When did Jesus' public ministry begin?

[MarcoPolo]

I wrote this in another thread:…consider verse 11 when it says this was His “first sign” as a result of which those disciples believed. John 1:35ff is when Jesus calls His disciples, but this may not necessarily be considered His “public ministry.” The Catechism says:

CCC#1613 On the threshold of his public life Jesus performs his first sign - at his mother’s request - during a wedding feast. The Church attaches great importance to Jesus’ presence at the wedding at Cana. She sees in it the confirmation of the goodness of marriage and the proclamation that thenceforth marriage will be an efficacious sign of Christ’s presence.*Paragraph 574 also seems to tie in his public ministry with signs to be seen by all. Make no mistake, it depends on how someone uses the term “public ministry.” Because even in John 1, those disciples recognized Him as the “Messiah” and “Lamb of God” prior to Cana. At Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan, He is also particularly revealed when the voice from heaven calls out. But again, was this particularly a “public” event? You see the idiosyncrasy? I think it depends on what should be considered “public.”​

*What do you think? Is merely a matter of semantics? Is it fair to say it began when he first called his disciples? When baptized? Cana? Something else?

 

[grace_singh]

i would say, “at Cana”.

after His baptism He was lead into the wilderness to fast and pray, and was not ministering to anyone, nor was He ministering to anyone or revealing His glory to the disciples at His baptism.

God the Father chose to speak and glorify His Son, but the ministry to the public would begin, i’d say, at Cana.

 

[Alegare21]

i would say at Cana also. in 30 AD

 

[Bob4BVM]

i would say, “at Cana”.

after His baptism He was lead into the wilderness to fast and pray, and was not ministering to anyone, nor was He ministering to anyone or revealing His glory to the disciples at His baptism.

God the Father chose to speak and glorify His Son, but the ministry to the public would begin, i’d say, at Cana.

Yes, I agree on Cana.
Significant to note that it was at the intercession of His mother.
He questions, why she asks.
Her response, in complete trust in Him, is simply to turn to the waiters–“Do whatever it is that He tells you”.
Funny, she’s been telling us the same thing ever since.

 

[GraceSofia]

Do we know how much time elapsed between the baptism of Jesus and the miracle at Cana? Perhaps it was only a couple of months, allowing for the 40 days in the wilderness and some time to return and gather some disciples. It seems like God introduced Jesus, as it were, then Jesus went off privately for the 40 days, and then when he came back, he started his public ministry.

You know what I always wonder about? How on earth could Jesus have ever grown up NON publicly after the Star of Bethlehem, the slaughter of the innocents, the pronouncement of Simeon, etc. How could people have forgotten all that happened around the time of Jesus’ birth? I would have thought everyone in the country would have been waiting and watching to see what he was going to be.

 

[ryanoneil]

His public ministry starts at His baptism. The Spirit descending as a dove is a public manifestation to Israel.