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Important
Events in Jesus' Life
**************
Ministry of John
the Baptist
Matt 3:1, Mark 1:1,
Luke 3:1, John 1:6
Baptism
of Jesus
Matt 3:13, Mark
1:9,
Luke 3:21
Jesus'
Temptation
Matt. 4:1, Mark
1:12,
John 4:1
Start
of Jesus' Ministry
Matt.4:12, Luke
1:14,
Luke 4:14
First
Disciples Chosen
Matt 4:18, Mark
1:16, Luke 5:1, John 1:38
Sermon
on the Mount
Matt 5:7, Luke
6:17
First
Miracle
John 2:1
Visit
from Nicodemus
John 3:1
Names
and Commission of the Twelve Disciples
Matt 10:1-4,
Mark 3:13-20,
Luke 6:13
The
Death of John the Baptist
Matt 14:6-12,
Mark 6:14-29
Peter
Recognizes Jesus as the Messiah
Matt 16:13,
Mark 6:14-29
Click
on any link below for more...
Jesus
Predicts His Death
Matt 16-21,
Mark 8:31, Mark 9
Jesus
Predicts His Betrayal
John 12:21-35
Jesus'
Anointing
at Bethany
Matthew
26:6-16
Jesus
Celebrates the Passover
Mark
14: 12-16, 22-26
Jesus
Prays in Gethsemane
Matthew
24: 36-46
Jesus
Predicts Peter's Denial
Matthew
26: 31-35
Luke 22:31-35
Jesus'
Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem
Matthew
21:1-11
Mark 11: 1-11
Luke 19: 29-40
John 12: 12-19
Jesus'
Capture
Matt 26-46-57, Mark
14:42-50,
Luke 22:47-54, John 18: 1-12
Jesus'
Trial
Matt 26:57-68
Jesus'
Crucifixion
Matt. 27:29-55, Mark
15:37-40,
Luke 23:46, John 19:30,
Jesus'
Burial
Matt. 27:57-66
Jesus'
Resurection
Mark 16:1,
Luke 24:1, John 20:1
Jesus'
Ascension
Mark 16:19, Luke 24:50,
Acts 16:11
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The Beginning
Jesus officially began His ministry at the age of thirty. In Matthew 4:17 He says "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand
"
From this point on, we see the growth and expansion of His ministry as recorded in the
four gospels; Matthew, Mark Luke, and John. In these writings combined, we are presented with Jesus'
purpose and mission for His ministry. Luke records Jesus' purpose in Luke 4:18 when Jesus
says: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the
poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are
oppressed;"
And again in Mark 1:38 Jesus' restates His purpose - ... "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this
purpose I have come forth."
Matthew
reports Jesus' mission in two
places. First, Matthew
4:23 - And Jesus
went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of
the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among
the people.
Second, Matthew 9:35 - Then Jesus went about all the
cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the
kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.
On the basis of these scriptures and others similar to them, we realize that everything Jesus did and said was driven by His divine purpose
and mission for coming to this earth.
Thus we can examine Jesus' ministry from four major perspectives:
1.
Teachings
2. Sermons
3. Miracles
4. Final Days on Earth
Jesus' Teachings
As we read the gospels we are keenly aware that Jesus'
teachings were not widely accepted by many Jews and religious leaders of that day. In several instances they found his teaching to be offensive and
resisted it for two main reasons. One being the expectation that the messiah would come with great pomp and military might
to establish an earthly Jewish kingdom
which would conquer the Roman empire. And the other was the obvious contrast of Jesus' teachings
of love, forgiveness, mercy, compassion and faith with their rigid, ritualistic practice of religious laws. In a nutshell,
they realized that Jesus' teachings focused on individual responsibility for initiating and maintaining a spiritual relationship with God.
