parents and member of his family. God and others smiled on the person that he was becoming. In his response to his parents in the Temple and in the process of becoming the man that God had called him to be, Jesus demonstrated an important truth: family love and loyalties have their place and flourish when the higher love and loyalty go to God (42-43).

The environment created in the home, the values espoused there, and the behaviors exhibited in everyday living set the stage for the faith development of children. The focal passages selected for this lesson explored how family faithfulness, even in the face of unbelievable circumstances and risky consequences, helped to shape the character of Jesus as a child.

1. Based on your reading of the focal passages and the background material included in this lesson, write a definition of the term “faithfulness.”

2. Based on your reading of the focal passages and the background material included in this lesson, how did Zechariah embody and model faithfulness to God’s calling.

3. Based on your reading of the focal passages and the background material included in this lesson, how did Elizabeth embody and model faithfulness to God’s calling.

4. Based on your reading of the focal passages and the background material included in this lesson, describe how Mary embodied and modeled faithfulness to God’s calling.

5. Reflecting on your own experience, identify one or two members of your extended family or your church family who have embodied and modeled faithfulness to God’s calling for you. In the space below, describe that person or persons. Then describe in as much detail as possible how their faithfulness has impacted your life and character.