In the

FOOTSTEPS
Jesus
A chronological journey through the
gospels set in the geography,
politics, people, power, culture and
history of the day
HON STUART ROBERT MP
of
The Life and
Teachings of
Jesus
 Prologue
• Many have attempted to provide a chronology
of the key events from Jesus’ life sourced from
the four gospels.
• Early attempts, starting with the ‘Diatessaron’
by the Assyrian Christian Tatian in the 2nd
century erroneously tried to merge the
gospels into a single narrative and remove
repetition.
• Many subsequently tried and all ultimately
failed.
• The gospel accounts of Jesus are too rich and
varied to harmonize into a simple, lone
account.
• Every word of the gospels is included and put
• in a chronological order to try to build a
flowing picture of Jesus’ life
• and ministry.
• Every attempt is cognizant of geography,
archeology, historical documents and the odd
local legend.
• The four gospels were written as different
accounts to different audiences and there was
never an attempt to harmonize them
geographically
• or chronologically within the Bible.
• Jesus probably spoke in Aramaic, but the
gospels are written in Greek, which helps
explains different versions of the same stories.
Matthew, Mark and Luke are called ‘synoptic’s
gospels because they seek to present the
events of Jesus’ life with the same intent
(synoptic literally means ‘together sight’).
• Nearly 90 percent of Mark’s content is
found in Matthew, and 50 percent of
Mark is in Luke.
• All of the parables of Christ are found in
the synoptic gospels, whilst John’s gospel
contains no parables (the vine and the
branches in John 15:1-8 is not considered
a parable).
• Some of the authors tended to arrange materially
topically, which explains all of Jesus’ recorded
miracles in Matthew being contained in just a few
chapters.
• Jesus travelled extensively and used similar
analogies and phrases to communicate His
message at different times, in much the same
way itinerant preachers do today. This explains
why different gospels have similar content used
in different circumstances.
• This book’s chronological attempt,
however flawed, tends to follow the
order of the gospel of Luke.
• Luke was writing an historical
account for his benefactor and thus
tended to be more concerned with
timing of events.
• Luke was a doctor in his time and it’s fair
to say that order was a little more up his
alley.
• He was also keen to emphasis Jesus’
compassion to Gentiles and Samaritans
so that the travel diaries of Jesus in His
final months on earth (Luke 10-20) is
largely unique to that gospel.
• Matthew was writing to a predominantly
Jewish audience so his focus was not
necessarily logical but more spiritual.
• He quotes extensively from the Old
Testament and his often-used phrase (in
fact thirty-two
times), ‘the kingdom of heaven’ is not
found anywhere else in scripture.
• Both Luke and Mathew are also
much longer than Mark’s gospel.
• Mark was writing from the teaching
of Peter and to a predominantly
Gentile (Roman) audience, so his
account is fast paced, punchy and full
of activity. A bit like Peter.
• John’s gospel is different again.
• Many of the important events in the
synoptic gospels are omitted: the
temptation of Jesus, the sermon on
the mount, Jesus’ transfiguration,
the Lord’s prayer and the institution
of communion (the Lord’s supper).
• You won’t find Jesus casting out a
demon in John, yet only John
mentions Jesus’ early Galilean
ministry.
• In fact, it is John’s gospel that gives
us the three year view of time in
ministry and the number of visits to
Jerusalem.
• The synoptic gospels appear to describe only
one journey of Jesus to Jerusalem (the final
one), and concentrate predominantly on just
one year of Jesus’ ministry in Galilee.
• John also tends to write in more dialogue and
discourses, rather than statement of events,
leading some to argue his gospel is a more
reflective style of writing1.
• All dates are based on the crucifixion of Jesus
on Friday 3rd April 33 AD (14th Nisan 3793 in
the Hebrew calendar).
• There are equally compelling arguments for
the
• date being Friday 7th April 30AD (16th Nisan
3790 in the Hebrew
• calendar) however like the chronology, a
timeline has to be chosen, so
• for this book it is 33 AD.

End here