The principal sources for the life of Jesus are the four canonical gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The main aim of these gospels was the glorification of Jesus rather than the accurate recording of historical events. However, most critical scholars agree that Jesus was a Jew who was regarded as a teacher and healer; that he was baptised by John the Baptist (c.6-00-c.36); and that he was crucified in Jerusalem on the orders of the Roman prefect of Judaea, Pontius Pilate (r.26-36), on the charge of sedition against the Roman Empire.
The story begins with Jesus being born at Bethlehem in Judea. It is unclear whether Mary and Joseph travelled to Bethlehem at the time of Jesus’ birth (the census for tax purposes under Quirinius (c.51-00-21) took place in AD 6), or actually lived there and moved to Nazareth after fleeing to Egypt to escape the ‘Massacre of the Innocents (?)’, ordered by Herod the Great.
Except for the accounts of his birth and a visit to Jerusalem when he was twelve, nothing else about Jesus is recorded until his baptism by John the Baptist when his career as a preacher began, lasting two (perhaps three) years. Jesus’ first important act was the selection of his disciples. The term ‘disciple’ refers to any follower of Jesus; the twelve he specifically called were to be particularly close to him and to continue his teaching after his death. The most important of the twelve were among the first to be called, Peter, James and John. Among those who travelled with him were some women, notably Mary Magdalene.
It may have been John’s arrest by Herod Antipas that determined Jesus to set out to preach in Galilee. After summoning his twelve disciples he continued to preach, teach and heal, sometimes attracting large crowds (e.g. the ‘Feeding of the Five Thousand’). His popularity clearly dismayed the Jewish leaders, whose hypocrisy and formalism he attacked.
Jesus set out with his disciples to Jerusalem for the Passover, one of the three religious festivals in the year when Jews make the pilgrimage to the city. The gospels tell us that before entering Jerusalem he stayed overnight in Bethany, a village just outside the city.
Throughout his ministry Jesus indicated that he was to be crucified and resurrected. When he reached Jerusalem he knew that he could frighten the authorities and set into motion the process that would lead to the fulfilment of his destiny. The next day he began by overturning the tables of the moneychangers in the Temple. During the week he preached in the Temple, debating with the Pharisees and Sadducees who unsuccessfully tried to trap him with his own words.
At night he and his disciples stayed in Bethany, probably at the home of Lazarus. It appears that thereafter they stayed in the hills outside the city on the Mount of Olives (the city was crammed at Passover; accommodations were scarce and very expensive). The Temple authorities wanted to arrest Jesus but as it would have been hard to find him among the crowds of people spending the night on the hills they looked for someone to point him out. Judas eventually accommodated them.
On the fifth day Jesus knew what was about to happen and told his disciples to prepare the Passover supper. After supper Jesus and the disciples went to the Garden of Gethsemane on the lower slopes of the Mount of Olives to sleep. During the night Judas and the Temple guards came into the garden and arrested Jesus. He was taken to the high priest’s house and examined by the Temple officials, who found him guilty of blasphemy. At daybreak they took him to the Roman procurator Pontius Pilate, who was the only one who could legally punish Jesus. When he found out that Jesus was a Galilean, Pilate sent him to Herod Antipas, whose jurisdiction included Galilee. However, despite the administrative jurisdictions, Pilate had the final authority over the whole region. Herod therefore sent Jesus back to Pilate.
When the priest stirred up the crowds to call for Jesus’ crucifixion, Pilate offered them a choice between Jesus and the insurrectionary Barabbas. But they said Pilate would be no friend of Caesar (Tiberius) if he freed Jesus, whom they said had called himself King of the Jews. Under Tiberius, to be called no friend of Caesar could be fatal. To save himself Pilate condemned Jesus to death. On the hill called Calvary outside Jerusalem, Jesus was crucified between two thieves.
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