施洗者约翰的传道

凯撒提庇留执政第十五年,本丢·彼拉多任犹太总督,希律做加利利的分封王,他的弟弟腓力做以土利亚和特拉可尼两地的分封王,吕撒聂做亚比利尼的分封王, 亚那和该亚法当大祭司。当时,撒迦利亚的儿子约翰住在旷野,上帝向他说话。 他就到约旦河附近宣讲悔改的洗礼,使人的罪得到赦免。 这正应验了以赛亚先知书上的话:“在旷野有人大声呼喊,

“‘预备主的道,
修直祂的路。
一切山谷将被填满,
大山小丘将被削平,
弯曲的道路要被修直,
崎岖的路径要被铺平。
世人都要看见上帝的救恩。’”

约翰对前来接受他洗礼的人群说:“你们这些毒蛇的后代!谁指示你们逃避那将临的烈怒呢? 你们要结出与悔改相称的果子。不要心里说,‘我们是亚伯拉罕的子孙。’我告诉你们,上帝可以从这些石头中兴起亚伯拉罕的子孙。 现在斧头已经放在树根上了,不结好果子的树都要被砍下丢在火里。”

10 众人问道:“那么,我们该怎么办呢?”

11 约翰回答说:“有两件衣服的,应当分一件给没有的;食物充裕的,应当分些给饥饿的。”

12 有些税吏也来受洗,并问约翰:“老师,我们该怎么办呢?”

13 约翰说:“除了规定的税以外,一分钱也不可多收。”

14 有些军人问:“我们该怎么办呢?”约翰说:“不可敲诈勒索,自己有粮饷就当知足。”

15 当时的百姓正期待着基督的来临,大家心里都在猜想,也许约翰就是基督。 16 约翰对众人说:“我是用水给你们施洗,但有一位能力比我更大的快来了,我就是给祂解鞋带也不配。祂要用圣灵和火给你们施洗。 17 祂手里拿着簸箕,要清理祂的麦场,把麦子收进仓库,用不灭的火烧尽糠秕。” 18 约翰向众人传福音,讲了许多劝勉的话。

19 分封王希律娶了自己弟弟的妻子希罗底,又做了许多恶事,因而受到约翰的指责, 20 可是他却恶上加恶,将约翰关进监牢里。

耶稣受洗

21 众人都受了洗,耶稣也接受了洗礼。祂正在祷告的时候,天开了, 22 圣灵像鸽子一样降在祂身上,又有声音从天上传来:“你是我的爱子,我甚喜悦你。”

耶稣的家谱

23 耶稣开始传道的时候,年纪约三十岁,照人的看法,

祂是约瑟的儿子,

约瑟是希里的儿子,

24 希里是玛塔的儿子,

玛塔是利未的儿子,

利未是麦基的儿子,

麦基是雅拿的儿子,

雅拿是约瑟的儿子,

25 约瑟是玛他提亚的儿子,

玛他提亚是亚摩斯的儿子,

亚摩斯是拿鸿的儿子,

拿鸿是以斯利的儿子,

以斯利是拿该的儿子,

26 拿该是玛押的儿子,

玛押是玛他提亚的儿子,

玛他提亚是西美的儿子,

西美是约瑟的儿子,

约瑟是犹大的儿子,

犹大是约亚拿的儿子,

27 约亚拿是利撒的儿子,

利撒是所罗巴伯的儿子,

所罗巴伯是撒拉铁的儿子,

撒拉铁是尼利的儿子,

尼利是麦基的儿子,

28 麦基是亚底的儿子,

亚底是哥桑的儿子,

哥桑是以摩当的儿子,

以摩当是珥的儿子,

珥是约细的儿子,

29 约细是以利以谢的儿子,

以利以谢是约令的儿子,

约令是玛塔的儿子,

玛塔是利未的儿子,

30 利未是西缅的儿子,

西缅是犹大的儿子,

犹大是约瑟的儿子,

约瑟是约南的儿子,

约南是以利亚敬的儿子,

31 以利亚敬是米利亚的儿子,

米利亚是迈南的儿子,

迈南是玛达他的儿子,

玛达他是拿单的儿子,

拿单是大卫的儿子,

32 大卫是耶西的儿子,

耶西是俄备得的儿子,

俄备得是波阿斯的儿子,

波阿斯是撒门的儿子,

撒门是拿顺的儿子,

33 拿顺是亚米拿达的儿子,

亚米拿达是兰的儿子,

兰是希斯仑的儿子,

希斯仑是法勒斯的儿子,

法勒斯是犹大的儿子,

34 犹大是雅各的儿子,

雅各是以撒的儿子,

以撒是亚伯拉罕的儿子,

亚伯拉罕是他拉的儿子,

他拉是拿鹤的儿子,

35 拿鹤是西鹿的儿子,

西鹿是拉吴的儿子,

拉吴是法勒的儿子,

法勒是希伯的儿子,

希伯是沙拉的儿子,

36 沙拉是该南的儿子,

该南是亚法撒的儿子,

亚法撒是闪的儿子,

闪是挪亚的儿子,

挪亚是拉麦的儿子,

37 拉麦是玛土撒拉的儿子,

玛土撒拉是以诺的儿子,

以诺是雅列的儿子,

雅列是玛勒列的儿子,

玛勒列是该南的儿子,

该南是以挪士的儿子,

38 以挪士是塞特的儿子,

塞特是亚当的儿子,

亚当是上帝的儿子。

John Prepares the Way for Jesus(A)

It was the 15th year of the rule of Tiberius Caesar. These men were under Caesar:

Pontius Pilate, the governor of Judea;

Herod, the ruler of Galilee;

Philip, Herod’s brother, the ruler of Iturea and Trachonitis;

Lysanias, the ruler of Abilene.

