THE PRE-PUBLIC MINISTRY OF JESUS

The Pre-public Ministry of Jesus consists in:The Infancy Narratives of Jesus, which, in turn, consist in:The prophecies of Christs coming;The events surrounding His birth;His presentation in the Temple; andHis having been found in the Temple by St. Joseph and Mother Mary.

His Preparation for His Public Ministry, which consists in:His baptism by St. John the Baptist;His temptation in the Desert; andHis calling of the Twelve Apostles.

The Infancy NarrativesThe birth of Jesus is narrated at the beginning of theGospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke, but is not mentioned in Mark, and alluded to very differently in John. Although the story may seem familiar, a close analysis shows that there aremany significant differencesbetween the Matthean and Lucan accounts, withhardly anything in common between them.

The following are the only commonalities, and even these contain significant differences in the details:Main characters:Mary, Joseph, JesusSupporting characters:Angels, Holy SpiritTitles attributed to Jesus:Christ, Son of David

Heritage:children of Abraham/Israel, house of DavidPlace names:Nazareth in Galilee, Bethlehem in JudeaHistorical period:during the reign of King Herod

The Highlights of MatthewThe Gospel of Matthew begins with the words "The Book of Genealogy of Jesus Christ", deliberately echoing the first words of theOld Testament in Greek.The genealogy tells of Jesus' descent fromAbrahamandKing Davidand the miraculous events surrounding hisvirgin birth.

The infancy narrative tells of themassacre of the innocents,the flight to Egypt, and the eventual journey to Nazareth.Thestory of the flight into Egypttells us of Joseph fleeing to Egypt to secure Mary and the child Jesus from the evil scheme of Herod of killing every infant of Judea.

The Holy Family decided to do this after the Magi who had come in search of Jesus paid their respect to King Herod asking where to find the newborn "King of the Jews". Herod became paranoid and sought to eliminate the threat of rivalry to his throne by initiating theMassacre of the Innocentsin hopes of killing the child.

But anangelappears to Joseph and warns Joseph to take Jesus and his mother into Egypt (Matthew 2:13).Egypt was a logical place to find refuge, as it was outside the dominions of King Herod, but both Egypt and Palestine were part of theRoman Empire, making travel between them easy and relatively safe.

After a time, when Herod was believed to have already died in 4 BC from a gory death, the Holy Family left Egypt to return to Judah.It could be learned from the Jewish historianJosephusof how King Herod had died in such manner.

Upon discovering that Archelaus, King Herods heir to the throne in Judah, an equally vicious ruler as his father, the Holy Family settled for Galilee. Galilee was ruled by a much calmer king, another son of Herod the Great, Herod Antipas.

The return from Egypt of the Holy Family is said to have been prophesied by the prophet Hosea (11:1, ...and out of Egypt I called My son) which has been explained in several ways:Asensus pleniorapproach states that the Old Testament Messianic prophecy was being fulfilled in the Person of Jesus Christ.

Another reading of Hosea's prophetic declaration is that it recalls God summoning of the Israelites out of Egypt through Moses duringthe Exodus, referring to Israel as God'sson.For Moses declares to Pharaoh:"Israel is my first-born son; let my son go, that he may serve me" (Ex 4:22-23).

The Highlights of Lukes Infancy NarrativeLike Matthew, Luke recounts a royal genealogy and a virgin birth for Jesus; But unlike Matthew, who traces Jesus' birth back through the line of David to Abraham, Luke traces Jesus' lineage back to Adam, indicating a universal sense of salvation.

Luke's birth narrative features the Christmas story where the newborn Jesus is laid in a feeding trough (or manger), angels proclaiming Him the Savior for all people, andshepherds coming to adore Him. Also unique to Luke is John the Baptist's birth story with three canticles which include Marys Magnificat.

It is the only Gospel with the story of Jesuss boyhood (Presentation and Finding at the Temple).The Joyful Mysteries of the Holy Rosary of the Blessed Mother Mary are a good reference for the highlights of the Gospel of Luke. They are:The AnnunciationThe Visitation to St. Elizabeth

The Birth of Jesus ChristThe Presentation of the Child Jesus in the TempleThe Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple

What the Annunciation signifies:The Angel Gabriel announcing to Mary about Gods choice of her to be the Mother of the Savior;The Churchs belief about Mary is based on the Churchs faith in Jesus Christ; andWhat the Church teaches about Mary illumines in turn our faith in Jesus Christ.HOW?

