What did Jesus do before he began his Ministry

Before Jesus began His public ministry, the Bible provides only a few details about His early life and activities. The Gospels, particularly Luke, provide the most information about Jesus before His ministry started. Here are three main events and aspects of Jesus’s life prior to His ministry, supported by biblical verses:

1. Birth and Early Childhood: Jesus was born in Bethlehem to Mary, a virgin, as foretold by the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 7:14) and detailed in the Gospels of Matthew (Matthew 1:18-25) and Luke (Luke 2:1-7). His birth was announced by angels and visited by shepherds (Luke 2:8-20) and later by wise men from the east (Matthew 2:1-12). Due to a threat from King Herod, Jesus’s family fled to Egypt (Matthew 2:13-15) and later settled in Nazareth (Matthew 2:19-23).
2. Presentation at the Temple: When Jesus was forty days old, Mary and Joseph took Him to the Temple in Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord and offer a sacrifice, as was customary under the Law of Moses (Luke 2:22-24). At the Temple, Simeon, a righteous and devout man, and Anna, a prophetess, recognized Jesus as the Messiah and gave thanks to God (Luke 2:25-38).
3. Jesus in the Temple at Age Twelve: At twelve years old, Jesus traveled with His family to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. After the feast, Mary and Joseph accidentally left without Him, assuming He was with their group. After three days of searching, they found Him in the Temple, sitting among the teachers, listening and asking questions. When asked why He had stayed behind, Jesus replied, “Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49). This event highlights Jesus’s early understanding of His divine mission and identity.

Three Main Takeaways:

1. Jesus’s Fulfillment of Prophecy: Even before His public ministry, Jesus’s birth and early life events fulfilled Old Testament prophecies, emphasizing His identity as the promised Messiah.
2. Jesus’s Submission to God’s Law: The presentation in the Temple and the Passover visit show Jesus’s family’s adherence to Jewish law and customs, underscoring Jesus’s role as the fulfiller of the Law (Matthew 5:17).
3. Early Indication of Jesus’s Divine Identity and Mission: Jesus’s response in the Temple at age twelve provides an early glimpse into His awareness of His unique relationship with God the Father and His divine mission on earth.

These events and Jesus’s quiet life in Nazareth, where He “grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him” (Luke 2:40), set the stage for His public ministry, which began after His baptism by John the Baptist.