The Timeline of Jesus’ Life and Ministry

The Birth and Childhood of Jesus

1、Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth, who is pregnant with John the Baptist. Elizabeth blesses Mary, calling her blessed (Luke 1:39-56).

2、While Herod was king of Judea, Joseph and Mary traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem to be registered. Jesus was born in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:1, Luke 2:4-7).

3、On the eighth day after His birth, Joseph had Him circumcised and took Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (Luke 2:21-38).

4、Some wise men from the East traveled to Jerusalem and then Bethlehem to worship the infant Jesus and offer Him gifts (Matthew 2:1-12).

5、King Herod wanted to kill Jesus. An angel of the Lord instructed Joseph to flee with his family to Egypt, a Roman-controlled grain-producing region. After Herod’s death and the rule of the cruel Archelaus over Judea, God instructed Joseph to go to Nazareth in Galilee, which was under the rule of Herod Antipas (Matthew 2:13-22).

6、When Jesus was twelve years old, He went to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. He stayed behind in the temple, listening to and asking questions of the teachers (Luke 2:41-52). The two main routes for Jesus’ family traveling between Nazareth and Jerusalem were either south along the central mountain range through towns like Megiddo (though they often avoided this route due to the conflict between Jews and Samaritans) or by crossing the Jordan River near Scythopolis (Beth Shan), traveling southeast along the river to Jericho, and then crossing back and ascending to Jerusalem.

The Baptism, Temptation, and Early Ministry of Jesus

1、Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee to Bethany across the Jordan to be baptized by John the Baptist (Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22; John 1:29-34).

2、The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness (traditionally believed to be near Jericho) to be tempted by the devil for forty days (Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13).

3、Jesus returned to Galilee to preach, calling Andrew, Simon Peter, Philip, and Nathanael to be His disciples along the way (John 1:35-49).

4、Jesus attended a wedding in Cana, where He performed His first miracle by turning water into wine (John 2:1-11).

5、Jesus made His first visit to Capernaum to preach (John 2:12).

6、Jesus went to Jerusalem for the Passover, cleansed the temple for the first time, and spoke with Nicodemus (John 2:13-3:21).

7、Jesus resided and baptized in Judea (John 3:22-4:2).

8、On His way back to Galilee, Jesus purposely traveled through the city of Sychar in Samaria, where He spoke with a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well (John 4:3-42).

9、Jesus returned to Galilee and healed an official’s seriously ill son in Cana (John 4:46-54).

10、Jesus returned to Nazareth but was rejected when He preached there (Luke 4:16-30).

11、Jesus went back to Capernaum to preach (Matthew 4:12-16).

12、Jesus preached by the Sea of Galilee, calling Simon, Andrew, James, and John to follow Him again (Matthew 4:18-22; Mark 1:16-20; Luke 5:1-11).

13、Jesus preached throughout the synagogues of Galilee. His fame spread throughout Syria, and many people from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and across the Jordan River followed Him (Matthew 4:23-25; Mark 1:35-45; Luke 4:42-44).

14、Jesus went up to Jerusalem for the Passover and healed a paralyzed man at the Pool of Bethesda (John 5:1-47).

The Middle Period of Jesus’ Ministry

1、Jesus returned from Jerusalem to Galilee (Matthew 12:1-21; Mark 2:23-3:12; Luke 6:1-19).

2、He prayed near Capernaum and chose the twelve apostles (Mark 3:13-19; Luke 6:12-16).

3、The Sermon on the Mount (possibly on Mount Arbel/Tagha) (Matthew 5:1-7:29; Luke 6:20-49).

4、He healed the centurion’s servant in Capernaum (Matthew 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-10).

5、He raised a widow’s son from the dead in Nain (Luke 7:11-17).

6、In the region of the Gadarenes (Gerasa), He cast a legion of demons from two men into a herd of pigs (Matthew 8:28-34; Mark 5:1-20; Luke 8:26-56).

7、He was rejected in Nazareth a second time (Matthew 13:54-58; Mark 6:1-6).

8、He fed five thousand people with five loaves and two fish near Bethsaida (Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:30-44; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-14).

9、He walked on water (Matthew 14:22-33; Mark 6:45-52; John 6:16-21).

10、He healed many sick people in the land of Gennesaret (Matthew 14:34-36; Mark 6:53-56).

11、He went to Tyre and Sidon, and then returned to Galilee through the region of the Decapolis (Matthew 15:21-31; Mark 7:24-37).

12、He fed four thousand people and then went to the region of Magadan (called Dalmanutha in Mark) (Matthew 15:32-39; Mark 8:1-9).

13、He went to Caesarea Philippi, where Peter confessed that Jesus was the Christ, and Jesus predicted His death and resurrection (Matthew 16:13-28; Mark 8:27-9:1; Luke 9:18-27).

14、The Transfiguration (possibly on Mount Tabor) (Matthew 17:1-21; Mark 9:2-29; Luke 9:28-43).

15、He made His final journey to Jerusalem (Matthew 19:1).

The Late Period of Jesus’ Ministry

1、Jesus went to Jerusalem but was rejected in a Samaritan village on the way (Matthew 19:1; Luke 9:51-56).

2、He ministered across the Jordan River (Luke 10:25-17:10; John 10:22-42).

3、He raised Lazarus from the dead in Bethany (John 11:1-44).

4、He left Judea and went to the town of Ephraim in the wilderness to stay with His disciples. The Jews began to plot to kill Jesus (John 11:54-57).

5、He traveled through Samaria and Galilee on His way to Jerusalem (Luke 17:11).

6、He went back across the Jordan River to minister again (Matthew 19:1-20:28; Mark 10:1-45; Luke 18:1-34).

7、He healed blind men in Jericho and met Zacchaeus, the chief tax collector (Matthew 20:29-34; Mark 10:46-52; Luke 18:35-19:27).

8、He went to the home of Martha in Bethany (John 12:1).

The Last Week of Jesus’ Life

1、Six days before the Passover, Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem. The crowds welcomed Him by waving palm branches (Matthew 21:1-9; Mark 11:1-10; Luke 19:28-44; John 12:12-19).

2、For the first four or five days in Jerusalem, Jesus taught in the temple every morning and left the city to stay on the Mount of Olives at night (Matthew 21:10-26:13; Mark 11:11-14:9; Luke 19:45-22:2; John 12:20-13:38).

3、On the night before Passover, Jesus ate the Passover meal with His disciples in the city, instituted the Lord’s Supper, and then went to the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives to pray (Matthew 26:17-46; Mark 14:12-42; Luke 22:7-46; John 14:1-17:26).

4、Jesus was arrested in Gethsemane, taken first to the home of Annas (the father-in-law of the high priest) for questioning, and then to the high priest Caiaphas for trial. Peter waited outside and denied Jesus three times (Matthew 26:47-75; Mark 14:43-72; Luke 22:47-65; John 18:1-27).

5、The next day, Jesus was taken to the 72-member Sanhedrin for trial and condemnation (Matthew 27:1; Mark 15:1; Luke 22:66-71).

6、The Jews took Jesus to Governor Pilate for questioning. Because Jesus was a Galilean, Pilate sent Him to King Herod Antipas for judgment (Matthew 27:2-14; Mark 15:2-5; Luke 23:1-7; John 18:29-38).

7、King Herod found no fault in Jesus and sent Him back to Pilate (Luke 23:7-11, 23:15).

8、After being flogged, Jesus carried His cross to Golgotha, where He was crucified. Simon of Cyrene carried the cross for Him part of the way (Matthew 27:32; Mark 15:21-38; Luke 23:26-49; John 19:17-37).

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