This chart presents John's order of events in the life of Christ. John is the gospel of belief, and was written to show the world that Jesus was the Son of God. John usually presents the teachings of Jesus in the form of conversations.
John contains many unique events that are not presented in the synoptic gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Consequently John has fewer parallel references than the other gospels.
| Event | Matthew | Mark | Luke | John |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-existence of Christ | 1:1-18 | |||
| John's testimony about Christ | 1:19-28 | |||
| John recounts Christ's baptism | 1:29-34 | |||
| First disciples | 1:35-51 | |||
| First miracle - turning water to wine | 2:1-12 | |||
| First temple cleansing | 2:13-25 | |||
| Nicodemus meets Jesus at night | 3:1-21 | |||
| Disciples baptize many in Judea | 3:22-24 | |||
| Disciples ask John about Jesus | 3:25-36 | |||
| Jesus withdraws from Judea | 4:1-3 | |||
| Samaritan woman at Jacob's well | 4:4-26 | |||
| Disciples question Jesus | 4:27-38 | |||
| Samaritans come to Jesus | 4:39-42 | |||
| Jesus continues toward Galilee | 4:14-15 | 4:43 | ||
| Arrival in Cana of Galilee | 4:43-45 | |||
| Jesus heals official's son | 4:46-54 | |||
| Passover in Jerusalem | 5:1 | |||
| Man healed at pools of Bethesda | 5:2-15 | |||
| Jesus challenged for healing on Sabbath | 5:16-47 | |||
| 12 return and they withdraw | 14:13 | 6:30-32 | 9:10 | 6:1 |
| Jesus teaches multitude | 14:14 | 6:33-34 | 9:11 | 6:2 |
| Jesus feeds 5,000 | 14:15-21 | 6:35-44 | 9:12-17 | 6:3-14 |
| Jesus prays alone | 14:22-23 | 6:45-47 | 6:15 | |
| Jesus walks on water | 14:24-27 | 6:48-52 | 6:16-21 | |
| Bread of Life discourse | 6:22-7:1 | |||
| Feast of Booths at hand | 7:2 | |||
| Brothers advise Jesus to go to Judea | 7:3-8 | |||
| Jesus stays in Galilee | 7:9 | |||
| Jesus sets his face to go to Jerusalem | 9:51 | 7:10 | ||
| People afraid to speak publicly of Jesus | 7:11-13 | |||
| Jesus in the temple mid-feast | 7:14-15 | |||
| Jesus says some seek to kill him | 7:16-19 | |||
| Defense for healing on Sabbath | 7:20-24 | |||
| Jesus cries out in the temple | 7:25-30 | |||
| Multitudes amazed at Signs | 7:31 | |||
| Pharisees seek to sieze Jesus | 7:32-36 | |||
| Last day of Feast | 7:37 | |||
| Rivers of living water | 7:37-39 | |||
| Division among the people | 7:40-44 | |||
| Pharisees question officers | 7:45-47 | |||
| Judgement of Nicodemus | 7:48-53 | |||
| Jesus goes to the Mount of Olives | 8:1 | |||
| Teaches at temple in the morning | 8:2 | |||
| Adulterous woman brought to Jesus | 8:3-11 | |||
| Light of the world | 8:12-20 | |||
| Sent by the Father | 8:21-30 | |||
| Temple debate about father Abraham | 8:31-59 | |||
| Jesus leaves the temple | 8:59 | |||
| Jesus heals a man born blind | 9:1-7 | |||
| Neighbors question healed blind man | 9:8-12 | |||
| Pharisees question man's parents | 9:13-34 | |||
| Jesus finds the man | 9:35-39 | |||
| Pharisees ask if they are blind | 9:40-10:6 | |||
| Jesus explains he is the Good Shepherd | 10:7-18 | |||
| Division among the Jews | 10:19-21 | |||
| Feast of Dedication in the temple | 10:22-23 | |||
| Jews confront Christ | 10:24-39 | |||
| Jesus goes to Aenon near Salim | 10:40-42 | |||
| Lazarus of Bethany reported sick | 11:1-6 | |||
| Jesus delays for 2 days | 11:6 | |||
| Jesus prepares 12 to go to Judea | 11:7-16 | |||
| Arrives near Bethany, 2 days later | 11:17-18 | |||
| Martha meets Jesus | 11:19-29 | |||
| Mary comes to Jesus | 11:30-37 | |||
| Jesus comes to the tomb | 11:38 | |||
| Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead | 11:39-44 | |||
| Unbelievers report to Pharisees | 11:45-46 | |||
| Conspiracy to kill Jesus | 11:47-53 | |||
| Jesus goes to Ephraim | 11:54 | |||
| Journey to Jerusalem for Passover | 11:54 | |||
| Jesus discussed by Jews and Priests | 11:55-57 | |||
| Jesus in Bethany | 12:1 | |||
| Mary anoints Jesus in Simon's house | 12:2-8 | |||
| Crowds come to see Jesus and Lazarus | 12:9 | |||
| Chief priests conspire to kill Lazarus | 12:10-11 | |||
| Triumphal entry into Jerusalem | 21:8-11 | 11:7-10 | 19:35-38 | 12:12-18 |
| Pharisees reaction | 19:39-40 | 12:19 | ||
| Greeks seek Jesus | 12:20-22 | |||
| Final public appeals to unbelievers | 12:23-50 | |||