As Jesus is God Incarnate, so is Mary Theotokos, that is, the Mother of God, the Second Person in the Holy Trinity; and immaculately conceived.As Jesus is Mediator between God and man, so is Mary, by her fiat, Mediatrix between her Son and man.As Jesus is Redeemer-Savior risen from the dead, so is Mary assumed into Heaven body and soul.

As such, the Church venerates Mary as Perfect Model Disciple.As Jesus is Pantocrator, that is, King of the Universe, so is Mary Queen of Heaven and earth.As such, Marys keeping her lifetime virginity signifies the preeminence of spiritual pursuits over those of the physical-material ones.

What the Visitation of Mary to St. Elizabeth signifies: A confirming sign of Angel Gabriels announcement to her through the pregnancy of her cousin at an old age (For nothing is impossible with God.)As the baby in Elizabeths womb leapt for joy, the Visitation is a confirming sign that the Child in Marys womb is Son of God.

What the Birth of Jesus signifies:The fulfillment of the Messianic expectation in the Old Testament;The Transcendent God entering human history by becoming man in order to reveal His Divine Identity fully; andGod taking the unilateral initiative to bring man his redemption and salvation.

What the Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple signifies:Joseph and Mary were devout Jews;Jesus was to finally come to fulfill the hopes of Israel by restoring the rule of God over the nation;As mother of Jesus, Mary would not be spared of the pain of persecution that her Son would suffer from womb to tomb.

What the Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple signifies:Having been found in the Temple by his parents, Jesus is depicted as a faithful Jewish boy raised in the traditions of Israel and fulfilling all that the law requires.

His reply to his parents, I must be in my Fathers house, signifies His divine Sonship and prefigures His divine mission; As such, His obedience to his heavenly Fathers will takes precedence over his ties to his family.

Highlights on Jesuss BaptismThe prologue of the Gospel according to Mark begins with the title, The Beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Son of God.This is immediately followed by the three events preparatory to Jesus preaching:

The appearance in the Judean wilderness of John, baptizer, preacher of repentance, and precursor of Jesus (Mk 1:28);The baptism of Jesus, at which a voice from heaven acknowledges Jesus to be Gods Son, and the holy Spirit descends on him (Mk 1:911); The temptation of Jesus by Satan (Mk 1:1213).

Johns ministry is seen as Gods prelude to the saving mission of His Son and, therefore, John the Baptist is to prepare the way for him.Through the life-giving baptism with the holy Spirit (Mk 1:8), Jesus will create a new people of God.

But first He identifies himself with the people of Israel in submitting to Johns baptism of repentance and in bearing on their behalf the burden of Gods decisive judgment (Mk 1:9; cf.Mk 1:4). As in the desert of Sinai, so here in the wilderness of Judea, Israels Sonship with God is to be renewed.

On seeing the heavens being torn open and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him as well as hearing a voice, saying: You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased, indicates divine intervention in fulfillment of the Messianic promise.

The descent of the Spirit on Jesus is meant Christs anointing for His ministry (cf.Is 1:2;42:1;61:1;63:9).The voice of the Father heard from heaven reveals Gods acknowledgment of Jesus as his unique Son, the object of His love. His approval of Jesus is the assurance that Jesus will fulfill his messianic mission of salvation.

The same Spirit who descended on Jesus in his baptism now drives him into the desert for forty days. The result is radical confrontation and temptation by Satan who attempts to frustrate the work of God.

The presence of wild beasts may indicate the horror and danger of the desert regarded as the abode of demons or may reflect the paradise motif of harmony among all creatures, (cf.Is 11:69).

The presence of ministering angels to sustain Jesus recalls the angel who guided the Israelites in the desert in the first Exodus (Ex 14:19;23:20) and the angel who supplied nourishment to Elijah in the wilderness (1Kgs 19:57).

The combined forces of good and evil were present to Jesus in the desert.His sustained obedience brings forth the new Israel of God there where Israels rebellion had brought death and alienation.

Literary Context:In all threeSynoptic Gospels, the temptations of Jesus in the wilderness occur just before he begins his public ministry and immediately after his baptism in the Jordan river, when the Holy Spirit had descended upon Jesus "like a dove" and a voice from heaven was heard.

