Week 20: The Years of Preparation
Week 20: The Years of Preparation
Although the data at the evangelists’ disposal seem to have been slender, they tell us all we need to know about the years that elapsed between the birth and the baptism of Jesus. These are sometimes called “the hidden years” because they preceded his emergence on to the public stage. So we will be thinking this week about the childhood and boyhood of Jesus, his growth into maturity, his work at the carpenter’s bench, and the witness borne to him by John the Baptist. Then, before his baptism, which marked the start of his public ministry, we will look at two private conversations he had (with Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman), which John records near the beginning of his Gospel.
Sunday: The Infancy of Jesus
Monday: The Boy in the Temple
Tuesday: The Hidden Years
Wednesday: The Carpenter’s Shop
Thursday: The Witness of John the Baptist
Friday: The Encounter with Nicodemus
Saturday: The Encounter with the Samaritan Woman