| Jesus washes the disciples' feet | 13:1-20 | |||
| Jesus predicts his betrayal | 26:21-25 | 14:18-21 | 22:21-23 | 13:21-26 |
| Judas leaves | 13:27-30 | |||
| A new commandment | 13:31-35 | |||
| Jesus predicts Peter's denials | 26:33-35 | 14:29-31 | 22:33-34 | 13:36-38 |
| Jesus comforts the disciples | 14:1-4 | |||
| Jesus responds to Thomas | 14:5-7 | |||
| Jesus responds to Philip | 14:8-21 | |||
| Jesus responds to Judas not Iscariot | 14:22-31 | |||
| They sing a hymn and leave | 26:30 | 14:26 | 14:31 | |
| Farewell discourse | 15:1-16:33 | |||
| Jesus prays for his disciples | 17:1-26 | |||
| Jesus enters Gethsemane | 26:36 | 14:32 | 22:39-40 | 18:1 |
| Mob comes to arrest Jesus | 26:47 | 14;43 | 18:2-3 | |
| Jesus answers the mob with authority | 18:4-9 | |||
| Peter severs the ear of Malchus | 26:50-54 | 14:46-47 | 22:49-50 | 18:10-11 |
| Jesus is arrested. The disciples flee. | 26:55-56 | 14:48-52 | 22:52-54 | 18:12 |
| Jesus lead to high priest's house | 26:57 | 14:53 | 22:54 | 18:13-14 |
| Peter follows at a distance | 26:58 | 14:54 | 22:54 | 18:15-16 |
| Peter's 1st denial - doorkeeping girl | 26:69-70 | 14:66-68 | 22:55-57 | 18:17-18 |
| Annas questions Jesus | 18:19-24 | |||
| Peter's 2nd denial - by the fire | 26:71-72 | 14:69-70 | 22:58 | 18:25 |
| Peter's 3rd denial - relative of Malchus | 26:73-75 | 14:70-72 | 22:59-62 | 18:26-27 |
| Jesus lead from Caiaphas to Praetorium | 18:28 | |||
| Jesus before Pilate | 27:1-14 | 23:1-7 | 18:29-38 | |
| Pilate releases Barabbas | 27:15-26 | 15:6-15 | 23:13-25 | 18:38-40 |
| Pilate's soldiers crown and mock Jesus | 27:27-30 | 15:16-20 | 19:1-3 | |
| Pilate tries to release Jesus | 19:4-7 | |||
| Pilate questions Jesus again | 19:8-11 | |||
| Pilate tries to release Jesus again | 19:12 | |||
| Pilate sentences Jesus | 19:13-15 | |||
| Pilate delivers Jesus to be crucified | 19:16 | |||
| Jesus carries the cross | 19:17 | |||
| Jesus is brought to Golgotha | 27:33 | 15:22 | 23:32-33 | 19:17 |
| 2 robbers are crucified with Jesus | 27:38 | 15:27-28 | 23:33 | 19:18 |
| Inscription written by Pilate | 27:37 | 15:26 | 23:38 | 19:19-22 |
| Soldiers divide the garments of Jesus | 27:35-36 | 15:24 | 23:34 | 19:23-24 |
| "Behold your mother." | 19:25-27 | |||
| "I thirst." | 19:28 | |||
| Jesus is offered sour wine on a reed. | 27:47-49 | 15:35-36 | 19:29-30 | |
| "It is finished." | 19:30 | |||
| Jesus bows his head and dies | 27:50 | 15:37 | 23:46 | 19:30 |
| Request that legs be broken | 19:31-32 | |||
| Soldier pierces Jesus' side | 19:33-34 | |||
| Fulfilment of prophecy | 19:35-37 | |||
| Joseph requests body from Pilate | 27:57-58 | 15:42-43 | 23:50-52 | 19:38 |
| Joseph takes the body | 15:45 | 19:38 | ||
| Nicodemus and Joseph prepare the body | 19:39-40 | |||
| Body placed in new garden tomb | 27:59-60 | 15:46 | 23:53 | 19:41-42 |
| Women bring spices to tomb at dawn | 28:1 | 16:1-4 | 24:1-3 | 20:1 |
| Women run to tell disciples | 28:8 | 16:8 | 24:9-11 | 20:2 |
| Peter and John inspect the empty tomb | 24:12 | 20:3-9 | ||
| Peter and John go home | 24:12 | 20:10 | ||
| Mary sees two angels | 20:12-13 | |||
| Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene | 16:9 | 20:14-17 | ||
| Women report to the disciples | 16:10-11 | 20:18 | ||
| Jesus appears to disciples without Thomas | 24:36-46 | 20:19-24 | ||
| Disciples report to Thomas | 20:25 | |||
| Jesus appears to disciples and Thomas | 16:14 | 20:26-29 | ||
| Jesus appears to seven by the sea | 21:1-14 | |||
| Jesus questions Peter 3 times | 21:15-23 | |||
| John's first testimony | 20:30-31 | |||
| John's second testimony | 21:24-25 |
While the gospels present similar events, the order, emphasis, inclusion, and omission of events changes with each author. Each gospel is a literary work with unique goals and a specific target audience.
Discrediting the gospels for sequential differences is pointless. The theological purpose of each author was not to construct a precise sequential account, but to present Christ to his readers. New Testament writers occasionally grouped related ideas for clarity, and used devices like flashbacks for emphasis (e.g. Luke 9:7-9).
To learn more about John and his purpose, audience, and emphasis, check out our Explore the Gospels article.