Jesus' Eighth Year – Invitation to Jerusalem 

Jesus, in his eighth year (2 CE), faced one of those decisions that could affect the rest of his life. A teacher named Nahor arrived in Nazareth to observe Jesus. He suggested taking him to Jerusalem for education where he could have the advantages of training at the center of Jewish culture. However, Joseph and Mary were uncertain, so they asked Jesus his opinion. Ultimately, Jesus chose to seek guidance from his heavenly Father and declined the offer, emphasizing his love for his parents as the reason for staying in Nazareth.

School continued to go well, as Jesus performed in the top third of his class. Such students were rewarded by having one week of each month free. In class, Jesus continued to ask very challenging questions, many of which he did not get satisfactory answers.

Jesus began to have fun with his brother James, and he began to teach him the alphabet. His third brother, Simon, was born on Friday evening, April 14. And it was in this year that Jesus learned to play the harp.

Zacharias recommended a teacher, Nahor, from the Jerusalem academy to come to Nazareth and observe Jesus and hopefully offer him greater opportunities available in Hebrew learning and culture than were available in his own small town. After his observation, he recommended that he should take Jesus back with him to Jerusalem. Mary half consented, figuring that her child of destiny belongs where he can gain the necessary background to become the Messiah. Joseph was never sure of the Messiah theory, but sure his son would become a man of destiny and to fulfill some great mission on earth. He just had no idea what that meant, so Joseph questioned the wisdom of sending young Jesus off to Jerusalem.

With no definite answer forthcoming, Nahor requested permission to let Jesus make the decision. Jesus sought the advice of both parents and his neighbor, Jacob, the stone mason, whose son was a close friend. He received different opinions. Jesus did not feel competent to assume responsibility for such an important decision. He decided to “talk with my Father who is in heaven,” and while he was not perfectly sure about the answer, he felt he should remain at home “with my father and mother,” adding, “they who love me so much should be able to do more for me and guide me more safely than strangers who can only view my body and observe my mind but can hardly truly know me.” They all marveled at his answer. The subject of Jesus going away to school did not come up again for many years.

Jesus was diligent in his studies and in the more progressive third of the class. These students were rewarded by being excused from attendance for one week each month. Jesus usually went with his fisherman uncle near Magdala or his farmer uncle five miles south of Nazareth. The first sojourn to the farm occurred in January, and the first fishing experience was in May.

Although Mary had become overly anxious about Jesus’ health and safety, she slowly overcame her worries thanks to these trips away from home. Jesus’ aunts and uncles loved having him visit them, and vied for his next week off. During this time, Jesus met a mathematician from Damascus and learned new techniques for working with numbers, measuring distances, and using proportions. He began studying math on his own and learned to apply it in multiple applications.

Although Jesus made great progress in his studies, it was not smooth sailing for his parents and teachers. He had to know why and asked many questions. The ones where teachers and parents did not know the answer proved embarrassing to them. He held special interests in science and religion. He was perturbed that no one knew why they had a dry season and a rainy season. Why was the temperature different in Nazareth than in the Jordan valley? He continually asked questions.

Jesus worked out an arrangement to pay for harp lessons with dairy products. He loved music, and later promoted vocal music among his young companions. Before he turned eleven, he played the harp beautifully and entertained family and friends with his unique renditions and improvisations.