But little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes is a line from one of my least favourite Christmas carols. Apart from being generally saccharine, Away in a Manger depicts baby Jesus as something truly exceptional – a baby that does not cry.
Most of us know the basics of the story of Jesus’ birth. According to the ancient sources, he was born in Bethlehem to Mary and Joseph, Jews living in Israel in the first century CE. Traditional scenes depict him surrounded by animals, angels, shepherds and “magi” – possibly astrologers – from the east, who visited during the first year or two of his life. Then, most of these ancient sources go quiet, and Jesus does not appear again until he is an adult with a message and a ministry.
But what about his childhood? Do we know anything about Jesus as a child? Yes. And, no.
