How did the things Jesus did and said when alone get recorded in the Gospels?

TL;DR:

Though Jesus was sometimes physically alone, He likely shared those experiences with His disciples—and the Holy Spirit ensured the Gospel writers recorded exactly what God wanted us to know. All Scripture is God-breathed, faithfully revealing the truth we need for life, even about Jesus' private moments.

what does the bible say?

The Gospels describe times when Jesus went off alone. At the beginning of His ministry Jesus went into the wilderness for forty days and was tempted by the Devil (Matthew 4:1–11; Luke 4:1–13) and at the end of His ministry He prayed alone in the garden (Matthew 26:36–46; Mark 14:32–42; Luke 22:39–46). How do we know what happened during those times? It is likely that Jesus told His disciples about those times as He shared life with them. Matthew, John and Peter spent time with Jesus. Luke says he interviewed eyewitnesses to Jesus' life (Luke 1:1–4) to write his Gospel. Mark is believed to have gotten information for his Gospel from the apostle Peter. Additionally, Jesus appeared to the disciples after His resurrection over a period of forty days "speaking about the kingdom of God" (Acts 1:3). He very well could have answered questions they had about those times He was alone. All else can be attributed to the inspiration, guidance, and direction of the Holy Spirit. Even Jesus’ private moments were faithfully preserved in the Gospels for our benefit and God's glory.

from the old testament

What Jesus did and said when alone was not recorded in the Old Testament.

from the new testament

John 14:25-26 reveals how the private words and actions of Jesus were faithfully preserved and recorded in the Gospels. Jesus promised that after His resurrection, the Holy Spirit—the Helper—would come to teach the disciples, guide them into all truth, and bring to their remembrance everything Jesus had said, including things He shared in private moments. The Gospel writers accurately captured Jesus’ life and teachings.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 affirms that all Scripture is God-breathed, meaning the Holy Spirit inspired the writers so the Scriptures would be complete, trustworthy, and useful for teaching and guiding believers. Thus, even Jesus’ private conversations and actions were preserved through the Spirit’s work, providing us with the full revelation needed for faith and life.

implications for today

Clearly the times the Gospels describe Jesus' activities while alone are times God wants us to know about. He is capable of communicating the messages He wants us to know. Whether Jesus told the Gospel writers or the Gospel writers' sources directly, or the Holy Spirit told the writers directly, we can trust that God has revealed to us that which we need to know (2 Timothy 3:16–17; 2 Peter 1:3; Deuteronomy 29:29). As we read and study Scripture we can grow in our knowledge of God and respond to who He is—knowing that what’s written is exactly what He wants us to know for our good and His glory.

understand

Jesus likely shared details of His private times alone with His disciples, who were eyewitnesses or closely connected to eyewitnesses, enabling Gospel writers to record these events accurately.
The Holy Spirit inspired and guided the Gospel writers, ensuring that even Jesus’ private words and actions were faithfully preserved as part of Scripture.
Scripture, including the accounts of Jesus’ solitary moments, is God-breathed and trustworthy, providing all that believers need to know for faith and life.

reflect

How does knowing that even Jesus’ private moments were preserved by the Holy Spirit affect your trust in the Bible’s reliability?
How can you rely more on the Holy Spirit to help you understand and remember God’s truths in your own life?
How might the example of Jesus spending time alone with God inspire you to seek quiet moments for prayer and reflection?

engage

How do the disciples’ eyewitness experiences and the Holy Spirit’s guidance together shape the accuracy of the Gospel accounts?
How can we explain to others the way Jesus’ private actions and teachings were recorded in the Gospels?
How can we encourage one another to trust and apply the truths found in Scripture, even about things that Jesus did in private?