![Ghirlandaio, Domenico - Calling of the Apostles - 1481](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ac/Ghirlandaio%2C_Domenico_-_Calling_of_the_Apostles_-_1481.jpg)
The ministry of Jesus, in the
canonical gospels
Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words a ...
, begins with
his baptism in the countryside of Roman Judea and
Transjordan, near the
River Jordan
The Jordan River or River Jordan ( ar, نَهْر الْأُرْدُنّ, ''Nahr al-ʾUrdunn'', he, נְהַר הַיַּרְדֵּן, ''Nəhar hayYardēn''; syc, ܢܗܪܐ ܕܝܘܪܕܢܢ ''Nahrāʾ Yurdnan''), also known as ''Nahr Al-Shariea ...
by
John the Baptist
John the Baptist or , , or , ;Wetterau, Bruce. ''World history''. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1994. syc, ܝܘܿܚܲܢܵܢ ܡܲܥܡܕ݂ܵܢܵܐ, Yoḥanān Maʿmḏānā; he, יוחנן המטביל, Yohanān HaMatbil; la, Ioannes Bapti ...
, and ends in
Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
, following the
Last Supper
Image:The Last Supper - Leonardo Da Vinci - High Resolution 32x16.jpg, 400px, alt=''The Last Supper'' by Leonardo da Vinci - Clickable Image, Depictions of the Last Supper in Christian art have been undertaken by artistic masters for centuries, ...
with his
disciples.
[''Christianity: an introduction'' by Alister E. McGrath 2006 pp. 16–22.] The
Gospel of Luke
The Gospel of Luke), or simply Luke (which is also its most common form of abbreviation). tells of the origins, birth, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. Together with the Acts of the Apostles, it makes up a two-vol ...
() states that
Jesus
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religiou ...
was "about 30 years of age" at the start of his
ministry.
[ Paul L. Maier "The Date of the Nativity and Chronology of Jesus" in ''Chronos, kairos, Christos: nativity and chronological studies'' by Jerry Vardaman, Edwin M. Yamauchi 1989 pp. 113–129.] A
chronology of Jesus
A chronology of Jesus aims to establish a timeline for the events of the life of Jesus. Scholars have correlated Jewish and Greco-Roman documents and astronomical calendars with the New Testament accounts to estimate dates for the major even ...
typically has the date of the start of his ministry, 11 September 26 AD, others have estimated at around AD 27–29 and the end in the range AD 30–36.
[''Jesus & the Rise of Early Christianity: A History of New Testament Times'' by Paul Barnett 2002 pp. 19–21.]
Jesus' early Galilean ministry begins when after his baptism, he goes
back to Galilee from his
temptation
Temptation is a desire to engage in short-term urges for enjoyment that threatens long-term goals.Webb, J.R. (Sep 2014). Incorporating Spirituality into Psychology of temptation: Conceptualization, measurement, and clinical implications. Sp ...
in the
Judaean Desert
The Judaean Desert or Judean Desert ( he, מִדְבַּר יְהוּדָה, Midbar Yehuda}, both ''Desert of Judah'' or ''Judaean Desert''; ar, صحراء يهودا, Sahraa' Yahuda) is a desert in Palestine and Israel that lies east of Jerusa ...
.
[''The Gospel according to Matthew'' by Leon Morris p. 71.] In this early period, he preaches around
Galilee and recruits
his first disciples who begin to travel with him and eventually form the core of the
early Church[''The Life and Ministry of Jesus: The Gospels'' by Douglas Redford 2007 pp. 117–130.] as it is believed that the
Apostles dispersed from
Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
to found the
apostolic see
An apostolic see is an episcopal see whose foundation is attributed to one or more of the apostles of Jesus or to one of their close associates. In Catholicism the phrase, preceded by the definite article and usually capitalized, refers to the ...
s. The major Galilean ministry which begins in
Matthew 8
Matthew 8 is the eighth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament and continues the narrative about Jesus' ministry in Galilee previously described in Matthew 4:23– 25. It follows on from the Sermon on the Mount, noting in its ...
includes the
commissioning of the Twelve Apostles
The commissioning of the Twelve Apostles is an episode in the ministry of Jesus that appears in all three Synoptic Gospels: Matthew 10:1–4, Mark 3:13–19 and Luke 6:12–16. It relates the initial selection of the Twelve Apostles ...
, and covers most of the ministry of Jesus in Galilee.
[''A theology of the New Testament'' by George Eldon Ladd 1993, p. 324.][''The Life and Ministry of Jesus: The Gospels'' by Douglas Redford 2007 pp. 143–160.] The final Galilean ministry begins after the
beheading of John the Baptist
The beheading of John the Baptist, also known as the decollation of Saint John the Baptist or the beheading of the Forerunner, is a biblical event commemorated as a holy day by various Christian churches. According to the New Testament, Her ...
as Jesus prepares to go to Jerusalem.
[Steven L. Cox, Kendell H Easley, 2007 ''Harmony of the Gospels'' pp. 97–110.][''The Life and Ministry of Jesus: The Gospels'' by Douglas Redford 2007 pp. 165–180.]
In the later Judean ministry Jesus starts his final journey to Jerusalem through Judea.
[Steven L. Cox, Kendell H Easley, 2007 ''Harmony of the Gospels'' pp. 121–135.][''The Life and Ministry of Jesus: The Gospels'' by Douglas Redford. 2007 pp. 189–207.] As Jesus travels towards Jerusalem, in the later
Perean ministry, about one third the way down from the
Sea of Galilee (actually a freshwater lake) along the River Jordan, he returns to the area where he was baptized.
[Steven L. Cox, Kendell H Easley, 2007 ''Harmony of the Gospels'' p. 137.][''The Life and Ministry of Jesus: The Gospels'' by Douglas Redford 2007 pp. 211–229.][''Mercer dictionary of the Bible'' by Watson E. Mills, Roger Aubrey Bullard 1998 p. 929.]
The final ministry in Jerusalem is sometimes called the
Passion week and begins with Jesus'
triumphal entry into Jerusalem
In the accounts of the four canonical Gospels, Jesus Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem took place in the days before the Last Supper, marking the beginning of his Passion, his time of suffering, death, and resurrection celebrated during H ...
.
The gospel
The gospel or good news is a theological concept in several religions. In the historical Roman imperial cult and today in Christianity, the gospel is a message about salvation by a divine figure, a savior, who has brought peace or other benefit ...
s provide more details about the final ministry than the other periods, devoting about one third of their text to the
last week of the life of Jesus in Jerusalem.
[''Matthew'' by David L. Turner 2008 p. 613.]
Overview
![First century Iudaea province](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c7/First_century_Iudaea_province.gif)
The gospel accounts place the beginning of Jesus' ministry in the countryside of
Roman Judea
Judaea ( la, Iudaea ; grc, Ἰουδαία, translit=Ioudaíā ) was a Roman province which incorporated the regions of Judea, Samaria, and Idumea from 6 CE, extending over parts of the former regions of the Hasmonean and Herodian kingdoms o ...
, near the River Jordan.
