Messiah, Savior, and founder of the Christian church.
We should remember that each of the gospels has its own distinctive purpose. Matthew presents Jesus as the messianic King, whereas Mark reveals Jesus as the servant of all. Luke particularly shows Jesus’s amazing compassion for the poor, the rejected, and the broken, whereas John takes the reader into a deeper and more spiritual understanding of Jesus. These different aims caused the four Evangelists to select and arrange the events of Jesus’s life differently. That is why the Christian church preserved four gospels instead of only one.
The following sections present the main events of the life of Jesus. There is a clear progression from Christ’s incarnation to his cross. The amount of space devoted to each stage in each of the gospels is dictated by theological rather than biographical interest. The whole presentation of Christ’s life centers on the cross and the triumphant resurrection that followed. It is more an account of God’s message to humanity than a plain historical account of the life of Jesus.
Preview
The Incarnation
The major event of this initial stage was the Incarnation. Only Matthew and Luke give accounts of Jesus’s birth. John goes back and reflects on what preceded the birth.
It may seem strange that John began his Gospel with a reference to the Word (John 1:1), but it delivers to the reader an exalted view of Jesus. John saw Jesus as existing even before the creation of the world (verse 2). In fact, he saw him as having a part in the act of creation (verse 3). Therefore, when Jesus was born, it was both an act of humiliation and an act of illumination. The light shone, but the world preferred to remain in darkness (verses 4–5, 10). In John’s records, we know right away that Jesus is no ordinary man, even before being introduced to his name. This background of Jesus’s preexistence is essential to properly understand John’s account of his life and teachings.
The Birth of Jesus
John simply wrote that the Word became flesh and lived among us. Matthew and Luke fill in some of the details of how this happened. There is little in common between the two accounts. Each approaches the subject from a different point of view, but the supernatural is evident in both. The coming of Jesus is announced beforehand, through dreams to Joseph in Matthew’s account (Matthew 1:20–21) and through an angel to Mary in Luke’s account (Luke 1:26–33). Matthew leaves his readers in no doubt that the one to be born had a mission to accomplish—to save people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). Luke sets his story of Jesus’s coming in an atmosphere of great rejoicing. (Luke 1:46–55, 68–79). The worship of the wise men in Matthew 2:1–12 is significant because it links the beginning of the Gospel to its ending, showing that salvation is for all the nations (compare Matthew 28:19–20). A similar emphasis is introduced in the angel’s announcement to the shepherds in Luke 2:14 and in Simeon’s song (Luke 2:32) where he predicts that Jesus would be a light for Gentiles as well as a glory for Israel. The flight into Egypt for safety (Matthew 2:13–15) shows how a gentile nation provided protection for a Jewish child.
The birth stories in Matthew and Luke both include genealogies. It is difficult to harmonize these genealogies since they appear to have come from different sources, but the purpose in both cases is to show that Jesus was descended from Abraham and David. This gave rise to Jesus’s title of Son of David.
Luke was the only Gospel writer who attempted to link the coming of Jesus with events in secular history. Although problems arise over the dating of Quirinius’s census (Luke 2:1–2), the firm setting of the scene with the people of Jesus’s time is extremely meaningful. That’s because the Christian faith is a historic faith centered on a historic person.
Life in Nazareth
Jesus’s childhood and early life are given only a few lines in the gospels. We only have details of the discussion he had as a 12-year-old with the Jewish teachers in the temple (Luke 2:41–50). This points to one of the most characteristic features of Jesus’s later ministry: his Jewish contemporaries could not refute his wisdom. It also reveals that at an early age, Jesus knew of a divine mission. Luke notes that Jesus was obedient to his parents while growing up (verse 51). It is assumed that during 30 years at Nazareth Jesus learned the carpenter’s trade from Joseph and became the village carpenter after Joseph’s death. However, there is no account of this period in the gospels. This has led to many creative stories about Jesus’s childhood in apocryphal gospels, but Luke’s account is unembellished, which is a strong indication of its historical reliability.
Preparatory Events
All four gospels refer to a brief period of preparation that took place right before Christ’s public ministry. This period focused on three important events.
The Preaching of John the Baptist
John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness and caused an immediate stir in Judea, particularly as a result of his call to repentance and baptism (Matthew 3:1–6). John was like one of the Old Testament prophets, but he did not claim any importance in his office except as the herald of a greater person to come. His stern appearance and uncompromising message effectively prepared the way for the public appearance of Jesus (Luke 3:4–6). It is important to note that Jesus started his ministry with the same message of the coming kingdom that John the Baptist announced (Matthew 3:2; 4:17). This shows that John the Baptist’s work was an integral part of the preparation for the public ministry of Jesus. The same may be said of the rite of baptism, although John recognized that Jesus would add a new dimension in that he would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire (3:11). As the forerunner of Jesus Christ, John proclaimed that the one to follow would not only be greater than he but would also come with high standards of judgment (verse 12). The stage was therefore set in stern terms for the initial public act of Jesus—his willingness to be baptized (Matthew 3:13–15; Luke 3:21).
The Baptism of Jesus
John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. But since Jesus had never sinned, he had no need to repent. The NT supports this claim. So, why was he baptized? Jesus had come on a mission to others, and it is possible that he deliberately submitted to John’s baptism to show that he was prepared to take the place of others. This explanation is in line with Paul’s later understanding of the work of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). Matthew is the one Evangelist who records John’s hesitation to baptize Jesus (Matthew 3:14–15).
The most important part of Jesus’s baptism was the voice that came from heaven, which declared pleasure in the beloved Son (Matthew 3:17). This God-given announcement was the real starting point of Jesus’s public ministry. It revealed that the ministry was no accident or sudden inspiration on the part of Jesus. He went into his work with the full approval of the Father. A further important feature is the part played by the Holy Spirit in this scene, appearing as a dove (verse 16), which was not just an inner experience for Jesus. The baptism of Jesus shows the importance of the Spirit in his ministry. The general lack of emphasis on the Spirit in the gospels does not change this.
The Temptation of Jesus
Jesus’s baptism showed the nature of his mission. The temptation showed the nature of the environment in which he was to minister (Matthew 4:1; Luke 4:1–2). Jesus confronted adverse spiritual forces throughout his ministry. Only Matthew and Luke record the details of how the devil tempted Jesus. All these temptations present shortcuts that, if pursued, would have deflected Jesus from his mission. Both gospels show that Jesus clearly gained the victory, and that he did so by using Scripture. In this event, Jesus is also seen as a genuine human who, like all other humans, was subject to temptation. The writer of the Letter to the Hebrews notes this as the fact that qualified Jesus to act as High Priest and to intercede on behalf of his people (Hebrews 2:18; 4:15).
The Early Ministry of Jesus in Judea and Samaria
Only John’s Gospel tells of the work of Jesus in Judea after his baptism. It first describes how he called his disciples John and Andrew (John 1:35–39). The context for this was John the Baptist’s announcement of Jesus as the Lamb of God who was to take away the sin of the world (verse 29). These first two disciples were soon joined by three others: Peter, Philip, and Nathanael (verses 41–51). These five formed part of the nucleus of Jesus’s followers who came to be known as the Twelve. One feature of John’s account is the early recognition by the disciples of Jesus as Messiah (John 1:41) and Son of God (verse 49).
Soon after Jesus began his ministry in Jerusalem, John relates an incident at Cana in Galilee in which water was turned into wine (John 2:1–10). This event is important in John’s account because it is the first of the signs that he records (verse 11). He saw Jesus’s miracles as “signs” of the truth of the gospel rather than as mere wonders.
John sets two incidents at Jerusalem in this initial period. The first is the cleansing of the temple (John 2:13–16). Matthew, Mark, and Luke all place this event just before Jesus’s trial, but John places it at this early stage. Jesus confronts and drives out the money changers who were profiting from worshipers more than was appropriate. This seemed acceptable to Judaism but not to Jesus. The other Evangelists imply that this authoritative act was the event that sparked the final hostility of his opponents. But John tells the story for a theological reason: to him, the cleansing of the temple was a parable telling of what Jesus had come to do.
The other incident in Jerusalem is the meeting between Jesus and Nicodemus (John 3). Nicodemus was closely associated with Judaism, yet he was also searching for truth. He was unable to understand, however, the spiritual truth about being born again through the Spirit.
John’s story then moves from Judea to Samaria and the story of the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:1–42). Jesus used her physical thirst to point to her deeper spiritual thirst. She realized that Jesus had something to offer her that she had not previously known. As a result of this woman’s experience and testimony, many of the Samaritan people came to believe in Jesus as the Savior of the world (verse 42). In this case, John wants his readers to appreciate the fuller meaning of Jesus’s words in light of the resurrection.
The Period of the Galilean Ministry
Almost all the information on this period is found in the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke.) It may be conveniently divided into three sections. The first briefly outlines the events leading up to the choosing of the Twelve; the second deals with Jesus’s withdrawal from northern Galilee; and the third deals with his departure for Jerusalem. While the Synoptic Gospels concentrate exclusively on the events in Galilee, John’s account indicates that Jesus visited Jerusalem from time to time during this period. Also, John records another incident at Cana, where the son of a Capernaum official was healed. This is noted as the second of Jesus’s signs (John 4:54). It is mainly important because of the extraordinary faith of the father, who was prepared to take Jesus at his word.
The Calling of the Disciples
The Synoptic Gospels tell us of the initial call to four of the disciples to leave their fishing boats and to become fishers of men (Matthew 4:18–22; Mark 1:16–20; Luke 5:1–11). They had already met Jesus and must have had some idea of what was involved in following him. Jesus did not at this time appoint them to be apostles, but this call was a necessary step toward establishing the Twelve as a group. Setting apart a particular number of disciples formed an important part of the ministry of Jesus. The miraculous catch of fish, which preceded the call of the disciples in Luke’s account, highlighted the superiority of the spiritual task of catching people rather than fish.
Another significant call came to Levi, also known as Matthew (Matthew 9:9; Mark 2:13–14; Luke 5:27–28). As a tax collector, he was different from most of the other disciples. He would certainly have been despised by his Jewish contemporaries because of his profession. But his inclusion among the disciples shows the broad basis on which these men were chosen. One of the others, Simon the Zealot, may have belonged to a group of religious and political revolutionaries. Even a man like Judas Iscariot was numbered among the Twelve, and he would later betray Jesus to his enemies for a small sum of money. Jesus accepted them as they were and molded them into men who later became totally dependent on God and the power of his Spirit.
Sermon on the Mount
The Gospel of Matthew presents a large sample of Jesus’s teachings commonly called the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1–7:29). Some of the same material is found in Luke in a different context and a different arrangement. It is possible that Jesus often repeated his teachings on different occasions and with different combinations. Matthew’s record of the Sermon on the Mount presents an impressive body of teaching, mainly covering ethical questions. In these teachings, Jesus upholds the law of Moses, and at the same time goes beyond it. The beginning of this sermon has been called the Beatitudes (5:3–12). It commends moral and spiritual values. The teachings recorded in this section were radical, but not in a political sense. The Sermon on the Mount gives us a good idea of the kind of discourses that must have abounded in the ministry of Jesus.
Jesus as Healer
Throughout the gospels there are records of miracles involving Jesus healing people. There are more of these miracles than any other type. A section in Matthew is devoted to a sequence of healings (Matthew 8:1–9:34): a leper, a centurion’s servant, Peter’s mother-in-law, a demon-possessed man, a paralytic, a woman with a loss of blood, blind men, and a man who was mute. In addition, Jairus’s daughter was raised from the dead. This large number of healings focuses on Jesus as a miracle worker, but throughout the gospels there is no suggestion that Jesus healed by magical means. In some cases an individual’s faith was acknowledged (8:10; 9:22). In at least one incident, the healing was accompanied by an announcement of the forgiveness of the sins of the one healed (Matthew 9:2; Mark 2:5). This shows that Jesus considered spiritual needs to be of greater consequence than the physical problems.
Since there was a widespread belief in the powerful influence of evil spirits over human lives, it is very significant that Jesus is seen exercising his power of exorcism over demons. Jesus’s ministry was set in an atmosphere of spiritual conflict, so the confrontations between the forces of darkness and the Light of the World were to be expected. Those who explain away these cases of demon-possession in psychiatric terms miss this key feature of Jesus’s ministry. Each time he exorcised a demon, he was demonstrating victory, which reached its most dramatic expression in his victory over death at his resurrection.
In addition, one nature miracle is recorded when he calmed the storm (Matthew 8:23–27; Mark 4:35–41; Luke 8:22–25). This miracle focused both on the lack of faith in the disciples and the mysterious power of the presence of Jesus.
The Reaction to Jesus by His Contemporaries
In the early stages of his ministry, Jesus was very popular with the ordinary people (Matthew 4:23–25; Mark 3:7–8). However, those people did not grasp the spiritual purpose of Jesus's mission (Luke 13:17). Nevertheless, it stands in stark contrast to the nit-picking opposition of the religious leaders, who even plotted to kill Jesus in the early period of his ministry (Mark 3:6).
Jesus and the religious leaders often clashed over the observance of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:1–14; Luke 13:10–17; John 5:9–18). Jesus adopted a more liberal view than the rigid and often illogical interpretation of some of his religious contemporaries—for example, when he was criticized for healing on the Sabbath even though the Jewish law allowed the rescuing of trapped animals on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:11; Luke 13:15). To the Pharisaic mind, Jesus was a lawbreaker. The Pharisees feared that it would undermine their authority if his teaching were permitted to fill popular opinion.
Preparing the Twelve
The Synoptic Gospels supply lists of the names of the 12 apostles (Matthew 10:2–4; Mark 3:16–19; Luke 6:14–16). Both Matthew and Mark name them in the context of their exercising authority over evil spirits, thereby showing that these men were being called to enter the same spiritual conflict as Jesus.
The Synoptic Gospels also give details of the instructions Jesus gave to these disciples before sending them to minister in Israel (Matthew 10:5–42; Mark 6:7–13; Luke 9:1–6). Matthew included material in his discourse that appears in a different context in Mark and Luke, but the discourse still shows the concern of Jesus to prepare his disciples for their future work. They were to proclaim the kingdom as he had done, but they were not to think that all would respond to it. They were warned about coming hostility and even persecution. It is important to note that Jesus warned his disciples not to burden themselves with material possessions. Although the instructions were given in the context of an imminent ministry tour, he was laying the foundation for the future work of the church.
The Relationship between Jesus and John the Baptist
For a while, John the Baptist and Jesus preached and baptized in parallel with their respective disciples (John 4:1–2). John the Baptist was imprisoned by Herod because of his uncompromising condemnation of Herod’s marriage to Herodias, his brother’s wife (Matthew 14:3–4). In prison, John began to have doubts about Jesus (Matthew 11:1–19; Luke 7:18–35). He may have been expecting Jesus, if he really was the Messiah, to come to his rescue. When John sent his disciples to Jesus to express his doubts, Jesus took the opportunity to tell the crowds of the greatness of John the Baptist. He said there was none born of women who was greater than John.
Various Controversies
Jesus was willing to confront those around him about moral or religious questions. For example, in John's Gospel, a controversy arose when Jesus healed a lame man on the Sabbath (John 5:1–18). This shows that Sabbath rituals were seen as more important than having compassion for a lame man. Many hated Jesus for it, especially because he claimed to be doing the work of God.
A similar conflict arose after Jesus’s disciples had plucked grain in the fields on the Sabbath day (Matthew 12:1–8). The Pharisees assumed that this act constituted work and saw it as a sufficient reason to plot how to destroy Jesus. After this event, he healed a paralytic on the same Sabbath day (verses 9–14). The Jewish leaders clearly regarded him as a direct threat to their position among the people.
The rising opposition did not deter Jesus from healing more people (Matthew 12:15–32), which Matthew depicts as the fulfillment of Scripture. But when Jesus healed a man who was blind and mute because of a demon, the Pharisees accused him of casting out demons by Beelzebub, the prince of the demons. Jesus told them that to blaspheme the Holy Spirit was an unforgivable sin. This incident not only brings out the perversity of the religious leaders but also shows that the ministry of Jesus was under the direct control of the Spirit. Other notable miracles were the healing of the centurion’s servant, as recorded by Luke (Luke 7:1–10), and the raising from the dead of the widow’s son at Nain (verses 11–17). The first one is notable because of the remarkable faith of a Gentile.
Another example of the Pharisees’ criticism was when Jesus attended a meal in the house of Simon the Pharisee (Luke 7:36–50). Simon had not washed Jesus’s feet as was the custom in those days, and yet was critical of Jesus for allowing a sinful woman to wash his feet with tears, dry them with her hair, and anoint them with perfume. There is no doubt that most of Simon’s colleagues would have shared his reaction, but Jesus did not stop the woman because he knew her heart, and how loving she was. He told Simon a parable to press home his point.
John records that Jesus attended the Feast of Tabernacles (John 7:2) and the Feast of Dedication (10:22) in Jerusalem, probably during the early period of the ministry. At these times Jesus taught in the temple area and spoke with the religious leaders. The chief priests were troubled and sent officers to arrest him (7:32), but the officers didn’t arrest him. They were amazed by his teachings. More discussions followed, and the Jewish leaders claimed Jesus was demon-possessed (8:48). Both in this case and when Jesus healed the blind man, their hostility grew (chapter 9). When Jesus spoke of himself as being the Shepherd they got very angry, and took up stones to kill him (10:31).
Teaching in Parables
Matthew’s Gospel gives a sample of a continuous discourse by Jesus (Matthew 5:1–7:29), but Jesus more often spoke in parables. Matthew grouped together some of the parables that concern the theme of the kingdom (chapter 13). Luke kept parables of a different kind that are not specially linked to the kingdom. Mark has the least number of parables among the Synoptic Gospels, but his writing shows little interest in Jesus as a teacher. John does not relate any parables, although he does preserve two allegories—the sheep pen and the vine—which could be regarded as extended parables. Jesus typically taught in parables. In addition, he often used metaphors in his discourses, which resembled parables. The parable was valuable because it could stimulate thought and challenge the hearer. This is because parables are easier to keep in mind. Jesus did not speak in parables to hide his meaning. This would be contrary to all that he aimed to do through his work and teaching.
Significant Events in Galilee
In Nazareth, his hometown, people were so hostile and unwilling to respond to his ministry that Jesus could perform very few miracles there (Matthew 13:53–58; Mark 6:1–6). This is important because it shows that faith was necessary for people to receive his healing miracles.
There is one miracle performed by Jesus that all four Evangelists describe: the feeding of the 5,000 (Matthew 14:13–21; Mark 6:30–44; Luke 9:10–17; John 6:1–15). Jesus was very popular at this stage of his ministry and cared for the physical needs of people. After this miracle, some wanted to make Jesus king. They were more concerned with material things and politics than they were with spiritual truth. This is why Jesus immediately withdrew from them. When the people found him the next day, he went on to instruct them about the spiritual bread that comes from heaven (John 6:25–40).
At this point in John’s Gospel, Jesus is often seen having discussions with his opponents. This style of teaching is different from the synoptic parables but familiar in Jewish-style debate. Many of the people found the spiritual themes in the teaching of Jesus too difficult to accept and consequently stopped being his disciples (John 6:51–52, 60, 66). Jesus and his teaching were uniquely challenging. Another miracle closely linked with this is when Jesus walked on the water, demonstrating his power in the natural world. Many have sought to explain the event by supposing that Jesus was really walking on the shore, and that the disciples did not realize it. But such a miracle is no different than the massive multiplication of loaves and fishes, and is perfectly possible if Jesus is who he claimed to be.
Leaving Northern Galilee
Jesus spent a brief time in the region of Tyre and Sidon, where he healed more people and made it clear that his main mission was to the house of Israel (Matthew 15:21–28). He then moved on to Caesarea Philippi; this was the turning point of his ministry (Matthew 16:13–20; Mark 8:27–38; Luke 9:18–27). It was there that Jesus asked his disciples: “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” This caused Peter to confess: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” This impressive confession led Jesus to promise that he would build his church on “this rock.” There has been much discussion about the meaning of this saying, and whether Jesus intended to build his church on Peter, on his confession, or on Peter making the confession. Historically, Peter was used by God to bring both Jews and Gentiles into the church (Acts 2, 10). There is no doubt about Jesus’s intention to found a church, since the word occurs again in Matthew 18:17. Despite the glorious revelation of Jesus on this occasion, he took it as an opportunity to begin to inform his disciples of his death and resurrection (Matthew 16:21–23).
This revelation of Jesus was considerably reinforced by the event known as the Transfiguration, when Jesus was transformed in the presence of three of his disciples (Matthew 17:1–8). Its purpose was to show the three leading disciples something of the nature of Jesus. Also, Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus, as representatives of the Law and the Prophets.
After the Transfiguration, Jesus made two predictions concerning his approaching death. These announcements were a total mystery to the disciples. In Matthew 16, when Jesus mentioned his death, Peter attempted to rebuke Jesus and was rebuked by Jesus in turn. When Jesus mentioned his death again in chapter 17, Matthew noted that the disciples were greatly distressed (Matthew 17:23), while Mark and Luke mentioned the disciples’ lack of understanding (Mark 9:32; Luke 9:45). Jesus was approaching the cross with no support from those closest to him. It is not surprising that when the hour arrived they all forsook him.
The Transfiguration revealed that Jesus was greater than Moses and Elijah and in fact was the beloved Son of God. After that, he was asked to pay the temple tax (Matthew 17:24–27). This illustrates the attitude of Jesus toward the authorities and practical responsibilities. He paid the tax, although he did not acknowledge any obligation to do so. The method of payment was extraordinary, for it involved the miracle of the coin in the fish. More importantly, this shows Jesus’s independence from Jewish law.
More than half of Luke's Gospel concerns the period that begins with Jesus leaving Galilee, and ends with his death and resurrection in Jerusalem. In this section, Luke introduces a lot of information that is not found in the other gospels. We will summarize some of the more striking items that throw light on the life of Jesus:
In addition to the mission of the Twelve, Luke records the mission of the Seventy (or Seventy-two—see Luke 10:17–20). Special parables are recorded by Luke in this section—the good Samaritan (verses 29–37), the lost sheep (15:3–7), the lost coin (verses 8–10), and the prodigal son (verses 11–32). As Jesus moved toward Jerusalem, he was concerned with developing the spiritual life of his disciples. He was mindful of the fact that he would not be with them long and wished to prepare them for the future. He taught them about prayer (11:1–13), the Father’s care for them (12:13–34), and preparation for the coming of the Son of Man (verses 35–56).
On the Way to Jerusalem
On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus visited both Jericho and Bethany. At Jericho, he healed Bartimaeus (Luke 18:35–43) and met Zacchaeus, who reformed his ways as a tax collector (19:1–10). Bethany was the home of Mary, Martha, and their brother, Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised from the dead (John 11). Jesus spent his last days in Jerusalem but stayed each night at Simon the Leper’s house in Bethany with those who loved him (Matthew 26:6). There, a woman anointed him with an expensive perfume. This was controversial and prophetic, preparing Jesus for his burial, and enhancing the gospel with loving dedication (verses 6–13).
The Final Days in Jerusalem
All four gospels describe Jesus entering Jerusalem (Matthew 21:1–11; Mark 11:1–10; Luke 19:29–38; John 12:12–15). Multitudes greeted Jesus, celebrating him as their king. This stands in stark contrast with the crowd’s later cry for his crucifixion.
In the Synoptic Gospels, the cleansing of the temple is the first main event following Jesus’s entry into the city (Matthew 21:12–13; Mark 11:15–17; Luke 19:45–46). Jesus’s audacity when clearing out the money changers from the temple area was too much for the authorities (Mark 11:18; Luke 19:47). They decided to kill him. The time of his crucifixion was getting closer.
During this period further controversies developed between Jesus and the Pharisees and Sadducees (Matthew 21:23–22:45). They tried to trick Jesus with several questions, but he very skillfully turned their questions against them. In the end, no one dared to ask him any more questions (22:46).
Jesus’s final hour was getting closer. Jesus instructed his disciples about future events, in particular the end of the world. He firmly restated his return, and mentioned various signs that would precede it (Matthew 24–25; Mark 13; Luke 21). His goal was to challenge the disciples to be watchful (Matthew 25:13) and diligent (verses 14–30). This section prepares the way for the events of the arrest, the trial, the scourging, and the cross-carrying and crucifixion that would follow. But we must first note the importance of the Last Supper.
On the night before he died, Jesus sat at a table with his disciples. He gave them an easy way to grasp the meaning of his death in the bread and wine, two basic elements of everyday life (Matthew 26:26–30; Mark 14:22–25; Luke 22:19–20; 1 Corinthians 11:23–26). This was meant to remind them that his body would be broken and that his blood would be poured out for others. Jesus had to provide this reminder that his sacrificial death would seal a completely new covenant. It was meant to be a true reminder to help the church remember the central importance of the cross.
John’s Gospel does not record the institution of the Last Supper. However, it does record when Jesus washed the feet of the disciples as an example of humility (John 13:1–20). He emphasized to the disciples the principle of service to others. John continues with a series of teachings Jesus gave on the eve of the Passion (chapters 14–16). The most important feature of this teaching was the promise of the coming of the Holy Spirit to the disciples after Jesus had gone. Despite his approaching death, Jesus showed himself more concerned about his disciples than about himself. We can see this in his prayer in John 17. All the Evangelists refer in advance to the betrayal by Judas (Matthew 26:21–25; Mark 14:18–21; Luke 22:21–23; John 13:21–30), thus preparing the readers for what is about to unfold.
The Betrayal and Arrest
In a sense, the whole gospel story has been working up to a climax of rejection. Jesus would soon lose his popular support and his opponents seemed in control. In John’s Gospel the climax is expressed with the words “his hour” (John 13:1). The betrayal and arrest are part of a larger plan. After the Last Supper, Jesus went straight from the upper room to the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36–46; Mark 14:32–42; Luke 22:40–46). He prayed to his Father with deep intensity and agony. This gives us a glimpse of what it cost Jesus to identify himself with humanity's needs. He prayed for the cup of suffering to pass from him but at the same time submitted to the Father’s will. The three disciples he took with him all fell asleep. The disciple who betrayed him appeared at the gates leading the group who would arrest him. Jesus confronts Judas with amazing dignity, calling him “friend” (Matthew 26:50). Jesus did not resist his arrest, and called out the crowd of people for their swords and clubs (verse 55).
The Trial
Jesus was first taken to the house of Annas, one of the high priests, for a first examination (John 18:13). During his trial, he was mocked by his enemies. His disciple Peter denied him three times (Matthew 26:69–75; Mark 14:66–72; Luke 22:54–62; John 18:15–27), as Jesus predicted he would (Matthew 26:34; Mark 14:30; John 13:38). Caiaphas presided over the official trial with the Sanhedrin. He was puzzled at first when Jesus refused to speak. Jesus predicted that the Son of Man would come on the clouds of heaven, which was enough to make the high priest charge him with blasphemy (Mark 14:62–64). Jesus remained calm and dignified despite being spat upon and struck on the face. He showed how much greater he was than those who were treating him with disrespect.
The further examinations before Pilate (Matthew 27:1–2; Mark 15:1; Luke 23:1; John 18:28) and Herod (Luke 23:7–12) were also examples of unfair justice. Jesus did not answer when asked about the charges before either Pilate (Matthew 27:14) or Herod (Luke 23:9). He remained majestically silent, except to make a comment to Pilate about the true nature of his kingship (John 18:33–38). The pathetic governor declared Jesus innocent, offered the crowds the release of either Jesus or Barabbas, and then publicly disclaimed responsibility by washing his hands. Pilate then cruelly scourged Jesus and handed him over to be crucified.
The Crucifixion
Jesus's death on the cross demonstrates humankind's inhuman treatment of one another. Even Jesus Christ—the true example of what it means to be human—was treated with cruelty. The soldiers mocked Jesus (Matthew 27:27–30), and mixed a royal robe with a hurtful crown of thorns (Mark 15:17). They forced a passerby to carry the cross (Luke 23:26) and then cruelly nailed Jesus to the cross. The soldiers carelessly cast lots for his clothes (John 19:23–24), and arrogantly challenged Jesus to use his power to escape (Matthew 27:40–44). All these actions expose the cruelty of Jesus’s opponents. Yet, Jesus is concerned for the repentant criminal who was crucified with him (Luke 23:39–43), for his mother (John 19:25–27), for those responsible for the crucifixion as he prays for their forgiveness (Luke 23:34) and cries his final triumphant cry (Mark 15:37). All of this shows a nobility that strongly contrasted with the meanness of those around him. A few witnesses of Jesus's death on the cross demonstrated a clearer understanding, like the centurion who was convinced of Jesus’s innocence (Mark 15:39), or like the women who followed him and stood at a distance (Matthew 27:55–56). There was one dark moment for Jesus when he cried out about how he felt forsaken (Mark 15:34). And there was darkness and an earthquake, as if nature itself recognized the meaningfulness of the event. Even the temple veil was torn in two, as if it had no longer any right to block the way into the holy of holies (Matthew 27:51).
The Burial, Resurrection, and Ascension
Jesus’s body was placed in a tomb that belonged to Joseph of Arimathea. Joseph prepared the body for burial with the help of Nicodemus (Matthew 27:57–60; John 19:39). But the tomb played only a secondary part in the resurrection. The Evangelists concentrate on the appearances of Jesus not only on the day of resurrection but also afterwards. The disciples were convinced that Jesus was alive. Some, like Thomas, had doubts to overcome (John 20:24–29). Others, like John, were more ready to believe when they saw the empty tomb (verses 2–10). The fact that the first to see the risen Lord was a woman, Mary Magdalene, is meaningful (Matthew 27:61; 28:1, 5–9). Her presence at the cross put to shame those disciples who had run away (Matthew 26:56; John 19:25).
Jesus was in a human form despite being in a glorified and risen state. Yet, the disciples did not recognize him immediately (John 20:15–16). The disciples were eventually able to recognize the risen Jesus as the man they had known before. His appearances were occasions of both joy and instruction (compare Luke 24:44 and Acts 1:3). The resurrection, in fact, had transformed the crucifixion from a tragedy into a triumph. Forty days after his resurrection, Jesus went up into heaven to join his Father in glory (Luke 24:51; John 20:17; Acts 1:9–11).