Micah reached into the beautiful bouquet of flowers and picked
out a perfect white rose with a blush of red.
“There is a rose here for each of your children.... seven
beautiful babies. This white rose
celebrates your first one, a baby boy whom God wants you to name Jesus. He will
be known as the son of God with the power to heal and teach.”
It is amazing. Curious. Jesus is one of the most important humans
ever to walk on the face of our planet, yet nobody seems to have had the
presence of mind to write down the dates of his birth, ministry or death.
Although there are many historical and Biblical references to his life and
work, there are only vague references to tell us when these events occurred.
It is therefore impossible to establish confirmed dates for the birth,
ministry and death of either John the Baptist or Jesus. Biblical references are
subject to interpretation, and the Roman historian Flavius Josephus – who does
mention both men in his texts – may have been more interested in the narrative
he was writing than accurate historical information. Most scholars believe John
and Jesus were born sometime between 6 and 4 B.C. (Before Christ, Before the
Christian era). It would appear John was born sometime in March or April. Jesus
was born about six months later in September or October. Other dates are
possible. John started his ministry between 26 and 28 A.D. (Anno Domini, in the Year of Our Lord). Jesus began his
ministry between 27 and 28 A.D. John was imprisoned in the spring, and beheaded
in August, of 28 or 29 A.D. Jesus was crucified in 30 A.D. It should be noted
the popular date of birth we observe for Jesus, December 25, was established by
the Catholic Church in 336 A.D. (Julian calendar) in order to replace a pagan
Roman holiday (Saturnalia) with a Christian holiday. Ironically, this is also
the date when Romans gave tributes to the Sun God.
To further confuse the date issues, we should note the calculation of
years and months in the Hebrew calendar does not match the calculation of these
time spans in the Julian (old Christian) calendar; the Hebrew New Year may have
actually started between the birth of John (in March or April) and the Birth of
Jesus (in September or October); and finally, there is no year zero.
Thus the confirmation of specific dates for the life of Jesus is very
difficult. Each time we focus on an event in his life, we are immediately
confronted with the problems of historical verification. Supporting evidence
tends to be amorphous.
However, if we think of individual dates as points in time that must
logically relate to other events in the same timeline, then it becomes somewhat
easier to develop a sequence that is reasonably supported by historical
information. For example: If King Herod died in early 4 B.C. and Jesus was born before Herod dies, then it is logical
Jesus was born before 4 B.C. Other historical events in 4 B.C. involving
Herod’s family, throne succession, and the time needed to put down a bloody
rebellion serve to firm up our conclusion.
With this approach in mind, read on. These dates are an interesting
way to visualize history, but in the final analysis what matters to us is that
both men existed and both men had an incredible
influence on human history
Mary
Mary was born in either Nazareth or her
mother’s family compound in Sepphoris. (Note 1) Under Jewish law when a girl
began to menstruate she became a woman and could be married. This transition
usually occurred when she was 13 or 14 years old. Research suggests Mary
(Mariam) was born in 20 B.C., betrothed at age 13 or 14 (7 or 6 B.C.), married at
age 14 (late 6 B.C.), and gave birth to Jesus when she was 15 (late September
or early October 5 B.C.) She was probably 48 (almost 49) when Jesus was
crucified. Mary apparently died when she was 58 or 59 years old in 39 or 40 A.D.
Jesus was born in 5 B.C.
Tradition tells us our Christian calendar starts on the date Jesus was
born. That would be at the beginning of the first year A.D. (There is no year
zero). But the date of his birth was accidentally miscalculated. In 525 A.D.
Pope John I asked Dionysius Exiguus to
create a set of tables that would establish the proper dates for Easter.
Dionysius invented a method called Anno Domini (A.D.) to number the years for
the Julian calendar (introduced by Julius Caesar in 46 B.C.). Dionysius
renumbered the years of the Julian calendar, using the birth of Jesus Christ as
year 1 in the Roman numbering system. Unfortunately, Dionysius miscalculated
the date Jesus was born because he apparently misunderstood how the years in
the Hebrew calendar were numbered.
But we can determine the probable date Jesus was born.
Jesus was born before the death of King Herod the Great, who died in
early 4 B.C
Under orders from Emperor Augustus, an enumeration was taken in Syria
in 7 B.C. In the lands of the Jews, however, it was delayed by a political
quarrel between King Herod and the Emperor. Herod was finally forced to order
the enumeration, and it was started in late 6 B.C. or early 5 B.C., when
Quirinius was special legatos Aogusti to Syria.
Herod had totally alienated the Jews. Enumerating an oath of
allegiance to Emperor Augustus, or simply counting the number of people in
Israel, only served to sharply increase the anger of a rebellious Jewish
population. It was believed any kind of census was a violation of Jewish
(religious) law. Then by late 5 B.C., King Herod, obviously very sick with a
painful disease, began to exhibit increasingly erratic and ruthless behavior.
No one was safe from his anger.
The people of Nazareth knew what was coming long before Herod died.
Joseph, was determined to protect his wife and her baby from the growing rebellion
led by Judas the Galilean, son of Hezekiah the Zealot. The
was a large Jewish population in Alexandria which had reasonably good relations
with the Romans and there would be plenty of work for a skilled carpenter.
Despite the risk, Joseph and Mary left Galilee during the only time of
relative safety in September or October of 5 B.C. Jesus was born as they
traveled south in the little town of Bethlehem.
Publius Quintilius Varus, Rome's governor in Syria, was ordered to
restore order throughout Israel. He led two complete Roman legions and a large
number of Arab troops under King Aretas into Galilee. Sepphoris was destroyed
and apparently many of its residents were sold as slaves. Varus then marched
south to Jerusalem. He systematically crushed the rebellion with incredible
brutality. He occupied Jerusalem and as a symbol of Roman power; crucified
2,000 Jewish rebels. It took several months for the Romans to quell the revolt
and establish Herod’s son Herod Antipas as the tetrarch of Galilee and Peraea,
Philip as tetrarch of the territories north and east of the Jordan, and Herod
Archelaus as ethnarch of Judea, Samaria, and Idumea.
The Life of Jesus 4 B.C. – 26 A.D.
Other than a story about Jesus meeting with the Priests in Jerusalem
in 9 A.D., we know nothing about his life during these years. However,
according to cultural custom it is likely he married a girl from either
Nazareth or Sepphoris. We do not know if they had children. The Gospels focus
of the years of his ministry and tell us nothing about possible issue.
There would have been plenty of work for him and his father in
Sepphoris to augment their jobs in Nazareth. Herod Antipas declared Sepphoris
to be the capitol of Galilee in 3(?) A.D. and proceeded with a number of
construction projects. Wealthy Jews, government employees, and anyone who
wanted to influence government policy moved to Sepphoris, creating a building
boom that lasted several years.
In 18
A.D. Herod
Antipas, founded a new capitol on the shores of the Sea of Galilee and named it
for the reigning emperor Tiberius. Most of those associated with his government
also moved over the next few years, creating plenty of work for a carpenter in
Tiberias. As we may expect, employment opportunities in Sepphoris quickly
declined.
Joseph apparently died sometime between
9 and 25 A.D. Jesus assumed the responsibility of financially supporting his
mother and (possibly) two brothers. He needed to find work. The solution was
easy. In 19 (?) A.D. Jesus decided to move his mother and two brothers to
Capernaum. There would be more work available in the larger town of Capernaum (which
was on a trade route between Syria and cities in Israel) and Jesus would also
be able to find additional work in Tiberias.
In late 23 A.D. Jesus experiences an
intense emotional event that redirects his life toward preparing for his
ministry. For 27 year old Jesus it will be a three year period of study and meditation.
He learns God is his father. His cousin John visits with Jesus and they share
their thoughts on God’s theology, values, and the message he will deliver to
all who will listen.
Jesus was baptized in 27 A.D.
An educated guess is late June or during July. He would have been 30.
John the Baptist had begun his own Ministry in 26 A.D. and by the time Jesus
went to see him at the Jordan river, John had already accumulated a number of dedicated
followers. John and Jesus had become close friends who shared many theological
and philosophical beliefs. Impressed by his dedication, wisdom and relationship
with God, John already knew Jesus was destined to have a significant ministry.
His observations also convinced him that Jesus had become the Messiah; the
savior of mankind described in ancient prophesies. As Jesus walked toward him
down the gentle slope to the river, we hear John cry out in joy: “Here is the
one I have been talking about!”
