Dear Webmaster,

On your Jesus Timeline you say that Jesus met John the Baptist when he was around thirty years of age. But in fact he probably would have known John way before this. John the Baptists mother was Elizabeth, Jesus mother’s cousin. So, they had a family link and Mary and Elizabeth were pregnant at the same time and met together. It is unfeasible that they wouldn’t have met until Jesus was thirty years old.

Thanks,

Dear Reader,

Jesus' mother, the Virgin Mary, was a cousin to John's mother, Elizabeth (Luke 1:36). Though it’s possible that they had met, either way it’s also possible – sometimes even first cousins do not meet.

John 1:32-33:

And John testified, ‘I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, “He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.”

Here John said clearly that he did not know Him (Jesus) before he saw the spirit descending on him, but maybe he meant that he did not know that Jesus was the Messiah, and not that he did not know Jesus, his cousin.

All this could be very interesting but to the same extent unimportant since the main point of the above verses is to testify Jesus’ revelation as Messiah at the Jordan River by John the Baptist.