Bible Timeline · About AD 27 to 30

Jesus' Ministry: Teaching, Miracles and the Twelve

For about three years Jesus traveled through Galilee and Judea, teaching, healing and calling people to follow Him. He chose twelve apostles, preached the Sermon on the Mount, turned water into wine, fed the 5,000 and raised Lazarus from the dead. John's Gospel mentions three Passovers, which is how we know His ministry lasted about three years.

Read it in the Bible: Matthew 5-7 Mark 3:13-19 John 2:1-11 John 6:1-14 John 11:1-44 Matthew 1:21

After His baptism and temptation, Jesus spent about three years, roughly AD 27 to 30, walking the roads of Galilee and Judea. He taught crowds on hillsides and in synagogues, healed the sick, drove out demons, welcomed outsiders and chose twelve men to carry on His work. Those few years changed the world more than any other stretch of time in history. Jesus said plainly why He came.

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10

How Long Was Jesus’ Ministry?

The Gospel of John names three different Passovers during Jesus’ ministry, in John 2:13, 6:4 and 11:55. Passover came once a year, so that adds up to at least two years and some months. Many think the unnamed feast in John 5:1 adds one more year. That is why most Christians say His ministry lasted about three years, or three and a half.

Some scholars read Matthew, Mark and Luke on their own and suggest a shorter ministry of one or two years, since those books only describe one Passover. But the three Gospels were not trying to give a full calendar, and John fills in the gaps. If Jesus died in AD 30, He began about AD 27. If He died in AD 33, He began about AD 29 or 30. The crucifixion article on this site explains the two dates.

What Was Jesus’ Real Name?

His Hebrew name was Yeshua, a short form of Yehoshua, the same name as Joshua in the Old Testament. It means Yahweh saves. That is why the angel told Joseph what to call Him.

She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21

The Gospel writers wrote in Greek, so Yeshua became Iesous. Latin made it Iesus, and English eventually made it Jesus. So Jesus is not a different name. It is the same name, passed through a few languages, the way Johann and Juan are both John. Christ is not a last name either. It is a title from the Greek word for Messiah, which means the Anointed One.

Who Were the Twelve Apostles?

Jesus had many disciples, a word that means students or followers. From them He picked twelve to be with Him every day and to be sent out with His message. Apostle means one who is sent.

These are the twelve He appointed: Simon, whom He named Peter, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, whom He named Boanerges, meaning “Sons of Thunder,” Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus. Mark 3:16 to 19

It was not an impressive group on paper. There were at least four fishermen, a tax collector who worked for Rome, and a Zealot who may once have wanted to fight Rome. Put Matthew and Simon the Zealot at the same dinner table and you have a story. Jesus chose ordinary people and trained them by living with them. The number twelve matched the twelve tribes of Israel, showing that Jesus was gathering a renewed people of God.

What Did Jesus Teach in the Sermon on the Mount?

Matthew 5 to 7 is the most famous sermon ever preached. It opens with the Beatitudes, a list of blessings that flips the world’s values upside down.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Matthew 5:3 to 5

In this sermon Jesus teaches the Lord’s Prayer, tells His followers to love their enemies, warns against worry, and says God cares about the heart, not just outward actions. He did not throw out the Old Testament. He said He came to fulfill it, Matthew 5:17. He ends with the story of two builders, one on rock and one on sand. The crowds noticed something different.

When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astonished at His teaching, because He taught as one who had authority, and not as their scribes. Matthew 7:28 to 29

Jesus also taught in parables, short stories from everyday life like the prodigal son, the good Samaritan and the lost sheep. They were simple enough for a child and deep enough to chew on for a lifetime.

What Miracles Did Jesus Do?

The Gospels record about three dozen specific miracles, and they say there were many more. His first sign was at a wedding in Cana, where He turned about 120 to 180 gallons of water into wine so a young couple would not be embarrassed.

Jesus performed this, the first of His signs, at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed His glory, and His disciples believed in Him. John 2:11

He healed the blind, the lame, lepers and the deaf. He calmed a storm and walked on water. The feeding of the 5,000 is the only miracle besides the resurrection that all four Gospels record. Five barley loaves and two fish fed about 5,000 men, plus women and children, with twelve baskets left over. The Miracles page on this site lists them all with references.

The miracles were never stunts. They were signs that showed who Jesus was and gave a preview of the kingdom of God, where sickness, hunger and death are undone.

Why Is the Raising of Lazarus So Important?

In John 11, Jesus’ friend Lazarus had been dead four days when Jesus arrived in Bethany, just outside Jerusalem. Before the miracle, Jesus made one of His greatest claims.

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even though he dies. And everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25 to 26

Then Jesus wept at the tomb. The shortest verse in the Bible, John 11:35, shows that the Son of God felt real grief. Then He called, “Lazarus, come out!” and the dead man walked out still wrapped in grave cloths. Many believed. But John says this miracle also pushed the religious leaders to plan Jesus’ death, John 11:53. The road to the cross ran right through Lazarus’ empty tomb.

How Jesus’ Ministry Points to You Today

Jesus’ ministry shows what God is like up close. He touched lepers nobody else would touch. He ate with tax collectors and sinners. He told religious people the truth and gave hurting people hope.

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45

John says he wrote his Gospel so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and have life in His name, John 20:31. The teaching and the miracles were never the end of the story. They were leading up to a cross and an empty tomb.

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Questions People Ask

How long was the ministry of Jesus?

Most Christians say about three years, because the Gospel of John mentions three Passovers, in John 2:13, 6:4 and 11:55. If Jesus died in AD 30, His ministry ran about AD 27 to 30. Some scholars argue for a shorter ministry of one or two years.

What was Jesus' Hebrew name?

His Hebrew name was Yeshua, a short form of Yehoshua, the same name as Joshua. It means Yahweh saves. It passed into Greek as Iesous, into Latin as Iesus, and into English as Jesus.

What was Jesus' first miracle?

His first miracle, or sign, was turning water into wine at a wedding in Cana of Galilee, John 2:1 to 11. John says it revealed His glory and His disciples believed in Him.

Which miracle is in all four Gospels?

Besides the resurrection, the feeding of the 5,000 is the only miracle recorded in all four Gospels: Matthew 14, Mark 6, Luke 9 and John 6. Jesus fed the crowd with five loaves and two fish, and twelve baskets were left over.

Why did Jesus choose twelve apostles?

The number twelve matched the twelve tribes of Israel, showing Jesus was gathering a renewed people of God. He chose them to be with Him and to be sent out to preach, Mark 3:14. Apostle means one who is sent.

Sources

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