The gospels present
John the Baptist
John the Baptist or , , or , ;Wetterau, Bruce. ''World history''. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1994. syc, ܝܘܿܚܲܢܵܢ ܡܲܥܡܕ݂ܵܢܵܐ, Yoḥanān Maʿmḏānā; he, יוחנן המטביל, Yohanān HaMatbil; la, Ioannes Bapti ...
's ministry as the precursor to that of Jesus and the
baptism of Jesus
The baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist is a major event in the life of Jesus which is described in the three synoptic Gospels of the New Testament (Matthew, Mark and Luke). It is considered to have taken place at Al-Maghtas (also called Bet ...
as marking the beginning of Jesus' ministry, after which Jesus travels, preaches and performs
miracles
A miracle is an event that is inexplicable by natural or scientific lawsOne dictionary define"Miracle"as: "A surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divin ...
.
[''The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown: An Introduction to the New Testament''](_blank)
by Andreas J. Köstenberger, L. Scott Kellum 2009 p. 141–143. Jesus's baptism is generally considered the beginning and the
Last Supper
Image:The Last Supper - Leonardo Da Vinci - High Resolution 32x16.jpg, 400px, alt=''The Last Supper'' by Leonardo da Vinci - Clickable Image, Depictions of the Last Supper in Christian art have been undertaken by artistic masters for centuries, ...
with his disciples in Jerusalem as the end of his ministry.
However, some authors also consider the period between the
Resurrection
Resurrection or anastasis is the concept of coming back to life after death. In a number of religions, a dying-and-rising god is a deity which dies and is resurrected. Reincarnation is a similar process hypothesized by other religions, whic ...
and the
Ascension part of the ministry of Jesus.
Luke states that Jesus was "about 30 years of age" at the start of his ministry.
There have been different approaches to estimating the date of the start of the ministry of Jesus.
[''The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown: An Introduction to the New Testament'']
by Andreas J. Köstenberger, L. Scott Kellum 2009 p. 140.[''Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible'' 2000 Amsterdam University Press p. 249.][Jack V. Scarola, "A Chronology of the nativity Era" in ''Chronos, kairos, Christos 2'' by Ray Summers, Jerry Vardaman 1998 pp. 61–81.] One approach, based on combining information from the
Gospel of Luke
The Gospel of Luke), or simply Luke (which is also its most common form of abbreviation). tells of the origins, birth, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. Together with the Acts of the Apostles, it makes up a two-vol ...
with historical data about Emperor
Tiberius
Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus (; 16 November 42 BC – 16 March AD 37) was the second Roman emperor. He reigned from AD 14 until 37, succeeding his stepfather, the first Roman emperor Augustus. Tiberius was born in Rome in 42 BC. His father ...
yields a date around 28–29 AD/CE, while a second independent approach based on statements in the
Gospel of John
The Gospel of John ( grc, Εὐαγγέλιον κατὰ Ἰωάννην, translit=Euangélion katà Iōánnēn) is the fourth of the four canonical gospels. It contains a highly schematic account of the ministry of Jesus, with seven "sig ...
along with historical information from
Josephus
Flavius Josephus (; grc-gre, Ἰώσηπος, ; 37 – 100) was a first-century Romano-Jewish historian and military leader, best known for '' The Jewish War'', who was born in Jerusalem—then part of Roman Judea—to a father of priestly ...
about the Temple in Jerusalem leads to a date around AD 27–29.
[''The Riddles of the Fourth Gospel: An Introduction to John'' by Paul N. Anderson 2011 p. 200.][''Herod the Great'' by Jerry Knoblet 2005 p. 184.]
In the New Testament, the date of the Last Supper is very close before the date of the
crucifixion of Jesus
The crucifixion and death of Jesus occurred in 1st-century Judea, most likely in AD 30 or AD 33. It is described in the four canonical gospels, referred to in the New Testament epistles, attested to by other ancient sources, and consid ...
(hence its name). Scholarly estimates for the date of the crucifixion generally fall in the range AD 30–36.
The three
Synoptic Gospels refer to just one
passover
Passover, also called Pesach (; ), is a major Jewish holiday that celebrates the Biblical story of the Israelites escape from slavery in Egypt, which occurs on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan, the first month of Aviv, or spring. ...
, specifically the Passover at the end of Jesus's ministry when he is crucified. While the
Gospel of John
The Gospel of John ( grc, Εὐαγγέλιον κατὰ Ἰωάννην, translit=Euangélion katà Iōánnēn) is the fourth of the four canonical gospels. It contains a highly schematic account of the ministry of Jesus, with seven "sig ...
refers to two actual passovers, one at the beginning of Jesus's ministry and the second at the end of Jesus's ministry. There is a third reference to passover that many claim is a third actual festival, but this can not be supported, it is more likely to be a forecasting of the second Passover in the Gospel of John. This third reference to a passover in the Gospel of John is why many suggest that Jesus's ministry was a period of about three years. Scholars that support a three-year ministry, such as
Köstenberger state that the Gospel of John simply provides a more detailed account.
[''Jesus and the Gospels: An Introduction and Survey'' by Craig L. Blomberg 2009 pp. 224–229.]
During the ministry of Jesus, the
tetrarch
Tetrarch, Tetrarchs, or Tetrarchy may refer to:
* Tetrarchy, the four co-emperors of the Roman Empire instituted by the Emperor Diocletian
* Portrait of the Four Tetrarchs - a sculpture of the four co-emperors of the Roman Empire
* Herodian Tetrarc ...
ruling over
Galilee and
Perea
Perea or Peraea (Greek: Περαία, " the country beyond") was the portion of the kingdom of Herod the Great occupying the eastern side of the Jordan River valley, from about one third the way down the Jordan River segment connecting the Sea ...
in this period was
Herod Antipas, who obtained the position upon the division of the territories following the death of
Herod the Great
Herod I (; ; grc-gre, ; c. 72 – 4 or 1 BCE), also known as Herod the Great, was a Roman Jewish client king of Judea, referred to as the Herodian kingdom. He is known for his colossal building projects throughout Judea, including his renova ...
in 4 BC.
[''The people's New Testament commentary'' by M. Eugene Boring, Fred B. Craddock 2004 p. 212.]
Baptism and early ministry
![Sapsaphas Madaba](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d4/Sapsaphas_Madaba.jpg)
The gospels present John the Baptist's ministry as the precursor to that of Jesus and the Baptism of Jesus as marking the beginning of Jesus' ministry.
In his sermon in , delivered in the house of
Cornelius the centurion,
Apostle Peter
An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary, from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to send off". The purpose of such sending ...
gives an overview of the ministry of Jesus, and refers to what had happened "throughout all Judaea, beginning from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached" and that Jesus whom "God anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power" had gone about "doing good".
specifies the location where John was baptizing as "Bethany beyond the Jordan".