The Holy Spirit and the Devil/Satan:All three Synoptics indicate that Jesus was "driven" or "led by the Spirit" into the wilderness in order to be tested/tempted by the devil. Thus, Jesus is not alone; the Holy Spirit is with him to help him resist the temptations he must face.

Jesus is not running away from God, nor has God abandoned him. On the other hand, God and/or the Holy Spirit are not doing the testing/tempting(cf. James 1:13).Rather, the one who confronts Jesus is the supreme personification of evil, referred variously as the devil (diabolov), or the tempter (peirazwn), or Satan (Satanav).

Fasting:Contrary to what we might assume,Mark'sGospel doesnotmention anything about Jesus fasting while he was in the wilderness; only Matthew and Luke say that Jesus fasted for forty days (Matthew adds "and forty nights," while Luke emphasizes that "he ate nothing at all").

Forty Days:This temporal indication does not need to be taken literally(as if it were exactly 40 days, not 39 nor 41);Rather, thenumber fortysymbolically means "a long time," and alludes to other biblical events that are said to have taken either forty days or even forty years.

Use of Scripture:Jesus responds to each of the devil's temptations by quoting a passage from Scripture (Deuteronomy), thereby showing Jesus' reliance upon and adherence to the Word of God. Only in the temptation at the Jerusalem Temple(second in Matthew, third in Luke)does the devil also quote scripture in an attempt to persuade Jesus, but to no avail.

The Main Temptation that Jesus Faced:In two of the three specific temptations that Jesus faces, the devil begins by saying, "Ifyou are the Son of God...Recalling that Jesus' experience in the wilderness occurs immediately after his baptism, where the voice from heaven proclaimed, "You are my beloved Son..."

Differing Emphases in Matthew and Luke:Thelast temptation inMatthew'saccount is that Jesus could receive supreme political power("all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor"), if only he worshipped Satan rather than God. This clearly connects with the emphases throughoutMatthew's Gospelon the "Kingdom of Heaven" and on Jesus as the true "King of the Jews."

In contrast, thelastof the three temptations inLuke'sversion takes place at the Temple of Jerusalem, the same location whereLuke's Gospelboth begins and ends(cf. 1:5-25 and 24:50-53).

Luke's Conclusion:Whereas Matthew concludes his account by saying that "the devil left him," Luke adds "until an opportune time," thereby implying that the devil will return again later in the story, which he indeed does, not only entering into Judas(22:3)and testing Peter(22:31), but also testing Jesus once again at Gethsemane(22:39-46; cf. 22:28).

Satan in Mark's Gospel:Although Mark does not narrate the three temptations in the wilderness that are well known from Matthew and Luke, Jesus struggles against Satan throughout Mark's Gospel, as seen especially in hisexorcisms (casting out demons or unclean/evil spirits; 1:23-28, 32-34, 39; 3:11; 5:1-20; 7:24-30; 9:14-29)and in some controversies with human opponents(3:22-27; cf. 8:33). Jesus also involves his disciples in this struggle against Satan by giving them authority to perform exorcisms(3:15; 6:7, 13).

Other "Temptations" of Jesus:Elsewhere in the Synoptics, Jesus is "tested" by people who demand that:He show them "a sign from heaven"(Mark 8:11; par. Matt 16:1; Luke 11:16), By some Pharisees who question him about the Mosaic law of divorce(Mark 10:2; Matt 19:3); About paying taxes to Caesar(Mark 12:15; Matt 22:18);About which commandment of the Mosaic law is the greatest(Matt 22:35); and By a lawyer, who asks him, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?"(Luke 10:25).

"Temptations" of Jesus' Disciples in the Synoptics:In the Lord's Prayer, Jesus teaches his disciples to pray to God, "Do not bring us to the time of trial"(Matt 6:13; Luke 11:4); and At Gethsemane, Jesus tells his closest disciples to pray "that you may not come into the time of trial"(Mark 14:38; Matt 26:41; Luke 22:40, 46).

The Devil or Satan in the Gospel according to John:Although the Fourth Gospel does not tell us of Jesus being tempted or tested by Satan at the beginning of his public ministry, Jesus does face various conflicts with Satan throughout the narrative.Moreover, in John's Gospel Jesus' opponents several times accuse him of being possessed by Satan(cf. Mark 3:22-27 & par.).

The End