The Life and Ministry of Jesus

Also known as: The Gospel Story, Jesus's Ministry, The Life of Christ

4 BCE – 30 CE

The Life and Ministry of Jesus: From Baptism to Resurrection

The central narrative of Christianity: Jesus of Nazareth, proclaimed as the Messiah and Son of God, proclaims the kingdom of God, performs miracles, gathers disciples, challenges religious authorities, is crucified under Pontius Pilate, and rises from the dead. His life, death, and resurrection form the foundation of Christian faith and are acknowledged, with different interpretations, in Islam.

Birth and Hidden Years

Jesus was born in Bethlehem during the reign of King Herod the Great, around 4-6 BCE. The Gospels of Matthew and Luke record his miraculous birth to Mary, a virgin, through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Matthew’s account emphasizes Jesus’s Jewish heritage:

Genealogy tracing him to Abraham and David
Magi from the East following a star to worship the newborn king
Herod’s attempt to kill the child, forcing the family to flee to Egypt
Return to Nazareth in Galilee after Herod’s death

Luke’s account focuses on the humble circumstances:

Caesar Augustus’s census bringing Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem
Birth in a manger because there was no room in the inn
Shepherds receiving angelic announcement
Presentation at the Temple where Simeon and Anna recognized him as the Messiah

The Gospels then skip to Jesus at age twelve, astonishing teachers in the Temple with his understanding. Otherwise, the next thirty years are silent—the “hidden years” of Jesus working as a carpenter in Nazareth.

John the Baptist: Preparing the Way

Around 27-28 CE, John the Baptist emerged in the wilderness of Judea, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Crowds came from Jerusalem and all Judea to be baptized in the Jordan River.

John was a prophet in the tradition of Elijah:

Wore clothes of camel’s hair with a leather belt
Ate locusts and wild honey
Fearlessly condemned hypocrisy
Announced one coming after him who would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire

He warned the religious leaders: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.”

Baptism and Temptation

Jesus came from Galilee to be baptized by John. John protested: “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus insisted: “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.”

When Jesus came up from the water:

The heavens opened
The Spirit of God descended like a dove
A voice from heaven said: “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased”

This marked the beginning of Jesus’s public ministry.

Immediately, the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan for forty days. Fasting and hungry, Jesus faced three temptations:

Turn stones to bread - Jesus responded: “Man shall not live on bread alone”
Throw yourself from the temple - Jesus answered: “Do not put the Lord your God to the test”
Worship Satan for all kingdoms - Jesus commanded: “Worship the Lord your God and serve him only”

Having resisted, Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to begin his ministry.

The Galilean Ministry: Proclaiming the Kingdom

Jesus began preaching in Galilee: “The time has come. The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

Calling the Disciples

Walking by the Sea of Galilee, Jesus called his first disciples:

Simon Peter and his brother Andrew: “Come, follow me, and I will send you out to fish for people”
James and John, sons of Zebedee: They left their father and boat immediately

Jesus eventually chose twelve apostles to be with him and to send out to preach:

Simon Peter
Andrew
James (son of Zebedee)
John
Philip
Bartholomew
Matthew (the tax collector)
Thomas
James (son of Alphaeus)
Thaddaeus
Simon the Zealot
Judas Iscariot (who would betray him)

Teaching with Authority

Jesus taught in synagogues and on mountainsides, and people were amazed because “he taught as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.”

The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) presented his radical ethics:

The Beatitudes: “Blessed are the poor in spirit… the meek… the merciful…”
Beyond the law: Not just avoiding murder, but anger; not just avoiding adultery, but lust
Love your enemies: “Pray for those who persecute you”
The Lord’s Prayer: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name…”
Do not worry: “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness”
Do not judge: “Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye?”

Jesus taught in parables—earthly stories with heavenly meanings:

The Sower: Four types of soil receiving the word
The Prodigal Son: Father’s love for the wayward
The Good Samaritan: Loving your neighbor redefined
The Mustard Seed: Small beginnings, great endings
The Lost Sheep: God’s pursuit of the lost

Signs and Wonders

Jesus’s miracles demonstrated the kingdom’s power:

Power over nature:

Calming a storm: “Who is this? Even the wind and waves obey him!”
Walking on water
Feeding 5,000 with five loaves and two fish
Feeding 4,000 with seven loaves

Power over sickness:

Healing lepers, the blind, the deaf, the paralyzed
Peter’s mother-in-law’s fever
The woman with the issue of blood: “Your faith has healed you”
The centurion’s servant: “I have not found such great faith even in Israel”

Power over demons:

Casting out demons who recognized him: “You are the Son of God!”
Healing the Gerasene demoniac: Legion of demons sent into pigs
Delivering the daughter of the Syrophoenician woman

Power over death:

Jairus’s daughter: “Talitha koum!” (“Little girl, get up!”)
The widow of Nain’s son
Lazarus of Bethany: Raised after four days in the tomb

The religious leaders were threatened. If he was from God, their authority was undermined. If not, he was a dangerous deceiver.

