In 29 AD, Jesus of Nazareth would have been around 33-34 years old. This places the events around what is commonly referred to as the start of Jesus’ public ministry. According to the Gospels, the key events involving Jesus around this time include:
Jesus is Baptized by John the Baptist
All four Gospels record that Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist in the River Jordan (Matthew 3:13-17, Mark 1:9-11, Luke 3:21-22, John 1:29-34). This event marks the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. John the Baptist was already a well-known preacher and prophet who called people to repentance and baptism as a sign of repentance and preparation for the coming of the Messiah. By being baptized by John, Jesus associates himself with this ministry and message. The baptism also serves as a public announcement of Jesus’ own ministry and identity. As Jesus comes out of the water, a voice from heaven says “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17).
Jesus is Tempted in the Wilderness
After his baptism, Jesus fasted for 40 days and nights in the Judean wilderness, where according to the Gospels he was tempted by Satan (Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, Luke 4:1-13). Jesus refused each of Satan’s temptations, quoting scripture in response. After this period of fasting and temptation, Jesus’ public ministry is said to have begun.
Jesus Calls His First Disciples
The Gospels record that one of Jesus’ early acts was to call some of his first followers and disciples. These included two pairs of brothers who were fishermen: Simon Peter and Andrew, and James and John (Matthew 4:18-22, Mark 1:16-20). According to Luke 5:1-11, Jesus performed a miracle by telling Simon Peter to lower his fishing nets, resulting in a huge catch, after which Peter and his partners James and John left their boats and nets behind to follow Jesus.
Jesus Begins Preaching and Healing
Jesus began publicly preaching and calling people to repentance in Capernaum, which was a town along the Sea of Galilee (Mark 1:21, Luke 4:31). His early teaching centered around proclaiming the coming of the Kingdom of God or Kingdom of Heaven. His message and his fame began to spread throughout Galilee.
In addition to preaching, Jesus also performed many miracles of healing the sick and casting out demons. His early miracles included healing a demoniac in the synagogue (Mark 1:23-28, Luke 4:33-37) and healing Simon Peter’s mother-in-law of a fever (Matthew 8:14-17, Mark 1:29-34, Luke 4:38-41). These healing miracles contributed to Jesus’ fame spreading.
The Sermon on the Mount
One of Jesus’ most famous sermons was delivered around this time period on a mountainside in Galilee and is known as the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). In this sermon, Jesus covers topics such as the beatitudes, salt and light, lust, divorce, oaths, fasting, prayer, love for enemies, giving to the needy, worry, judging others, and more. He teaches on the moral life expected of his followers and on proper religious devotion, often contrasting his teachings with the religious authorities of the day. The sermon presents many of Jesus’ famous teachings, including the Lord’s Prayer.
Miracles and Encounters
Throughout Jesus’ early ministry in Galilee, he performed numerous miracles in addition to his preaching and teaching. Some of the miracles that occurred specifically in or around 29 AD include:
- Healing a leper, which included touching the leper (Matthew 8:1-4, Mark 1:40-45, Luke 5:12-16).
- Healing a centurion’s paralyzed and tormented servant from a distance (Matthew 8:5-13, Luke 7:1-10).
- Raising a widow’s son from the dead in Nain (Luke 7:11-17).
- Calming a storm on the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 8:23-27, Mark 4:35-41, Luke 8:22-25).
In addition to performing miracles, important encounters Jesus had during this time include:
- Meeting the Samaritan woman at the well and revealing his identity to her (John 4:1-42).
- Healing a lame man at the pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem (John 5:1-47).
- Being anointed by a sinful woman at the house of Simon the Pharisee (Luke 7:36-50).
- Forgiving and healing a paralytic man lowered through the roof by his friends (Matthew 9:1-8, Mark 2:1-12, Luke 5:17-26).
Growing Conflict
As Jesus’ ministry grew, so did opposition against him from some Jewish religious authorities. Some reasons for conflict included:
- Jesus associated with tax collectors and sinners, showing them love, compassion, and forgiveness.
- Jesus did not strictly observe all their ritual laws and customs such as fasting and Sabbath observances.
- Jesus claimed authority to forgive sins.
- Jesus performed miracles on the Sabbath.
- Jesus claimed divinity and equality with God the Father.
This conflict and tension with the religious establishment would only intensify as Jesus continued his ministry. However, Jesus remained committed to his mission, even in the face of opposition.
Transition from Galilee to Later Judean Ministry
By around 29 AD, Jesus had already been ministering for some time in the Galilee region. But his ministry began transitioning more to the southern regions of Judea and Perea, closer to Jerusalem. This included travel to Jerusalem for festivals like the Passover. It was a time of continued miracles, teachings, and confrontations with opponents. Important highlights marking the transition include:
- Commissioning of the twelve disciples (Matthew 10, Mark 3:13-19, Luke 6:12-16) and sending them out to teach, preach, and heal (Matthew 10:5-42, Luke 9:1-6).
- Giving the Sermon on the Plain in Judea with teachings similar to the Sermon on the Mount (Luke 6:17-49).
- Debates over the Sabbath in Judea when his disciples plucked grain on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:1-8, Mark 2:23-28, Luke 6:1-5).
- Naming of the 12 apostles (Mark 3:13-19, Luke 6:12-16).
- Anointing by a repentant sinful woman, possibly Mary Magdalene, contrasted with Simon the Pharisee’s judgment of the woman (Luke 7:36-50)
- Increasing rejection and death threats from religious leaders in Judea (Luke 13:31-33).
This transition phase marks a new focus of Jesus’ ministry moving closer to the climax of his life and mission in Jerusalem.
Conclusions
In summary, around 29 AD as Jesus was in his early to mid 30s, some key events include:
- His baptism by John the Baptist marking the start of his public ministry
- His temptations in the Judean wilderness
- Calling his first disciples Peter, Andrew, James, and John
- Early ministry focused in Galilee preaching, teaching, healing, and calling people to repentance and the Kingdom of God
- Delivery of the famous Sermon on the Mount
- Increasing conflict with religious authorities
- Transition toward increasing focus on Judea and Jerusalem at the end of this phase
This period represents the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry as he preaches the Kingdom of God, calls disciples, performs miracles, teaches new insights on God and righteousness, and faces growing opposition from establishment religious leaders. This sets the stage for the climax of his life and mission over the next few years leading up to his crucifixion and resurrection around 32-33 AD.