[''Big Picture of the Bible - New Testament'' by Lorna Daniels Nichols 2009 p. 12] This is not the village
Bethany
Bethany ( grc-gre, Βηθανία,Murphy-O'Connor, 2008, p152/ref> Syriac: ܒܝܬ ܥܢܝܐ ''Bēṯ ʿAnyā'') or what is locally known as Al-Eizariya or al-Azariya ( ar, العيزرية, " laceof Lazarus"), is a Palestinian town in the West B ...
just east of Jerusalem, but the town of
Bethabara in
Perea
Perea or Peraea (Greek: Περαία, " the country beyond") was the portion of the kingdom of Herod the Great occupying the eastern side of the Jordan River valley, from about one third the way down the Jordan River segment connecting the Sea ...
.
[''John'' by Gerard Stephen Sloyan 1987 p. 11] Perea is the province east of the Jordan, across the southern part of
Samaria
Samaria (; he, שֹׁמְרוֹן, translit=Šōmrōn, ar, السامرة, translit=as-Sāmirah) is the historic and biblical name used for the central region of Palestine, bordered by Judea to the south and Galilee to the north. The first ...
, and although the New Testament does not mention Perea by name, implicitly refers to it again when it states that John was baptising in
Enon near Salim, "because there was much water there".
First-century historian
Flavius Josephus
Flavius Josephus (; grc-gre, Ἰώσηπος, ; 37 – 100) was a first-century Romano-Jewish historian and military leader, best known for '' The Jewish War'', who was born in Jerusalem—then part of Roman Judea—to a father of priestly ...
also wrote in the ''
Antiquities of the Jews'' (
18 5.2) that John the Baptist was imprisoned and then killed in
Machaerus
Machaerus (Μαχαιροῦς, from grc, μάχαιρα, , makhaira sword he, מכוור; ar, قلعة مكاور, translit=Qala'at Mukawir, lit=Mukawir Castle) was a Hasmonean hilltop palace and desert fortress, now in ruins, located in ...
on the border of Perea.
and indicate possible activities of Jesus near the Jordan River around the time of his baptism, as does the initial encounter with the disciples of John the Baptist in , where "two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus".
[''A Summary of Christian History'' by Robert A. Baker, John M. Landers 2005 pp. 6–7] Assuming that there were two incidences of
Cleansing of the Temple
The cleansing of the Temple narrative tells of Jesus expelling the merchants and the money changers from the Temple, and is recounted in all four canonical gospels of the New Testament. The scene is a common motif in Christian art.
In this ac ...
, which was located in Jerusalem, a possible reference to an early Judean ministry may be .
Ministry in Galilee
Early Galilean ministry
![The-Decapolis-map](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/57/The-Decapolis-map.svg)
The ''Early Galilean ministry'' begins when, according to Matthew, Jesus goes back to Galilee from the
Judean desert
The Judaean Desert or Judean Desert ( he, מִדְבַּר יְהוּדָה, Midbar Yehuda}, both ''Desert of Judah'' or ''Judaean Desert''; ar, صحراء يهودا, Sahraa' Yahuda) is a desert in Palestine and Israel that lies east of Jerusa ...
, after rebuffing the
temptation of Satan.
In this early period, Jesus preaches around Galilee and, in ,
his first disciples encounter him, begin to travel with him and eventually form the core of the early Church.
The Gospel of John includes the
Wedding at Cana
The transformation of water into wine at the wedding at Cana (also called the marriage at Cana, wedding feast at Cana or marriage feast at Cana) is the first miracle attributed to Jesus in the Gospel of John.
In the Gospel account, Jesus Chris ...
as the first
miracle of Jesus
The miracles of Jesus are miraculous deeds attributed to Jesus in Christian and Islamic texts. The majority are faith healings, exorcisms, resurrections, and control over nature.
In the Synoptic Gospels (Mark, Matthew, and Luke), Jesus r ...
taking place in this early period of ministry, with his return to Galilee. A few villages in Galilee (e.g.
Kafr Kanna
Kafr Kanna ( ar, كفر كنا, ''Kafr Kanā''; he, כַּפְר כַּנָּא) is an Arab town in the Galilee, part of the Northern District of Israel. It is associated by Christians with the New Testament village of Cana, where Jesus tur ...
) have been suggested as the location of
Cana
Cana of Galilee ( grc, Κανὰ τῆς Γαλιλαίας; ar, قانا الجليل , translit= Qana al-Jalil , lit=Qana of the Galilee) is the location of the Marriage at Cana, at which the miracle of turning water into wine took place in ...
.
The
return of Jesus to Galilee follows the arrest of
John the Baptist
John the Baptist or , , or , ;Wetterau, Bruce. ''World history''. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1994. syc, ܝܘܿܚܲܢܵܢ ܡܲܥܡܕ݂ܵܢܵܐ, Yoḥanān Maʿmḏānā; he, יוחנן המטביל, Yohanān HaMatbil; la, Ioannes Bapti ...
. The early teachings of Jesus result in his
rejection at his hometown when in Jesus says in a Synagogue: "No prophet is acceptable in his own country" and the people reject him.
In this early period, Jesus' reputation begins to spread throughout Galilee. In and , Jesus goes to
Capernaum
Capernaum ( ; he, כְּפַר נַחוּם, Kfar Naḥum, Nahum's village; ar, كفر ناحوم, Kafr Nāḥūm) was a fishing village established during the time of the Hasmoneans, located on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. It ...
, where people are "astonished at his teaching; for his word was with authority", in the
Exorcism at the Synagogue in Capernaum
All four gospels report that Jesus visited Capernaum in Galilee and often attended the synagogue there:
* Matthew 4:13 describes Jesus leaving Nazareth and settling in Capernaum
* Mark 1 describes Jesus teaching and healing in the synagogue
* Luk ...
episode, which is followed by
healing the mother of Peter's wife
The healing of the mother of Peter's wife is one of the miracles of Jesus in the Gospels, reported in , , and .
Narrative
In the Gospels of Mark and Luke, this episode takes place after Jesus had been preaching at the synagogue of Capernaum. ...
.
includes the first
Miraculous draught of fishes
The miraculous catch of fish, or more traditionally the miraculous draught of fish(es), is either of two events commonly (but not universally) considered to be miracles in the canonical gospels. The miracles are reported as taking place years apa ...
episode in which Jesus tells
Peter
Peter may refer to:
People
* List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* Peter (given name)
** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church
* Peter (surname), a sur ...
, "now on you will catch men". Peter leaves his net and, along with him,
James
James is a common English language surname and given name:
*James (name), the typically masculine first name James
* James (surname), various people with the last name James
James or James City may also refer to:
People
* King James (disambiguati ...
and
John
John is a common English name and surname:
* John (given name)
* John (surname)
John may also refer to:
New Testament
Works
* Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John
* First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John
* Secon ...
, the sons of Zebedee, follows Jesus as disciples thereafter.
This period includes the
Sermon on the Mount, one of the major discourses of Jesus in Matthew, and the
Sermon on the Plain
A sermon is a religious discourse or oration by a preacher, usually a member of clergy. Sermons address a scriptural, theological, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law, or behavior within both past and present contexts. ...
in the Gospel of Luke.
[''The Sermon on the Mount: A Theological Investigation'' by Carl G. Vaught 2001 pp. xi–xiv] The ''Sermon on the Mount'', which covers chapters
5,
6 and
7 of the Gospel of Matthew, is the first of the
Five Discourses of Matthew
In Christianity, the term Five Discourses of Matthew refers to five specific discourses by Jesus within the Gospel of Matthew.''The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown: An Introduction to the New Testament'' by Andreas J. Köstenberger, L. Scott Kell ...
and is the longest piece of teaching from Jesus in the
New Testament
The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Chri ...
