Introduction (From baptism to Galilean Ministry)

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 to redeem by traveling, preaching, and gathering a group of followers. Beyond his baptism and temptation, all we know about these months (which isn’t much) is found exclusively in the Gospel of John.

Virtually all of the stories from this period contain an aspect of introduction. . .

• Jesus’ baptism – “This is My beloved Son. I take delight in Him!” – Matthew 3:17
• John the Baptist’s announcement – “Here is the Lamb of God. . .” – John 1:29
• The gathering of early followers – “We have found the Messiah!” – John 1:41
• The wedding in Cana – “Jesus performed this first sign in Cana of Galilee. He displayed His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.” – John 2:11
• The first cleansing of the temple – “So the Jews replied to Him, ‘What sign of authority will You show us for doing these things?’ In other words, “who are you? What gives you the right to do this?” – John 2:18
• Nicodemus – “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher.” – John 3:2
• John the Baptist’s later testimony – “I am not the Messiah, but I’ve been sent ahead of Him. He who has the bride is the groom. But the groom’s friend, who stands by and listens for him, rejoices greatly at the groom’s voice.” – John 3:28-29
• The woman at the well – “I am He. . .” – John 4:26

It’s for this reason we have chosen to refer to this period as The Introduction of Jesus’ Ministry. It is during this time that Jesus began to make the people of Palestine and the religious leaders in Jerusalem aware of his presence, in some cases rather dramatically!

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For a listing of all of the events recorded for this period, see Introduction Events.

For notes on Jesus’ baptism, see ?????

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