Phase 2 – Ministry Foundations
Take time to build the spiritual foundations.
Table of contents
Phase 2 – Ministry Foundations
Section 24
Jesus' baptism by John
Bethany on the east side of the Jordan River
| Matthew 3:13-17 | Mark 1:9-11 | Luke 3:21-23a |
|---|---|---|
| 13Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14But John tried to prevent him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15But Jesus answered him, “Permit it for now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John permitted him. | 9In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. | |
| 16After being baptized, Jesus immediately went up from the water. And behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17And behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” | 10Immediately as he was coming up from the water, he saw the heavens being split apart and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11Then a voice came from heaven: “You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” | 21Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus had also been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, 22and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. Then a voice came from heaven, saying, “You are my beloved Son0x3B in you I am well pleased.” 23aJesus was about thirty years of age when he began his ministry, |
Section 25
Jesus' temptation in the desert
Judean desert
Section 26
John's testimony about himself to the priests and Levites
Bethany on the east side of the Jordan River
Section 27
John's testimony to Jesus as the Son of God
Bethany on the east side of the Jordan River
| John 1:29-34 |
|---|
| 29On the next day John saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me, because he existed before me.’ 31I myself did not know him, but I came baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32Then John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained upon him. 33I myself did not recognize him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.” |
Section 28
Jesus' first followers
Bethany on the east side of the Jordan River & Galilee
| John 1:35-51 |
|---|
| 35On the next day John was again standing with two of his disciples. 36As Jesus walked by, John looked at him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God.” 37When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38Turning around, Jesus saw them following him and said to them, “What do you seek?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?” 39He said to them, “Come and see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and stayed with him that day0x3B it was about the tenth hour. 40Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard this from John and followed Jesus. 41Andrew first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means “Christ”), 42and he brought Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah0x3B you shall be called Cephas” (which means “Peter”). 43On the next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.” 44(Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.) 45Philip then found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses wrote in the law, and of whom the Prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit.” 48Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the king of Israel!” 50Jesus answered him, “Do you believe because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree’? You will see greater things than these.” 51Then he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before long you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” |
Section 29
Jesus' first miracle: water becomes wine
Cana in Galilee
| John 2:1-11 |
|---|
| 1On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and Jesus' mother was there. 2Jesus was also invited to the wedding, and so were his disciples. 3When the wine ran out, Jesus' mother said to him, “They have no wine.” 4Jesus said to her, “Woman, what concern is that to you or to me? My hour has not yet come.” 5But his mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6Now six stone water jars had been set there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty to thirty gallons. 7Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them up to the brim. 8Then he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it, 9and the master of the feast tasted the water, which had been turned into wine. He did not know where it had come from, but the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then the master of the feast called the bridegroom aside 10and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have drunk freely0x3B but you have kept the good wine until now.” 11Jesus did this in Cana of Galilee as the first of his signs. He revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him. |
Section 30
Jesus' first stay in Capernaum with his relatives and early disciples
Capernaum
| John 2:12 |
|---|
| 12After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother, his brothers, and his disciples, and they stayed there for a few days. |
Section 31
First cleansing of the temple at the Passover
Jerusalem, in the temple
Section 32a
Early response to Jesus' miracles
Jerusalem
| John 2:23-25 |
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| 23While Jesus was in Jerusalem during the feast of the Passover, many believed in his name because they saw the signs he was doing. 24But Jesus did not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men. 25He did not need anyone to testify about man, for he himself knew what was in man. |
Section 32b
Nicodemus's interview with Jesus
Jerusalem
| John 3:1-21 |
|---|
| 1Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can do these signs that you are doing unless God is with him.” 3Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4Nicodemus said to him, “How can a person be born when he is old? Can he enter the womb of his mother a second time and be born?” 5Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8The wind blows where it wishes. You hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it is coming from or where it is going0x3B so it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” 9In response Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” 10Jesus answered him, “You are the teacher of Israel, and you do not understand these things? 11Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and we testify about what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. 12If I have spoken to you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I speak to you about heavenly things? 13No one has ascended into heaven, except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man, who is in heaven. 14Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15so that everyone who believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 16“For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but so that the world might be saved through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has been condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God. 19This is the judgment: The light has come into the world, but people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20For whoever does evil hates the light and does not come to the light, so that his works may not be exposed. 21But whoever lives by the truth comes to the light, so that it may be evident that his works have been done in God.” |
Section 33
John superseded by Jesus
Aenon near Salim
| John 3:22-36 |
|---|
| 22After this Jesus went into the Judean countryside along with his disciples, and he spent some time there with them and baptized. 23Now John was also baptizing in Aenon near Salem, because there was much water there, and people were coming to him and being baptized. 24(For John had not yet been thrown into prison.) 25Now a discussion arose between the disciples of John and a Jew about purification. 26So John's disciples came and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you beyond the Jordan, about whom you have testified, behold, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him.” 27John replied, “A person cannot receive anything unless it is given to him from heaven. 28You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but rather, ‘I have been sent ahead of him.’ 29He who has the bride is the bridegroom. But the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and listens for him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. So this joy of mine has been made full. 30He must increase, but I must decrease.” 31He who comes from above is above all. He who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly things. But he who comes from heaven is above all. 32He testifies to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. 33Whoever does receive his testimony has certified that God is true. 34For he whom God sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without measure. 35The Father loves the Son and has put all things in his hand. 36Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life0x3B rather, the wrath of God remains upon him. |
Section 34a
Imprisonment of John
Perhaps Perea
| Luke 3:19-20 |
|---|
| 19But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of his marriage to Herodias, his brother's wife, and because of all the evils that he had done, 20Herod added this to everything else: He locked up John in prison. |
Section 34b
Jesus returned to Galilee
Judea → Galilee
| Matthew 4:12 | Mark 1:14a | Luke 4:14a | John 4:1-4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Now when the Lord learned that the Pharisees heard he was making and baptizing more disciples than John 2(although it was not Jesus himself who baptized them, but his disciples), | |||
| 12Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee. | 14aAfter John was put in prison, Jesus went to Galilee, | 14aThen Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, | 3he left Judea and went away to Galilee. 4But he had to pass through Samaria. |
Section 35a
Discussion with a Samaritan woman
Sychar in Samaria
| John 4:5-26 |
|---|
| 5So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6Jacob's well was there, so Jesus, wearied as he was from the journey, sat by the well. It was about the sixth hour. 7When a woman from Samaria came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Give me some water to drink.” 8(For his disciples had gone into the city to buy food.) 9So the Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, being a Jew, ask for water to drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) 10Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me some water to drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” 11The woman said to him, “Sir, you do not even have a bucket to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then can you get this living water? 12Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us this well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and livestock?” 13Jesus answered her, “Everyone who drinks this water will thirst again, 14but whoever drinks the water I give him will certainly never thirst again. On the contrary, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 15The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I will not get thirsty again and have to come here to draw water.” 16Jesus said to her, “Go call your husband and come back here.” 17The woman answered, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have rightly said, ‘I have no husband,’ 18for you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband0x3B what you have said is true.” 19The woman said to him, “Sir, I see that you are a prophet. 20Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem.” 21Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, an hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22You worship what you do not know0x3B we worship what we know, because salvation is from the Jews. 23But an hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such people to worship him. 24God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” 25The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” 26Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.” |
Section 35b
Challenge of a spiritual harvest
Sychar in Samaria
| John 4:27-38 |
|---|
| 27Just then his disciples came back, and they were amazed that he was speaking with a woman. However, no one said, “What do you seek?” or, “Why are you speaking with her?” 28Then the woman left her water jar, went into the town, and said to the people, 29“Come see a man who told me everything I have ever done. Could this be the Christ?” 30So they left the town and began coming to him. 31In the meantime the disciples were urging him, “Rabbi, eat.” 32But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” 33So the disciples said to one another, “Could someone have brought him something to eat?” 34Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work. 35Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? I tell you, lift up your eyes and see that the fields are already ripe for harvest. 36He who reaps receives wages and gathers fruit for eternal life, so that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. 37For in this the true saying is verified: ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored0x3B others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.” |
Section 35c
Evangelization of Sychar
Sychar in Samaria
| John 4:39-42 |
|---|
| 39Now many of the Samaritans from that town believed in Jesus because of the woman's testimony: “He told me everything I have ever done.” 40So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there for two days. 41And many more believed because of his word. 42So they said to the woman, “It is no longer because of your report that we believe, for we ourselves have heard, and we know that this is truly the Christ, the Savior of the world.” |
Section 36
Arrival in Galilee
Samaria → Galilee
| John 4:43-45 |
|---|
| 43After two days, he departed from there and went to Galilee. 44(For Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown.) 45When he came to Galilee, the Galileans received him because they had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast, for they also had gone to the feast. |
Section 37
Nature of the Galilean ministry
Galilee
| Matthew 4:17 | Mark 1:14b-15 | Luke 4:14b-15 |
|---|---|---|
| 14bpreaching the gospel of the kingdom of God | ||
| 17From that time Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has drawn near.” | 15and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has drawn near. Repent and believe in the gospel.” | |
| 14band news about him spread throughout the entire surrounding region. 15And he was teaching in their synagogues, being glorified by all. |
Section 38
Child at Capernaum healed by Jesus while at Cana
Cana in Galilee
| John 4:46-54 |
|---|
| 46Once more Jesus went to Cana of Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. Now there was a certain royal official whose son was sick in Capernaum. 47When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, for his son was about to die. 48Then Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders, you will certainly not believe.” 49The royal official said to him, “Sir, come down before my boy dies.” 50Jesus said to him, “Go0x3B your son will live.” And the man believed what Jesus said to him and went on his way. 51As he was going back down to his house, his servants met him and told him, “Your son is alive.” 52So he asked them what hour he began to get better. They said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” 53Then the father realized that this was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” So he believed, along with his entire household. 54This was the second sign that Jesus did after coming from Judea to Galilee. |