But the scribes, Pharisees and religious people closed their minds to this
perspective. Their concept of God was one of a distant divine being who
looked down on mankind and intervened in human lives mainly for
either judgment or punishment. Like millions today, they refused to accept the
reality of having a personal relationship
with God through Jesus Christ. They too rejected the message that reconciliation with God comes from believing
by faith that Jesus is
the Son of God. This
is the reason Jesus had to first address the religious laws and traditions
in order to introduce His
teachings. Here are some of them:
| Topic |
Old
Law |
Jesus'
Teaching |
Adultery
Matt 5:27-28
|
"You
have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit
adultery. |
"But I
say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already
committed adultery with her in his heart" |
Anger
and Murder
Matt 5:21-23 |
"You
have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder, and
whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment |
'But
I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall
be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!'
shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be
in danger of hell fire. |
Divorce
Mark 10: 2-9
|
Furthermore
it has been said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a
certificate of divorce.' |
But
I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual
immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a
woman who is divorced commits adultery
|
Love
Matt.
5:44-45
|
You
have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your
enemy.' |
But
I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to
those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and
persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in
heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends
rain on the just and on the unjust. |
Oaths
Matt. 5:33-37 |
"Again
you have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear
falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord." |
But I say to
you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God's throne;
nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it
is the city of the great King. Nor shall you swear by your head,
because you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your 'Yes' be
'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.' For whatever is more than these is from the
evil one. |
Revenge
Matt. 5:38-42 |
You
have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' |
But
I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your
right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to
sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. And
whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Give
to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn
away. |
Sabbath
Luke 6:2-5 |
And
some of the Pharisees said to them, "Why are you doing what is not
lawful to do on the Sabbath?" |
But
Jesus answering them said, "Have you not even read this, what David
did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: how
he went into the house of God, took and ate the showbread, and also gave
some to those with him, which is not lawful for any but the priests to
eat?" And He said to them, "The Son of Man
is also Lord of the Sabbath." |
Washing
of Hands
Matt 15:1-9
|
"Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but
eat bread with unwashed hands?" |
He
answered and said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: 'This
people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And
in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of
men.'"For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold
the tradition of men*--the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other
such things you do." He
said to them,
"All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep
your tradition. |
Another method of
Jesus' teaching was the use of parables.
"All
these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a
parable He did not speak to them, that it might be fulfilled which was
spoken by the prophet, saying: "I will open My mouth in parables;
I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world"
Matt.
13: 34-35.
And the
disciples came and said to Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables?
Matt. 13:10 " Therefore
I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do
not hear, nor do they understand. Matt 13:13. Jesus
was aware that not everyone
would receive His message of love, peace,
repentance and forgiveness in sermons or teachings . Therefore, He told stories or parables
about spiritual truths that
relate to
daily life and this appealed to ordinary people. The following are the parables of Jesus:
| Parable |
Where
to find it in the Bible |
| The
Houses built on Rock and on Sand |
Matt: 7: 24-27, Luke
6:47-49 |
| The
Sower and the seeds |
Matt: 13:3-27, Mark 4:
1, Luke 6:47-49 |
| The
Wheat and the Weeds growing together |
Matt.
13: 24-30, Mark 4:30-32, Luke 13:18-19 |
| The
Mustard Seed |
Matt.
13:31-32 |
| The
Leaven |
Matt.
19:33-32 |
| The
Treasure Hidden in a Field |
Matt
13: 34 |
| The
Priceless Pearl |
Matt.
13: 45 |
| The
Dragnet |
Matt.
13: 47 |
| The
Unmerciful Servant |
Matt.
18:23 |
| The
Workers in the Vineyard |
Matt.
20:1 |
| The
Two sons |
Matt.
21:28 |
| The
Wicked Vinegrowers |
Matt.
21:33 , Luke 20:9 |
| The
Wedding Feast |
Matt.
22:1 |
| The
Budding fig Tree |
Matt.
24:32 |
| The
Ten Wedding Guests |
Matt.
25:1 |
| The
Talents |
Matt.
