The next day John (the Baptist) saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Here is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! . . . I have seen and testified that He is the Son of God!” – John 1:29 & 34

Following the few details we have regarding his birth and childhood, Jesus disappears from the pages of the Gospels. According to Luke 3:23, Jesus resurfaced when he “was about 30 years old”, at which time he was baptized by John the Baptist. After his baptism and temptation, Jesus spent several months INTRODUCING himself to the people he came [Read more…]

Below is a numbered listing of all recorded events in the Introduction Period. This is not an exhaustive listing of every text in the Gospels. (Luke’s introduction, for example, is not included because it is related to Luke’s writing of the Gospel rather than the events of Jesus’ life.) Further, the number and order of events is not always [Read more…]

Event number 16. John the Baptist preaches and baptizes – Matthew 3:1-12, Mark 1:1-8, Luke 3:1-18

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Notes

These various texts from Matthew, Mark, and Luke compliment each other and, together, create a summary introduction to the ministry of Jesus. And while all three accounts occur, sequentially, ahead of Jesus’ baptism, we should not presume they represent only an early segment of John’s message. Each Gospel writer intends to provide a snap shot of John’s message, regardless of whether he was preaching before or after Jesus’ baptism.

Event number 17. Jesus’ baptism – Matthew 3:13-17, Mark 1:9-11, Luke 3:21-23

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Notes

Jesus’ baptism marks the initiation and introduction of his ministry to the Jewish people, God’s people. It was Jesus’ first public act as the promised Messiah. This alone makes the event enormously important.

But there were other aspects of the event that make it worthy [Read more…]

Event number 18. Jesus’ temptation – Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, Luke 4:1-13

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Then Jesus returned from the Jordan, full of the Holy Spirit, and was led up by the Spirit immediately into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil. He was in the wilderness 40 days with the wild animals, being tempted by Satan. After He had fasted 40 days and 40 nights, He was hungry. Then the tempter approached Him and said,

“If You are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

But He answered,

“It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

Then the Devil took Him to the holy city, Jerusalem, had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him,

“If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. For it is written: He will give His angels orders concerning you, to protect you, and, they will support you with their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”

Jesus told him,

“It is also written: Do not test the Lord your God.”

Again, the Devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor in a moment of time. And he said to Him,

“I will give You all their splendor and all this authority, because it has been given over to me, and I can give it to anyone I want. If You, then, will fall down and worship me, all will be yours.”

Then Jesus told him,

“Go away, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve only Him.”

Then, after the Devil had finished every temptation, he left Him for a time, and immediately angels came and began to serve Him.

Event number 19. John the Baptist identifies Jesus as the Messiah – John 1:19-34

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Event number 20. Jesus begins to gather followers – John 1:35-51

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Event number 21. Jesus turns water to wine in Cana – John 2:1-11

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Event number 22. Jesus and his followers travel to Capernaum – John 2:12

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Event number 23. Jesus travels to Jerusalem and cleanses the temple for the first time – John 2:13-25

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