Life of Christ
The life of Christ reveals that Jesus was and is God because of His miracles, wonders, teachings, His very unusual life, His crucifixion, resurrection and ascension back to heaven. The life of Christ is like none other. It is recorded in the four gospels of the New Testament and each one emphasizes a different aspect. For example, the gospel of John tells us that the things Christ did demonstrate that He is the Son of God or God Himself.
. . . these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name. John 20:31 (NASB)
The gospel of Luke records the life of Christ in chronological order.
. . . having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus; so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught. Luke 1:1-4 (NASB)
The gospel of Matthew reveals that Jesus Christ was and is the Messiah (Matthew 1:1) and the gospel of Mark reveals Jesus as the suffering servant—He died to ransom us (Mark 10:45).
Therefore, our purpose is to weave all four gospels together in chronological order so that you will not miss anything that is recorded about the life of Christ. This is called a harmony of the gospels. Currently, there are over 150 Bible studies about the life of Christ (see below). New ones are added monthly. We trust that God will bless you as you read them.
Why Study All Four Gospels?
As we have already stated, events of the life of Christ are recorded in all four gospels of the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Three of them are called the synoptic gospels. They are Matthew, Mark and Luke. This study in the life of Christ presents all of the events and His teachings in chronological order or in the order in which they occurred.
This study will include every chapter and verse in the four gospels in chronological order in order to discover everything that happened to Jesus Christ. Did you know that if only one gospel in the New Testament is studied, you will miss many events of His life? For example, the chart below shows that forty-two percent of the gospel of Matthew is unique to Matthew.
Fifty-nine percent of Luke is unique to Luke. Just seven percent of Mark is unique to Mark, while ninety-two percent of John is unique to John. This means that in order to learn everything the New Testament teaches about the life of Jesus we must include all four gospels. That is the purpose of this study series in the Life of Christ.
The Life of Christ Studies
The Bible studies in the life of Christ are arranged below in chronological order. When each section is opened, the chapters and verses in each book are shown. Then you can scroll down to find the passage you desire and then read that particular study. The early church fathers studied the gospels to learn more about Jesus Christ. Therefore, we trust these studies in the Life of Christ will be a blessing to you also.
If you are interested in an outline of the ministry events in the life of Jesus Christ, then download the chart, Four Year Chronology of Christ’s Ministry. The chart starts when Christ’s ministry began in A. D. 29 and ends with His resurrection in A. D. 33. The chart “Life of Christ – Harmony of the Gospels” provides a key which will help you find a specific passage in the study series below. A graphic of the Life of Christ — Harmony of the Gospels is also available.
Life of Christ Studies
Matthew 1:1-25; Mark 1:1; Luke 1:1-80; 3:23-38; John 1:1-18
Matthew 2:1-23; Luke 2:1-52
Mathew 3:1-4:11; Mark 1:1-13; Luke 3:1-12; 4:1-13; John 1:19-51
Matthew 4:12; Mark 1:14a; Luke 3:19-20; 4:14a; John 2:1-3:36
Matthew 4:17-25; 8:2-4, 14-17; 9:1-17; 12:1-21; Mark 1:14b-3:19; Luke 4:14-6:16; John 4:1-5;47
Matthew 5:1-7:29; Luke 6:17-36
Matthew 8:5-13, 18, 23-27; Mark 3:20-4:31; Luke 7:1-8:25
Matthew 8:24-34; 9:18-10:42; 13:54-17:21; Mark 5:1-9:29; Luke 8:26-9:43; John 6:1-7:1
Matthew 8:19-22; 17:22-18:35; Mark 9:30-50; Luke 9:44-62; John 7:1-10
Luke 10:1-13:21; John 7:11-10:42
Matthew 19:1-20:34; Mark 10:1-52; Luke 13;22-19:2; John 11:1-54
Matthew 21:1-11, 14-17; 26:6-13; Mark 11:1-11; 14:3-9; Luke 19:24-44; John 11:55-12:19
Information About Jesus Christ
John 1:1-2 tells us that Jesus was God in eternity past and John 1:14 says that He became the God-man when He took on human flesh and blood..
And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14 (NASB)
Other passages such as Romans 1:3-4 also declare that Jesus is God. That is, the Son of God was eternally God in eternity past and about 2-1 B.C. He took on human flesh and became a human male for the time He lived on earth. His earthly name was Jesus Christ. Scripture repeatedly teaches that Jesus was completely God and completely man (Micah 5:2; Philippians 2:6-8; Titus 2:13; 1 John 4:1-2). He was both God and man. For more information listen to Arrival of the Prophesied Gospel.
How Did Jesus Live?
The gospels tell us that Jesus lived like every man. He ate food, drank water, walked, spoke words, became tired and slept. For more information study “Jesus Our Savior – Discipleship Series.” He was tempted to sin, yet He never sinned. He was sinless (Hebrews 4:15). As a result, He was able to be the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). For more information on how to become a Christian, read Searching For God.
Where Did Jesus Live?
The gospels of Matthew and Luke tell us that Jesus was born in the city of Bethlehem (Matthew 2:1; Luke 2:4-7). For several years He and his parents, Joseph and Mary lived in Egypt (Matthew 2:13-15). When they returned to Israel, His parents lived in the city of Nazareth (Matthew 2:23). Luke 2:51 indicates that Jesus Christ continued living with His parents during childhood.
Sometime after He started His ministry, the city of Capernaum was the location of the ministry’s headquarters (John 2:12; 4:46; 6:17, 24).
How Long Did Jesus Live?
Matthew 1:25-2:23; Mark 1:1; Luke 1:1-2:52 and John 1:1-18 describe Christ’s eternal existence, human birth and the first twelve years of Jesus earthly life. Since Jesus was born about 1 B.C., this would mean He was twelve years of age in A.D. 11.
The gospel of Luke tells us that Jesus started His ministry at the age of about thirty years (Luke 3:23). This would have occurred in the year A.D. 29.
How Old Was Jesus When He Died?
Since the ministry of Jesus Christ lasted for about four years, He would have been about 34 years old when He was crucified on the cross. The study How old was Jesus (Yeshua) when He died? reveals that Jesus body fleshly body died on the cross on April 1, A.D. 33. Yet, He did not remain in the grave. He was resurrected three days later (1 Corinthians 15:1-8), walked among us, was seen by many people and ascended back to heaven (Acts 1:9-11). He is now in heaven making intercession for believers (1 John 2:1). At some point in the future He will return to earth, called the second coming, at the battle of Armageddon and defeat the nations of the world when they try to destroy the nation of Israel. Afterward He will setup His millennial kingdom and eventually judged every unbeliever and send them to hell. Then the eternal heaven will be created.