I am borrowing the title of this post from my Easter post and I got that from Luke.  Luke also uses this idea for the third phase/block of Jesus’ ministry by saying He was getting ready to go to Heaven.  (This will not look polished because Word Press does not play nice when you import some things from Word.  This is more of a study than a “telling”.  I am trying to connect where Jesus was with the teachings and actions of others and focus on “kingdom”.)  Jesus’ movements and His teachings are very purposeful in this phase of His ministry as He is preparing the disciples for Easter/Passover and for the Book of Acts/Pentecost.  Matthew and Luke have different events in this time period, I will try to join them but that has proven hard.  One idea that might help join all the events is that the disciples (the Twelve) were not always by Jesus’ side in this time period.  Another fact is the Holy Land is not a huge area, several days of focused walking will get you from Jerusalem to Caesarea Philippi and Tyre and Sidon to the East Bank.   

From Matthew 13: 53 to 28: 20 there are eighteen times/parables that the term “kingdom” is used. (actual number of times it appears is higher, I counted groupings) I will add material from Luke and John when it seems right.  Some of this will be subjective because Luke adds many things not found in Matthew or Mark, John’s focus is just different! 

Matthew 13: 53– His hometown (Nazareth) – rejected as He taught in the synagogue – “prophet without honor” I have wondered if that is why He never went back to Bethlehem!  The mention of what happened to John the Baptist not only signals this is a different section of Jesus’ ministry but clears the stage for things to come.

Matthew 14: 13 – a solitary place – feeds the 5000 and walks on water.  The miracles reflect events of the Exodus and the march to Sinai (days to Pentecost) and Jesus’ authority over nature.

Matthew 14:34 – Gennesaret – Pharisees from Jerusalem asked about the Law (washing hands). Teaching on clean and unclean.

Matthew 15: 21 – the region of Tyre and Sidon.  This is as far west as Jesus traveled, it is also as far north as He went; Caesarea Philippi is about the same latitude north.  Jesus found “great faith” in a woman who the disciples wanted to send away.  She wanted mercy for her daughter’s healing.

Matthew 15: 29– Sea of Galilee. Feeds the 4000.

Matthew 15: 39 – vicinity of Magadan, by boat– Pharisees wanted a sign from Heaven.

Matthew 16: 5 – crossed lake.  Yeast of Pharisees and Sadducees.

Matthew 16: 13 – Caesarea Philippi *Kingdom (2) * – Who I am, Peter’s confession, started explaining His suffering at Jerusalem, Peter’s rebuke, denying self 

Matthew 17: 1 – high mountain for Transfiguration.  This could be in Caesarea Philippi or “the mountain” in Galilee.  I vote for Galilee because of Jesus wanting them to go back there during the days of “counting the omer” or waiting on Pentecost.

Luke 10: 1 to 17: 11– My main interest here is that Jesus sends out seventy-two disciples to at least thirty-six towns.  Luke puts many parables/teachings in these chapters that may appear somewhere else in a different Gospels.

Matthew 17: 22 – they came together!  Matthew does not say any more than that!  This is why I put Luke 10 into the list.  Realizing that the disciples (the 12) may not have always been “right there” helped the possibilities and melding of the Gospel accounts.

This section is from the first post and overlaps a little. I will add some from Matthew for #8. 

1. John 10: 22 has Jesus in Jerusalem at the Feast of Dedication or Hanukkah.  He makes the Jews mad so He “escapes”.
2. Jesus goes to where John baptized on the east bank of the Jordan. John 10: 40.
3. Bethany is Jesus’ next destination to raise Lazarus from the dead. John 11: 17
4. Because of a plot to kill Him, He goes to a village called Ephraim that is in the desert.  John 11: 54 We would call it wilderness – English and Hebrew ideas on this topic are opposites of each other. 
5. Capernaum– dealing with the Temple tax. Matthew 17: 24
6. Samaria and Galilee border – healed ten lepers. Luke 17: 11
7. Crosses the Jordan River to be on the east bank. Matthew 19: 1
8. Crosses back to the west bank and goes to Jericho.
9. Goes to Bethany/Bethphage and the Mount of Olives for the “Triumphal Entry”. Matthew 21: 1, Luke19: 28
   
   

   Jesus on the Donkey

Matthew 18 to 21 – There are seven references to the * kingdom* in this section of Matthew.  Six are by Jesus and one by “the mother of Zebedee’s sons” (James and John).  

Matthew 20: 17 – going up to Jerusalem.  He probably was on the east bank of the Jordan going to Jericho.  This period of time reflects Joshua’s entry into the Land and his Passover (#8).

Matthew 20: 29 – Leaving Jericho going to the Mount of Olives (#9) for His ride into Jerusalem.  Jesus only visited the Temple and then He left for Bethany (Mark 11:11). This is Palm Sunday, I will switch to days of the week so that it will be easier to visualize. 

Monday– To put this is context with Passover, the next four days are when the Passover lamb was separated, “inspected”, and taken care of before it became the main part of the remembrance of what God had done for the people.  I am also going to focus on where Jesus went during these days, not what He taught or said. The links will take you to another post that adds more to the story.  I will extend this section to the Ascension.  Jesus’ movements are scattered throughout the Gospels, so they are not in one place for reference.  Matthew 21: 12 – the Temple and back to Bethany.

Tuesday– Matthew 21: 18, Mark 11: 27 – to the fig tree and the Temple Court where He taught. Matthew has seven references to the *kingdom* on Tuesday; Luke has one.

Wednesday– Matthew 26: 6 – Jesus is in Bethany at the house of Simon the Leper.

Thursday– Matthew 26: 17 the Upper Room, (26: 30) Mt. of Olives/Gethsemane, (26: 57) Caiaphas house.  There is one reference to the *kingdom* during Jesus’ last supper; Luke has three.

Friday– Matthew 27:1 Jesus goes to Pilate, (27:27) Praetorium, (27:33) to Golgotha and the Cross. He was then put in the Tomb.  Luke has three mentions of the Kingdom- one to the Thief and one about Joseph of Arimathea.

Saturday – Jesus went into Hell and got the Keys back and while He was there He preached and set captives free.

Sunday (Easter) –Matthew 28 – the Garden Tomb, (Luke 24:13) Emmaus, (Luke 24:36) the first visit to the Upper Room.

One week later – John 20: 24 + 26 – the Upper Room for the second time for Thomas.

To Galilee – To the mountain and the Sea of Tiberias (Galilee).

Mt. of Olives/Area of Bethany – for the Ascension.

I wrote a post called – After the Cloud to envision what may have taken place next and where He went.

pics –