PAPER 124: Section 5.
His Thirteenth Year (A.D. 7)
P1373:1, 124:5.1 In this year the lad of Nazareth passed from boyhood to the beginning of young manhood; his voice began to change, and other features of mind and body gave evidence of the oncoming status of manhood.
P1373:2, 124:5.2 On Sunday night, January 9, A.D. 7, his baby brother, Amos, was born. Jude was not yet two years of age, and the baby sister, Ruth, was yet to come; so it may be seen that Jesus had a sizable family of small children left to his watchcare when his father met his accidental death the following year.
P1373:3, 124:5.3
It was about the middle of February that Jesus became humanly assured that
he was destined to perform a mission on earth for the enlightenment of man
and the revelation of God. Momentous decisions, coupled with far-reaching
plans, were formulating in the mind of this youth, who was, to outward appearances,
an average Jewish lad of Nazareth. The intelligent life of all Nebadon looked
on with fascination and amazement as all this began to unfold in the thinking
and acting of the now adolescent carpenter's son.
P1373:4, 124:5.4
On the first day of the week, March 20, A.D. 7, Jesus graduated
from the course of training in the local school connected with the Nazareth
synagogue. This was a great day in the life of any ambitious Jewish family,
the day when the first-born son was pronounced a "son of the commandment"
and the ransomed first-born of the Lord God of Israel, a "child of the Most
High" and servant of the Lord of all the earth.
P1373:5, 124:5.5
Friday of the week before, Joseph had come over from Sepphoris, where he was
in charge of the work on a new public building, to be present on this glad
occasion. Jesus' teacher confidently believed that his alert and diligent
pupil was destined to some outstanding career, some distinguished mission.
The elders, notwithstanding all their trouble with Jesus' nonconformist tendencies,
were very proud of the lad and had already begun laying plans which would
enable him to go to Jerusalem to continue his education in the renowned Hebrew
academies.
P1373:6, 124:5.6
As Jesus heard these plans discussed from time to time, he became increasingly
sure that he would never go to Jerusalem to study with the rabbis. But he
little dreamed of the tragedy, so soon to occur, which would insure the abandonment
of all such plans by causing him to assume the responsibility for the support
and direction of a large family, presently to consist of five brothers and
three sisters as well as his mother and himself. Jesus had a larger and longer
experience rearing this family than was accorded to Joseph, his father; and
he did measure up to the standard which he subsequently set for himself: to
become a wise, patient, understanding, and effective teacher and eldest brother
to this family -- his family -- so suddenly sorrow-stricken and so unexpectedly
bereaved.