¹⁵ Everyone became excited and wondered, “Could John be the Messiah?”

¹⁶ John said, “I am just baptizing with water. But someone more powerful is going to come, and I am not good enough even to untie his sandals.^[a] He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. ¹⁷ His threshing fork^[b] is in his hand, and he is ready to separate the wheat from the husks. He will store the wheat in his barn and burn the husks with a fire that never goes out.”

¹⁸ In many different ways John preached the good news to the people. ^19 (A) But to Herod the ruler, he said, “It was wrong for you to take Herodias, your brother's wife.” John also said Herod had done many other bad things. ²⁰ Finally, Herod put John in jail, and this was the worst thing he had done.

The Baptism of Jesus

(Matthew 3.13-17; Mark 1.9-11)

²¹ While everyone else was being baptized, Jesus himself was baptized. Then as he prayed, the sky opened up, ^22 (B) and the Holy Spirit came down upon him in the form of a dove. A voice from heaven said, “You are my own dear Son, and I am pleased with you.”

John the Baptist Tells about Jesus

(Matthew 3.1-12; Mark 1.1-8; Luke 3.15-17)

^19-20 The religious authorities in Jerusalem sent priests and temple helpers to ask John who he was. He told them plainly, “I am not the Messiah.” ^21 (A) Then when they asked him if he were Elijah, he said, “No, I am not!” And when they asked if he were the Prophet,^[a] he also said “No!”

²² Finally, they said, “Who are you then? We have to give an answer to the ones who sent us. Tell us who you are!”

^23 (B) John answered in the words of the prophet Isaiah, “I am only someone shouting in the desert, ‘Get the road ready for the Lord!’ ”

²⁴ Some Pharisees had also been sent to John. ²⁵ They asked him, “Why are you baptizing people, if you are not the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet?”

²⁶ John told them, “I use water to baptize people. But here with you is someone you don't know. ²⁷ Even though I came first, I am not good enough to untie his sandals.” ²⁸ John said this as he was baptizing east of the Jordan River in Bethany.^[b]

The Lamb of God

²⁹ The next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him and said:

Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! ³⁰ He is the one I told you about when I said, “Someone else will come, who is greater than I am, because he was alive before I was born.” ³¹ I didn't know who he was. But I came to baptize you with water, so that everyone in Israel would see him.

³² I was there and saw the Spirit come down on him like a dove from heaven. And the Spirit stayed on him. ³³ Before this I didn't know who he was. But the one who sent me to baptize with water had told me, “You will see the Spirit come down and stay on someone. Then you will know that he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.” ³⁴ I saw this happen, and I tell you that he is the Son of God.