How old was Jesus when the Shepherds came to see him?

How old was Jesus when the wise men gave Him gifts?

When did Joseph take Jesus and Mary to Egypt?

How long did Jesus stay in Egypt?

In our quest to learn more about God the Father and Jesus Christ we look into the biblical account of the shepherds and the wise men who visited Jesus.

Mary and Joseph were both living in the area of Nazareth before the birth of Jesus. Mary more than likely lived with her parents, she was engaged to Joseph at that time.

Mary and Joseph had to leave Nazareth and go to Bethlehem for the Census.

Luk 2:1  And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.

Luk 2:2  This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria.

Luk 2:3  So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.

Luk 2:4  Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,

Luk 2:5  to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.

Luk 2:6  So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered.

While they were in Bethlehem Mary delivered Jesus.

Luk 2:7  And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

At that time there were some shepherds tending their flocks at night in that area.

An angel appeared to the shepherds and told them of great joy. Today Christ the Lord the saviour has been born.

Luk 2:8  Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.

Luk 2:9  And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.

Luk 2:10  Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.

Luk 2:11  For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

The angel told them this will be the sign you will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths in a manger.

Luk 2:12  And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

Then there was the heavenly host praising God.

Luk 2:13  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

Luk 2:14  “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

The shepherds hastily went to Bethlehem to see this wonderful sight.

Luk 2:15  So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.”

The shepherds saw Mary, Joseph, and the Babe lying in a crib or manger.

Luk 2:16  And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.

After seeing the wonderful sight, they told many people from near and far, that He was Christ the Lord the saviour.

Luk 2:17  Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.

The people marvelled at these things which were said about Christ.

Luk 2:18  And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

Luk 2:19  But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.

Then the shepherds returned to their flocks, glorifying, and praising God for all they had seen and heard.

Luk 2:20  Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

On the eighth day the Babe was circumcised and named Jesus.

Luk 2:21  And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called JESUS, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.

Thirty-three days later Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord, and to offer a sacrifice in accordance with the scriptures.

Luk 2:22  Now when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord

Luk 2:23  (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “EVERY MALE WHO OPENS THE WOMB SHALL BE CALLED HOLY TO THE LORD”),

Luk 2:24  and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, “A PAIR OF TURTLEDOVES OR TWO YOUNG PIGEONS.”

Lev 12:2  “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘If a woman has conceived, and borne a male child, then she shall be unclean seven days; as in the days of her customary impurity she shall be unclean.

Lev 12:3  And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.

Lev 12:4  She shall then continue in the blood of her purification thirty-three days. She shall not touch any hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary until the days of her purification are fulfilled.

Lev 12:6  ‘When the days of her purification are fulfilled, whether for a son or a daughter, she shall bring to the priest a lamb of the first year as a burnt offering, and a young pigeon or a turtledove as a sin offering, to the door of the tabernacle of meeting.

There was a just and devout man by the name of Simeon in Jerusalem at the time. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Christ.

Luk 2:25  And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

Luk 2:26  And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.

Luk 2:27  So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law,

Luk 2:28  he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:

Luk 2:29  “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word;

Luk 2:30  For my eyes have seen Your salvation

Luk 2:31  Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,

Luk 2:32  A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.”

Joseph and Mary marvelled at the wonderful things said about Jesus.

Luk 2:33  And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him.

Simeon prophesied about the sword which would pierce the side of Jesus.

Luk 2:34  Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against

Luk 2:35  (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

The prophetess Anna gave thanks to the Lord and spoke about Jesus to all who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

Luk 2:36  Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity;

Luk 2:37  and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.

Luk 2:38  And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

When Joseph and Mary returned to Nazareth, Jesus would have been 41 days old.

Luk 2:39  So when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth.

Now we learn about the wise men.

Notice there is no mention of exactly when the wise men came to Jerusalem. They declared they had seen His star in the East.

Mat 2:1  Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem,

Mat 2:2  saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”

The title King of the Jews really worried Herod and it appears all of Jerusalem.

Mat 2:3  When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

Herod gathered the priests and scribes to find out where Christ was to be born. He was obviously unaware that Christ had already been born.

Mat 2:4  And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.

The scribes and priests said he would be born in Bethlehem.

Mat 2:5  So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:

Mat 2:6  ‘BUT YOU, BETHLEHEM, IN THE LAND OF JUDAH, ARE NOT THE LEAST AMONG THE RULERS OF JUDAH; FOR OUT OF YOU SHALL COME A RULER WHO WILL SHEPHERD MY PEOPLE ISRAEL.’ ”

Herod questioned the wise men about the star.

Mat 2:7  Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared.

Herod sent the wise men to Bethlehem. Notice he did not tell them to search for a baby but rather a young Child.

Mat 2:8  And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”

There is no mention of where the wise men actually went, yes Herod told them to go to Bethlehem, but we know that in fact Jesus was in Nazareth by that time.

The wise men were led by the star which stood over where the young Child was.

Mat 2:9  When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was.

The star led the wise men to a house. The men rejoiced greatly.

Mat 2:10  When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.

When they entered the house, they worshiped the young Child.

Please note that they presented the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the young Child. They could not have done this if the young Child was a baby, they would have given the gifts to His mother or father. But they presented the gifts to the young child.

Mat 2:11  And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

They were warned about Herod and went to their own country by another way. They did not return to Herod.

Mat 2:12  Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.

When the wise men had left, Joseph was warned by an angel to leave and flee to Egypt because Herod was going to try to kill the young Child.

Mat 2:13  Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”

Mat 2:14  When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt,

Mat 2:15  and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “OUT OF EGYPT I CALLED MY SON.”

When Herod discovered he had been tricked by the wise men, he was very angry, and ordered the murder of all male children of two years and under in the area of Bethlehem. This age group he had determined by information he had learned from the wise men about the appearance of the star.

So, we now know that at that time, the young Child was up to two years of age. That is how old He would have been when the wise men saw Him in the house with His mother. Approximately two years old.

Mat 2:16  Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.

Mat 2:17  Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying:

Mat 2:18  “A VOICE WAS HEARD IN RAMAH, LAMENTATION, WEEPING, AND GREAT MOURNING, RACHEL WEEPING FOR HER CHILDREN, REFUSING TO BE COMFORTED, BECAUSE THEY ARE NO MORE.”

Joseph, Mary and Jesus return to Nazareth. The Bible does not state what age Jesus was at this time, He was approximately 2 years old when they left to go to Egypt.

It is possible that Jesus was between 2-3 years old when the family returned from Egypt to Nazareth.

Mat 2:19  Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,

Mat 2:20  saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child’s life are dead.”

Mat 2:21  Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.

Even after the death of Herod, Joseph was still concerned for the welfare of Jesus. God warned Joseph in a dream, and he headed for Nazareth.

Mat 2:22  But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee.

Mat 2:23  And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”

This has been an interesting study into the early years of the life of Jesus.

We know He was a Babe when the shepherds saw Him.

We know He was about 2 years old when the wise men saw Him.

We think it is possible that He was between 2-3 years old when the family returned from Egypt.

Many speculate on how long Jesus and His family remained in Egypt.

However, if we look at the following scripture, we can see that His parents went to Jerusalem yearly. This would indicate that Joseph and Mary had been going each year before this account was recorded stating that Jesus was 12 years old. It is quite possible that Jesus and His family returned to Nazareth when He was around 2-3 years old. Jesus may have stayed in Egypt for approximately 1 year.

Luk 2:41  His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover.

Luk 2:42  And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast.