S. Michael Houdmann Supporter Got Questions Ministries

According to Luke 3:1, John the Baptist began his ministry in the 15th year of Tiberius Caesar's reign. Tiberius was appointed as co-regent with Augustus in AD 11, and 15 years later would be AD 26...

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July 01 2013 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Hairy Animals Supporter

The common interpretation is that Jesus' ministry was 3 years. But this has never been proven, and the Scriptures do not mention it. Thus we still are not sure how long Jesus' ministry was, but why does it matter? What matters is that He was crucified for our sins, not how long His ministry was.

September 16 2014 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report

John Appelt Supporter

Various lengths have been suggested for the public ministry of Jesus, ranging from 1 to 3½ years. But the Scriptures give a closer span of time.

In his gospel, John mentions three Passovers. They are as follows:
Passover #1 – John 2:13 at the beginning of ministry
Passover #2 – John 6:4
Passover #3 – John 11:55 at the crucifixion

John carefully and clearly identifies each of them as Passovers, so there is no doubt that they are specifically Passovers. This also means that there are no other Passovers in John’s gospel. 

Some claim John 5:1 may be a Passover, but it is called “a feast of the Jews,” which most commentators assert is not the way the Passover would be referred to. Whatever this feast is, it is followed not too long after by the Passover of John 6:4, so, it cannot be a Passover. The best explanation for this holiday would be Purim because it was the only feast to fall on the Sabbath between AD 25 and AD 35. Also, it is observed 30 days before Passover which fits the chronology in these chapters. 

Attempts have been made to insert another Passover somewhere between John 4:54 and 11:55, especially between chapters 4 and 7. And some try to switch chapters 5 and 6 to fit one in. But there is no room for one. None can fit without seriously affecting the flow of the narrative. The phrases such as “after these things” used several times and other references such as “on the following day” tie the events closely together. Besides, John’s gospel strictly follows the chronology throughout. 

Between the second and third Passovers are two specifically mentioned feasts that fit the flow. John 7:2 states the nearness of the “Feast of Tabernacles” which is celebrated seven months after Passover. At this feast Jesus referred to a recent event, several months before. In John 7:23 He mentions the healing of the man on the Sabbath which could only refer to John 5:1-8. 

The next feast is the Feast of Dedication, found in John 10:22. Also known as Hanukkah, it commemorated the restoration and rededication of the temple after Antiochus Epiphanes desecrated it in 167 BC, and the miraculous 1-day oil supply lasting 8 days. It is celebrated in December, just a couple of months after the Feast of Tabernacles.

Then, there is the Passover in John 11:55 which is the last in the book. It would be the one that would see the Lord becoming our Passover, I Corinthians 5:7.

The Feasts mentioned in John 5-11:

1st Passover, John 2:23, April
Purim as supposed, John 5:1, March
2nd Passover John 6:4, April
Tabernacles, John 7:2, October
Dedication/Hanukkah John10:22, December
3rd Passover John 11:55, April

Because of this, the public ministry of Jesus could not be as short as one year, nor could it be as long as 3½ years. But the length, as some of the earliest Christian writers noted, is most likely about 2 to 2½ years.

March 09 2022 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Jeffrey Johnson Supporter

How long was Jesus' ministry?

Jesus's public ministry is traditionally believed to have lasted about three to three and a half years, a duration most often cited by scholars who base their conclusions on the Gospel of John's references to multiple Passover festivals. This is the most widely accepted timeframe, supported by the Gospel of John, which mentions Jesus attending the Passover festival in Jerusalem at least three times after the beginning of his ministry. 

Time of Birth, Length of Ministry. Jesus evidently was born in the month of Ethanim (September-October) of the year 2 B.C.E., was baptised about the same time of the year in 29 C.E., and died about 3:00 p.m. on Friday, the 14th day of the spring month of Nisan (March-April), 33 C.E. The basis for these dates is as follows:

Jesus was born approximately six months after the birth of his relative John (the Baptizer), during the rule of Roman Emperor Caesar Augustus (31 B.C.E.–14 C.E.) and the Syrian governorship of Quirinius and toward the close of the reign of Herod the Great over Judea.​—Mt 2:1, 13, 20-22; Lu 1:24-31, 36; 2:1, 2, 7.

Jesus' ministry lasted three and a half years, ending with his death at Passover time, which would require that period to include four Passovers in all. Evidence for these four Passovers is found at John 2:13, 5:1, 6:4, and 13:1. John 5:1 does not explicitly mention the Passover. There is, however, a good reason to believe this refers to the Passover rather than to any other of the annual festivals.

In John 4:35, Jesus is mentioned as saying that there were "yet four months before the harvest." The harvest season, particularly the barley harvest, began around Passover time (Nisan 14). Jesus' statement was made four months before that, or about the month of Chislev (November-December).

The extensive activity of Jesus as recorded by these other evangelists (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) lends weight to the conclusion that an annual Passover did indeed intervene between those recorded in John 2:13 and 6:4.

Conclusion:

Since Jesus' death occurred in the spring month of Nisan, his ministry, which began three and a half years earlier according to Daniel 9:24-27, must have started in the fall, around the month of Ethanim (September-October). John's ministry (initiated in Tiberius' 15th year), then, must have begun in the spring of the year 29 C.E. John's birth therefore would be placed in the spring of the year 2 B.C.E., Jesus' birth would come about six months later in the fall of 2 B.C.E., his ministry would start about 30 years later in the fall of 29 C.E., and his death would come in the year 33 C.E. (on Nisan 14 in the spring).

6 days ago • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report