Level 3
Lesson 14: Jesus Goes to School

Every Sabbath day (like our Sunday) Jesus went with Joseph to the synagogue (which was like our church) to sing hymns and to praise God. When He was six years old Mary said to Him: “Now you will be able to go to school at the synagogue, and learn how to read and write.”

So the next morning Jesus went with some of His friends, who already went to school, through the village and up the hill to the synagogue. The teacher was waiting for them in his long white robe, and the boys went in quietly and sat down cross-legged on the ground in front of him.

Jesus was a little shy at first, but when the teacher brought out the big roll-book of the Scripture and began to take off the covering Jesus forgot that He was a new little boy at school, and was soon repeating the verses after the teacher. Then the boys said each verse over again all together. When they had learned several verses the teacher rolled up the book and put it carefully in its case.

“Now what are we going to do?” whispered Jesus to John who sat next to him.

“I expect we shall have a writing lesson,” replied John. He was quite right, for the teacher began to make strange marks in some sand.

First the boys had to copy out the letters of the alphabet and then they learned to write some words. Some of the boys who could write well had a tablet of wet clay on which they marked their words with a sharp stick. Jesus thought these big boys must be very clever to be allowed to use clay tablets.

The teacher was very kind and helped Jesus to spell out some more words. Jesus felt very glad when the teacher said, “You will soon be able to read and write.”

When the writing lesson was over, the boys gathered around the teacher who began to tell them the story of Baby Moses and the beautiful princess. Jesus thought it was a lovely story, and when the teacher said it was time for them to go home, He was quite sorry that there was no more school that day.

As Jesus ran down the hill, through the village street, to the little white house where He lived, He said to John, “I like going to school very much.”

Jesus said “Good-bye” to John at the door of His house, and ran in to find Mary who was busy patching His torn tunic.

“Oh, Mother,” He cried, “it’s lovely at school, and the teacher says I’ll soon be able to read.”

“That is splendid,” said Mary, smiling at Him. “Perhaps one day my big Son will be able to read out of the roll book on Sabbath days at the synagogue church.”

Then, for the rest of the day, Jesus would play in the carpenter’s shop, or feed the birds that gathered round the door when He took out the crumbs that Mary gave Him for the chickens and pigeons after their meal.