.
It encapsulates many of the moral teachings of Jesus and includes the
Beatitudes and the widely recited
Lord's Prayer
The Lord's Prayer, also called the Our Father or Pater Noster, is a central Christian prayer which Jesus taught as the way to pray. Two versions of this prayer are recorded in the gospels: a longer form within the Sermon on the Mount in the Gosp ...
.
The ''Beatitudes'' are expressed as eight blessings in the ''Sermon on the Mount'' in Matthew, and four similar blessings appear in the ''Sermon on the Plain'' in Luke, where they are followed by four woes that mirror the blessings.
[''The Synoptics: Matthew, Mark, Luke'' by Ján Majerník, Joseph Ponessa, Laurie Watson Manhardt 2005 , pp. 63–68] The Beatitudes present the highest ideals of the teachings of Jesus on
mercy
Mercy (Middle English, from Anglo-French ''merci'', from Medieval Latin ''merced-'', ''merces'', from Latin, "price paid, wages", from ''merc-'', ''merxi'' "merchandise") is benevolence, forgiveness, and kindness in a variety of ethical, relig ...
, spirituality and compassion.
[''A Dictionary Of The Bible'' by James Hastings 2004 p. 15–19]
File:Giotto - Scrovegni - -24- - Marriage at Cana.jpg, Marriage at Cana
The transformation of water into wine at the wedding at Cana (also called the marriage at Cana, wedding feast at Cana or marriage feast at Cana) is the first miracle attributed to Jesus in the Gospel of John.
In the Gospel account, Jesus Chris ...
File:Christus heilt einen Besessenen.jpg, Synagogue in Capernaum
File:Raphael - The Miraculous Draft of Fishes - Google Art Project.jpg, First disciples and Miraculous catch of fish
The miraculous catch of fish, or more traditionally the miraculous draught of fish(es), is either of two events commonly (but not universally) considered to be miracles in the canonical gospels. The miracles are reported as taking place years apa ...
File:Bloch-SermonOnTheMount.jpg, Sermon on the Mount
Major Galilean ministry
The ''Major Galilean ministry'', also called the ''Great Galilean ministry'', begins in
Matthew 8
Matthew 8 is the eighth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament and continues the narrative about Jesus' ministry in Galilee previously described in Matthew 4:23– 25. It follows on from the Sermon on the Mount, noting in its ...
, after the
Sermon on the Mount and refers to activities up to the
death of John the Baptist.
The beginnings of this period include
The Centurion's Servant
Healing the centurion's servant is one of the miracles performed by Jesus of Nazareth as related in the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke (both part of the Christian biblical canon). The story is not recounted in the Gospels of either John ...
() and
Calming the storm (), both dealing with the theme of faith and fear. When the Centurion shows faith in Jesus by requesting a "healing at a distance", Jesus commends him for his exceptional faith. On the other hand, when his own disciples show fear of a storm on the Sea of Galilee, Jesus instructs them to have more faith, after he orders the storm to stop.
![Vittore carpaccio, vocazione di san matteo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/Vittore_carpaccio%2C_vocazione_di_san_matteo.jpg)
In this period, Jesus is still gathering the
twelve apostles
In Christian theology and ecclesiology, the apostles, particularly the Twelve Apostles (also known as the Twelve Disciples or simply the Twelve), were the primary disciples of Jesus according to the New Testament. During the life and minist ...
, and the
Calling of Matthew
The Calling of Matthew is an episode in the life of Jesus which appears in all three synoptic gospels, , and , and relates the initial encounter between Jesus and Matthew, the tax collector who became a disciple.
Biblical narratives
According t ...
takes place in . The conflicts and criticism between Jesus and the
Pharisees continue, e.g. they criticize Jesus for associating with "publicans and sinners", whereby Jesus responds: "It is not healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
Commissioning the twelve Apostles
The commissioning of the Twelve Apostles is an episode in the ministry of Jesus that appears in all three Synoptic Gospels: Matthew 10:1–4, Mark 3:13–19 and Luke 6:12–16. It relates the initial selection of the Twelve Apost ...
relates the initial selection of the
twelve Apostles
In Christian theology and ecclesiology, the apostles, particularly the Twelve Apostles (also known as the Twelve Disciples or simply the Twelve), were the primary disciples of Jesus according to the New Testament. During the life and minist ...
among the disciples of Jesus. Jesus goes out to a mountainside to pray, and after spending the night praying to God, in the morning he calls his disciples and chooses twelve of them.
In the
Mission Discourse
Matthew 10 is the tenth chapter in the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament section of the Christian Bible. This chapter opens with Jesus calling some of his disciples and sending them out to preach and heal. This section is also known as the ...
, Jesus instructs the
twelve apostles
In Christian theology and ecclesiology, the apostles, particularly the Twelve Apostles (also known as the Twelve Disciples or simply the Twelve), were the primary disciples of Jesus according to the New Testament. During the life and minist ...
who are named in to carry no belongings as they travel from city to city and preach.
Separately, relates the
Seventy Disciples
The seventy disciples or seventy-two disciples, known in the Eastern Christian traditions as the seventy apostles or seventy-two apostles, were early emissaries of Jesus mentioned in the Gospel of Luke. The correct Greek terminology is evdomik ...
, where Jesus appoints a larger number of disciples and sends them out in pairs with the ''Missionary's Mandate'' to go into villages before Jesus' arrival there.
[''Luke'' by Sharon H. Ringe 1995 pp. 151–152]
In two
messengers from John the Baptist
The messengers who came from John the Baptist to Jesus are referred to in and in the New Testament.
Their deputation to meet with Jesus is recounted after the Baptism of Jesus, when John is in prison in the fort of Machaerus and hears of the wo ...
arrive to ask Jesus if he is the expected Messiah, or "shall we wait for another?" Jesus replies, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk". Following this, Jesus begins to speak to the crowds about the Baptist.
This period is rich in parables and teachings and includes the ''Parabolic discourse'', which provides many of the parables for the
Kingdom of Heaven
Kingdom of Heaven may refer to:
Religious
* Kingdom of Heaven (Gospel of Matthew)
**Kingship and kingdom of God, or simply Kingdom of God, the phrase used in the other gospels
* Kingdom of Heaven (Daviesite), a schismatic sect, founded by Will ...
, beginning in .
[''Preaching Matthew's Gospel'' by Richard A. Jensen 1998 pp. 25 & 158][''Matthew'' by Charles H. Talbert 2010 (Discourse 3) pp. 162–173] These include the parables of
The Sower,
The Tares,
The Mustard Seed and
The Leaven, addressed to the public at large, as well as
The Hidden Treasure
The Parable of the Hidden Treasure is a well known parables of Jesus, parable of Jesus, which appears in Gospel of Matthew, Matthew]13:44 and illustrates the great value of the Kingdom of God, Kingdom of Heaven. It immediately precedes the parabl ...
