Once when Jesus was standing on the shore of Lake Gennesaret, the crowd was pushing in on him to better hear the word of God. He noticed two boats tied up. The fishermen had just left them and were out scrubbing their nets. He climbed into the boat that was Simon’s and asked him to put out a little from the shore. Sitting there, using the boat for a pulpit, he taught the crowd.

Jesus rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the assistant, and sat down. Every eye in the place was on him, intent. Then he started in, “You’ve just heard scripture make history. It came true just now in this place.”

So many others have tried their hand at putting together a story of the wonderful harvest of scripture and history that took place among us, using reports handed down by the original eyewitnesses who served this word with their very lives.

Three days later there was a wedding in the village of Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there. Jesus and his disciples were guests also. When they started running low on wine at the wedding banquet, Jesus’ mother told him, “They’re just about out of wine.”

The interest of the people by now was building. They were all beginning to wonder, “Could this John be the Messiah?”

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem village, Judah territory—this was during Herod’s kingship—a band of scholars arrived in Jerusalem from the East. They asked around, “Where can we find and pay homage to the newborn King of the Jews?

They left, running, and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. Seeing was believing. They told everyone they met what the angels had said about this child. All who heard the sheepherders were impressed.

Every year Jesus’ parents traveled to Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover. When he was 12 years old, they went up as they always did for the feast. When it was over and they left for home, the child Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents didn’t know it.

The Word was first, the Word present to God, God present to the Word. The Word was God, in readiness for God from day one.

Mary didn’t waste a minute. She got up and traveled to a town in Judah in the hill country, straight to Zachariah’s house, and greeted Elizabeth.