25:14, Luke 19:11 |
| The
Seed Growing Silently |
Mark
4:26 |
| The
Good Samaritan |
Luke
10:25 |
| The
Rich Fool |
Luke
12:13 |
| The
Fruitless Fig Tree |
Luke
13:6 |
| The
Great Banquet |
Luke
14:16 |
| On
Counting the Cost |
Luke
14:25 |
| The
Lost Sheep |
Luke
15:3 |
| The
Lost Coin |
Luke
15:8 |
| The
Lost Son |
Luke
15:11 |
| The
Shrewd Servant |
Luke
16:1 |
| The
Rich Man and Lazarus |
Luke
16:19 |
| The
Widow and the Judge |
Luke
18:1 |
| The
Pharisee and the Tax Collector |
Luke
18:8 |
Jesus'
Sermons
A sermon is defined as a spiritual teaching or
discourse of varying lengths. Based on this definition we know that Jesus delivered many sermons.
However, it is Matthew who presents the longest and possibly the most noteworthy of His
sermons - "The Sermon on the Mount". The text of this sermon spans Matthew,
chapters 5-7, and in it we have Jesus addressing several topics:
-
Kingdom blessings -
The Beatitudes
(Matt 5:3-12)
-
Jesus'
followers influence on the world- Salt and Light
(Matt 5:13-16)
-
Spiritual teachings- New vs.
Traditional (Matt 5:17-48)
-
Righteous living (Matt 6:1-18) -Giving
alms, Prayer, Fasting
-
Issues of life-(Matt 6:19-34- Money,
Worry, Spiritual light,
-
Judging others (Matt
7:1-6) Self-examination, Giving advice to others
-
Asking and receiving (Matt
7:7-12) God's goodness, The Golden Rule
-
Warnings (Matt 7:
13-29) Death and
life, False prophets, fruits of
behavior and actions, Building on rock and sand.
Jesus' Miracles
|
Miracle |
Where
to find it in the Bible |
|
A
miraculous catch of fish
|
Luke
5:4
|
|
Calming
of the storm at sea
|
Matt.
8:23, Mark 4:35, Luke 8:22
|
|
Feeding
five thousand people
|
Matt.
14:15, Mark 6:35, Luke 9:12, John 6:1
|
|
Feeding
four thousand people
|
Matt.
15:32, Mark 8:1
|
|
Healing
a man with a withered hand
|
Matt.
12:10, Mark 3:1, Luke 6:6
|
|
Healing
of a blind man
|
John
9:1
|
|
Healing
of a blind man at Bethesda
|
Luke
8:22
|
|
Healing
of a deaf mute
|
Luke
7:31
|
|
Healing
of a Demon possessed man
|
Matt.
9:32
|
|
Healing
of a leper
|
Matt.
8:1, Mark 1: 40, Luke 5:12
|
|
Healing
of a man with an unclean spirit
|
Mark
1:23, Luke 4:33
|
|
Healing
of a stooped woman
|
Luke
18:11
|
|
Healing
of a woman with a hemorrhage
|
Matt.
9:20, Mark 5:25, Luke 8:43
|
|
Healing
of an epileptic boy
|
Matt.
17:14, Mark 9:14, John 9:37
|
|
Healing
of blind Bartimaeus
|
Mark
10:46, Luke 18:35
|
|
Healing
of Malchus's ear
|
Luke
22:50
|
|
Healing
of Peter's Mother-in-law
|
Matt.
8:14, Mark 1:29, Luke 4:38
|
|
Healing
of the Centurion servant
|
Matt.
8:5, Luke 7:1
|
|
Healing
of the lame man
|
Matt.
9:1, Mark 2:1, Luke 5:18
|
|
Healing
of the Syrophenician's daughter
|
Matt.
15:21, Mark 7:24
|
|
Healing
of the ten lepers
|
Luke
17:11
|
|
Healing
of two blind men in Jericho
|
Matt
20:30
|
|
Healing
the lame man of Bethesda
|
John
5:1
|
|
Healing
the man with dropsy
|
Luke
14:1
|
|
Healing
the nobleman's son
|
John
4:46
|
|
Healing
the wild man of Gadera
|
Matt.