,
Parable of the Pearl, The Pearl and
Drawing in the Net
Jesus' parable of drawing in the net, or the parable of the dragnet, appears in and refers to the final judgment. This parable is the seventh and last in Matthew 13, which began with the parable of the Sower. It directly follows the Parable of ...
.
At the end of the Major Galilean ministry, Jesus returns to his hometown, Nazareth. His
wisdom
Wisdom, sapience, or sagacity is the ability to contemplate and act using knowledge, experience, understanding, common sense and insight. Wisdom is associated with attributes such as unbiased judgment, compassion, experiential self-knowle ...
is recognised there, questioned, and rejected.
File: Rembrandt Christ in the Storm on the Lake of Galilee.jpg, Calming the storm
File: Brooklyn Museum - The Exhortation to the Apostles (Recommandation aux apôtres) - James Tissot.jpg, Twelve Apostles
In Christian theology and ecclesiology, the apostles, particularly the Twelve Apostles (also known as the Twelve Disciples or simply the Twelve), were the primary disciples of Jesus according to the New Testament. During the life and minist ...
File:70Apostles.jpg, Seventy Disciples
The seventy disciples or seventy-two disciples, known in the Eastern Christian traditions as the seventy apostles or seventy-two apostles, were early emissaries of Jesus mentioned in the Gospel of Luke. The correct Greek terminology is evdomik ...
File: Oberzell Alte Kirche Decke Johannes im Kerker.jpg, Baptist's Messengers
Final Galilean ministry
The ''Final Galilean ministry'' begins after the
death of John the Baptist, and includes the
Feeding the 5000
In Christianity, the feeding the multitude is two separate miracles of Jesus reported in the Gospels.
The first miracle, the "Feeding of the 5,000", is the only miracle—aside from the resurrection—recorded in all four gospels ( Matthew 14: ...
and
Walking on water episodes, both in .
After hearing of the Baptist's death, Jesus withdraws by boat privately to a solitary place near
Bethsaida, where he addresses the crowds who had followed him on foot from the towns, and feeds them all with "
five loaves and two fish" supplied by a boy.
Following this, the gospels present the ''Walking on water'' episode in , and as an important step in developing the relationship between Jesus and his disciples, at this stage of his ministry. The episode emphasizes the importance of faith by stating that, when he attempted to walk on water,
Peter
Peter may refer to:
People
* List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* Peter (given name)
** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church
* Peter (surname), a sur ...
began to sink when he lost faith and became afraid. At the end of the episode, the disciples increase their faith in Jesus, and, in Matthew 14:33, they say: "Of a truth thou art the Son of God".
Major teachings in this period include the
Discourse on Defilement
The Discourse on Defilement is an account of the teaching of Jesus recorded in the New Testament in the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Mark .
In the account in the Gospel of Matthew, the Pharisees complain to Jesus that his disciples break ...
in and where, in response to a complaint from the Pharisees, Jesus states: "What goes into a man's mouth does not make him 'unclean,' but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him 'unclean.'".
Following this episode, Jesus withdraws into the "parts of
Tyre and
Sidon
Sidon ( ; he, צִידוֹן, ''Ṣīḏōn'') known locally as Sayda or Saida ( ar, صيدا ''Ṣaydā''), is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located in the South Governorate, of which it is the capital, on the Mediterranean coast. ...
" near the
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ...
, where the
Canaanite woman's daughter
The Exorcism of the Syrophoenician woman's daughter is one of the miracles of Jesus in the Gospels and is recounted in the Gospel of Mark in Chapter 7 () and in the Gospel of Matthew in Chapter 15 (). In Matthew, the story is recounted as the h ...
episode takes place in and .
[''Jesus the Miracle Worker: A Historical & Theological Study'' by Graham H. Twelftree 1999 pp. 133–134] This episode is an example of how Jesus emphasizes the value of faith, telling the woman: "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted."
The importance of faith is also emphasized in the
Cleansing ten lepers
Jesus' cleansing of ten lepers is one of the miracles of Jesus reported in the Gospels (Gospel of Luke ).
Narrative
Ten lepers, seeing Jesus, "raised their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” Jesus healed all ten, telling th ...
episode in .
In the Gospel of Mark, after passing through
Sidon
Sidon ( ; he, צִידוֹן, ''Ṣīḏōn'') known locally as Sayda or Saida ( ar, صيدا ''Ṣaydā''), is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located in the South Governorate, of which it is the capital, on the Mediterranean coast. ...
, Jesus enters the region of the
Decapolis
The Decapolis (Greek: grc, Δεκάπολις, Dekápolis, Ten Cities, label=none) was a group of ten Hellenistic cities on the eastern frontier of the Roman Empire in the Southern Levant in the first centuries BCE and CE. They formed a group ...
, a group of ten cities south-east of Galilee, where the
Healing the deaf mute miracle is reported in . After the healing, the disciples say: "He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak." The episode is the last in a series of narrated miracles which builds up to Peter's proclamation of Jesus as Christ in .
Judea and Perea to Jerusalem
Later Judean ministry
In this period, Jesus starts his final journey to Jerusalem by going around
Samaria
Samaria (; he, שֹׁמְרוֹן, translit=Šōmrōn, ar, السامرة, translit=as-Sāmirah) is the historic and biblical name used for the central region of Palestine, bordered by Judea to the south and Galilee to the north. The first ...
, through
Perea
Perea or Peraea (Greek: Περαία, " the country beyond") was the portion of the kingdom of Herod the Great occupying the eastern side of the Jordan River valley, from about one third the way down the Jordan River segment connecting the Sea ...
and on through Judea to Jerusalem. At the beginning of this period,
Jesus predicts his death
There are several references in the Synoptic Gospels (the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke) to Jesus predicting his own death, the first two occasions building up to the final prediction of his crucifixion. Matthew's Gospel adds a prediction, ...
for the first time, and this prediction then builds up to the other two episodes, the final prediction being just before Jesus enters Jerusalem for the last time, the week of
his crucifixion. In and , Jesus teaches his disciples that "the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again.
Later in this period, at about the middle of each of the three
Synoptic Gospels, two related episodes mark a turning point in the ministry of Jesus: the
Confession of Peter
In Christianity, the Confession of Peter (translated from the Matthean Vulgate Latin section title: ''Confessio Petri'') refers to an episode in the New Testament in which the Apostle Peter proclaims Jesus to be the Christ ( Jewish Messiah). T ...
and the
Transfiguration of Jesus
In the New Testament, the Transfiguration of Jesus is an event where Jesus is transfigured and becomes radiant in glory upon a mountain. The Synoptic Gospels (, , ) describe it, and the Second Epistle of Peter also refers to it ().
In these ...
.
[''The Christology of Mark's Gospel'' by Jack Dean Kingsbury 1983 pp. 91–95][''The Cambridge companion to the Gospels'' by Stephen C. Barton pp. 132–133] These episodes begin in
Caesarea Philippi
Banias or Banyas ( ar, بانياس الحولة; he, בניאס, label=Modern Hebrew; Judeo-Aramaic, Medieval Hebrew: פמייס, etc.; grc, Πανεάς) is a site in the Golan Heights near a natural spring, once associated with the Greek g ...
, just north of the
Sea of Galilee, at the beginning of the final journey to
Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
which ends in the
Passion and
Resurrection of Jesus
The resurrection of Jesus ( grc-x-biblical, ἀνάστασις τοῦ Ἰησοῦ) is the Christian belief that God raised Jesus on the third day after his crucifixion, starting – or restoring – his exalted life as Christ and Lo ...
.
[''The Collegeville Bible Commentary: New Testament'' by Robert J. Karris 1992 pp. 885–886] These episodes mark the beginnings of the gradual disclosure of the identity of Jesus as the
Messiah
In Abrahamic religions, a messiah or messias (; ,
; ,
; ) is a saviour or liberator of a group of people. The concepts of '' mashiach'', messianism, and of a Messianic Age originated in Judaism, and in the Hebrew Bible, in which a ''mashiach ...
to his disciples; and his prediction of his own suffering and death.
[''Transfiguration'' by Dorothy A. Lee 2005 pp. 21–30]
Peter's Confession begins as a dialogue between Jesus and his disciples in , and . Jesus asks his disciples: ''But who do you say that I am?'' Simon Peter answers him: ''You are the Christ, the Son of the living God''.
[''Who do you say that I am? Essays on Christology'' by Jack Dean Kingsbury, Mark Allan Powell, David R. Bauer 1999 p. xvi] In , Jesus blesses Peter for his answer, and states: "flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father who is in heaven." In blessing Peter, Jesus not only accepts the titles ''
Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
'' and ''
Son of God'', which Peter attributes to him, but declares the proclamation a divine revelation by stating that his
Father in Heaven had revealed it to Peter.
[''One teacher: Jesus' teaching role in Matthew's gospel'' by John Yueh-Han Yieh 2004 pp. 240–241] In this assertion, by endorsing both titles as divine revelation, Jesus unequivocally declares himself to be both Christ and the Son of God.
In the Gospel of Matthew, following this episode, Jesus also selects Peter as the leader of the Apostles, and states that "upon this rock, I will build my church".
In Jesus then continues:
"That thou art Peter, and upon this rock, I will build my church". The word "church" (''ekklesia'' in Greek) as used here, appears in the Gospels only once more, in , and refers to the community of believers at the time.
[''The Gospel of Matthew'' by ]Rudolf Schnackenburg
Rudolf Schnackenburg (5 January 1914 – 28 August 2002) was a German Catholic priest and New Testament scholar. Joseph Ratzinger referred to him as "probably the most significant German-speaking Catholic exegete of the second half of the twentiet ...
2002 pp. 7–9
Later Perean ministry
Following the
proclamation by Peter, the account of the
Transfiguration of Jesus
In the New Testament, the Transfiguration of Jesus is an event where Jesus is transfigured and becomes radiant in glory upon a mountain. The Synoptic Gospels (, , ) describe it, and the Second Epistle of Peter also refers to it ().
In these ...
is the next major event and appears in , and .
[''The Content and the Setting of the Gospel Tradition'' by Mark Harding, Alanna Nobbs 2010 pp. 281–282] Jesus takes
Peter
Peter may refer to:
People
* List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* Peter (given name)
** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church
* Peter (surname), a sur ...
and two other apostles with him and goes up to a mountain, which is not named. Once on the mountain, states that Jesus "was transfigured before them; his face shining as the sun, and his garments became white as the light." At that point, the prophets
Elijah
Elijah ( ; he, אֵלִיָּהוּ, ʾĒlīyyāhū, meaning "My El (deity), God is Yahweh/YHWH"; Greek form: Elias, ''Elías''; syr, ܐܸܠܝܼܵܐ, ''Elyāe''; Arabic language, Arabic: إلياس or إليا, ''Ilyās'' or ''Ilyā''. ) w ...
and
Moses appear and Jesus begins to talk to them.
Luke is specific in describing Jesus in a state of glory, with referring to "they saw his glory".
[''Transfiguration'' by Dorothy A. Lee 2005 pp. 72–76] A bright cloud appears around them, and a voice from the cloud states: "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him".
![S](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0b/S._Apollinare_Nuovo_Resurr_Lazzaro.jpg)
The Transfiguration not only supports the identity of Jesus as the
Son of God, (as in his
Baptism
Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost ...
), but the statement "listen to him" identifies him as the messenger and mouth-piece of God.
[''Metamorphosis: The Transfiguration in Byzantine Theology and Iconography'' by Andreas Andreopoulos 2005 pp. 47–49] The significance is enhanced by the presence of Elijah and Moses, for it indicates to the apostles that Jesus is the voice of God, and, instead of Elijah or Moses, he should be listened to, by virtue of his filial relationship with God.
echoes the same message: at the Transfiguration, God assigns to Jesus a special "honor and glory" and it is the turning point at which God exalts Jesus above all other powers in creation.
Many of the episodes in the Later Judean ministry are from the Gospel of Luke but, in general, these sequence of episodes in Luke do not provide enough geographical information to determine Perea, though scholars generally assume that the route Jesus followed from Galilee to Jerusalem passed through
Perea
Perea or Peraea (Greek: Περαία, " the country beyond") was the portion of the kingdom of Herod the Great occupying the eastern side of the Jordan River valley, from about one third the way down the Jordan River segment connecting the Sea ...
.
However, the Gospel of John does state that he returned to the area where he was baptized, and states that "many people believed in him beyond the Jordan", saying "all things whatsoever John spake of this man were true".
The area where Jesus was baptised is inferred as the vicinity of the Perea area, given the activities of the Baptist in
Bethabara and
Ænon
Aenon ( grc-gre, Αἰνών, ''Ainṓn''), distinguished as Aenon near Salim, is the site mentioned by the Gospel of John () as one of the places where John was baptising people, after baptizing Jesus in Bethany-beyond-the-Jordan.Nichols (2009) ...
in John and .
This period of ministry includes the
Discourse on the Church, in which Jesus anticipates a future community of followers and explains the role of his apostles in leading it.
[''Behold the King: A Study of Matthew'' by Stanley D. Toussaint 2005 pp. 215–216] It includes the parables of The Lost Sheep and The Unforgiving Servant
The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant (also known as ''Ungrateful Servant'', ''Unmerciful Servant'', or ''Wicked Servant'' but not to be confused with the parable of the Two Debtors) is a parable of Jesus which appears in the Gospel of Matthew. ...
in Matthew 18
Chapter 18 of the Gospel of Matthew contains the fourth of the five Discourses of Matthew, also called the ''Discourse on the Church'' or the ''ecclesiastical discourse''. It compares "the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven" to a child, and also ...
, which also refer to the Kingdom of Heaven. The general theme of the discourse is the anticipation of a future community of followers, and the role of his apostles in leading it.
