. 26.

#PLACES.#--Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Egypt, Nazareth.

[Illustration: PERIOD OF PREPARATION
Copyright, 1898, BY JOHN D. WATTLES & CO.

The figures attached to the journeys refer to events
mentioned in the first column on the opposite page. A
method for using these Journey maps is suggested in
the section entitled Teaching Hints, in the Appendix.]

#SIGNIFICANCE OF EVENTS.#--The fulfilment of prophecy is strikingly
shown in the events surrounding the coming of Christ and the
preparation for his ministry; and the preaching of John the Baptist
epitomized the message which Jesus was about to proclaim.

The Incomparable Life

#111. The Thirty Years of Silence.#--To these years the Gospels give
small space. Only Matthew and Luke make any mention of them, and these
give to them only four chapters. All the rest of the Gospels are
devoted to the three and a half years of the Lord's active ministry.

#112.# Take, now, first what we _know_ of this early life. It was
lived in Nazareth, in Galilee. Nazareth was a town where caravans
rested on their journeys between Damascus and Egypt. It was a rough
town, as we may infer by the remark of Nathanael, "Can any good thing
come out of Nazareth?" (John 1:46). His home was that of a workingman,
as Joseph was a carpenter. It was therefore the home of a poor man.
Doubtless he himself followed for all those years of silence, the
trade of his reputed father. So Jesus was truly a workingman himself.
His mother was exceptionally godly, as we see by her wonderful
outburst of song in Luke 1:46-55. This song is fairly saturated with
the spirit of the old prophets. Joseph also gives signs of his fear of
the Lord during these early years in more ways than one. Thus we may
be sure that the "atmosphere" of that home was conducive to godliness.
He was taught the Scriptures from his youth. This is apparent from his
great familiarity with them, shown in his later years. To this we
shall refer later.

#113. His Early Education.#--Of course he was taught to read and
write, as every Jewish boy was. He also had the advantage of frequent
visits to Jerusalem, for the visit referred to by Luke, at twelve
years of age, was only the first of a long series of such visits. No
doubt after that first visit he went up to the Holy City every year to
the feast. A lad of his type of mind would not let such an opportunity
pass without taking advantage of it each time that it came. So much we
may