8:28, Mark 5:1, Luke 8:26
|
|
Healing
two blind men
|
Matt.9:27
|
|
Jesus
escapes from an angry crowd
|
Matt:
4:23
|
| Multiple
healings |
Matt: 4:23
|
|
Raising
of a widow's son
|
Luke
7:11
|
|
Raising
of Jairus' daughter
|
Matt.
9:23, Mark 5:25, Luke 8:41
|
|
Raising
of Lazarus
|
John
11:38
|
|
Royal official's
son healed
|
John 4:46-54
|
|
Walking
on the sea
|
Matt.
14:22, Mark 6:47, John 6:16
|
|
Water
turned to wine
|
John
2:1
|
Jesus' Final
Days on Earth
| Event |
Where
to find it in the Bible |
| The
Council Plots Jesus' Death |
Matt.
8:1, Mark 1: 40, Luke 5:12 |
| Crowds
greet Jesus as he enters Jerusalem |
Matt.
21:1, Mark 11:1, Luke 19:29,John 12:12 |
| Peter's Mother-in-law
is healed |
Matt.
8:14, Mark 1:29, Luke 4:38 |
| Judas
plots the death of Jesus |
Matt:
26:14, Mark 14:10, Luke 22:3 |
| Preparation
for the Passover |
Matt:
26:14, Mark 14:10, Luke 22:3 |
| The
Last Supper |
Matt.
26:20, Mark 14:22, Luke 22:19 |
| Jesus
washes his disciples feet |
John
13:1 |
| Judas'
betrayal is revealed |
John
13:10 |
| Jesus
prays for his disciples |
John
17 |
| Jesus
predicts Peter's denial |
Matt.
26:34, Mark 14:30, Luke 22:34, John13:38 |
| Jesus
agonizes in Gethsemane |
Matt.
26:36, Mark 14:32, Luke 22:39,John 18:1 |
| The
betrayal and arrest of Jesus |
Matt.
26:47, Mark 14:43, Luke 22:47,John 18:2 |
| Jesus
is brought before Annas |
John
18:13 |
| Jesus
is brought before Caiaphus the High Priest |
Matt.
26:57, Mark 14:53, Luke 22:54,John 18:19 |
| Peter
denies Jesus three times |
Matt.
26:69, Mark 14:66, Luke 22:54, John 18:15 |
| Jesus
comes before the Jewish Council |
Matt.
27:1, Mark 15:1, Luke 22:66 |
| Jesus
before Pilate |
Matt.
27:2, Mark 15:1, Luke 23:1, John 18:28 |
| Jesus
before Herod |
Mark
23:7 |
| The
Jews reject Jesus for Barabbas |
Matt.
27:21, Mark 15:6, Luke 23:18, John 19:15 |
| Pilate
condemns Jesus |
Matt.
27:26, Mark 15:15, Luke 23:24, John 19:16 |
| Roman
soldiers mock Jesus |
Matt.
27:27, Mark 15:16, John 19:2 |
| Jesus
is led away to be crucified |
Matt.
27:31, Mark 15:20, Luke 23:33, John 19:18 |
| Jesus'
death |
Matt.
27:50, Mark 15:37, Luke 23:46, John 19:30 |
| Jesus'
burial |
Matt.
27:57, Mark 15:42, Luke 29:50, John 19:36 |
| Jesus'
resurrection |
Matt.
28:1, Mark 16:1-8, Luke 24:1-10, John 20:1-8 |
The
last appearances of Jesus after
His resurrection
| Event |
Where
to find it in the Bible |
| To
Mary Magdalene |
Matt.
28:1, Mark 16: 9, Luke 24:10, John 20:18 |
| To
travelers on the road to Emmaus |
Mark
16:12-14, Luke 24:13 |
| To
the eleven disciples |
Matt.
28:16, Mark 16:14, Luke 24:33,
John 20:19 |
| To
the eleven a week later |
John
20:26 |
| To
apostles in Galilee |
Mark
16:14, John 21:1 |
| To
Peter |
Luke
24:54 |
| Final
message to the disciples |
Matt.
28:19, Mark 16:15, Luke 24:44, |
| Ascension
of Jesus to His Father |
Mark
16:9, Luke 24:50 |
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