1. The promise of Jesus’ coming

Before Jesus was born, the Old Testament contains prophecies Christians understand as pointing toward the Messiah.

• Isaiah 7:14 — the sign of a child called Immanuel
• Isaiah 9:6–7 — a promised ruler
• Micah 5:2 — the ruler would come from Bethlehem
• Isaiah 52:13–53:12 — the suffering servant

2. The angel announces Jesus’ birth

The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, telling her that she would give birth to Jesus, the Son of God.

📖 Luke 1:26–38

Mary responded with faith and praise.

📖 Luke 1:46–55

3. Joseph learns about Jesus

Joseph was engaged to Mary. When he discovered that she was pregnant, an angel appeared to him in a dream and explained that the child was conceived by the Holy Spirit.

The angel instructed him to name the child Jesus.

📖 Matthew 1:18–25

4. Jesus is born in Bethlehem

Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem. Jesus was born there and placed in a manger.

Angels announced the birth to shepherds, who came to see the child.

📖 Luke 2:1–20

Matthew also records the visit of the Magi.

📖 Matthew 2:1–12

5. Jesus is presented at the temple

Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem.

Simeon recognized Jesus as God’s promised salvation, and Anna also spoke about the child.

📖 Luke 2:21–38

6. Jesus and the flight to Egypt

King Herod wanted to kill Jesus. Joseph was warned in a dream and took Mary and Jesus to Egypt.

After Herod died, they returned and settled in Nazareth.

📖 Matthew 2:13–23

7. Jesus as a child

The Bible gives very little information about Jesus’ childhood.

At age 12, Jesus traveled with Mary and Joseph to Jerusalem. After they left, they discovered he was missing and found him in the temple discussing Scripture with teachers.

Jesus said:

“I must be about my Father’s business.”

📖 Luke 2:41–52

The Bible then says Jesus grew in wisdom, stature, and favor with God and people.

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Jesus’ Public Ministry

8. John the Baptist prepares the way

John began preaching in the wilderness:

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

📖 Matthew 3:1–12
📖 Mark 1:1–8
📖 Luke 3:1–20
📖 John 1:19–28

9. Jesus is baptized

Jesus came to John to be baptized in the Jordan River.

When Jesus was baptized:

• Heaven opened.
• The Spirit descended like a dove.
• A voice from heaven identified Jesus as God’s beloved Son.

📖 Matthew 3:13–17
📖 Mark 1:9–11
📖 Luke 3:21–22

10. Jesus is tempted in the wilderness

Jesus fasted for 40 days and was tempted by Satan.

The temptations concerned:

1. Turning stones into bread
2. Testing God’s protection
3. Receiving worldly kingdoms through worship of Satan

Jesus answered each temptation with Scripture.

📖 Matthew 4:1–11
📖 Mark 1:12–13
📖 Luke 4:1–13

11. Jesus begins preaching

Jesus began proclaiming the Gospel and calling people to repentance.

His central message was the coming of the Kingdom of God.

📖 Matthew 4:12–17
📖 Mark 1:14–15
📖 Luke 4:14–21

12. Jesus calls his first disciples

Jesus called fishermen such as:

• Peter
• Andrew
• James
• John

Later he called Matthew and the other apostles.

📖 Matthew 4:18–22
📖 Matthew 9:9
📖 Mark 1:16–20
📖 Luke 5:1–11

13. Jesus performs his first recorded miracle

At a wedding in Cana, Jesus turned water into wine.

John describes this as the beginning of Jesus’ signs.

📖 John 2:1–11

14. Jesus cleanses the temple

Jesus went to Jerusalem and confronted people who were turning the temple into a marketplace.

📖 John 2:13–22

The Synoptic Gospels also record a temple cleansing near the end of Jesus’ ministry.

📖 Matthew 21:12–13
📖 Mark 11:15–19
📖 Luke 19:45–48

15. Jesus speaks with Nicodemus

A Pharisee named Nicodemus came to Jesus at night.

Jesus taught him about being born again and God’s love for the world.

📖 John 3:1–21

This conversation contains John 3:16.

16. Jesus meets the Samaritan woman

Jesus traveled through Samaria and spoke with a Samaritan woman at a well.

He taught her about living water and true worship.

📖 John 4:1–42

Many Samaritans subsequently believed in Jesus.

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Jesus’ Teachings and Miracles

17. Jesus heals and casts out demons

Throughout Galilee, Jesus:

• Healed the sick
• Restored sight
• Healed paralysis
• Cast out demons
• Cleansed lepers

📖 Matthew 4:23–25
📖 Mark 1:21–45
📖 Luke 4:31–44

18. Jesus calls the Twelve Apostles

Jesus formally appointed twelve apostles.

They included Peter, James, John, Andrew, Matthew, Thomas, Philip, Bartholomew, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus/Judas son of James, Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot.

📖 Matthew 10:1–4
📖 Mark 3:13–19
📖 Luke 6:12–16

19. The Sermon on the Mount

Jesus taught a major sermon concerning the character of God’s kingdom.

It includes:

• The Beatitudes
• Loving enemies
• Giving to the needy
• Prayer
• Fasting
• Forgiveness
• The Lord’s Prayer
• Trusting God
• The Golden Rule

📖 Matthew 5–7

Luke records a similar collection of teachings.

📖 Luke 6:17–49

20. Jesus calms the storm

Jesus and his disciples crossed the Sea of Galilee. A violent storm arose while Jesus was sleeping.

The disciples woke him, and Jesus commanded the wind and sea to be still.

📖 Matthew 8:23–27
📖 Mark 4:35–41
📖 Luke 8:22–25

21. Jesus feeds 5,000 people

A large crowd followed Jesus. With five loaves and two fish, Jesus fed approximately 5,000 men, besides women and children according to Matthew.

📖 Matthew 14:13–21
📖 Mark 6:30–44
📖 Luke 9:10–17
📖 John 6:1–15

22. Jesus walks on water

Jesus came to his disciples walking on the water.

Peter briefly walked toward Jesus but became afraid and began sinking.

📖 Matthew 14:22–33
📖 Mark 6:45–52
📖 John 6:16–21

23. Jesus teaches about the bread of life

After feeding the crowd, Jesus taught that he was the bread of life.

📖 John 6:22–71

24. Peter confesses Jesus as the Christ

Jesus asked his disciples who they believed he was.

Peter answered that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Jesus then began explicitly teaching his disciples about his coming suffering, death, and resurrection.

📖 Matthew 16:13–28
📖 Mark 8:27–38
📖 Luke 9:18–27

25. The Transfiguration

Jesus took Peter, James, and John up a mountain.

Jesus was transfigured before them, and Moses and Elijah appeared with him.

A voice from heaven said:

“This is my beloved Son.”

📖 Matthew 17:1–8
📖 Mark 9:2–8
📖 Luke 9:28–36

26. Jesus raises Lazarus

One of Jesus’ greatest recorded miracles was raising Lazarus from the dead after Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days.

Jesus declared:

“I am the resurrection and the life.”

📖 John 11:1–44

This miracle contributed to the authorities’ decision to seek Jesus’ death.

📖 John 11:45–53

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The Final Week

27. Jesus enters Jerusalem

Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey.

Crowds welcomed him with branches and praise.

This is commonly called Palm Sunday.

📖 Matthew 21:1–11
📖 Mark 11:1–11
📖 Luke 19:28–44
📖 John 12:12–19

28. Jesus cleanses the temple

Jesus overturned the tables of the money changers and sellers in the temple.

📖 Matthew 21:12–17
📖 Mark 11:15–19
📖 Luke 19:45–48

29. Jesus teaches in Jerusalem

Jesus spent his final days teaching in the temple and answering challenges from religious leaders.

He taught about:

• Paying taxes
• Resurrection
• The greatest commandment
• The Messiah
• Judgment
• The destruction of the temple
• The coming of the Son of Man

📖 Matthew 21–25
📖 Mark 11–13
📖 Luke 19–21

30. Judas agrees to betray Jesus

Judas Iscariot agreed to hand Jesus over to the authorities for money.

📖 Matthew 26:14–16
📖 Mark 14:10–11
📖 Luke 22:1–6

31. The Last Supper

Jesus gathered with his disciples.

