by Richard W. LaFountain

Jesus was raised in the city of Nazareth in the Province of Galilee, and was a carpenter until about 30 years of age. He began his ministry by going to Judea to the Jordan river to be baptised by John. John the Baptist was preaching in the wilderness of Judea (Matthew 3:1) and baptizing in the Jordan River (Matthew 3:13).

There are 9 steps:

The year of Preparation is not the very next year after Jesus' trip to Jerusalem at the age of 12 years. (See Luke 2:41-50) The years after this visit to Jerusalem are years of obscurity and silence. We do not know what Jesus was doing during this time but we can discern a few facts from Scriptures that we have.

Luke 3:23 tells us he began his ministry, the Year of Preparation, when he began to be about 30 years old.

Matthew 13:55 tells us that Joseph and Mary lived in Nazareth and Joseph was a carpenter. We also learn that Jesus had brothers and sisters. His brothers are named, James, Joses, Simon and Judas. So why do you think the Catholic church teaches that Mary had no other children?

Mark 6:3 Teaches us further that Jesus, himself was known as a carpenter in Nazareth, that he had four brothers, James, Joses, Simon and Judas.

John 7:15 (in a later year of ministry) the people of Jerusalem question Jesus' knowledge of letters "having never learned." We may deduce from this and other passages that Jesus was not schooled in the Rabinical school or trained to be a Rabbi or a Scribe. As we saw at age 12 his learning was on his own, not in formal schools.

Luke 4:16 we find Jesus in the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as his custom was, in the city of Nazareth where he was brought up.

Luke 4:28-31 records Jesus last act in his home town when he was rejected by those who knew him best, and was actually thrown out of town, and almost murdered by a mob. He left Nazareth and went to Capernaum.

What other bits of information about the early years of Jesus can you glean from the Scriptures? The baptism of Jesus was the initiatory act that launched him into His ministry. Jesus traveled south some 70 miles to the Jordan River where his cousin John the Baptist was preaching and baptizing. Up to that time Jesus seemed content to follow the preaching ministry of John with the crowds that followed him. (Matthew 3:1-12/ Mark 1:1-13/ Luke 3:1-22)

Prior to his ministry Jesus visited John's evangelistic crusade in the wilderness of Judea near Jerusalem and along the Jordan river where he baptized. John was baptizing on both banks of the River which put him in the Provinces of Judea and Perea.

(Identify this region on the map. Locate on the Map the place where John was Baptizing. It was known as Bethabara. HINT: A topigraphical map can be a tremendous help to visualizing the terrain in which these events took place.)

There are three events that took place here that are important to the ministry of Jesus.

1. His baptism
2. His anointing/filling of the Holy Spirit
3. His temptation in the wilderness.

Is there anything missing?

Is anything out of sequence?

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