How long was Jesus’ public ministry, and when did it begin? Both Matthew and Mark seem to have Jesus’ public ministry begin after John’s imprisonment (Matthew 4:12; Mark 1:14), and the Gospel of John lists only three Passovers, which, if this is all there was, would make Jesus’ ministry not less than two, and no more than three years long. Is it possible to be more conclusive?
Jesus’ first Passover during his public ministry is mentioned in John 2:13, and this one was just prior to John the Baptizer’s imprisonment (cp. John 3:24). The next Passover recorded in John’s Gospel occurs after John’s death (John 6:4), when Jesus fed the 5000 with five loaves of unleavened bread and two fish. Matthew puts this miracle immediately after Herod beheaded John (Matthew 14:12-21). The final Passover that is recorded in the Gospel of John is mentioned also in the three Synoptic narratives, and that is the one, when Jesus was crucified. Since Luke shows Jesus ministry had already begun prior to John’s first Passover (Luke 4:16), and that his disciples walked in the fields picking and eating grain (Luke 6:1), he must have begun his ministry about the time of harvest in the 7th month of the year prior to Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem in John 2:13. Therefore, Matthew 4:12 and Mark 1:14 must occur about the time of healing the centurion’s servant (Luke 7:1-10), which occurred after Jesus fled Judea through Samaria, and sometime after entering Galilee, when he healed the nobleman’s son (John 4:46-54).
Thus, a careful comparison of all four texts shows agreement that Jesus’ ministry began about nine months prior to John’s imprisonment, which occurred near Pentecost of 28 AD. Notice, also, that the Synoptics have Jesus being immediately driven into the wilderness after his baptism and tempted there for 40 days (Matthew 4:1-2; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-2), but John won’t allow such an interpretation. The problem is that John has Jesus in Galilee as a guest at a wedding in Cana only three to six days after leaving John the Baptizer along the Jordan River (John 1:35, 43; 2:1). This seeming contradiction is resolved, if we interpret the wilderness not as a physical desert, as so many believe, but as a wilderness of people (cp. Ezekiel 20:35). Thus, the 40 days of temptation is fulfilled in the rejection of Jesus and his Gospel of the Kingdom by the Jewish authorities in Galilee (Luke 4:16 to the end of Luke 6), or about the end of the Feast of Tabernacles 27 AD (cir. our October).
John marks out the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry and places it between two signs (G4592) or miracles: his changing water into wine (John 2:1-12), and his healing of the nobleman’s son (John 4:46-54). Between these two events Jesus had been in both Galilee and Judea, and the Jewish authorities of both districts not only rejected Jesus as their Messiah and the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, which he preached, but they also sought to destroy him (John 2:18, 20; 3:11-12; 4:1-4).
Therefore, we are able to conclude Jesus’ ministry was at least two and a half years long, but if we are able to locate another Passover within any of the four Gospel narratives, Jesus’ public ministry would be seen as lasting three and a half years, and not two and a half, as is assumed by some. Is there an additional Passover? Yes, and it is recorded in Luke, or I should say alluded to in Luke.
Notice that sometime after the Transfiguration (Luke 9:28-36), Jesus went up to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51). The Transfiguration occurred on Mount Olives near Jerusalem during the Feast of Tabernacles (cp. John 7:1-2). Moreover, Luke 10:38 puts Jesus in Bethany in Martha’s home, so he was only a short walk from Jerusalem. While he was there, certain Jews mentioned what Pilate had done to some pilgrims of Galilee (Luke 13:1), something Josephus mentions that occurred during a Passover season.[1] Nevertheless, most Biblical scholars conclude that Luke 9:51 points to Jesus going to Jerusalem to be crucified, but this cannot be the case, because Luke already has Jesus in Jerusalem in Luke 13, but then in Luke 17:11 he has him again going to Jerusalem coming from Galilee and passing through Samaria. Thus, Jesus public ministry must be three-and-a-half years long, beginning in the 7th month of 27 AD and lasting until the Passover of 31 AD!
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[1] See Josephus; Antiquities of the Jews 18.3.2 [60-62]
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