The life of Jesus is the narrative of the birth, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus as set out in the New Testament. It is recorded chiefly in the four canonical gospels, which outline the genealogy and nativity of Jesus, describe his public ministry and prophetic works, and conclude with his passion, resurrection and ascension. Other parts of the New Testament—such as the Pauline epistles which include references to key episodes in the life of Jesus, such as the Last Supper,Jesus and the Gospels: An Introduction and Survey by Craig L. Blomberg 2009 pp. 441–442The encyclopedia of Christianity, Volume 4 by Erwin Fahlbusch, 2005 pp. 52–56The Bible Knowledge Background Commentary by Craig A. Evans 2003 pp. 465–477 and the Acts of the Apostles (1:1–11), which includes more references to the Ascension episode than the canonical gospels—also further expound upon the life of Jesus. In addition to these biblical texts, there are extra-biblical texts that make reference to certain events in the life of Jesus, such as Josephus on Jesus and Tacitus on Christ. The account given here follows the New Testament narrative; reconstructions of what can be established by historical method are treated at historical Jesus. The gospels were composed as ancient biographies with theological aims and do not always follow strict chronological order, as it was the norm among ancient historians and biographers to adapt their sources. The gospels follow each other closely compared to other ancient historians’ usage of sources, and academics debate to which extent this is indicative of their independence.
The genealogy and nativity appear only in Matthew and Luke. Both have Jesus conceived by the Holy Spirit and born in Bethlehem to Mary, and both trace Joseph back to David and Abraham. Matthew's geneology is arranged in three sets of fourteen generations showing "Christ the King", while Luke's runs back to Adam to show Jesus as the "New Adam".. Luke features the Census of Quirinius, the manger and the shepherds, and Matthew the Magi, the massacre of the innocents, and the flight into Egypt.
The narrative is organized around five milestones: the Baptism, the Transfiguration, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection, and the Ascension. In the gospels, the ministry of Jesus starts with his baptism by John the Baptist in Jordan River. Jesus then fasted for 40 days and nights in the Judean Desert. This early period also includes the first miracle of Jesus in the Marriage at Cana. Luke gives Jesus' age at the start of his ministry as about thirty; a chronology of Jesus typically dates the ministry from 27–29 to 30–36. He then returns to Galilee, calls his first disciples by the Sea of Galilee, and preaches in the synagogue at Capernaum. The Galilean ministry includes the Sermon on the Mount, which forms the core of his moral teaching, a number of miracles, and the commissioning of the Twelve. It closes with the death of John the Baptist, Peter's confession of Jesus as the Christ, and the Transfiguration, witnessed by Peter, James and John. The ministry takes place mainly in Galilee and Judea, with activity also in Perea and Samaria.
Having predicted his death, Jesus makes a final journey to Jerusalem through Perea and Judea. In John this stretch ends with the raising of Lazarus, which leads Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin to plan his death. The final week opens with the entry into Jerusalem, followed by the clearing of the Temple and challenges to his authority. At the Last Supper Jesus institutes the Eucharist; he is then betrayed by Judas Iscariot in the Garden of Gethsemane, arrested, abandoned by his disciples and denied three times by Peter.
Jesus is tried by the Sanhedrin and condemned for claiming to be the Son of God, then handed to Pontius Pilate on a charge of claiming to be King of the Jews. Pilate declares him innocent but orders his crucifixion; Luke alone adds an appearance before Herod Antipas. He is crucified at Calvary between two convicted men, speaks the seven last sayings, and is buried in a rock-hewn tomb by Joseph of Arimathea.
On the first day of the week the tomb is found empty. All four gospels have women arriving first, with Mary Magdalene prominent among them, and the risen Jesus instructing them to tell the other disciples. Appearances follow over the days after, among them the road to Emmaus, the appearance to Thomas and the Great Commission. Acts places the Ascension forty days later at the Mount of Olives, where Jesus is taken up in the presence of his apostles.
Genealogy and Nativity
The genealogy and Nativity of Jesus are described in two of the four canonical gospels: the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke. While Luke traces the genealogy upwards towards Adam and God, Matthew traces it downwards towards Jesus.Where Christology began: essays on Philippians 2 by Ralph P. Martin, Brian J. Dodd 1998 p. 28 Both gospels state that Jesus was not begotten by Joseph, but conceived miraculously in the womb of Mary, mother of Jesus, by the Holy Spirit.The purpose of the Biblical genealogies by Marshall D. Johnson 1989 pp. 229–233 Both accounts trace Joseph back to King David and from there to Abraham. These lists are identical between Abraham and David (except for one name), but they differ almost completely between David and Joseph.Joseph A. Fitzmyer, The Gospel According to Luke I–IX. Anchor Bible. Garden City: Doubleday, 1981, pp. 499–500.I. Howard Marshall, "The Gospel of Luke" (The New International Greek Testament Commentary). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1978, p. 158. Matthew gives Jacob as Joseph's father, and Luke says Joseph was the son of Heli. Attempts to explain the differences between the genealogies have varied in nature.The Gospel of Luke by William Barclay 2001 pp. 49–50Luke: an introduction and commentary by Leon Morris 1988 p. 110Cox (2007) pp. 285–286 Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan interprets them as literary inventions.Marcus J. Borg, John Dominic Crossan, The First Christmas (HarperCollins, 2009) p. 95.
