We don’t know much about Jesus’ childhood. It would be kind of nice to have had some stories about Him growing up. What were His first words? Did He have His mother’s eyes? He had her DNA. Did He kick a ball around with His buds? Was He left-handed or right-handed? Did He have a best friend or a favorite teacher; favorite food, color, song?

We know He was a small town boy. We know He was a wise and insightful youth. We know by the time He was 12 He was already single-minded about His mission. And we know that Jesus:

grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. (Luke 2:52)

But that’s pretty much it. That’s really all God thought was important for us to know about the child. Jesus didn’t come to be a boy. He came to be the Savior of the world.

He lived His first thirty years in preparation for His last three. Those three years were packed with amazing moments, some of which are recorded for us in Scripture. John, who shares a lot about Jesus’ life and ministry, ended His Gospel with:

Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written. (John 21:25)

Yes, the things we don’t know about the child Jesus could write a book. But the things we don’t know about the last three years of His life could write volumes… and volumes…

We see, through Scripture, the tip of the iceberg. But what we see is all we need to see. What we see in God’s Word is enough for us to recognize the fact that Jesus is God, the Savior, the Way, the Truth, and the Life. What we see is enough for life and eternity.

We might not know every detail of those thirty-three years. But what God has revealed to us about His son, written in the precious pages of the Bible, is everything God wants us to know about Him. I hope you take time to read and re-read it, and get to know your Savior better and better with each reading.

We know what we know because God wants us to know.