Welcome to “Ehrman Errs,” a blog series devoted to using our conversational AI to refute each alleged biblical contradiction that is posed in the article on Bart Ehrman’s website: 50 Contradictions in the Bible: The Biggest, Most Shocking Differences.
Today’s alleged contradiction:
#16 – Where Was Jesus the Day After His Baptism?
The Gospels present differing accounts of what happened to Jesus immediately after his baptism. In the Synoptic Gospels Jesus goes directly into the wilderness, where the Devil tempts him. In contrast, the Gospel of John omits any mention of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness. Instead, John describes a sequence of events in which John the Baptist, on the day after witnessing the Spirit descending on Jesus during his baptism, publicly identifies Jesus as the Lamb of God (John 1:29-34).
How Does Ehrman Err?
Ehrman errs by assuming the Gospels must present events in the same strict chronological order and by overlooking that John’s Gospel focuses on John the Baptist’s testimony, not on narrating every event after Jesus’ baptism. The accounts are complementary, not contradictory.
1. What Do the Gospels Actually Say?
- Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke):
These Gospels report that after Jesus’ baptism, He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil (see Matthew 4:1, Mark 1:12-13, Luke 4:1-2). For example, Matthew 4:1 (ESV):
“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.”
- Gospel of John:
John’s Gospel does not narrate the baptism event directly, nor does it mention Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness. Instead, John 1:29-34 describes John the Baptist seeing Jesus “the next day” and declaring, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29, ESV).
2. Is There a Contradiction?
A contradiction would require that the Gospels make mutually exclusive claims about the same event or timeline. However, that is not the case here:
- John’s Gospel is not giving a day-by-day chronological account of Jesus’ actions after His baptism.
John’s focus is on the testimony of John the Baptist, not on narrating every event in Jesus’ life in order. The phrase “the next day” in John 1:29 refers to the sequence of John the Baptist’s public witness, not necessarily the day after the baptism event itself. - The Synoptics and John have different emphases and purposes.
The Synoptics focus on Jesus’ preparation for ministry through temptation in the wilderness. John focuses on the theological significance of Jesus as the Lamb of God and the witness of John the Baptist.
3. Harmonizing the Accounts
It is reasonable to understand the sequence as follows:
- Jesus is baptized (as described in the Synoptics, and alluded to in John 1:32-34).
- Immediately after His baptism, Jesus is led into the wilderness for forty days (Synoptics).
- After the temptation, Jesus returns to the area where John is baptizing. At this point, John the Baptist publicly identifies Jesus as the Lamb of God (John 1:29-34).
This harmonization is supported by the fact that John does not say the events he describes happened the day after the baptism itself, but rather the day after John’s previous testimony. John 1:32-34 (ESV) shows John the Baptist recalling the Spirit descending on Jesus, which could have happened weeks earlier:
“And John bore witness: ‘I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him… And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.'”
4. Biblical Examples of Different Chronological Approaches
The Gospels often arrange material thematically or theologically rather than strictly chronologically. This is a common feature of ancient biographies. For example, Luke 4:1-2 (ESV) says:
“And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil.”
But John’s Gospel is not attempting to provide a day-by-day account. Instead, it is highlighting key theological moments.
5. Conclusion: No Contradiction
There is no genuine contradiction. The Synoptics and John are complementary, not contradictory. John omits the temptation narrative and focuses on John the Baptist’s testimony after Jesus’ return from the wilderness. The “next day” in John refers to the sequence of John’s testimony, not to the immediate day after the baptism event itself.
Scripture References:
- Matthew 4:1 – Jesus led into the wilderness after baptism.
- John 1:29-34 – John’s testimony about Jesus as the Lamb of God.
- Luke 4:1-2 – Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness.