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施洗约翰(A)

那时,施洗的约翰出来,在犹太的旷野传道, 说:“天国近了,你们应当悔改。” 以赛亚先知所说:

“在旷野有呼喊者的声音:

‘预备主的道,

修直他的路!’”

就是指着这约翰说的。 约翰身穿骆驼毛的衣服,腰束皮带,吃的是蝗虫和野蜜。 耶路撒冷、犹太全地和约旦河一带的人都出来到他那里去, 承认自己的罪,在约旦河里受了他的洗。

约翰看见许多法利赛人和撒都该人来到他施洗的地方,就对他们说:“毒蛇所生的啊,谁指示你们逃避那将要来的忿怒呢? 应当结出果子来,与悔改的心相称。 你们心里不要以为:‘我们有亚伯拉罕作我们的祖宗。’我告诉你们, 神能从这些石头中给亚伯拉罕兴起后裔来。 10 现在斧头已经放在树根上,所有不结好果子的树,就砍下来,丢在火里。 11 我用水给你们施洗,表示你们悔改;但在我以后要来的那一位,能力比我更大,我就是替他提鞋也没有资格。他要用圣灵与火给你们施洗。 12 他手里拿着簸箕,要扬净麦场,把麦子收进仓里,却用不灭的火把糠秕烧尽。”

耶稣受洗(B)

13 那时,耶稣从加利利来到约旦河约翰那里,要受他的洗。 14 约翰想要阻止他,说:“我应该受你的洗,你却到我这里来吗?” 15 耶稣回答:“暂且这样作吧。我们理当这样履行全部的义。”于是约翰答应了他。 16 耶稣受了洗,立刻从水中上来;忽然,天为他开了,他看见 神的灵,好象鸽子降下来,落在他身上; 17 又有声音从天上来,说:“这是我的爱子,我所喜悦的。”

John Prepares the Way for Jesus(A)

When it was the right time, John the Baptizer began telling people a message from God. This was out in the desert area of Judea. John said, “Change your hearts and lives, because God’s kingdom is now very near.[a] John is the one Isaiah the prophet was talking about when he said,

“There is someone shouting in the desert:
‘Prepare the way for the Lord.
    Make the road straight for him.’” (B)

John’s clothes were made from camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. For food, he ate locusts and wild honey. People came to John from Jerusalem and the rest of Judea and from all the areas along the Jordan River. They confessed the bad things they had done, and John baptized them in the Jordan.

Many Pharisees and Sadducees came to where John was baptizing people. When John saw them, he said, “You are all snakes! Who warned you to run from God’s judgment that is coming? Change your hearts! And show by the way you live that you have changed. I know what you are thinking. You want to say, ‘but Abraham is our father!’ That means nothing. I tell you, God could make children for Abraham from these rocks. 10 The ax is now ready to cut down the trees.[b] Every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

11 “I baptize you with water to show that you have changed your hearts and lives. 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 takes off his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 12 He will come ready to clean the grain.[c] 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.”

Jesus Is Baptized by John(C)

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan River. He came to John, wanting John to baptize him. 14 But John tried to stop him. John said, “Why do you come to me to be baptized? I should be baptized by you!”

15 Jesus answered, “Let it be this way for now. We should do whatever God says is right.” Then John agreed.

16 So Jesus was baptized. As soon as he came up out of the water, the sky opened, and he saw God’s Spirit coming down on him like a dove. 17 A voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the one I love. I am very pleased with him.”

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 3:2 is now very near Or “is coming soon” or “has come.”
  2. Matthew 3:10 trees The people who don’t obey God. They are like “trees” that will be cut down.
  3. Matthew 3:12 clean the grain Meaning that Jesus will separate the good people from those who are bad.