A Day In The Life Of Jesus Christ  

By Jon Nessle

Imagine this: You are out crusin' in your brand new 300M Car of the Year, keepin' all the cubic inches crankin', the horsepowers hummin', smooth as glass, roarin' down the highway. Then you happen to see a small speck in your rearview mirror. Suddenly, eeeooOOWWwww, it streaks past and you recognize that it is the same kind of car you are driving. You think to yourself, "Gee, I didn't think my car could do that!" That was Jesus Christ. He was driving the same model of Chrysler that you have!

Hebrews 2:16-17
For verily he took not on {him the nature of} angels; but he took on {him} the seed of Abraham.2:17 Wherefore in all things it behoved [required] him to be made like unto {his} brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things {pertaining} to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

What is the nature of angels? It is spirit. Hebrews 2:17 says that "in all things it required him to be made like unto his brethren". Therefore his example is valid for us. Jesus Christ was perfect and he was sinless, but he "drove the same model" as we drive. He was a man of like passions as we.

Hebrews 2:18
For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour [help] them that are tempted.

Jesus Christ is the fulcrum of History. More has been written about him than any other individual, yet he most likely is the most misunderstood. Many of the beliefs concerning him even contradict themselves. The Bible encourages us to follow his example and walk as he walked and think as he thought. It even says that he is in us who are born again. However, it is not possible for us to think, walk and be like him unless we clearly understand some things about him. That is why the Gospels were written: so we could see him as he was and begin to understand the example he set for us to follow.

The following Bible study is a snapshot of one day in the life of Jesus Christ. All four Gospels cover parts of this day. When we fit them all together in chronological order we'll see a vivid, detailed picture of him in action. We'll be able to feel how he felt. We'll be able to perceive glimpses of how he thought. And we'll be able to see how he worked with the Apostles and how God his Father worked with him. The section begins in Matthew 14 with the account of the fate of John the Baptist.

Matthew 14:1-13a
At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus,
2 And said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him.
3 For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put {him} in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife.
4 For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her.
5 And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.
6 But when Herod's birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod.
7 Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask.
8 And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist's head in a charger.
9 And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath's sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded {it} to be given {her}.
10 And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison.
11 And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel: and she brought {it} to her mother.
12 And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus.
13 When Jesus heard {of it}, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart:

How would you have felt if it was your cousin who had just suffered such an ignominious fate? How would you feel if you had known what a wonderful man of God he was? How would you feel if suddenly, now, you were the only mature spiritual leader for the true God left, and now you were alone? And there was no one else to shoulder the responsibility. All you had left was twelve newcomers who were still wet behind the ears. Jesus felt the same way. He needed to get off by himself for a while to deal with it. He "drove the same model" as we drive. He had emotions just like we do. He had to deal with the grief of losing such a wonderful cousin and coworker as John the Baptist. The impact of losing such a unique, dynamic and spectacular man of God as he, who was born with the spirit of God upon him must have been crushing. Matthew 14:12 says that John's disciples had brought the news to Jesus, so not only did he have to deal with his own shock and grief, but that of John's disciples. It must have been a heartrending situation.

However, that wasn't the only thing that Jesus had to deal with at the time. The twelve apostles had just returned from being sent out two by two. They were at the opposite end of the emotional spectrum. Flushed with success, exuberant with enthusiasm, they were all coming together to recount their exciting and unbelievable experiences of wielding the power of the name of Jesus Christ. We pick up the next part of the chronology in the Gospel of Mark.

Mark 6:30,32
And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught.
31 And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.
32 And they departed into a desert place by ship privately.

Imagine yourself in this circumstance. What a conflict! On one hand you have to deal with your own personal grief and also care for John's heartbroken disciples. On the other hand is the full-speed-ahead situation with twelve sky-high apostles which you've been patiently teaching and now they've had their first real opportunity at practically applying what they've learned from you. It is so important to preserve their momentum and continue to build their confidence, nail down their personal experiences with clear explanations of the spiritual principles involved, and show them how to do it even better. There only is a short period while the experience is still fresh that an instructor can take advantage of this kind of situation to bring about the maximum learning impact from it. Jesus had worked so hard to bring them to this point. He could ill afford to not take advantage of it. But even that was not all that was going on. There also were the crowds that followed Jesus and the new people that the Apostles had brought back with them. Everything and everyone was coming together to one focal point: Jesus. It was so busy, so intense, and there was so much need that they couldn't even get time to eat! To make sure he didn't lose this precious opportunity for the Apostles learning and development, Jesus and the Apostles had to get away from it all for a while.

Luke 9:10
And the apostles, when they were returned, told him all that they had done. And he took them, and went aside privately into a desert place belonging to the city called Bethsaida.

