John the Baptist Prepares the Way^(A)

3 In those days ^(B)John the Baptist came preaching ^(C)in the wilderness of Judea, ² and saying, “Repent, for ^(D)the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” ³ For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying:

^11 (A)I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. ^(B)He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit ^[a]and fire.

John Baptizes Jesus^(A)

^13 (B)Then Jesus came ^(C)from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. ¹⁴ And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?”

¹⁵ But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him.

^16 (D)When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and ^[a]He saw ^(E)the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. ^17 (F)And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ^(G)“This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”