Jesus' First Year of Ministry 

The preparation for Jesus’ public ministry began when he was baptized by John in the Jordan. It was on this occasion that Jesus became fully self-aware of his divine nature. During the forty days in the wilderness, immediately following the baptism, Jesus thought over his bestowal and carefully laid plans for his public ministry.

From the time that Jesus called his first six apostles and the time when the first public work took place, approximately one year was spent in training the apostles and making other preparations. In the year that marked the beginning of the public ministry, there was a concerted effort to harmonize with the followers of John the Baptist while giving the apostles a chance to become familiar with their mission of preaching the gospel.

Beginning in January, 27 CE and extending through January, 28 CE, Jesus and the apostles carried out their preliminary tour, the apostles putting into practice all that Jesus had spent the previous year teaching them. This was the beginning of the public work. This entire year of 27 CE was spent in quietly taking over John’s work in Perea and Judea. The disciples of John traveled along with Jesus and the twelve much of the time.

By the time this tour began, John the Baptist had been in prison for about six months. And this preliminary work ended when John was killed by Herod. Nevertheless, Jesus did a lot of public ministry during this beginning tour, along with his newly ordained apostles. In addition, Jesus imparted many lessons of importance to the apostles and gave valuable lessons in private for certain individuals.

January-February, 27 CE

On January 19, 27 CE, Jesus and the twelve apostles made ready to depart from their headquarters in Bethsaida. The first day they traveled to Tarichea, and then on to Pella, where the apostles spent two weeks teaching and preaching.

Pella was the site of John the Baptist’s preaching, and the apostolic party attracted many of John’s followers who were interested in finding out about what Jesus was teaching. There was a delicate balance that had to be established between the followers of John and the apostles of Jesus because John’s followers were unhappy that Jesus had not done more to help John get out of prison. John had prepared them for Jesus, but they never understood why Jesus didn’t prevent their beloved leader from his imprisonment and ultimate death.

From Pella, the apostolic party journeyed to Amathus, where they remained for almost three weeks. During this time, Jesus preached every Sabbath and continued to teach the apostles more details about their mission to comfort the afflicted and minister to the sick.

February-March

On February 26, they traveled down the Jordan to the Bethany Ford, near Perea. They stayed there for four weeks, teaching and preaching before heading up to Jerusalem.

April

In April, Jesus and the apostles worked in Jerusalem, but each night they returned to Lazarus’ home in Bethany. Each day, either Jesus or one of the apostles taught in the temple.

Their message was: 1) The kingdom of heaven is at hand. 2) By faith in the fatherhood of God you may enter the kingdom of heaven, thus becoming the sons of God. 3) Love is the rule of living within the kingdom – supreme devotion to God while loving your neighbor as yourself. 4) Obedience to the will of the Father, yielding the fruits of the spirit in one’s personal life, is the law of the kingdom.

Great numbers of those who came to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover heard this teaching. And when they were not teaching in the temple, there was a good deal of personal work being done among the Passover attendees. Many of these men and women took the good news with them when they returned home to the ends of the Roman Empire and also to the East. From then on, the gospel was being carried to the outside world and was no longer confined to Palestine.

Jesus delivered the memorable Discourse on Assurance in April. Other notable events included the talk with Jacob about God’s wrath; the visit with Flavius, lover of Greek art and culture; and the visit with Nicodemus.

July

Because of growing agitation against their teachings, Jesus and the twelve departed from Jerusalem. Going north into Samaria, they stayed at Bethel and preached for several days. A group of citizens from Arimathea and Thamna came over to invite Jesus to visit their villages and Jesus and his apostles spent more than two weeks teaching in this area, many of whom came from as far as Antipatris to hear the good news of the kingdom.

During this month, Jesus gave a memorable lesson on self-mastery to the apostles.

August

The apostolic party made its headquarters in the Greek cities of Archelais and Phasaelis and had their first experience preaching to gatherings of gentiles – Greeks, Romans, and Syrians.

By the middle of the month, they were on their way back to Samaria and the city of Sychar. As a result of Jesus’ encounter with Nalda, a Samaritan woman of Sychar, a large crowd of townspeople gathered at Jacob’s well to hear Jesus speak that evening and over the next two days.

Jesus and the twelve established a camp on Mount Gerizim and stayed until the end of August. They preached the good news of the kingdom to the Samaritans in the cities by day and spent the nights at the camp. The work that Jesus and the twelve did in these Samaritan cities yielded many souls for the kingdom and did much to prepare the way for the marvelous work of the apostle Philip in these regions after Jesus’ death.

During this time, Jesus delivered lessons to the apostles about prayer and worship.

September-October

During this time, Jesus and the apostles retreated from public preaching, waiting for some resolution to John's imprisonment. These months were spent at a secluded camp upon the slopes of Mount Gilboa. Jesus knew that this preliminary time of public preaching and teaching was about over. He meant to launch a full series of preaching tours, but he did not want to upset John or embarrass him by launching this open effort while he still suffered in prison. So he decided that they would wait here on the slopes of Mount Gilboa until John’s fate was known.

It was also during this timeframe that Jesus taught the Lord’s Prayer to the apostles.

November-December

The Gilboa camp was broken up on November 2, 27 CE. By this time, differences had been resolved between the apostles of John and the apostles of Jesus, and Jesus and these twenty-four apostles – twelve of John’s apostles and twelve of Jesus’ apostles – worked quietly in the Greek cities of the Decapolis.

In the latter part of December, they all went over near the Jordan, close by Pella, where they again began to teach and preach. While Jesus was teaching the crowds one afternoon, some of John’s friends brought the Master the last message that he ever had from the Baptist, asking whether Jesus really was the Deliverer. Jesus sent a message back to John telling him that he had not been forgotten.

Many who heard Jesus that day submitted themselves to John’s baptism and the apostles of John were firmly knit to Jesus from that day forward. This occurrence marked the real union of John’s and Jesus’ followers.

January, 28 CE

John the Baptist was executed by order of Herod Antipas on the evening of January 10, 28 CE. When Jesus heard this news, he dismissed the multitude and, calling the twenty-four together, said: "John is dead. Herod has beheaded him. Tonight go into joint council and arrange your affairs accordingly. There shall be no more delay. The hour has come to proclaim the kingdom openly and with power. Tomorrow we go into Galilee."

And so, early on the morning of January 13, 28 CE, Jesus and the apostles, accompanied by some twenty-five disciples, made their way to Capernaum to prepare for a new preaching tour.