Bible Timeline · About AD 26 to 29

John the Baptist and the Baptism of Jesus

John the Baptist began preaching in the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar, calling Israel to repent. Jesus, about thirty years old, came to be baptized in the Jordan. The Spirit came down like a dove, the Father spoke from heaven, and then Jesus went into the wilderness for forty days.

Read it in the Bible: Matthew 3:1-17 Matthew 4:1-11 Luke 3:1-23 John 1:19-34 Isaiah 40:3

About AD 26 to 29, a prophet named John began preaching by the Jordan River, calling people to turn back to God and be baptized. One day Jesus of Nazareth, about thirty years old, walked down to the water and asked John to baptize Him. As Jesus came up out of the river, the Holy Spirit came down on Him like a dove and the Father spoke from heaven. It is one of the clearest pictures of the Trinity in the Bible, and it marks the start of Jesus’ public ministry.

And a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!” Matthew 3:17

Who Was John the Baptist?

John was the son of an old priest named Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth, who was a relative of Mary, Luke 1:36. So John and Jesus were family, and John was about six months older. Luke 1 tells how an angel promised his birth to parents who had given up hope of children.

John grew up to be a wilderness prophet who looked the part. He wore camel’s hair with a leather belt and ate locusts and wild honey, Matthew 3:4. That outfit was a signal. It matched Elijah, the great prophet of 2 Kings 1:8, and Malachi 4:5 had promised that Elijah would come before the day of Yahweh. Jesus later said John was that promised Elijah figure, Matthew 11:14.

The Gospels say John fulfilled Isaiah 40:3, a voice calling people to prepare the way for the Lord. His job was to get people ready for someone greater.

I baptize you with water for repentance, but after me will come One more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Matthew 3:11

John is also mentioned outside the Bible. The Jewish historian Josephus, writing about AD 93, describes John as a good man who called people to righteousness and baptism, and says Herod Antipas had him killed.

When Was Jesus Baptized?

Luke gives one of the most careful dates in the whole Bible. He names an emperor, a governor, three local rulers and two high priests.

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, while Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. Luke 3:1 to 2

Tiberius became sole emperor in AD 14, so his fifteenth year is about AD 28 to 29. Some scholars count from AD 11 or 12, when Tiberius began ruling alongside Augustus, which gives about AD 26 to 27. That is why this timeline says about AD 26 to 29. Jesus was baptized some time after John began preaching.

Luke 3:23 adds that Jesus was about thirty years old when He began. If He was born about 6 to 4 BC, He would have been in His early thirties, which fits the word “about.”

Why Was Jesus Baptized If He Had No Sin?

John asked the same question. He knew his baptism was for repentance, and he knew Jesus did not need to repent.

But John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?” “Let it be so now,” Jesus replied. “It is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness in this way.” Then John permitted Him. Matthew 3:14 to 15

Christians have given several answers, and they fit together. Jesus was standing with sinners, taking His place beside the people He came to save. He was showing obedience to His Father from the very first step. He was being publicly marked out as the Messiah, which means the Anointed One, as the Spirit came on Him. And He was setting an example that His followers would copy, Matthew 28:19.

What Happened When Jesus Came Up Out of the Water?

All four Gospels describe the Spirit coming down like a dove. Matthew, Mark and Luke record the Father’s voice. In this one scene the Son is in the water, the Spirit descends, and the Father speaks. That is why this moment is often used to explain the Trinity: one God in three persons.

John’s Gospel adds what John the Baptist said when he saw Jesus the next day.

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! John 1:29

That title points back to the Passover lamb in Exodus 12 and the suffering servant led like a lamb in Isaiah 53:7. From day one, John saw where Jesus’ road would lead.

Where Was Jesus Baptized?

The Gospels say the Jordan River, and John 1:28 names Bethany beyond the Jordan, on the east side. Two sites today claim the spot. Al Maghtas in Jordan is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and Qasr al Yahud is across the river on the west bank. Both are near Jericho, a few miles north of the Dead Sea. We don’t know the exact spot, but the general area is well supported.

What Was the Temptation in the Wilderness?

Right after His baptism, the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness for forty days of fasting. Then the devil came with three temptations: turn stones into bread, throw Himself off the temple, and bow down to gain the kingdoms of the world.

But Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:4

Every time, Jesus answered with Scripture from Deuteronomy. That matters. Israel spent forty years in the wilderness and failed its tests. Jesus spent forty days in the wilderness and passed His, using the very book Moses gave Israel at the end of those years. Where Adam fell in a garden and Israel stumbled in the desert, Jesus stood firm.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who was tempted in every way that we are, yet was without sin. Hebrews 4:15

Why the Baptism of Jesus Matters for You Today

Before Jesus preached one sermon or healed one person, the Father said He was well pleased with Him. That love was not earned by a ministry. It came first. Through faith in Christ, believers are brought into that same family love.

John the Baptist also gives a pattern for anyone who serves God. When crowds began to leave him for Jesus, he said, “He must increase; I must decrease,” John 3:30. Point people to Jesus, then get out of the way. That is a pretty good job description for any pastor, parent or friend.

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Questions People Ask

Why did Jesus need to be baptized?

Jesus had no sin to repent of, and John knew it. Jesus said it was fitting to fulfill all righteousness, Matthew 3:15. By being baptized He stood with sinners, obeyed His Father, was publicly marked as the Messiah, and set an example for His followers.

How old was Jesus when He was baptized?

Luke 3:23 says Jesus was about thirty years old when He began His ministry. Since He was born about 6 to 4 BC and baptized about AD 26 to 29, He was likely in His early thirties.

Were John the Baptist and Jesus related?

Yes. Luke 1:36 says Elizabeth, John's mother, was a relative of Mary. John was about six months older than Jesus. The Bible does not say exactly how they were related, so calling them cousins is a common guess, not a certainty.

What does the dove at Jesus' baptism mean?

The dove shows the Holy Spirit coming to rest on Jesus, anointing Him for His work. In the same moment the Father spoke from heaven, so the scene shows Father, Son and Holy Spirit together. Many also see an echo of the dove that came back to Noah after the flood.

How long was Jesus tempted in the wilderness?

Jesus fasted for forty days and nights in the wilderness, and then the devil tempted Him, Matthew 4:1 to 11. He answered each temptation by quoting Deuteronomy. Luke 4:13 says the devil left Him until an opportune time.

Sources

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