The Divine Ministry of Jesus Christ 

when He was closer to 30 years old than to 29, in the 30th year since the Incarnation, between the 29th and 

30th Passovers (

A.D.

 15, 

A.D.

 16) since His Birth, and 3  years before the Crucifixion. 

The Baptism of Jesus by John 

     Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the 

heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form, as a dove, and a voice came from 

heaven, `Thou art my beloved Son; with thee I am well pleased.'   (Lk 3:21 22). 

    Immediately after telling us about the Baptism of Jesus, the Gospel of Luke gives us the age of Jesus when 

He began His Ministry (Lk 3:23). So, the Gospel of Luke counts the Ministry of Jesus as having begun at the 

time of His Baptism. Each of the other Gospels also marks the Baptism of Jesus by John as the beginning of 

Jesus' Ministry (Mt 3:13 17; Mk 1:9 15; Jn 1:19 34). 

    Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist in the river Jordan (Mt 3:6; Mk 1:9; Lk 4:1; Jn 1:28). The place of 

Baptism must have been between the Dead Sea and the Sea of Galilee, which are connected to one another by 

the Jordan River. Also, Sacred Scripture tells us that those who came to be baptized were from Judea and 

Jerusalem (Mt 3:5; Mk 1:5). So, one place where John baptized was in the region of Judea.

405

    The Gospel of John tells us that John baptized  at Aenon, near Salem, because there was much water 

there.  (Jn 3:23). Aenon is located in Samaria, not in Judea, and is closer to the Sea of Galilee than to the 

Dead Sea. Thus, John baptized in more than one location. 

    Blessed Anne Catherine provides some additional details about the places where John baptized people.

406

She names three places along the Jordan River, between the Dead Sea and the Sea of Galilee. First John 

baptized at Ainon (Aenon), near Salem (Salim). Then John baptized  at On opposite Beth Araba on the west 

side of the Jordan, and not far from Jericho. 

407

 That location is close to the north end of the Dead Sea.

408

 The 

third place where John baptized is not given a name by Blessed Anne Catherine, but she tells us it was located 

 a couple of hours further north  than the second place.

409

 Lastly, John returned to the first place, Aenon, to 

baptize for the last time before being arrested and put in prison. The Gospel of John mentions John's 

impending imprisonment immediately after telling us that John baptized at Aenon. 

    At which of these locations was Jesus baptized? The Gospel of John gives us some indication that the 

Baptism of Jesus by John occurred near the Dead Sea, not at Aenon, which is nearer the Sea of Galilee. The 

Gospel of John describes a conversation between John the Baptist and some priests and Levites sent by the 

Pharisees.  This took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.  (Jn 1:28). Bethany is a 

short distance, about a Sabbath's walk, from Jerusalem (Lk 24:50; Acts 1:12). Bethany is somewhat less than 

20 miles from the Jordan river, but is over 50 miles from Aenon. The next day after the conversation at 

Bethany, John saw Jesus at a distance and spoke about the Holy Spirit descending on Jesus at His (recent) 

Baptism (Jn 1:29 34). It is not until much later in the Gospel of John (Jn 3:23) that Aenon is mentioned as a 

place where John baptized. Therefore, Jesus was baptized in the Jordan, in the region of Judea, not at Aenon, 

but at a place closer to the Dead Sea than to the Sea of Galilee. 

    Jesus was baptized by John in the fall of 

A.D.

 15, after John had spent several months preparing the way for 

Christ's Ministry. Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich provides some more specific information about when the 

Baptism of Christ occurred. When speaking a settlement of lepers that Jesus had visited, she tells us:  Jesus 

healed here on September 30th before His Baptism. 

410

 So, the Baptism of Jesus occurred on or after Sept. 30 

of 

A.D.

 15. In another place, she states:  It is the same house in which thirty years later Jesus spent the night of 

October 11th before the morning on which he passed near the Baptist for the first time after His Baptism. 

411

So, the Baptism of Jesus occurred on or before Oct. 11 of 

A.D.

 15. 

    In describing the day on which Jesus was baptized by John, Blessed Anne Catherine tells us that Jesus 

traveled that morning along with Lazarus, but that He walked more quickly than Lazarus and so He arrived 2 

hours before him.

412

 They must have both walked a long distance for Jesus to arrive so long ahead of Lazarus. 

Later in the day, after His Baptism, Jesus also traveled with some of His followers to a place a couple of hours 

away.

413

 Since Jesus and Lazarus and some other disciples traveled much that day, it could not have been a 

Jewish Sabbath (on which Jews were not permitted to travel more than a short distance). 

103