The Confession at Caesarea Philippi

At Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asked his disciples: “Who do people say I am?”

They answered: “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.”

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

Peter declared: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus affirmed Peter’s answer but immediately began teaching what kind of Messiah he would be—not a conquering king, but a suffering servant: “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and after three days rise again.”

Peter rebuked him: “Never, Lord! This shall never happen to you!”

But Jesus responded: “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

The Transfiguration

Six days later, Jesus took Peter, James, and John up a high mountain. There he was transfigured before them:

His face shone like the sun
His clothes became white as light
Moses and Elijah appeared, talking with him

A voice from the cloud said: “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”

The disciples fell facedown, terrified. Jesus touched them: “Get up. Don’t be afraid.” When they looked up, only Jesus was there.

This confirmed Jesus’s identity and mission—the fulfillment of the Law (Moses) and the Prophets (Elijah), God’s beloved Son.

Journey to Jerusalem

Jesus “resolutely set out for Jerusalem,” knowing what awaited him there. Along the way, he continued teaching and preparing his disciples.

He sent out seventy-two disciples in pairs to every town he would visit, giving them authority to heal and proclaim the kingdom. They returned with joy: “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name!”

But Jesus warned: “Do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

Conflicts with Religious Leaders

The tensions escalated as Jesus challenged the religious establishment:

Authority questioned: “By what authority are you doing these things?”

Jesus responded with his own question about John the Baptist’s authority

Sabbath controversies: Healing on the Sabbath, disciples picking grain

“The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath”

Associating with sinners: Eating with tax collectors and prostitutes

“It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick”

Temple criticism: Driving out money changers

“My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it ‘a den of robbers’”

The seven woes: Jesus denounced the Pharisees and teachers of the law

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!”
“You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces”
“You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed”

The religious leaders plotted to kill him.

The Final Week: Passion and Death

Jesus’s final week in Jerusalem is covered in detail by all four Gospels.

Sunday: Triumphal Entry

Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey while crowds shouted: “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” They spread palm branches and cloaks on the road. But Jesus wept over the city, knowing it would reject him and face judgment.

Monday-Wednesday: Teaching in the Temple

Jesus taught daily in the temple courts, engaging in debates with religious leaders while warning disciples of coming persecution.

Thursday: The Last Supper

Jesus gathered with the twelve for Passover. He knew Judas Iscariot would betray him, Peter would deny him, and all would abandon him.

During the meal, Jesus:

Washed the disciples’ feet: “I have set you an example”
Identified the betrayer: Judas left into the night
Instituted the Lord’s Supper:
- Broke bread: “This is my body given for you”
- Shared the cup: “This is my blood of the covenant, poured out for many”
Gave the new commandment: “Love one another as I have loved you”
Promised the Holy Spirit: “The Advocate… will teach you all things”
Prayed for his disciples and all believers

Thursday Night: Gethsemane and Arrest

After the meal, they went to the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus took Peter, James, and John deeper into the garden and agonized in prayer: “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

The disciples kept falling asleep. Jesus prayed three times, his sweat like drops of blood.

Then Judas arrived with armed men. He identified Jesus with a kiss. Peter drew a sword and cut off the high priest’s servant’s ear, but Jesus healed it and rebuked Peter: “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?”

All the disciples fled. Jesus was alone.

Friday Morning: Trials

Jesus faced multiple trials through the night and early morning:

Religious trials:

Before Annas (former high priest): Questioned about his teaching
Before Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin: Accused of blasphemy for claiming to be the Messiah
Second session at daybreak: Formally condemned

Civil trials:

Before Pilate: The charge changed to political treason: “He claims to be king”
Before Herod Antipas: Pilate sent him to Herod, who mocked him and sent him back
Before Pilate again: Pilate found no guilt but yielded to the crowd’s demand

During this time, Peter denied Jesus three times, just as Jesus had predicted. When the rooster crowed, Peter remembered and wept bitterly.

Friday: Crucifixion

Pilate had Jesus flogged and handed him over to be crucified. Soldiers mocked him with a crown of thorns and purple robe: “Hail, king of the Jews!”

Jesus carried his cross to Golgotha (“the place of the skull”). There they crucified him between two criminals.

Above his head they placed the charge: “THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

Jesus spoke seven times from the cross:

“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing”
To the repentant thief: “Today you will be with me in paradise”
To Mary and John: “Woman, here is your son… Here is your mother”
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
“I am thirsty”
“It is finished”
“Father, into your hands I commit my spirit”

From noon until 3 PM, darkness covered the land. When Jesus died:

The temple curtain tore from top to bottom
The earth shook
Rocks split
Tombs opened

The Roman centurion declared: “Surely he was the Son of God!”

Joseph of Arimathea, a secret disciple, requested Jesus’s body and placed it in his own new tomb. They rolled a large stone across the entrance. The religious leaders set a guard to prevent the disciples from stealing the body.