Addressing his apostles in , Jesus states: "Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven". The discourse emphasizes the importance of humility and self-sacrifice as the high virtues within the anticipated community. It teaches that in the Kingdom of God, it is personal humility that matters, not social prominence and clout.[''Matthew'' by Larry Chouinard 1997 p. 321]
At the end of this period, the Gospel of John includes the Raising of Lazarus
Lazarus of Bethany (Latinised from Lazar, ultimately from Hebrew Eleazar, "God helped"), also venerated as Righteous Lazarus, the Four-Days Dead in the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the subject of a prominent sign of Jesus in the Gospel of John, ...
episode in , in which Jesus brings Lazarus of Bethany
Lazarus of Bethany (Latinised from Lazar, ultimately from Hebrew Eleazar, "God helped"), also venerated as Righteous Lazarus, the Four-Days Dead in the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the subject of a prominent sign of Jesus in the Gospel of John, ...
back to life four days after his burial.[Steven L. Cox, Kendell H Easley, 2007 ''Harmony of the Gospels'' pp. 155–170] In the Gospel of John, the raising of Lazarus is the climax of the "seven signs" which gradually confirm the identity of Jesus as the Son of God and the expected Messiah.[''The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown: An Introduction to the New Testament''](_blank)
by Andreas J. Köstenberger, L. Scott Kellum 2009 pp. 312–313 It is also a ''pivotal episode'' which starts the chain of events that leads to the crowds seeking Jesus on his Triumphal entry into Jerusalem
In the accounts of the four canonical Gospels, Jesus Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem took place in the days before the Last Supper, marking the beginning of his Passion, his time of suffering, death, and resurrection celebrated during H ...
—leading to the decision of Caiaphas
Joseph ben Caiaphas (; c. 14 BC – c. 46 AD), known simply as Caiaphas (; grc-x-koine, Καϊάφας, Kaïáphas ) in the New Testament, was the Jewish high priest who, according to the gospels, organized a plot to kill Jesus. He famous ...
and the Sanhedrin
The Sanhedrin (Hebrew and Aramaic: סַנְהֶדְרִין; Greek: , ''synedrion'', 'sitting together,' hence ' assembly' or 'council') was an assembly of either 23 or 71 elders (known as "rabbis" after the destruction of the Second Temple), ...
to plan to kill Jesus (Crucifixion of Jesus
The crucifixion and death of Jesus occurred in 1st-century Judea, most likely in AD 30 or AD 33. It is described in the four canonical gospels, referred to in the New Testament epistles, attested to by other ancient sources, and consid ...
).
Final ministry in Jerusalem
The final ministry in Jerusalem is traditionally called the Passion and begins with Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem
In the accounts of the four canonical Gospels, Jesus Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem took place in the days before the Last Supper, marking the beginning of his Passion, his time of suffering, death, and resurrection celebrated during H ...
early in the week that includes the Last Supper
Image:The Last Supper - Leonardo Da Vinci - High Resolution 32x16.jpg, 400px, alt=''The Last Supper'' by Leonardo da Vinci - Clickable Image, Depictions of the Last Supper in Christian art have been undertaken by artistic masters for centuries, ...
and is liturgically marked as Holy Week
Holy Week ( la, Hebdomada Sancta or , ; grc, Ἁγία καὶ Μεγάλη Ἑβδομάς, translit=Hagia kai Megale Hebdomas, lit=Holy and Great Week) is the most sacred week in the liturgical year in Christianity. In Eastern Churches, w ...
.[''The People's New Testament Commentary'' by M. Eugene Boring, Fred B. Craddock 2004 pp. 256–258][''The Bible Knowledge Background Commentary: Matthew-Luke, Volume 1'' by Craig A. Evans 2003 pp. 381–395][''The Synoptics: Matthew, Mark, Luke'' by Ján Majerník, Joseph Ponessa, Laurie Watson Manhardt 2005 pp. 133–134][''The Bible knowledge background commentary: John's Gospel, Hebrews-Revelation'' by Craig A. Evans pp. 114–118] The gospels pay special attention to the account of the last week of the life of Jesus in Jerusalem, and the narrative amounts to about one third of the text of the four gospels, showing its theological significance in Christian thought in the Early Church.
Before arriving in Jerusalem, in , after raising Lazarus from the dead, crowds gather around Jesus and believe in him, and the next day the multitudes that had gathered for the feast in Jerusalem welcome Jesus as he descends from the Mount of Olives
The Mount of Olives or Mount Olivet ( he, הַר הַזֵּיתִים, Har ha-Zeitim; ar, جبل الزيتون, Jabal az-Zaytūn; both lit. 'Mount of Olives'; in Arabic also , , 'the Mountain') is a mountain ridge east of and adjacent to Jeru ...
towards Jerusalem in
, , and .[''John 12–21'' by John MacArthur 2008 pp. 17–18] In as Jesus approaches Jerusalem, he looks at the city and weeps over it, foretelling the suffering that awaits the city.[''Mercer Commentary on the New Testament'' by Watson E. Mills 2003 pp. 1032–1036]
In the three Synoptic Gospels, entry into Jerusalem is followed by the Cleansing of the Temple
The cleansing of the Temple narrative tells of Jesus expelling the merchants and the money changers from the Temple, and is recounted in all four canonical gospels of the New Testament. The scene is a common motif in Christian art.
In this ac ...
episode, in which Jesus expels the money changers from the Temple, accusing them of turning the Temple to a den of thieves through their commercial activities. This is the only account of Jesus using physical force in any of the Gospels.[''The Bible Knowledge Background Commentary'' by Craig A. Evans 2005 p. 49][''The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia'' by Geoffrey W. Bromiley 1988 pp. 571–572][''The Fourth Gospel And the Quest for Jesus'' by Paul N. Anderson 2006 p. 158] The synoptics include a number of well known parables
A parable is a succinct, didactic story, in prose or verse, that illustrates one or more instructive lessons or principles. It differs from a fable in that fables employ animals, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature as characters, ...
and sermons such as the Widow's mite
The lesson of the widow's mite or the widow's offering is presented in the Synoptic Gospels (, ), in which Jesus is teaching at the Temple in Jerusalem. The Gospel of Mark specifies that two ''mites'' (Greek ''lepta'') are together worth a ''qua ...
and the Second Coming Prophecy during the week that follows.
In that week, the synoptics also narrate conflicts between Jesus and the elders of the Jews, in episodes such as the Authority of Jesus Questioned
The authority of Jesus is questioned whilst he is teaching in the Temple in Jerusalem, as reported in all three synoptic gospels: , and .
According to the Gospel of Matthew:
Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief ...
and the Woes of the Pharisees
The Woes of the Pharisees is a list of criticisms by Jesus against scribes and Pharisees recorded in Luke 11:37–54 and Matthew 23:1–39. Mark 12:35–40 and Luke 20:45–47 also include warnings about scribes.
Eight are listed in Matthew, a ...
, in which Jesus criticizes their hypocrisy. Judas Iscariot
Judas Iscariot (; grc-x-biblical, Ἰούδας Ἰσκαριώτης; syc, ܝܗܘܕܐ ܣܟܪܝܘܛܐ; died AD) was a disciple and one of the original Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. According to all four canonical gospels, Judas betraye ...
, one of the twelve apostles
In Christian theology and ecclesiology, the apostles, particularly the Twelve Apostles (also known as the Twelve Disciples or simply the Twelve), were the primary disciples of Jesus according to the New Testament. During the life and minist ...
