The Future Glory of Zion

John the Baptist Sends Messengers to Jesus^(A)

^18 (B)Then the disciples of John reported to him concerning all these things. ¹⁹ And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to ^[a]Jesus, saying, “Are You ^(C)the Coming One, or ^[b]do we look for another?”

²⁰ When the men had come to Him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, ‘Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?’ ” ²¹ And that very hour He cured many of ^[c]infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight.

^22 (D)Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: ^(E)that the blind ^(F)see, the lame ^(G)walk, the lepers are ^(H)cleansed, the deaf ^(I)hear, the dead are raised, ^(J)the poor have the gospel preached to them. ²³ And blessed is he who is not ^[d]offended because of Me.”

^24 (K)When the messengers of John had departed, He began to speak to the multitudes concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? ²⁵ But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed those who are gorgeously appareled and live in luxury are in kings’ courts. ²⁶ But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. ²⁷ This is he of whom it is written:

²⁸ For I say to you, among those born of women there is ^[e]not a ^(M)greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

²⁹ And when all the people heard Him, even the tax collectors ^[f]justified God, ^(N)having been baptized with the baptism of John. ³⁰ But the Pharisees and ^[g]lawyers rejected ^(O)the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.

^31 [h]And the Lord said, ^(P)“To what then shall I liken the men of this generation, and what are they like? ³² They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, saying:

³³ For ^(Q)John the Baptist came ^(R)neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ ³⁴ The Son of Man has come ^(S)eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a glutton and a ^[i]winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ ^35 (T)But wisdom is justified by all her children.”

¹⁵ Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not, ¹⁶ John answered, saying to all, ^(A)“I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will ^(B)baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹⁷ His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and ^(C)gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.”

³⁴ Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is destined for the ^(A)fall and rising of many in Israel, and for ^(B)a sign which will be spoken against ³⁵ (yes, ^(C)a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

³² Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, ^[a]by the works of the law. For ^(A)they stumbled at that stumbling stone. ³³ As it is written:

^16 [a]And of His ^(A)fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. ¹⁷ For ^(B)the law was given through Moses, but ^(C)grace and ^(D)truth came through Jesus Christ.

¹⁶ But ^(A)blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; ¹⁷ for assuredly, I say to you ^(B)that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

¹⁰ Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, ¹¹ searching what, or what manner of time, ^(A)the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. ¹² To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to ^[a]us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which ^(B)angels desire to look into.