²³ John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness,^(A) ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”^[a](B)

²⁴ Now the Pharisees who had been sent ²⁵ questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”

²⁶ “I baptize with^[b] water,”^(C) John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. ²⁷ He is the one who comes after me,^(D) the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”^(E)

²⁸ This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan,^(F) where John was baptizing.

John Testifies About Jesus

²⁹ The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God,^(G) who takes away the sin of the world!^{(H) 30} This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’^{(I) 31} I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”

³² Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him.^{(J) 33} And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water^(K) told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’^(L)

²⁴ For the Lord your God is a consuming fire,^(A) a jealous God.^(B)

¹⁶ As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened,^(A) and he saw the Spirit of God^(B) descending like a dove and alighting on him.

¹⁰ Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.^(A)

The Baptism and Genealogy of Jesus^(A)(B)

²¹ When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying,^(C) heaven was opened ²² and the Holy Spirit descended on him^(D) in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son,^(E) whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”^(F)

² Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.^{(A) 3} They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.