, approaches the Jewish elders and performs the "Bargain of Judas
The Bargain of Judas is a biblical episode related to the life of Jesus which is recorded in all three Synoptic Gospels, , and . It relates how Judas Iscariot made a bargain with the Jewish chief priests to betray Jesus.
Biblical accounts
The ...
" in which he accepts to betray Jesus and hand him over to the elders.[''All the Apostles of the Bible'' by Herbert Lockyer 1988 p. 106–111][''The Synoptic Gospels and the Book of Acts'' by Doremus Almy Hayes 2009 p. 88] Matthew specifies the price as thirty silver coins
Thirty pieces of silver was the price for which Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus, according to an account in the Gospel of Matthew 26:15 in the New Testament. Before the Last Supper, Judas is said to have gone to the chief priests and agreed to hand ...
.
In Matthew 24, Mark 13
Mark 13 is the thirteenth chapter of the Gospel of Mark in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It contains Jesus' predictions of the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem and disaster for Judea, as well as his eschatological discourse.Hall ...
and Luke 21, Jesus provides a ''Discourse on the End Times'', which is also called the Olivet Discourse because it was given on the Mount of Olives
The Mount of Olives or Mount Olivet ( he, הַר הַזֵּיתִים, Har ha-Zeitim; ar, جبل الزيتون, Jabal az-Zaytūn; both lit. 'Mount of Olives'; in Arabic also , , 'the Mountain') is a mountain ridge east of and adjacent to Jeru ...
. The discourse is mostly about judgment and the expected conduct of the followers of Jesus, and the need for vigilance by the followers in view of the coming judgment.[''The Gospel according to Matthew'' by Leon Morris 1992 pp. 593–596] The discourse is generally viewed as referring both to the coming destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem
The Temple in Jerusalem, or alternatively the Holy Temple (; , ), refers to the two now-destroyed religious structures that served as the central places of worship for Israelites and Jews on the modern-day Temple Mount in the Old City of Jeru ...
, as well as the End Times and Second Coming of Christ, but the many scholarly opinions about which verses refer to which event remain divided.
A key episode in the final part of the ministry of Jesus is the Last Supper
Image:The Last Supper - Leonardo Da Vinci - High Resolution 32x16.jpg, 400px, alt=''The Last Supper'' by Leonardo da Vinci - Clickable Image, Depictions of the Last Supper in Christian art have been undertaken by artistic masters for centuries, ...
, which includes the '' Institution of the Eucharist''. In , , during the last supper, Jesus takes bread, breaks it and gives it to the disciples, saying: "This is my body which is given for you". He also gives them "the cup" to drink, saying this is his blood. While it may have been fermented, none of the biblical accounts refer to it as wine, but rather as "the fruit of the vine" or "the cup".
In , Paul the Apostle refers to the Last Supper.[, , , ][Steven L. Cox, Kendell H Easley, 2007 ''Harmony of the Gospels'' pp. 180–191][''The encyclopedia of Christianity, Volume 4'' by Erwin Fahlbusch, 2005 pp. 52–56][''The Bible Knowledge Background Commentary'' by Craig A. Evans 2003 pp. 465–477] concludes the Last Supper with a long, three chapter sermon known as the '' Farewell discourse'' which prepares the disciples for the departure of Jesus.[''John'' by Gail R. O'Day, Susan Hylen 2006 , Chapter 15: The Farewell Discourse, pp. 142–168][''The Gospel according to John'' by Herman Ridderbos 1997 ''The Farewell Prayer'': pp. 546–576]
File:Brooklyn Museum - Woe unto You, Scribes and Pharisees (Malheur à vous, scribes et pharisiens) - James Tissot.jpg, Woes of Pharisees
File:Duccio di Buoninsegna - Pact of Judas - WGA06789.jpg, Bargain of Judas
The Bargain of Judas is a biblical episode related to the life of Jesus which is recorded in all three Synoptic Gospels, , and . It relates how Judas Iscariot made a bargain with the Jewish chief priests to betray Jesus.
Biblical accounts
The ...
File:Juan de Juanes 002.jpg, Last Supper
Image:The Last Supper - Leonardo Da Vinci - High Resolution 32x16.jpg, 400px, alt=''The Last Supper'' by Leonardo da Vinci - Clickable Image, Depictions of the Last Supper in Christian art have been undertaken by artistic masters for centuries, ...
& Eucharist
The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instit ...
File:Christ Taking Leave of the Apostles.jpg, Farewell discourse
See also
:Gospels and theology
* Christ myth theory
The Christ myth theory, also known as the Jesus myth theory, Jesus mythicism, or the Jesus ahistoricity theory, is the view that "the story of Jesus is a piece of mythology", possessing no "substantial claims to historical fact". Alternative ...
* Gospel harmony
A gospel harmony is an attempt to compile the canonical gospels of the Christian New Testament into a single account. This may take the form either of a single, merged narrative, or a tabular format with one column for each gospel, technically kn ...
* Historical Jesus
The term "historical Jesus" refers to the reconstruction of the life and teachings of Jesus by critical historical methods, in contrast to religious interpretations. It also considers the historical and cultural contexts in which Jesus lived. ...
* Jesus Seminar
The Jesus Seminar was a group of about 50 critical biblical scholars and 100 laymen founded in 1985 by Robert Funk that originated under the auspices of the Westar Institute.''Making Sense of the New Testament'' by Craig Blomberg (Mar 1, 200 ...
* Jesus in Christianity
Jesus is called the Son of God in the Bible's New Testament, and in mainstream Christian denominations he is God the Son, the second Person in the Trinity. He is believed to be the Jewish messiah (the Christ) who is prophesied in the Hebrew Bi ...
* Life of Christ in art
* Life of Jesus in the New Testament
The life of Jesus in the New Testament is primarily outlined in the four canonical gospels, which includes his genealogy and Nativity of Jesus, nativity, Ministry of Jesus, public ministry, Passion of Jesus, passion, prophecy, Resurrection of ...
* Miracles of Jesus
The miracles of Jesus are miraculous deeds attributed to Jesus in Christian and Islamic texts. The majority are faith healings, exorcisms, resurrections, and control over nature.
In the Synoptic Gospels (Mark, Matthew, and Luke), Jesus refus ...
* Parables of Jesus
The parables of Jesus are found in the Synoptic Gospels and some of the non-canonical gospels. They form approximately one third of his recorded teachings. Christians place great emphasis on these parables, which they generally regard as the wo ...
:Associated places
* Al-Maghtas
Al-Maghtas ( ar, المغطس, meaning "baptism" or "immersion"), officially known as Baptism Site "Bethany Beyond the Jordan", is an archaeological World Heritage site in Jordan, on the east bank of the Jordan River, considered to be the origin ...
* Qasr el Yahud
Qasr al-Yahud (Arabic: , lit. "The tower of the Jews", Hebrew: ), also known as Al-Maghtas, is the western section of the traditional site of the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist on the Jordan River (). It has also been traditionally identifi ...
Notes
References
; Citations
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ministry Of Jesus
Life of Jesus in the New Testament