Jesus’ Chronicles Part 1 – Jesus' Chronicles

The pre-existence of Jesus, His birth, childhood, baptism, and the beginning of His ministry (Events 1 – 41)

Event No	Description of Event	Date	Mat-thew	Mark	Luke	John	Comments on the Order and Date of Events	Map No
[a]1[/a]	The pre-existence of Jesus with God the Father	Before the birth of Jesus	–	–	–	John 1:1-18 Loading...	–	–
[a]2[/a]	The genealogy of Jesus	From the time of Adam to the time of Jesus’ parents	Matt. 1:1-17 Loading...	–	Luke 3:23-38 Loading...	–	Matt. records the genealogy of Jesus through His father, Joseph, while Luke records it through His mother, Mary.	–
[a]3[/a]	The Star of Bethlehem (a comet in 5 BC) and the birth of Christ¹ Also see the following article on this website: “The Star of Bethlehem: Was it a Comet?“	7 to 5 BC See Figures 9.4 and 9.5 for timelines from 2 years before and when Jesus was born	Matt. 2:1-2 Loading...	–	–	–	Astronomical and historical evidence suggests that the Star of Bethlehem was a comet which was visible in 5 BC and described in ancient records.^1,24	–
4	Prefix to Luke’s Gospel		–	–	Luke 1:1-4 Loading...	–	Lk 1:3 indicates that the Gospel of Luke is written in chronological order. See Reference 14 for Fung’s doctoral confirmation that the Gospel of Luke was written in chronological order and Reference 15’s commentary on it. Reference 15 comments inter alia the following: “Even though there remains a debate over the genre of Luke (e.g., history, biography, historiography, or ancient document) and the chronological issue between Luke 4:16-30 Loading... , Mat 13:54-58 Loading... , and Mark 6:1-6 Loading... …” According to event 39 below, Jesus’ first rejection, is described in Nazareth as evidenced in Luke 4:16-30 Loading... . Jesus was rejected again in Nazareth about one year later. See Event 97 where Mat 13;54-58 and Mark 6:1-6 Loading... describe this rejection. Thus, we can assume that the Gospel of Luke was written in chronological order.	–
5	Announcement of the birth of John the Baptist in the Temple in Jerusalem	31 October 7 BC ²	–	–	Luke 1:5-25 Loading...	–	According to Luke 1:5 Loading... was Zechariah from the service group of Abijah. Luke 2:26 Loading... “ In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to a virgin in Nazareth, a town in Galilee. Subtract 6 months from the date of event 6 and it gives January 6 BC when Elizabeth was impregnated. According to the service program in Lanser², Abia’s service group, before January 6 BC, was on 31 October 7 BC.	8.5
6	Announcement of the birth of Jesus in Nazareth	17 July 6 BC	–	–	Luke 1:26-38 Loading...	–	Luke continues from the previous event. See the date of Jesus’ birth (Event 10) and deduct 9 months for Mary’s full term of pregnancy.	8.4
7	Mary visits Elizabeth in a town of Judea and sings her song of praise	17 July 6 BC	–	–	Luke 1:39-56 Loading...	–	According to Map 8.1, Mary most likely did not travel along the shortest route to the traditional Ein-Karem (6 km west of Jerusalem). The Jews usually avoided Samaria and traveled east of the Jordan River. The journey must have lasted about 7 days.	8.5
8	Birth of John the Baptist in a town of Judea	17 October 6 BC	–	–	Luke 1:57-66 Loading...	John 1:6 Loading...	Luke continues from the previous event. Add 3 months to Event 6 resulting in 17 October 6 BC.	8.5
9	Zechariah’s song of praise	24 October 6 BC	–	–	Luke 1:67-80 Loading...	–	Luke continues to write from the previous incident. John was circumcised 8 days later. The Jews counted the 1st day as well (included).	8.5
10	Birth of Jesus in Bethlehem	Monday 17 April 5 BC¹⁸	Matt. 1:18-25 Loading...	–	Luke 2:1-7 Loading...	John 1:14 Loading...	Luke continues from the previous event. See reference 12 to read more about why Christmas is celebrated on 25 December in the modern world.	8.1
11	Shepherds of Bethlehem	17 April 5 BC	–	–	Luke 2:8-20 Loading...	–	Luke continues from the previous event.	8.1
12	Circumcision of Jesus in Bethlehem	24 April 5 BC	–	–	Luke 2:21 Loading...	–	Add 8 days to Event 10, according to Lk 2:21 “On the eighth day…”	8.1
13	Jesus presented to the Lord in the Temple	26 May 5 BC	–	–	Luke 2:22-24 Loading...	–	Add 40 days to Event 10 according to Jewish tradition.	8.5
14	Simeon and Anna in Jerusalem	26 May 5 BC	–	–	Luke 2:25-38 Loading...	–	Luke continues from the previous event.	8.5
15	Wise men from the East arrive in Bethlehem	After 26 May 5 BC	Matt. 2:1-12 Loading...	–	–	–	Matt. 2:11 Loading... “On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, … ” After the census, the crowds had left Bethlehem and thus Joseph and Mary could find accommodation in a house. Here we can once again see God’s perfect timing. Joseph and Mary had already taken the baby Jesus to the Temple to bring the offering, after a 40-day cleansing period. They were most likely just about to embark on their journey back to Nazareth when the wise men showed up.	8.3
16	Joseph and Mary escape to Egypt	After 26 May 5 BC	Matt. 2:13-15 Loading...	–	–	–	Matthew continues from the previous event.	8.2
17	Murdering of all babies under two years of age in Bethlehem and surrounding areas	After 26 May 5 BC	Matt. 2:16-18 Loading...	–	–	–	Matthew continues from the previous event.	8.1
18	Joseph and Mary return from Egypt to Nazareth	After the death of King Herod in March/ April of 4 BC²⁹	Matt. 2:19-23 Loading...	–	–	–	Matthew continues from the previous event. According to Mat 2:22-23 Loading... , Joseph passed the town of Bethlehem and went to live in Nazareth.	8.2 8.1
19	Childhood of Jesus and His meeting with the wise men in the Temple in Jerusalem during Passover	Passover of 9 AD on 28 March.	–	–	Luke 2:39-52 Loading...	–	Luk 2:42 Loading... : “When he was twelve years old…, “ The date of the Passover in 9AD was on 28 March 9 AD¹⁶ According to reference 17, Jesus was then 12 years and 11 months.	8.5
20	The preaching of John the Baptist (see Map 8.1 for the location of the Judean desert next to the Dead Sea)	26 AD^{3 & 18}	Mat 3:1-12 Loading...	Mark 1:1-8 Loading...	Luke 3:1-18 Loading...	–	Luke continues from the previous event. Luk 3:1 Loading... In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar… According to reference 3, the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberias Caesar was According to reference 3, the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberias Caesar was from September 26 AD to August 27 AD.	8.1
21	Baptism of Jesus and when He started His ministry (see Map 8.1 for the route from Nazareth to the place east of the Jordan River (Bethabara) where Jesus was baptized) according to tradition	18 November 26 AD¹⁸	Matt. 3:13-17 Loading...	Mark 1:9-11 Loading...	Luke 3:21-23 Loading...	–	Matthew, Mark, and Luke continue from the previous event. John 1:28 Loading... (NIV) “This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptising.” According to this passage, the baptism of Jesus took place in the region of Bethany, east of the Jordan River at the traditional Bethabara.	8.1
22	Temptation of Jesus (see Map 8.1 for the location of the Judean desert where Jesus fasted and was tempted)	November to December 26 AD¹⁸	Matt. 4:1-11 Loading...	Mark 1:12-13 Loading...	Luke 4:1-13 Loading...	–	Matthew and Mark continue from the previous event. Mark 1:12 Loading... : “At once the Spirit sent him out into the desert.” According to this passage, the 40 days of temptation took place directly after Jesus’ baptism.	8.1
23	John’s testimony about Jesus Christ (see Map 8.1 for the location of Bethany east of the Jordan River where John baptized others)	April 27 AD	–	–	–	John 1:19-24 Loading...	See comments at Event 28 for timing.	8.1
24	John the Baptist’s testimony to messengers sent by the Pharisees (see Map 8.1 for the location of Bethany east of the Jordan River where John baptized others)	April 27 AD	–	–	–	John 1:25-28 Loading...	John continues from above. See comments at Event 28 for timing.	8.1
25	John the Baptist reports on the baptism of Jesus (see Map 8.1 for the location of Bethany east of the Jordan River where John baptized others)	April 27 AD	–	–	–	John 1:29-34 Loading...	John continues from above. See comments at Event 28 for timing.	8.1
[a]26[/a]	First disciples chose (See Map 8.1 & 8.4 for the location of Bethany east of the Jordan River where John baptized others, as well as the route to Galilee along which Jesus returned to Nazareth where he lived)	April 27 AD	–	–	–	John 1:35-52 Loading...	John continues from above. See comments at Event 28 for timing.	8.1 & 8.4
27	First miracle at the wedding in Cana (see Map 8.4 for the route from Nazareth to Canaan)	April 27 AD	–	–	–	John 2:1-11 Loading...	John continues from above. See comments at Event 28 for timing.	8.4
28	Jesus goes to Capernaum with His disciples and His family	April 27 AD	–	–	–	John 2:12 Loading...	John continues from the previous event. To determine the dates of the events recorded by John from John 1:19 Loading... to John 2:12 Loading... , consider the 3 days ( John 2:1 Loading... ) plus a “few days” ( John 2:12 Loading... ) which all play out right before we come to the next event, the Passover on 10 April 27 AD. Therefore all these events must have taken place during April 27 AD.	8.4
[a]29[/a]	Passover in Jerusalem and the first cleansing of the temple	10 April 27AD²⁶	–	–	–	John 2:13-17 Loading...	The Passover in 27 AD took place on 10 April ²⁶. The second cleansing occurred about 3 years later on Monday 3 April 30 AD (see event 204).	8.5
30	Jesus can build the Temple in 3 days	After 10 April 27 AD	–	–	–	John 2:18-25 Loading...	When Jesus visited the Temple in Jerusalem for the first time after His baptism in the month of Abib (The first Jewish month), He discussed with the leaders. John 2:19 Loading... Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” John 2:20 Loading... (NIV): “The Jews replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days.” According to Reference 30 Herod started the rebuilding of the Temple in 20 BC. This means that 46 years of building had passed by 27 AD.	8.5
31	Jesus teaches Nicodemus about becoming born again	After 10 April 27 AD	–	–	–	John 3:1-21 Loading...	John continues from the previous event.	8.1
32	Jesus preaches and baptizes in Judea (see Map 8.1 for the location of Salim and Enon)	May 27 AD	–	–	–	John 3:22-24 Loading...	John continues from the previous event.	8.1
33	John the Baptist says, “He must become greater; I must become less”	May 27 AD	–	–	–	John 3:25-36 Loading...	John continues from the previous event.	8.1
34	John the Baptist was thrown into prison	November 27 AD	Matt. 4:12 Loading...	Mark 1:14 Loading...	Luke 3:19-20 Loading...	–	Matthew and Mark describe the return of Jesus to Galilee after John the Baptist was thrown into prison. Se event 36 for timing.	8.1
35	Jesus withdraws out of Judea to Capernaum and Galilee (see Maps 8.1 for the route from Enon to Sigar)	December 27 AD	–	–	–	John 4:1-3 Loading...	For timing see Event 36 as well.	8.1
36	The Samaritan woman – Jesus is still on the route to Capernaum in Galilee (see Map 8.1 for the route from Enon to Sigar)	December 27 AD	–	–	–	John 4:4-30 Loading...	John 4:35 Loading... : “Do you not say, `Four months more and then the harvest’?…” “Wheat was usually harvested by mid-April. Therefore, this event must have taken place in December.	8.1
37	The harvest and the workers	December 27 AD	–	–	–	John 4:31-42 Loading...	John continues from the previous event.	8.1
38	Jesus continues toward Galilee	December 27 AD	–	–	Luke 4:14-15 Loading...	John 4:43 Loading...	John continues from the previous event.	8.1
[a]39[/a]	Jesus’ first rejection in Nazareth	December 27 AD	–	–	Luke 4:16-23 Loading... Luke 4:24-30 Loading...	–	Luk writes further from the previous event. See event 97 for the second rejection. Reference 15 writes the following”: “Even though there remains a debate over the genre of Luke (e.g., history, biography, historiography, or ancient document) and the chronological issue between Luke 4:16 Loading... –30, Matthew 13:54–58, and Mark 6:1 Loading... –6a (86),…..” Mat 13:54-58 Loading... and Mar 6:1-6 Loading... refer to the second rejection of Jesus in Nazareth.	8.4
40	Arrival in Cana of Galilee	December 27 AD	–	–	–	John 4:44-45 Loading...	Joh 4:43 Loading... After the two days he left for Galilee.	8.4
41	The second miracle is the healing of the son of the Nobleman (still on the way to Capernaum)	December 27 AD	–	–	–	John 4:46-54 Loading...	John continues from the previous event.	8.4