He washed their feet and taught them about servant leadership.

He instituted the Lord’s Supper:

“This is my body.”
“This is my blood of the covenant.”

📖 Matthew 26:17–30
📖 Mark 14:12–26
📖 Luke 22:7–38
📖 John 13–17

32. Jesus prays in Gethsemane

Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane and prayed intensely before his arrest.

He submitted himself to the Father’s will.

📖 Matthew 26:36–46
📖 Mark 14:32–42
📖 Luke 22:39–46

33. Jesus is betrayed and arrested

Judas arrived with an armed group and identified Jesus with a kiss.

Jesus was arrested.

📖 Matthew 26:47–56
📖 Mark 14:43–52
📖 Luke 22:47–53
📖 John 18:1–12

34. Peter denies Jesus

Peter denied three times that he knew Jesus.

When the rooster crowed, Peter remembered Jesus’ prediction and wept bitterly.

📖 Matthew 26:69–75
📖 Mark 14:66–72
📖 Luke 22:54–62
📖 John 18:15–27

35. Jesus is tried

Jesus was questioned by Jewish authorities and later brought before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor.

Pilate ultimately sentenced Jesus to crucifixion.

📖 Matthew 27:1–26
📖 Mark 15:1–15
📖 Luke 23:1–25
📖 John 18:28–19:16

36. Jesus is crucified

Jesus was taken to Golgotha and crucified.

He died on the cross.

📖 Matthew 27:27–56
📖 Mark 15:16–41
📖 Luke 23:26–49
📖 John 19:16–37

37. Jesus is buried

Joseph of Arimathea took Jesus’ body and placed it in a new tomb.

📖 Matthew 27:57–61
📖 Mark 15:42–47
📖 Luke 23:50–56
📖 John 19:38–42

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The Resurrection

38. The tomb is empty

On the first day of the week, women came to the tomb.

Jesus’ body was gone.

Angels announced that Jesus had risen.

📖 Matthew 28:1–10
📖 Mark 16:1–8
📖 Luke 24:1–12
📖 John 20:1–18

39. Jesus appears to his followers

Jesus appeared to his disciples and other followers after his resurrection.

Important appearances include:

• Mary Magdalene — John 20:11–18
• The disciples — John 20:19–23
• Thomas — John 20:24–29
• Disciples on the road to Emmaus — Luke 24:13–35
• Seven disciples by the Sea of Galilee — John 21

Paul later summarizes several resurrection appearances.

📖 1 Corinthians 15:3–8

40. Jesus gives the Great Commission

Jesus commanded his followers to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them his commandments.

📖 Matthew 28:16–20

41. Jesus ascends into heaven

Jesus’ earthly appearances culminated in his ascension.

He told his disciples that they would receive the Holy Spirit and become his witnesses.

Then he was taken up into heaven.

📖 Luke 24:50–53
📖 Acts 1:1–11

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What happened after Jesus’ ascension?

The story continues in Acts.

The Holy Spirit came upon the disciples at Pentecost.

📖 Acts 2

Peter and the other apostles began preaching that Jesus had died and risen again.

The Christian movement spread from Jerusalem throughout Judea, Samaria, and eventually the wider Roman world.

📖 Acts 1:8

The New Testament then explains the significance of Jesus’ death and resurrection and looks forward to his return.

For example:

📖 Romans 5:6–11
📖 1 Corinthians 15:12–28
📖 Philippians 2:5–11
📖 Hebrews 9:24–28
📖 Revelation 19–22

The central message of Jesus’ life

The four Gospels ultimately present Jesus’ life as moving toward one central event:

His death and resurrection.

Jesus’ ministry announces God’s Kingdom; his death is presented as sacrificial; his resurrection is presented as God’s victory over death; and his followers are commanded to proclaim this message to the world.

If you want to read the actual Bible account from beginning to end, a particularly useful order is:

Luke 1–24 → Matthew 1–28 → Mark 1–16 → John 1–21 → Acts 1–2 → 1 Corinthians 15.

That lets you experience the story itself rather than only reading a summary.