At first an elated John wants to have Jesus baptize him. He believes
the act of baptism will wash away all his sins, as is the custom. However,
Jesus has a different purpose for coming to see John. He tells John that he is
the one who has come to be baptized. But his purpose is not to wash away his
sins. For Jesus, the ceremony of baptism will mark the beginning of his ministry.
It will be his personal moment of dedication and commitment to the task God has
given him. From this day forward, there is no turning back. The baptism
occurred in a pool near the Jordan River where a shallow ford permits travelers
on the road between Jerusalem and Amman to cross the river.
John began his ministry on the
Jordan in June of 26 A.D. A 30 year old
Jesus is baptized by John and begins his ministry in August of 27 A.D.
John is arrested for criticizing Antipas in the spring of 29 A.D. Antipas
will have him beheaded in August. John’s ministry has lasted 33 months. By
fall, all of his followers will join Jesus.
When word of John’s beheading reached Jesus in the fall of 29 A.D., he
was at the peak of his public mission. But Jesus knew his own Ministry would
soon be over. He was encountering the same opposition that had ended John’s
work. Thereafter, Jesus spent more personal time with his disciples in order to
prepare them for their own individual ministries. Jesus brought his Ministry to
a close with his entry into Jerusalem in April, 30 A.D. When he died, Jesus was
33. His ministry has lasted 32 months.
There has been much debate about these dates. There is a line of
thought, for example, that Jesus died in 33 A.D. But there is a problem with
this conclusion: Neither the Biblical nor the historical records reveal
reliable dates. Mark, Matthew, Luke and John were written to present a
narrative of personalities, events and doctrine from the viewpoint of the respective
authors. The timeline was less important than the story. In like manner, the
only other records of this period and place we have reflect the cultural
perspective of the author. We can, however, infer reasonably accurate dates by
relating them to historical events that occurred in the same timeframe. This
analysis favors the dates described above.
Both John and Jesus would have been characterized as rebels. Think
about it: They were critical of government power, and frequently censured
religious behavior. This was an era when challenges to established authority
were regarded as a way to commit suicide. It is unlikely their activities would
have been allowed to go on for more than two or three years. John was arrested
because he had the audacity to denounce Herod Antipas, Tetrarch of Peraea and
Galilee, for the ruler’s adulterous and incestuous marriage with Herodias, divorced
wife of his half-brother Philip. Although it is apparent the Romans were not
particularly worried about Jesus, the priests who ran the affairs of the
temples were furious. Jesus was more popular, and drew larger crowds. Not only
was he challenging temple authority, he was even criticizing institutional
morality. His demise came after he triumphantly rode into Jerusalem on the back
of a donkey (or colt). It must have been quite a sight. A crowd of excited
peasants lined both sides of the road. And there was Jesus, 12 apostles and
over 100 followers marching down the dusty road and up the ramp into the
Temple.
For temple priests, however, that had to be the last straw. Jesus
frequently used the phrase “Kingdom of God” in his ministry. For him, it was a
reference to a place where God lived (heaven). But most Jews believed only God
had the right to rule Israel. For them the phrase “Kingdom of God” meant
establishing an Israel free from Roman rule. Hence it was regarded as a
rebellion code phrase for kicking out the Romans and restoring God’s rule over
Israel.
Thus when Jesus entered Jerusalem to celebrate Passover for the last
time, the adulation he received would have thoroughly annoyed his opposition.
Many wanted to end his activity. The basis for a confrontation between Jesus
and the Romans was already in place.
The ministry of Jesus was on a collision course with destiny.
In Closing
The ministry of Jesus spanned a period of approximately 32 months
before he was arrested and crucified.
But in the final analysis, we should not be overly concerned about the
chronology of his life. Why? Think about
it. Jesus brought us a message that is timeless. His resurrection is about
everlasting life. If we do not know the exact dates, perhaps it is because God
wants us to focus our thoughts on the significance of what Jesus is teaching.
Not a point in time and space.
Let us be thankful Jesus existed. This man, who was the son of God,
created a theology and philosophy that would influence the development of
civilization for centuries.
Ron
Note 1: Historical information
indicates the Virgin Mary and her mother, Saint Anne, were born in Sepphoris. The
crusaders built a church over the site and dedicated it to Anna during the
twelfth century A.D. The question remains: when did Anna and Joachim move to
Nazareth?
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