As I've shared before, as we follow the journey through the gospels, it seems like the core of Jesus' ministry lasted about three years - perhaps not a full three years, but based on how many trips to Jerusalem he made, and how many Passovers went by, it's definitely into the third year. And so we can break down the rest of the gospels into sections based on each year, and where Jesus was (Judea or Galilee).

But just be prepared for the fact that the material in the gospels is not spread evenly over the three years - there is more stuff we know about in some sections of the ministry than in others. And though we will talk about it, our goal is not really to figure out the chronology or geography - it's probably impossible to really nail these things down with certainty - rather, like the Church fathers, our goal is to understand the meaning of what's happening and what Jesus is teaching.

Also, keep in mind that just because we place something like a teaching of Jesus within the first year or second year or whatever, it is probably the case that Jesus taught many of the same things many times - so we should not assume he only preached the sermon on the mount once, for example. With all that in mind, the next four sections that cover the first year would look like this:

Year 1A Galilee
Year 1A Judea
Year 1B Galilee
Year 1B Judea

This Saturday we will begin the section I'm calling Year 1A Galilee, which includes the calling of the disciples, the wedding at Cana, and the beginning of the preaching in Capernaum. I can't wait to dig in! See you Saturday!