How did Jesus' ministry begin?

• A. He preached but did not act
• B. Baptism by John the Baptist
• C. Sermon on the Mount
• D. Resurrection

Answer: (B)

The ministry begins at Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist in the Jordan River. This moment inaugurates his public mission: John’s baptism frames Jesus’ arrival as the fulfillment of righteousness and a turning point from private life to outward ministry. As Jesus comes up out of the water, the Spirit descends on him and a voice from heaven proclaims him beloved Son, commissioning him for the work ahead. This divine validation marks the true start of his active ministry—teaching, healing, and proclaiming the kingdom—following his baptism and the ensuing wilderness testing.

Teaching alone or later events don’t mark the start. The Sermon on the Mount is an early but later teaching within the ongoing ministry, while the Resurrection represents its culmination. The idea that Jesus merely preached without action also doesn’t fit the pattern of his inaugurating moment, which centers on the authoritative reception of his mission at baptism.