As we begin a new year and the study of the New Testament, it is helpful to have an outline of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. The events contained in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John can be divided into 11 periods of Christ’s life. In addition to listing the periods, the Savior’s 25 major discourses are identified.
Period 1: Christ’s Nativity and Preparation
(From the birth of John the Baptist to the beginning of John’s ministry)
Dates: 7 B.C. to A.D. 20
References: Matthew 1-2: Luke 1-2, 3:23-38; John 1:1-14
The birth of John the Baptist
The birth of Jesus the Christ
The flight to Egypt
The death of Herod the Great
The division of Herod’s kingdom
Period 2: Christ’s Preliminary Ministry
(From the beginning of John’s ministry to the first Passover of Christ’s ministry)
Dates: Summer, A.D. 26 to March or April A.D. 27
References: Matthew 3-4:11; Mark 1:1-13; Luke 3-4:13; John 1:15-2:12
The baptism of Jesus
His temptation in the wilderness
John the Baptist’s testimony of Jesus
The calling of John, Peter, Andrew, Philip, and Nathanael
The marriage feast in Cana
Period 3: Christ’s Early Judean Ministry
(From the first Passover of Christ’s ministry to his return to Galilee)
Dates: April A.D. 27 to December A.D. 27
References: Matthew 4:12; Mark 1:14; Luke 4:14; John 2:13-4:45
The first Passover of Christ’s ministry
The cleansing of the temple
Discourse 1: Jesus’ teachings to Nicodemus [John 3:1-21]
Jesus taught and gained many converts in Judea
Discourse 2: Jesus taught the Samaritan woman [John 4:5-27]
Period 4: Christ’s Early Galilean Ministry
(From Christ’s return to Cana through the calling of the Twelve to the second Passover)
Dates: December A.D. 27 to April A.D. 28
References: Matthew 4:13-8:4. 8:14-17, 9:2-17, 10:1-42, 12:1-21; Mark 1:15-3:19; Luke 4:14-6:49; John 4:46-5:47
Jesus healed the nobleman’s son
Jesus was rejected at Nazareth and made Capernaum his home
Discourse 3: The Lord’s sermon in the Synagogue at Nazareth [Luke 4:16-28]
Jesus healed a man lowered through the roof
The feast at Matthew’s home
Conflict with the Pharisees concerning the Sabbath
Jesus called and ordained 12 Apostles
Discourse 4: Jesus gave his Sermon on the Mount [Matthew 5:1-7:29]
Discourse 5: Jesus taught his Sermon on the Plain [Luke 6:17-49]
Jesus attended a feast in Jerusalem and healed a man at the Pool of Bethesda
Discourse 6: Christ’s rebuke to the Jews near the Pool of Bethesda [John 5:17-47]
Period 5: Christ’s Great Galilean Ministry
(From after the second Passover to the time of the third Passover)
Dates: April A.D. 28 to April A.D. 29
References: Matthew 8:5-13, 8:18-19:1, 9:18-33, 35-38, 11:1-30′ 12:22-13:52, 13:54-14:36; Mark 3:22-6:56; Luke 7:1-9:17; John 6:1-71
Jesus preached throughout Galilee
Jesus healed the Centurian’s servant
Jesus raised the son of the widow of Nain
Discourse 7: Jesus spoke about John the Baptist [Mathew 11:7-30, Luke 7:24-35]
Jesus ate with Simon the Pharisee
Discourse 8: A rebuttal to the false accusation of the Pharisees [Matthew 12:25-45]
Jesus gave his burial as a sign
Discourse 9: Christ’s first Great Day of Parables [Matthew 13:3-52, Mark 4:3-32, Luke 8:5-18]
Jesus raised the daughter of Jairus
Jesus sent forth the Twelve to preach
Discourse 10: Jesus’ instructions to His 12 Apostles [Matthew 10:1-42, Mark 6:7-13, Luke 9:1-6]
Herod slew John the Baptist
Jesus fed the 5,000
Jesus walked on the water
Discourse 11: Jesus’ sermon on the Bread of Life [John 6:25-69]
Many of Jesus’s followers left him
Period 6: Christ’s Ministry to Phoenicia, Northern Judea and the Decapolis
(From Christ’s Visit to Phoenicia to the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem)
Date: April A.D. 29 to October A.D. 29
References: Matthew 15:1-18:35, Mark 7:1-9:50, Luke 9:18-62, John 7:1-10
Jesus rebuked the Pharisees about their traditions
Jesus visited Tyre, Sidon, and the Decapolis
Jesus fed the 4,000
Peter’s testimony of Christ
The Transfiguration of Jesus
The fish with tribute money in its mouth
Discourse 12: Jesus taught to become as a little child [Matthew 18:1-20; Mark 9:33-37, 10:11-12; Luke 9:46-48
Period 7: Christ’s Late Judean Ministry
(From the Feast of Tabernacles to the Feast of Dedication)
Dates: October A.D. 29 to December A.D. 29
References: Luke 10:1-13:22, John 7:11-10:39
Jesus taught in the Temple at the Feast of Tabernacles
Discourse 13: Christ’s teachings are the doctrines of God the Father [John 7:16-39]
Jesus healed a blind man whom the Pharisees questioned
Discourse 14: Christ’s debate with the Scribes and Pharisees [John 8:12-59]
Discourse 15: Christ is the good Shepherd, the door to salvation [John 10:1-18]
Jesus sent the Seventy forth to preach
Jesus told the lawyer how to gain eternal life
Jesus visited Mary and Martha
Discourse 16: Let your eye be single to God [Luke 11:17-52]
Jesus ate with a Pharisee and reproved the Pharisees and lawyers
Discourse 17: Trust in God, prepare for the Lord’s Coming [Luke 12:1-59]
Jesus escaped stoning at the Feast of Dedication
Period 8: Christ’s Ministry in Batanea and Peraea
(From after the Feast of Dedication to Christ’s arrival in Bethany before the Passover)
Dates: January A.D. 30 to April A.D. 30
References: Matthew 19:1-20:30, Mark 10:1-52, Luke 13:23-19:28, John 10:39-12:1
Jesus went across the Jordan into Batanea
Discourse 18: Jesus taught concerning humility to the Pharisees [Luke 14:3-24]
Discourse 19: The second Great Day of Parables [Luke 14:25-17:10]
Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead
Jesus went into seclusion in the city of Ephraim
Jesus prophesied of His coming in glory
Jesus’s final circuit: Samaria, Galilee, Batanea, Peraea, Jerusalem
Discourse 20: Requirements for inheriting eternal life [Luke 17:20-18:30]
Jesus answered questions about divorce and eternal life
Jesus healed blind Bartimaeus
Jesus called Zacchaeus down from a tree
Period 9: Christ’s Preparation for His Atoning Sacrifice
(From His triumphal entry into Jerusalem to His arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane)
Dates: Sunday, April 2 A.D. 30 to Thursday, April 6, A.D. 30
References: Matthew 21:1-26:56, Mark 11:1-14:52, Luke 19:29-22:53, John 12:2-18:13
Jesus’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem
Jesus’s second cleansing of the Temple
Discourse 21: Jesus’ 2nd Great Day of Parables [Matt. 21:23-23:39, Mark 11:27-12:40, Luke 20:1-47]
A voice answered Jesus from heaven
Discourse 22: Christ will die to draw all men to Him [John 12:20-36]
Discourse 23: Jesus’s great prophecy of the last days [Matthew 24:3-25:46, Mark 13:1-4, Luke 21:7]
Jesus and the Twelve ate the last supper
Discourse 24: Jesus taught His Apostles about the Comforter [John 14:1-16:33]
Discourse 25: Jesus prayed for His followers [John 17:1-26]
Jesus suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane
Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss
Period 10: Christ’s Trial, Crucificion and Burial
(From Christ’s appearance before Annas to His burial)
Dates: Early Friday morning, April 7 A.D. to early Sunday morning, April 9, A.D. 30
