Jesus Christ
We
have
four
gospels
from
which
Jesus’
time
on
earth
can
be
derived.
However,
the
gospel
writers’
intent
was
to
record
Jesus’
ministry,
not
provide
a
biography.
Also,
each
writer
penned
his
gospel
for
different
audiences
and
different
purposes.
Consequently,
we
do
not
have
perfect
harmony
between
them,
but
by
drawing
from
the
three
Synoptic
Gospels
we
do
have
a
good
understanding
of
the
timeline
and geographical areas in which Jesus carried His message.
What
follows
is
the
gospel
story
primarily
through
the
eyes
of
Matthew,
but
for
completeness
includes
events
not
recorded
by
him,
identified by the text references.
Jesus before his ministry
[Mat 1:1-4:11]
Jesus’ birth and early years
[Mat 1-2:40]
Mary’s
cousin
Elizabeth
is
advanced
in
years
and
childless.
While
her
husband
Zacharias
is
performing
his
priestly
duties,
the
angel
Gabriel
appears
to
him
and
tells
him
Elizabeth
will
bear
a
son
whom
he
is
to
name
John
(This
John
will
be
John
the
Baptist).
Six
months
later,
the
angel
Gabriel
visits
Mary,
who
is
betrothed
to
Joseph
and
still
a
virgin,
and
tells
her
she
is
to
be
the
mother
of
Jesus,
conceived
of
the
Holy
Spirit.
(This
was
prophesied
by
Isaiah
[Isa
7:14]
.
He
tells
her
that
Elizabeth
is
also
pregnant,
and
so
she
visits
her
cousin and praises the Lord with the words we know as the Magnificat
[Lk 1:46-55]
.
Mary’s
pregnancy
is
a
problem
to
Joseph,
as
his
natural
assumption
is
that
she
has
been
unfaithful.
In
the
Jewish
culture,
betrothal
is
a
commitment
to
marry
that
can
only
be
broken
by
a
‘divorce’
on
the
grounds
of
fornication.
Joseph
is
considering
solving
the
matter
privately
when
he
is
visited
by
the
angel
of
the
Lord
who
explains
Mary’s
circumstance,
and
that
her
son
is
to
be
named
Jesus.
And
so
Joseph marries Mary, but their marriage will not be consummated until after Jesus is born.
In
preparation
for
a
tax
to
be
levied
a
census
is
imposed
on
the
population,
requiring
Joseph
and
Mary
to
travel
to
Bethlehem,
Joseph’s
home
town.
When
they
arrive,
they
can
find
no
lodgings
available
at
any
inns
and
are
eventually
offered
a
stable,
where
Mary
later
gives
birth
to
Jesus.
The
birth
is
announced
by
angels
to
some
local
shepherds
who
visit
the
child,
then
tell
everyone
they
see
what has happened.
Some
time
later
a
group
of
Magi
arrived
in
Jerusalem
enquiring
where
the
babe
had
been
born
who
is
to
be
king
of
the
Jews.
They
had
been
travelling
from
the
east
following
a
star
they
knew
to
be
a
sign
of
his
birth.
Their
arrival
worries
king
Herod
and
all
Jerusalem.
Herod
summons
the
chief
priests
and
scribes
demanding
to
know
where
Christ
should
be
born.
When
he
is
told
his
birth
place
was
prophesied
as
being
Bethlehem
[Micah
5:2]
,
he
arranges
a
private
meeting
with
the
Magi,
tells
them
the
village
where
they
should
find
him,
and
asks
them
to
let
him
know
precisely
where
he
is
so
he
too
can
go
and
worship
him.
When
they
leave
Herod,
the
star
reappears
and
guides
them
to
the
house
where
Joseph,
Mary
and
Jesus
are
now
staying.
They
worship
the
child
and
present
him
with
gifts
of
gold,
frankincense
and
myrrh.
Having
been
warned
in
a
dream
by
God
not
to
return
to
Herod,
the
Magi
head
back
east
by
a
different route.
The
angel
of
the
Lord
then
appears
to
Joseph
in
a
dream,
telling
him
to
take
Mary
and
Jesus
to
Egypt
to
escape
Herod
as
he
is
intending
to
have
the
child
killed.
(This
will
bring
about
the
fulfilment
of
Hosea’s
prophecy
and
called
my
son
out
of
Egypt
[Hos
11:1]
.
They set off that very night.
Once
Herod
realises
the
Magi
have
ignored
his
request
to
return
to
him,
he
has
all
the
boys
in
Bethlehem
of
two
years
or
younger
killed.
Their
age
being
according
to
the
time
when
the
Magi
first
saw
the
star
appear.
(This
had
been
prophesied
by
Jeremiah
[Jer
31:15]
).
Soon
after,
Herod
dies
and
Joseph
is
told
by
the
angel
of
the
Lord
that
it
is
safe
to
return
to
Bethlehem.
But
when
Joseph
hears
that
Herod’s
son
Archelaus
is
now
on
the
throne,
he
is
afraid,
and
being
warned
by
God
in
a
dream,
heads
for
the
area
of
Galilee
and
settles
in Nazareth. And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom. And the grace of God was on Him
[Luke 2:40]
.
Jesus at the Passover
[Lk 2:41-52]
Jesus,
now
being
twelve
years
old,
is
taken
by
his
parents
to
Jerusalem
for
Passover.
When
the
feast
days
are
over
they
head
back
for
Nazareth,
assuming
Jesus
is
with
them
amongst
their
kinsfolk
and
acquaintances.
After
a
day’s
journey
they
realise
he
is
missing,
and
return
to
Jerusalem
in
search
of
the
lad.
It
is
three
days
before
they
find
him
in
the
temple
with
the
teachers,
both
listening
to
and
questioning
them,
astonishing
everyone
with
his
understanding.
Joseph
and
Mary
reprimand
Jesus,
but
he
questions
why
they
should
not
have
known
he
would
be
about
his
Father’s
business.
They
don’t
understand
what
Jesus
means
by
this.
The
family
returns
to
Nazareth
where
Jesus
grows
to
manhood,
remaining
all
the
while
subject
to
his
parents
whilst
increasing
in
wisdom
and
stature,
and
in
favour with God and man
.
Jesus’ baptism and temptations
[Mat 3:1-4:11]
Some
eighteen
years
later,
John
the
Baptist,
Elizabeth’s
son,
is
baptising
people
in
the
Jordan
river,
preparing
the
way
for
the
Lord.
Jesus
approaches
John
to
be
baptised
by
him.
John
at
first
declines,
but
then
baptises
Jesus
and
the
Spirit
of
God
descends
upon
Him
and God declares
This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased
.
Jesus
then
goes
into
the
desert
and
fasts
for
forty
days
and
nights,
after
which
he
is
tempted
by
the
Devil.
Three
times
the
Devil
tempts
Jesus.
First
he
suggests
that
as
the
Son
of
God
he
should
be
able
to
turn
stones
to
bread
to
relieve
his
hunger,
then
if
he
leaps
from
the
highest
point
of
the
temple
angels
will
save
him,
and
finally,
if
he
should
bow
down
to
the
Devil
and
worship
him,
then
he
will
give him all the world. Jesus responds to each temptation with a refusal and a quote from Deuteronomy.
Having failed in his attempts, the Devil leaves and angels come to minister to Jesus.
Hierarchical Précis