Jesus' Fifth Year 

In a little over a year after returning to Nazareth, Jesus made his first personal and wholehearted moral decision; and there came to abide with him a divine spirit. All children receive this indwelling spirit around age five, and all are equally unaware of this new guest that comes to dwell within.

In a little more than one month before his fifth birthday, Jesus was made very happy by the coming of his sister Miriam. His parents continued to answer his many questions and to teach him all they could.

Jesus’ sister, Miriam, was born on the night of July 11, 2 BCE. Jesus greatly enjoyed his younger brother James and new baby sister, and he was of great help to Mary in their care.

From the time Jesus was five years old until he was ten, he was one continuous question mark. With the birth of Miriam, Jesus had many questions on how living things come into the world as separate individuals. The most valuable part of Jesus’ early education was the thought-out answers that his parents would take the time to answer, and not quit until the boy was satisfied. If they could not answer his deep, searching inquiry they discussed possible solutions so his alert mind could take over and answer for himself.

In a Jewish family, the nurturing mother would bear the responsibility for a child’s training until the fifth birthday. If the child were a boy, the father takes over from then on. Therefore, on August 21, 2 BCE, Mary turned Jesus over to Joseph for further instruction. Mary and Joseph were very conscientious in their duty to raise their children, and would help one another in all things.

Joseph now guided Jesus’ intellectual and religious education, and Mary interested herself in his home training. Jesus learned the names of the vines and flowers surrounding the home plot and how to care for them. On the roof of the house over the summer bedroom, Mary set up shallow boxes of sand. Jesus would draw maps and practice writing Aramaic, Greek, and after beginning school at age seven, Hebrew. Jesus became efficient in all three languages: reading, writing, and speaking fluently.

Jesus developed into a physically strong boy and made normal progress mentally and emotionally. His first minor illness, an upset stomach, occurred in the latter part of this year.

An indwelling spirit of God comes and resides in all of us, usually around age five when we make our first moral decision. This spirit is from Paradise and is an actual fragment of God that comes to dwell in our human mind to be close to us and enrich our spiritual health. On February 11, 2 BCE, Jesus made his first moral decision and there came to abide with him an indwelling spirit of God. Jesus was no more aware of the coming of this divine spirit than the millions of other children who receive one.

When Jesus said he talked to or communed with his heavenly Father, he was referring to this spirit. Jesus expressed to his parents early on his desire to have informal conversations with his Father in heaven, as will be revealed in the account of his sixth year.