References: Matthew 26:57-27:66, Mark 14:53-15:47, Luke 22:64-23:56, John 18:13-19:42
Jesus was taken to Annas
Jesus was pronounced guilty of death by Caiaphas
Peter thrice betrayed the Savior
The Sanhedrin formalized the verdict
Pilate sent Jesus to Herod Antipas
Pilate sentenced Jesus to death
Jesus was crucified and buried
Period 11: Christ’s Resurrection and Ascension
(From the opening of Jesus’s tomb through his ascension into heaven)
Dates: Sunday, April 9 A.D. 30 to Thursday, May 18 A.D. 30)
References: Matthew 28:1-20, Mark 16:1-19, Luke 24:1-53, John 20:1-21:25, Acts 1:1-12, 1 Corinthians 15:5-7
An earthquake and an angel opened Jesus’s tomb
Many saints were resurrected and seen in Jerusalem
The women saw angels in the tomb
Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene
The Priests bribed the guards to lie
Jesus appeared to His disciples in Emmaus
Jesus appeared to His disciples in Jerusalem
Jesus appeared to His disciples in Galilee
Jesus ascended into heaven
Classes in the Davis School District Community Education Progam
If you are located in Davis County, I invite you to consider attending the classes I will be teaching this Winter and Spring. The four classes are listed below. To register, go to www.https://canyonheights.davis.k12.ut.us/community-schools. All the classes are taught at Woods Cross High School, which is located at 600 West 2200 South in Woods Cross, Utah.
BEYOND THE VEIL INSIGHTS
Taught by Duane S. Crowther at Woods Cross High School (Crowtherclasses@gmail.com) Many thousands of people, world-wide, have recorded near-death experiences in which they’ve been shown views of after-death and pre-mortal happenings. The author of “Life Everlasting: A Definitive Study of Life After Death,” will share valuable insights while describing life in, and communications from, the Spirit World.
1/17 TU 6-7 pm $59 6 wks. Ends February 14.
3/21 TU 6-7 pm $59 6 wks. Ends April 25.
SCRIPTURAL LAST-DAYS EVENTS EXPLAINED
Taught by Duane S. Crowther at Woods Cross High School (Crowtherclasses@gmail.com) Understanding inspired scriptural prophecies is the key to recognizing and preparing for the many future events. These classes will help you identify, understand, and anticipate future world-wide happenings that will occur—events from the present till the end of this planet earth. The instructor is the author of “Prophecy—Key to the Future” and “Prophets & Prophecies of the Old Testament.”
1/17 TU 7:15-8:15 pm $59 6 wks. Ends February 14.
3/21 TU 7:15-8:15 pm $59 6 wks. Ends April 25.
THE DISCOURSES & PARABLES OF JESUS
Taught by Duane S. Crowther at Woods Cross High School (Crowtherclasses@gmail.com) 25 discourses spoken by Jesus Christ and more than 40 parables He related will be identified in the New Testament and briefly summarized, placing them in their scriptural contexts. They will be approached from an historical perspective—this will be a non-preaching class. The instructor is the author of “Jesus of Nazareth—Savior and King.”
1/19 TH 6-7 pm $59 6 wks Ends February 23.
3/23 TH 6-7 pm $59 6 wks Ends April 27.
BOOK OF MORMON GEOGRAPHY
Taught by Duane S. Crowther at Woods Cross High School (Crowtherclasses@gmail.com) Where are the lands in which the Book of Mormon took place? The book contains dozens of clues which answer the question. When all those clues are linked together and considered in depth, there’s only one place that fills all of them—in Central America! This non-preaching class reviews Book of Mormon history as it discusses those clues. The instructor is the author of “How to Understand the Book of Mormon.”
