Page 19 - The Gospel Chronicle - Parallel

Parallel: Introduciton

Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me… And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of
Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: And both Jesus was called and his disciples, to the

marriage… And when they wanted wine…His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he
saith unto you, do it…. When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine,
and knew not whence it was… This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and
manifested forth his glory” - John 1:15 – 2:11

To follow the logic that Jesus immediately (as in the very next second) went into the
wilderness for forty days is to prevent Jesus from being in Cana the third day after his baptism as John

the disciple clearly tells us. There are some that choose to see this as a contradiction between the
gospels, but a chronological reading helps us to see how both texts are true without contradiction. In
this example the reader must be willing to see the word “immediately” in the gospel of Mark as
subjective and subordinate to the crisply defined five days in the book of John. Even today with
modern demands on time and accelerated forms of transportation, a three day interim for a forty day

trip would be considered an “immediate” departure; all the more so two millennia ago.

The above example is only one of many that arose from this extended study. Others will

evidence themselves during events around Jesus’s birth, with the Sermon on the mount, the
transfiguration, Jesus’ triumphal entry, Lazarus’ resurrection, the variety of feast days and Jesus’
resurrection, and the overall length of Jesus’s ministry. This chronological rendering is based on the
establishment and adherence to several concrete “Lock Points” that are found in all four gospels. The

first is John the Baptist’s call for repentance found at the beginning of each gospel. The second is the
feeding of the five thousand found in the middle. The third is the crucifixion of Jesus. Lastly there is the
resurrection of Jesus. The consistent orientation of these four points within each of the gospels, tells us
that the gospels are intended to be read chronologically in their separate existing order. There are
many other examples of Lock Points that further establish the chronological order, but they may only
occur in two or three of the gospels.

The Gospel Chronicle • iii