Annas and Caiaphas were the high priests. During this time, John, the son of Zechariah, was living in the desert, and he received a message from God. So he went through the whole area around the Jordan River and told the people God’s message. He told them to be baptized to show that they wanted to change their lives, and then their sins would be forgiven. This is like the words written in the book of Isaiah the prophet:

“There is someone shouting in the desert:
‘Prepare the way for the Lord.
    Make the road straight for him.
Every valley will be filled,
    and every mountain and hill will be made flat.
Crooked roads will be made straight,
    and rough roads will be made smooth.
Then everyone will see
    how God will save his people!’” (B)

Crowds of people came to be baptized by John. But he said to them, “You are all snakes! Who warned you to run from God’s judgment that is coming? Change your hearts! And show by your lives that you have changed. I know what you are about to say—‘but Abraham is our father!’ That means nothing. I tell you that God can make children for Abraham from these rocks! The ax is now ready to cut down the trees.[a] Every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

10 The people asked John, “What should we do?”

11 He answered, “If you have two shirts, share with someone who does not have one. If you have food, share that too.”

12 Even the tax collectors came to John. They wanted to be baptized. They said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?”

13 He told them, “Don’t take more taxes from people than you have been ordered to collect.”

14 The soldiers asked him, “What about us? What should we do?”

He said to them, “Don’t use force or lies to make people give you money. Be happy with the pay you get.”

15 Everyone was hoping for the Messiah to come, and they wondered about John. They thought, “Maybe he is the Messiah.”

16 John’s answer to this was, “I baptize you in water, but there is someone coming later who is able to do more than I can. I am not good enough to be the slave who unties his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 17 He will come ready to clean the grain.[b] He will separate the good grain from the straw, and he will put the good part into his barn. Then he will burn the useless part with a fire that cannot be stopped.” 18 John said many other things like this to encourage the people to change, and he told them the Good News.

How John’s Work Later Ended

19 John criticized Herod the ruler for what he had done with Herodias, the wife of Herod’s brother, as well as for all the other bad things he had done. 20 So Herod added another bad thing to all his other wrongs: He put John in jail.

Jesus Is Baptized by John(C)

21 When all the people were being baptized, Jesus came and was baptized too. And while he was praying, the sky opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit came down on him. The Spirit looked like a real dove. Then a voice came from heaven and said, “You are my Son, the one I love. I am very pleased with you.”

The Family History of Joseph(D)

23 When Jesus began to teach, he was about 30 years old. People thought that Jesus was Joseph’s son.

Joseph was the son of Eli.

24 Eli was the son of Matthat.

Matthat was the son of Levi.

Levi was the son of Melchi.

Melchi was the son of Jannai.

Jannai was the son of Joseph.

25 Joseph was the son of Mattathias.

Mattathias was the son of Amos.

Amos was the son of Nahum.

Nahum was the son of Esli.

Esli was the son of Naggai.

26 Naggai was the son of Maath.

Maath was the son of Mattathias.

Mattathias was the son of Semein.

Semein was the son of Josech.

Josech was the son of Joda.

27 Joda was the son of Joanan.

Joanan was the son of Rhesa.

Rhesa was the son of Zerubbabel.

Zerubbabel was the son of Shealtiel.

Shealtiel was the son of Neri.

28 Neri was the son of Melchi.

Melchi was the son of Addi.

Addi was the son of Cosam.

Cosam was the son of Elmadam.

Elmadam was the son of Er.

29 Er was the son of Joshua.

Joshua was the son of Eliezer.

Eliezer was the son of Jorim.

Jorim was the son of Matthat.

Matthat was the son of Levi.

30 Levi was the son of Simeon.

Simeon was the son of Judah.

Judah was the son of Joseph.

Joseph was the son of Jonam.

Jonam was the son of Eliakim.

31 Eliakim was the son of Melea.

Melea was the son of Menna.

Menna was the son of Mattatha.

Mattatha was the son of Nathan.

Nathan was the son of David.

32 David was the son of Jesse.

Jesse was the son of Obed.

Obed was the son of Boaz.

Boaz was the son of Salmon.

Salmon was the son of Nahshon.

33 Nahshon was the son of Amminadab.

Amminadab was the son of Admin.

Admin was the son of Arni.

Arni was the son of Hezron.

Hezron was the son of Perez.

Perez was the son of Judah.

34 Judah was the son of Jacob.

Jacob was the son of Isaac.

Isaac was the son of Abraham.

Abraham was the son of Terah.

Terah was the son of Nahor.

35 Nahor was the son of Serug.

Serug was the son of Reu.

Reu was the son of Peleg.

Peleg was the son of Eber.

Eber was the son of Shelah.

36 Shelah was the son of Cainan.

Cainan was the son of Arphaxad.

Arphaxad was the son of Shem.

Shem was the son of Noah.

Noah was the son of Lamech.

37 Lamech was the son of Methuselah.

Methuselah was the son of Enoch.

Enoch was the son of Jared.

Jared was the son of Mahalaleel.

Mahalaleel was the son of Cainan.

38 Cainan was the son of Enos.

Enos was the son of Seth.

Seth was the son of Adam.

Adam was the son of God.

Footnotes

  1. Luke 3:9 trees Meaning the people who don’t obey God. They are like “trees” that will be cut down.
  2. Luke 3:17 clean the grain Meaning that Jesus will separate the good people from those who are bad.