Jesus and the Apostles somehow extracted themselves from that situation to get some privacy. They departed by ship to a spot in the desert on the other side of the sea of Galilee away from all the activity.

John 6:1
After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is {the sea} of Tiberias.

So now we have "quadravision". All four Gospels mention elements of this day in the life of Jesus Christ. Just like those fancy maps on the plastic pages that we had in our schoolbooks, we can fold over all four pages representing the four Gospels and look at all of them at once and see that day in a wonderful, new light. And now the plot thickens..

Mark 6:33
And the people saw them departing, and many knew him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together unto him.

Despite their efforts for privacy, their departure was detected and word leaked out. Just like Broadway show stars or Orchestra soloists trying to exit privately out the back door, they were about to be thronged.

Matthew 14:13b
and when the people had heard {thereof}, they followed him on foot out of the cities
John 6:2,3
And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.
3 And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples.

Jesus and the Apostles did get some time together. They all must have been tired from all the recent intense work that had to be done. They must have welcomed the time together. John 6:3 says he sat with them. In light of Biblical culture that means they spent some time at it. Imagine what they talked about. Jesus probably got to share his thoughts about the loss of John the Baptist and what was now ahead. John's followers needed to be comforted and helped. Plans had to be made. Things needed to be restructured to incorporate John's disciples into those who followed Jesus. The Apostles also needed attention. They probably got to recount some of the high points of their recent experiences with wielding the power they'd been given and get the personal attention from Jesus that was so important to them. But they hadn't yet gotten enough time with him nor had Jesus gotten the private time he needed.

John 6:34
And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.

The Gospel of John says "when he came out". Maybe they were taking a break from their meeting on the mountaintop. Jesus went out for a breath of fresh air and discovered that they had been found. The Gospel of Mark said that the people had run to get there. That indicates their desire to be with Jesus. Their needs were still unmet and the reality of John's death had set in. Jesus now had to make a decision.

He could have said to them, "Don't you people know that we came all the way out here to be by ourselves? Don't you people realize that John was my cousin and I need time to grive? Go away! Leave us alone! We need to finish making our plans so we can take care of you!" But instead, Jesus set aside is own needs and put God first. He decided to forgo the rest of the meeting with the Apostles and turned his attention to the people.

Matthew 14:14
And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.

He was moved with compassion. All the planning, his own needs and the needs of the Apostles were set aside. All his thoughts and preparations had been to deal with the current situation in his ministry and handle the meeting with the Apostles that he was just in. But now here he stood before a needy multitude, alone, with no forethought, willing to step out only upon his prior conditioning and upon pure believing. He knew not what was in store but trusted God for supplying insight, direction and spiritual solutions. John 6 says "he began to teach them many things." That word "began" emphasizes that turning point when he set aside everything else and put himself and the whole situation into the hands of God.

Oh, to have been there to witness it! To see how everything was about to be reversed. To see how such a crushing blow by the adversary was going to be absorbed, the galaxy of emotions experienced and sublimated and then to see Jesus, those around him and the multitude emerge changed, all within one day! He stood up alone to lead the way. It began when he set aside everything to help the weak, heal the sick and teach the hungry!

But not everyone had realized the significance of this moment. The Apostles had been sky-high when they came back from their itineraries and they wanted their time with the master. They had gotten some private time with him on the mountain. But then everything changed. Jesus left them behind and in a moment had turned his attention to the multitude.

Mark 6:35, 36
And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time {is} far passed:
36 Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat.

"Hey Jesus", they said, "Get rid of them! They came all the way out here and didn't even think about bringing something to eat!". That's all they could see. They didn't recognize its significance. The multitude had been distraught by John's demise, they forsook preparations like food and had run out into the desert just for a chance to be with Jesus. It was that important to them. Jesus responded with compassion. The Apostles didn't. How can I lay that at their feet? Because they were hard hearted. Later on Mark 6:52 says so, and it took weeks for Jesus to deal with it.

John 6:5
When Jesus then lifted up {his} eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?
6 And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.

The phrase "to prove him" says a lot. Philip must have been the one who needed to be confronted the most. It is understandable. They had just experienced tremendous and fascinating things while they were out two by two. To wield the power to heal in the name of Jesus Christ is an unforgettable thing, but it can get to your head. To walk this walk requires great discipline. There so many ways to err. There are pitfalls that need to be overcome to even believe that you can wield the power. But even after getting beyond that point, there are more subtle things to watch out for after you are successful. The walk of power is a delicate balance. The Apostles needed to things back into the proper perspective. Philip didn't get it yet.

John 6:7-9
Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.
8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him,
9 There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?

Jesus continued to confront their incorrect attitudes. He challenged them all, saying to them, "You give them something to eat!"

Matthew 14:16-18
But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat.
17 And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes.
18 He said, Bring them hither to me.

They still did not get his hints that he knew that something was available. They were not in tune with the spirit because of their attitudes. They'd looked forward to having Jesus all to themselves and recounting what they had learned and what they did and have him answer their questions. It was a bit selfish. They must have resented that the people had intruded on their time with the master. After all, that is why they all had departed privately and taken a boat across Galilee. Imagine how their jaws dropped when Jesus made the next move.

Mark 6:39, 40
And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass.
40 And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties.

Now they were committed. The Apostles must have been astonished. What on earth was he going to do now?

Luke 9:14-17
For they were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, Make them sit down by fifties in a company.
15 And they did so, and made them all sit down.
16 Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude.
17 And they did eat, and were all filled: and there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets.

Jesus broke off some bread and it grew back! He broke off some fish and it grew back! Then he handed it to a disciple who was standing right there and witnessed it and that disciple distributed it to the people. Imagine the thoughts of each Apostle as he stood ready to receive the food and watched it happen. They'd wanted to get rid of the people. What a lesson!

Matthew 14:19-21
And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to {his} disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
20 And they did all eat, and were filled [filled according to their appetite]: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full.
21 And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children.

Imagine how Jesus felt. The adversary had just cut off John the Baptist, the only other man of God in the world. Jesus had put God first and instead of turning the people away, he was moved with compassion and taught them and believed to heal many of them. And now God had made this tremendous miracle available. What a slam-dunk right in the adversary's face! Satan might succeed in stopping the people of God at one point, but then more will always arise to take their place! More will arise to be fishers of men and serve the bread of life.

John 6:10-13
And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.
11 And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.
12 When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.
13 Therefore they gathered {them} together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above [abounded] unto them that had eaten.

Imagine what the people thought when news of the miracle filtered through the crowd. The expressions on the disciples' faces as they distributed the food must have told them something incredible was occurring. There are so many lessons here. John 6:11 has the phrase "as much as they would". This is a snapshot of God's provision. God could have stopped energizing the miracle as soon as everyone had received a morsel of food, but He didn't. He could have stopped when everyone had received a nice meal, but He didn't. He kept it going till everyone was filled according to their appetite. He could have stopped any time. This is what is available whenever you pray: an abundant answer, not a skimpy one!

John 6:14,15a
Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.
15 When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king,

Suddenly a situation arose that had to be stopped. Jesus was not going to be a political or military messiah, like many of the Jews expected the messiah to be. He had to believe to find a way to stop this without destroying all the good things and momentum of believing which were present.

Matthew 14:22
And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.

Now, apparently it was time for the meeting to break up. The multitudes saw the disciples rushing around getting the boats ready to depart and had heard Jesus constraining them, "Hurry up! Let's move it!", so they accepted the fact that they could not have any more time with Jesus. So they all obediently departed.

Mark 6:45,46
And straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while he sent away the people.
46 And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray.

But as the boats shoved off he didn't get in. Now he was going to get what he needed, time by himself to think, plan and pray.

John 6:15b
he departed again into a mountain himself alone.

What a day in the Word! The grief of the multitude had been turned into astonishment. The way in which it all was accomplished was brilliant. Satan's crushing blow was reversed. And now all he could do was have a tantrum and make the wind blow!

Mark 6:47, 48a
And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land.
48a And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them:

Now, Jesus was ready for more action. He'd had his time alone with the Father, to pray, to deal with the reality John's death and to face what was still ahead. Reflecting upon the events of the day, he looked out from the mountain and saw the disciples still rowing far off in the windy sea. There must have been a full moon that night. But this incredible day was not over yet. There still was the problem with those men out there in the boats.

John 6:16-20
And when even was {now} come, his disciples went down unto the sea,
17 And entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them.
18 And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew.
19 So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid.
20 But he saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid.

How do think he felt when his Father said, "Son, how'd you like to walk on some water." Waters, the sea or the deep represents the adversary's spirit realm in the Bible. Now, after the events of this day and because he put God first when he'd had every right to send the people away, he gets to walk on top them all.

Mark 6:48b-50
and about the fourth watch of the night [3 AM] he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them.
49 But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out:
50 For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.

Picture this: Jesus was really into this! He would have passed by them. He was walking on water! What a gas! Every step he took healed his heartache over John. Every step he took was walking atop the entire spirit realm! This wasn't a placid lake either. The sea of Galilee was treacherous in a storm. Because it was a small body of water, waves would be coming in from all directions. Jesus was moving through the watery chaos, rising high and falling low and would have passed by the crowd in the boat. Meanwhile, they too were rising and falling with the raging waters and off in the distance from time to time as they both were thrust upward, the full moon illuminated something strange approaching off in the distance.

Matthew 14:26
And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.

How wrong could they be! It was Jesus. They were filled with fear. F.E.A.R is False Evidence Appearing Real. Fear cheats us out of so many opportunities to learn, chances to excel and times we could win. Fear caused them to assume that what they were witnessing was from the devil. How wrong could they be! It was the Lord.

