The way for Jesus’ life and ministry was paved before He was even born; thus, His arrival wasn’t a secret event. People had been waiting for the Messiah ever since the fall of man, when sin had tainted and twisted the world God created. In the Garden of Eden, God spoke of a day when he would send One to crush Satan’s head, suffer unto death, defeat sin’s power, and restore all things. This prophecy echoed through the centuries, and the Israelites expected its fulfillment: a Messiah king who would come to deliver them. John the Baptist’s life marked a new era in redemptive history. While other prophets spoke of a day when the Messiah would come, John’s message was simply, “The Messiah is here!” In John 1:29, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” In many ways, he was the last Old Testament prophet and the first to announce that a new day had dawned. The Son of God, the Messiah King, had come!
The Early Years: Foundations of a Savior
In this first phase of Jesus’ life, which lasted thirty years, we see Jesus preparing for his messianic work, which began even before he entered the world. The first six key events in His life center around the prophecies about his coming, the forerunner who would announce His arrival, and His humble birth. We also see how Jesus developed from a young boy to an adult, how Satan tested Him, and the moment when the Holy Spirit anointed Him.
Unanswered Questions and Silent Years
Of course, there are many gaps in this timeline, and many questions about this time of His life remain unanswered. We still don’t know what Jesus was doing during His teen years, when exactly Joseph passed away, and what the dynamic was like between Jesus and His brothers. The Bible is also silent about where He spent His time working and learning, and at what point He realized He was the Messiah.
Divine Preparation for a World-Changing Mission
While some of these questions will only be answered in heaven, we do know that our Heavenly Father was preparing Jesus to step into a role that would change the course of human history forever.
This blog originally appeared at: Jesus’ Journey of Preparation: From Prophecy to Messiah – discipleFIRST and features an excerpt from one of their books, His Way Still Works.