The Resurrection: Victory Over Death

Sunday Morning: The Empty Tomb

At dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and other women came to the tomb with spices. They found:

The stone rolled away
The tomb empty
Angels announcing: “He is not here; he has risen!”

Mary Magdalene ran to tell Peter and John. They raced to the tomb, saw the burial cloths, and wondered. The angels asked the women: “Why do you look for the living among the dead?”

The Appearances

Over forty days, Jesus appeared to many:

To Mary Magdalene in the garden:

She thought he was the gardener
Jesus: “Mary!” She recognized his voice
“Go and tell my brothers”

To two disciples on the Emmaus road:

Jesus walked with them, explaining the Scriptures
They recognized him when he broke bread
He vanished; they rushed back to Jerusalem

To the disciples in the locked room:

“Peace be with you”
Showed them his hands and side
Thomas was absent and later doubted
A week later, Jesus invited Thomas: “Put your finger here; see my hands”
Thomas worshiped: “My Lord and my God!”

To seven disciples fishing:

They caught nothing all night
Jesus: “Throw your net on the right side”
153 large fish
Breakfast on the beach
Jesus restored Peter: “Feed my sheep”

To over 500 believers at once To James, his brother To all the apostles

The Great Commission

Before ascending to heaven, Jesus commissioned his disciples:

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

The Ascension

Forty days after the resurrection, Jesus led them out to Bethany. He lifted his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he was taken up into heaven, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

Two angels appeared: “This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

The disciples returned to Jerusalem with great joy, praising God in the temple.

In Christianity: The Gospel Core

For Christianity, Jesus is the center of everything:

Theological Significance

Incarnation: God became human in Jesus
Atonement: Jesus’s death paid for humanity’s sin
Resurrection: Victory over death and promise of eternal life
Lordship: Jesus is Lord and Messiah
Second coming: Jesus will return to judge and establish God’s kingdom

The Gospel Message

All have sinned and fall short of God’s glory
The wages of sin is death, but God’s gift is eternal life
Jesus died for our sins according to the Scriptures
He was buried and rose again on the third day
Salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ
Confession and belief: “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved”

Christian Practice

Baptism: Identifying with Jesus’s death and resurrection
The Lord’s Supper: Remembering Jesus’s sacrifice
Prayer: Approaching God through Jesus
Mission: Proclaiming the gospel to all nations
Discipleship: Following Jesus’s example and teaching

In Islam: Isa, Great Prophet

Islam honors Isa (Jesus) as one of the greatest prophets, but with significant differences:

Islamic View

Prophet and Messiah: Isa is a mighty prophet, the Messiah born of Mary
Virgin birth: Affirmed in the Quran
Miracles: Speaking from the cradle, healing the sick, raising the dead—all by Allah’s permission
Not God’s son: “Allah has no offspring”—the Trinity is rejected
Not crucified: “They did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but it was made to appear so to them”
Ascended to heaven: Allah raised him up
Will return: Isa will return before the Day of Judgment

Quran on Jesus

Born of Mary, the virgin (Quran 19:16-34)
Performed miracles (Quran 3:49)
Taught the Gospel (Injil)
Was not crucified (Quran 4:157-159)
Predicted Muhammad’s coming (Quran 61:6)

Islam respects Jesus but places him in the line of prophets culminating in Muhammad.

Historical Questions

Historicity

Most scholars accept:

Jesus of Nazareth existed
He was baptized by John the Baptist
He was a Jewish teacher who gathered disciples
He was crucified by the Romans under Pontius Pilate

Debated:

Extent and nature of miracles
Resurrection—naturalistic explanations vs. supernatural event
Self-understanding—did Jesus claim to be divine?

Non-Christian Sources

Josephus (Jewish historian, ~93 CE): Mentions Jesus and his brother James
Tacitus (Roman historian, ~116 CE): Confirms crucifixion under Pilate
Pliny the Younger (~112 CE): Christians worship Jesus as God
Talmud (Jewish sources): Hostile references to Jesus

The “Quest for the Historical Jesus”

Scholars debate what can be known about Jesus apart from faith claims:

Liberal quest: Jesus as ethical teacher
Conservative response: Jesus as divine Savior
Third quest: Jesus as apocalyptic Jewish prophet
Current scholarship: Jesus within Jewish context

Legacy and Impact

Jesus’s life and ministry transformed history:

Religious impact:

Christianity became the world’s largest religion
Shaped Western civilization
Missionary movement spread globally
Inspired countless martyrs and saints

Cultural impact:

Art, music, literature profoundly influenced
Moral teaching shaped ethics
Concepts of love, forgiveness, and redemption
Hospital, university, charity work rooted in Christian mission

Ongoing questions:

Who was Jesus really?
What did he teach?
What is his significance today?
How should his followers live?

For Christians, Jesus is “the way, the truth, and the life”—the only path to God, the revelation of truth, and the source of eternal life. His ministry launched a movement that continues to shape billions of lives worldwide.

The story that began with a baby in Bethlehem and ended with resurrection in Jerusalem changed everything. As the apostle Paul wrote: “If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.”