The Luke and Matthew accounts of the birth of Jesus have a number of points in common; both have Jesus born in Bethlehem, in Judea, to a virgin mother. In the Luke account, Joseph and Mary travel from their home in Nazareth to Bethlehem for the census, where Jesus is born and laid in a manger."biblical literature." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 2011. . Angels proclaim him a savior for all people, and shepherds come to adore him; the Holy Family then returns to Nazareth. In Matthew, the Magi follow a star to Bethlehem, where the family is staying, to bring gifts to Jesus, born the King of the Jews. King Herod massacres all males under two years old in Bethlehem in order to kill Jesus, but Jesus' family flees to Egypt and later settles in Nazareth. Over the centuries, biblical scholars have attempted to reconcile these differences,Mark D. Roberts Can We Trust the Gospels?: Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John Good News Publishers, 2007 p. 102 while modern scholarship mostly views them as legendary,The Gospel of Matthew by Daniel J. Harrington 1991 p. 47Jeremy Corley New Perspectives on the Nativity Continuum International Publishing Group, 2009 p. 22. though conservative scholars maintain the historicity.R. T. France (2008), Matthew: An Introduction and Commentary, p.81-82Craig Blomberg (2nd Ed. 2009), Jesus and the Gospels, p. 243-244Raymond Brown (1977), The Birth of the Messiah: A Commentary on the Infancy Narratives in Matthew and Luke, pp. 104–121 Generally, they consider the issue of historicity secondary, given that the gospels were primarily written as theological documents rather than chronological timelines.Interpreting Gospel Narratives: Scenes, People, and Theology by Timothy Wiarda 2010 pp. 75–78Jesus, the Christ: Contemporary Perspectives by Brennan R. Hill 2004 p. 89The Gospel of Luke by Timothy Johnson 1992 p. 72Recovering Jesus: the witness of the New Testament Thomas R. Yoder Neufeld 2007 p. 111
Ministry
The five major milestones in the New Testament narrative of the life of Jesus are his Baptism, Transfiguration, Crucifixion, Resurrection and Ascension.Essays in New Testament interpretation by Charles Francis Digby Moule 1982 p. 63The Melody of Faith: Theology in an Orthodox Key by Vigen Guroian 2010 p. 28Scripture in tradition by John Breck 2001 p. 12 Scholarly assessment of these episodes varies. The baptism and the crucifixion are regarded by most scholars as historically certain and are often taken as starting points for study of the historical Jesus.
In the gospel accounts, the ministry of Jesus begins in the countryside of Roman Judea and Transjordan, near the Jordan River, and ends in Jerusalem, following the Last Supper with his disciples. The Gospel of Luke (3:23) states that Jesus was "about 30 years of age" at the start of his ministry.The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown: An Introduction to the New Testament by Andreas J. Köstenberger, L. Scott Kellum 2009 p. 114Paul L. Maier "The Date of the Nativity and Chronology of Jesus" in Chronos, kairos, Christos: nativity and chronological studies by Jerry Vardaman, Edwin M. Yamauchi 1989 pp. 113–129 A chronology of Jesus typically has the date of the start of his ministry estimated at 27–29 and the end in the range 30–36.Jesus & the Rise of Early Christianity: A History of New Testament Times by Paul Barnett 2002 pp. 19–21
Jesus' early Galilean ministry begins after his Baptism when he returns to Galilee from his time in the Judaean Desert.The Gospel according to Matthew by Leon Morris p. 71 Jesus then begins preaching in Galilee and recruits his first disciples, or apostles.Redford, Douglas. The Life and Ministry of Jesus: The Gospels, 2007 pp. 117–130Christianity: an introduction by Alister E. McGrath 2006 pp. 16–22 They travel with him and ultimately become the core of the early Church, as it is believed that the Apostles dispersed from Jerusalem to found the Apostolic Sees. The major Galilean ministry which begins in Matthew 8 includes the commissioning of the Twelve Apostles, and covers most of the ministry of Jesus in Galilee.A theology of the New Testament by George Eldon Ladd 1993 p. 324The Life and Ministry of Jesus: The Gospels by Douglas Redford 2007 pp. 143–160
After the proclamation of Jesus as Christ, three of the disciples (Peter, James, and John) witness his Transfiguration.The Christology of Mark's Gospel by Jack Dean Kingsbury 1983 pp. 91–95The Cambridge companion to the Gospels by Stephen C. Barton pp. 132–133 After the death of John the Baptist and the Transfiguration, Jesus starts his final journey to Jerusalem, having predicted his own death there.St Mark's Gospel and the Christian faith by Michael Keene 2002 pp. 24–25Steven L. Cox, Kendell H Easley, 2007 Harmony of the Gospels pp. 97–110The Life and Ministry of Jesus: The Gospels by Douglas Redford 2007 pp. 165–180