Jesus

Yeshua's father and mother were marvelling at the things Shim`on was saying about him.

Shim`on blessed them and said to the child's mother, Miryam, "This child will cause many in Isra'el to fall and to rise, he will become a sign whom people will speak against;

and had remained a widow ever since; now she was eighty-four. She never left the Temple grounds but worshipped there night and day, fasting and praying.

She came by at that moment and began thanking God and speaking about the child to everyone who was waiting for Yerushalayim to be liberated.

The child grew and became strong and filled with wisdom -- God's favor was upon him.

Every year Yeshua's parents went to Yerushalayim for the festival of Pesach.

When he was twelve years old, they went up for the festival, as custom required.

But after the festival was over, when his parents returned, Yeshua remained in Yerushalayim. They didn't realize this;

supposing that he was somewhere in the caravan, they spent a whole day on the road before they began searching for him among their relatives and friends.

Failing to find him, they returned to Yerushalayim to look for him.

On the third day they found him -- he was sitting in the Temple court among the rabbis, not only listening to them but questioning what they said;

and everyone who heard him was astonished at his insight and his responses.

When his parents saw him, they were shocked; and his mother said to him, "Son! Why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been terribly worried looking for you!"

He said to them, "Why did you have to look for me? Didn't you know that I had to be concerning myself with my Father's affairs?"

But they didn't understand what he meant.

So he went with them to Natzeret and was obedient to them. But his mother stored up all these things in her heart.

And Yeshua grew both in wisdom and in stature, gaining favor both with other people and with God.

It was just as had been written in the book of the sayings of the prophet Yesha`yahu, "The voice of someone crying out: `In the desert prepare the way for ADONAI! Make straight paths for him!

The people were in a state of great expectancy, and everyone was wondering whether perhaps Yochanan himself might be the Messiah;

so Yochanan answered them all, "I am immersing you in water, but he who is coming is more powerful than I -- I'm not worthy to untie his sandals! He will immerse you in the Ruach HaKodesh and in fire.

He has with him his winnowing fork to clear out his threshing floor and gather his wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the straw with unquenchable fire!"

While all the people were being immersed, Yeshua too was immersed. As he was praying, heaven was opened;

the Ruach HaKodesh came down on him in physical form like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, whom I love; I am well pleased with you."

Yeshua was about thirty years old when he began his public ministry. It was supposed that he was a son of Yosef who was of Eli,

Then Yeshua, filled with the Ruach HaKodesh, returned from the Yarden and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness