The Ministry of Jesus

The Ministry of Jesus



One purpose of this timeline is to show that all 4 Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) are in complete harmony with each other even though they were written from 4 totally different perspectives, but the most important purpose is to show how much God really loves us.

The healing and preaching ministry of Jesus lasted only 3 1/2 years.  (This was predicted in the prophecy of Daniel 9 and is shown on the Daniel 8 & 9 Timeline.)  The Devil had falsely accused God of being unfair, unkind, unloving and unjust.  Jesus' focus was to show God's true character to everyone; to show that God's character was very fair, very kind, very loving and very just.

"It would be well for us to spend a thoughtful hour each day in contemplation of the life of Christ. We should take it point by point, and let the imagination grasp each scene, especially the closing ones. As we thus dwell upon His great sacrifice for us, our confidence in Him will be more constant, our love will be quickened, and we shall be more deeply imbued with His spirit. If we would be saved at last, we must learn the lesson of penitence and humiliation at the foot of the cross."
The Desire of Ages, page 83

"Many of the words and acts of Jesus appear mysterious to finite minds, but every word and act had its definite purpose in the work for our redemption; each was calculated to produce its own result."
The Desire of Ages, page 393
"When the Savior began His ministry, the popular conception of the Messiah and His work was such as wholly unfitted the people to receive Him. The spirit of true devotion had been lost in tradition and ceremonialism, and the prophecies were interpreted at the dictate of proud, world-loving hearts."
Thoughts from the Mount of Blessings, page 1

All of Jesus' ministry was spent for the good of people.  Even when He drove the animal dealers and "money changers" from the Temple, He was doing it for the good of all people, even for the good of those He drove out.  (They were just interested in money, but He wanted to give them something far better; eternal life and real happiness.)

"Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.' 1 Corinthians 3:11. 'Upon this rock,' said Jesus, 'I will build My church.' In the presence of God, and all the heavenly intelligences, in the presence of the unseen army of hell, Christ founded His church upon the living Rock. That Rock is Himself,--His own body, for us broken and bruised. Against the church built upon this foundation, the gates of hell shall not prevail."

"For six thousand years, faith has built upon Christ. For six thousand years the floods and tempests of satanic wrath have beaten upon the Rock of our salvation; but it stands unmoved."  (Quotes from the book The Desire of Ages, page 413.)

Another purpose of this timeline is to assist you as you try to "visualize" when one event happened in relation to another.  Of course, only a few of the events in the ministry of Jesus are on this timeline, but there are enough to help us see a little of God's love and to help us realize a little of what Jesus went through just to save us from the results of sin.

(To read about the life of Jesus from birth to resurrection and ascension in a story format read it free here: The Desire of Ages.  Many people feel that this is the best book on the life of Christ that has ever been written.)