John begins Jesus’ story before Bethlehem, before Galilee, and before the ministry of John the Baptist. The opening phrase, “In the beginning,” deliberately places the reader at creation’s horizon, while the Word is described as existing with God and sharing God’s identity. John therefore introduces Jesus not merely as a wise teacher or religious reformer, but as the one through whom all things came into being. The Gospel’s account of Jesus rests on this larger claim about who he is.
Mark places Jesus’ public ministry after John the Baptist has been imprisoned. The setting gives the announcement a sober edge: the message of God’s kingdom enters a world where faithful testimony can bring opposition and suffering. Jesus comes into Galilee proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God, not offering detached religious advice. His first public words identify the arrival of a decisive moment and call hearers to respond.
Matthew 5 opens with Jesus seeing the crowds, going up the mountain, and teaching his disciples. The crowds remain part of the scene, but the immediate audience is especially the disciples who come near to hear him. The chapter begins the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus describes life under God’s reign. Its blessings and commands are not detached ideals; they reveal the character expected of people who belong to the kingdom.
Matthew 28 begins at the tomb after the Sabbath, with Mary Magdalene and the other Mary coming to see Jesus’ burial place. An earthquake and the angel’s action mark the scene as extraordinary, but the central announcement is simple: Jesus, who was crucified, is risen. The angel directs the women to the empty place and sends them to tell the disciples that Jesus will meet them in Galilee. Resurrection in this passage is not a metaphor for the survival of an idea; it is presented as God’s act concerning the crucified Jesus.
