The Life of Jesus—Thirty Years of Preparation

New Testament Division—Second Period

The Life of Jesus may be considered under five subdivisions: Silence, Obscurity, Popularity, Opposition, The Passion Week.

Thirty Years of Silence.—The Bible narrative tells but little of these early years; but one public utterance of Jesus is referred to until he was thirty years of age.

NOTE.—The harmony of the four Gospels used in the following chapters is not intended to be memorized. It is placed here in order to familiarize the pupil with its use, and to afford a ready means to locate the events in the Life of Jesus.

EventsMatthewMarkLukeJohn
Introduction....1:11:1-41:1-18
The Genealogies.1:1-17...3:23-38
Appearance of an Angel to Zacharias.......1:5-25
An Angel Appears to Mary, Annunciation.......1:26-38
Mary Visits Elisabeth.......1:39-56
Birth of John the Baptist.......1:57-80
An Angel Appears to Joseph.1:18-25
The Birth of Jesus, etc.......2:1-21
Presentation in the Temple (1, 2).......2:22-38
Visit of the Magi.2:1-12
Flight into Egypt, etc. (3).2:13-18
Return to Nazareth (4).2:19-23...2:39, 40
Jesus Goes to the Passover (5, 6).......2:41-52
Ministry of John the Baptist.3:1-121:2-83:1-18

(The harmony reproduced here is taken from Professor Riddle's Outline Harmony of the Gospels; and the Journey Maps are reproduced from Arnold's Chart of Christ's Journeyings and Chart of Paul's Journeyings.)

TIME.—5 B. C. to A. D. 26.

PLACES.—Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Egypt, Nazareth.

Copyright, 1898, by John D. Wattles & Co.

The figures attached to the journeys refer to [events mentioned in the first column on the opposite page]. A method for using these Journey maps is suggested in the section entitled Teaching Hints, in the [Appendix].

SIGNIFICANCE OF EVENTS.—The fulfilment of prophecy is strikingly shown in the events surrounding the coming of Christ and the preparation for his ministry; and the preaching of John the Baptist epitomized the message which Jesus was about to proclaim.