Matthew 14:27,28
But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
14:28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.

Now from that boat of fear someone arose. It was Peter. How do you think Jesus must have felt. John the Baptist was gone, he was the only one left to lead and all he had left was these twelve blokes who were still wet behind the ears. Now someone was rising up! Yes, Peter, its available. Come!

Matthew 14:29
And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.

All Jesus said was one word. That's all that was needed. Peter got out of the boat, and it says he walked on the water. How many words would you need before you'd do that?

Matthew 14:30,31
But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.
14:31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth {his} hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

When Peter got out of the boat, he was looking at the Lord. As he took his first steps he did the same. But then he got distracted. The raging sea got the best of him and he lost his confidence and became afraid. Fear cheats us all out of so many wonderful things. But all we need to do is look at the Lord and keep God's Word in our minds. He drove the same model as we do. His example is valid for us. The Word is the antidote for fear.

By looking at this incredible day through all four Gospels simultaneously we have seen many wonderful things. But it is the additional facet of looking at it from the perspective that Jesus Christ's example is valid for us that really makes it personal. Realizing how he must have felt after John's death and seeing how God worked with him to bring him up out of that casts these familiar events in a new light. Can't you see him more vividly now? Can you understand why these wonderful miracles were made available? Can't you see him? Get out of your boat. Keep your eyes on the Lord, step over the edge and walk atop your problems, victorious! You can do it if you keep the Word of the Lord in mind and don't get distracted by the world.

Matthew14:32,33
And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.
33 Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.

After that the wind ceased. Jesus Christ and Peter had teamed up to slam dunk it right in the adversary's face again. Jesus didn't rebuke it, the wind just stopped. Satan was defeated again.

Mark 6:51
And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered.

This incident is amazing. But it teaches us a valuable lesson. We all face seemingly impossible challenges at times but the Lord will always provide deliverance. This is literally spelled out in Corinthians.

I Corinthians10:13
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God {is} faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear {it}.

When we find ourselves in a predicament, we sometimes think we're a special case, that no one else has ever had it so bad. That is not true. Our temptations are common to man. Someone else somewhere has been in the same soup. But God is faithful. That is tremendous. Not ninety percent of the time or ninety-nine percent of the time, but one-hundred percent of the time. God is faithful to provide a way out. Else, if it were too big for us, God would make sure that we wouldn't be in the situation. Let's state that another way. The very fact that you have found yourself in a situation, in and of itself is sufficient proof that you can be delivered from it! God is faithful. Deliverance will always be available. So don't fill your mind with the problem, look for and then look at the solution! Jesus did it and because his example is valid for us we can do it too!

John14:12
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater {works} than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
This is an amazing promise. If Jesus Christ did it we can do it too. The key is to believe upon him, to believe the things he taught us. To receive anything from God, one must believe. We believe with our heart. In order for something to become part of our heart we must dwell upon it in our mind and not be distracted by the world. That is what God's Word is for. We must find the promise of God in His Word which spells out our deliverance and keep it in mind until it becomes part of our heart. Then to receive it, we act upon it. That is exactly what Peter did. Jesus gave him one word to act upon and he did act upon it. He walked on the water. As long as he kept his eyes on the goal of reaching Jesus, he did fine. But when the raging contradictions of the world distracted him, he lost sight of his goal and began to sink. We have far more than just one word. We have a whole Bible full of examples and promises. How many promised do you know? Which promise applies to your situation? Find it. Fill your mind with it. Forget what the world says and claim it. Keep acting upon your believing till you receive it.

Jesus Christ's example is valid because he took not the nature of angels. If he had then what's the point? It would have just been the "Jesus Show". Oh, here's some water. Poof! I'll walk on it. Oh, here's some needs. Poof! They're taken care of. It still would have been amazing, but would it have been applicable for us? No. So what. But the Bible says that in all things he was made like us, his brethren. So it was applicable for us. Peter followed that example and got results. So can we.

Hebrews 2:16-17
For verily he took not on {him the nature of} angels; but he took on {him} the seed of Abraham.
17 Wherefore in all things it behoved [required] him to be made like unto {his} brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things {pertaining} to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

He felt the same kinds of emotions that we do, successfully dealt with them and blazed the trail that we can walk upon. He did it. So we can do it too. We drive the same model he did.

Hebrews 4:15, 16
For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as {we are, yet} without sin.
16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

We can come boldly at the time of need. Not when everything is fine and it is easier to expect results, but when we are in the midst of the situation, when we are down and more apt to believe that we don't deserve help. No, it says come boldly in the time of need. So boldly step out of your boat. Get into the car. Put the pedal to the metal and eeEEOOWWww! Follow his example, victorious.