The Preaching of John the Baptist

(Mark 1.1-8; Luke 3.1-18; John 1.19-28)

3 Years later, John the Baptist started preaching in the desert of Judea. ^2 (A) He said, “Turn back to God! The kingdom of heaven^[a] will soon be here.”^[b]

^3 (B) John was the one the prophet Isaiah was talking about, when he said,

^4 (C) John wore clothes made of camel's hair. He had a leather strap around his waist and ate grasshoppers and wild honey.

⁵ From Jerusalem and all Judea and from the Jordan River Valley crowds of people went to John. ⁶ They told how sorry they were for their sins, and he baptized them in the river.

^7 (D) Many Pharisees and Sadducees also came to be baptized. But John said to them:

You bunch of snakes! Who warned you to run from the coming judgment? ⁸ Do something to show you have really given up your sins. ^9 (E) And don't start telling yourselves that you belong to Abraham's family. I tell you that God can turn these stones into children for Abraham. ^10 (F) An ax is ready to cut the trees down at their roots. Any tree that doesn't produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into a fire.

¹¹ I baptize you with water so you will give up your sins.^[c] But someone more powerful is going to come, and I am not good enough even to carry his sandals.^[d] He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. ^12 (G) His threshing fork is in his hand, and he is ready to separate the wheat from the husks.^[e] He will store the wheat in a barn and burn the husks in a fire that never goes out.

The Baptism of Jesus

(Mark 1.9-11; Luke 3.21,22)

¹³ Jesus left Galilee and went to the Jordan River to be baptized by John.

The Request of James and John

(Matthew 20.20-28)

³⁵ James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, will you do us a favor?”

³⁶ Jesus asked them what they wanted, ³⁷ and they answered, “When you come into your glory, please let one of us sit at your right side and the other at your left.”^[a]

^38 (A) Jesus told them, “You don't really know what you're asking! Are you able to drink from the cup^[b] that I must soon drink from or be baptized as I must be baptized?”^[c]

³⁹ “Yes, we are!” James and John answered.

Then Jesus replied, “You certainly will drink from the cup from which I must drink. And you will be baptized just as I must! ⁴⁰ But it isn't for me to say who will sit at my right side and at my left. This is for God to decide.”

Jesus Washes the Feet of His Disciples

13 It was before Passover, and Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and to return to the Father. He had always loved his followers in this world, and he loved them to the very end.

² Even before the evening meal started, the devil had made Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot,^[a] decide to betray Jesus.

³ Jesus knew he had come from God and would go back to God. He also knew that the Father had given him complete power. ⁴ So during the meal Jesus got up, removed his outer garment, and wrapped a towel around his waist. ⁵ He put some water into a large bowl. Then he began washing his disciples' feet and drying them with the towel he was wearing.

⁶ But when he came to Simon Peter, this disciple asked, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

⁷ Jesus answered, “You don't really know what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

⁸ “You will never wash my feet!” Peter replied.

“If I don't wash you,” Jesus told him, “you don't really belong to me.”

⁹ Peter said, “Lord, don't wash just my feet. Wash my hands and my head.”

¹⁰ Jesus answered, “People who have bathed and are clean all over need to wash just their feet. And you, my disciples, are clean, except for one of you.” ¹¹ Jesus knew who would betray him. That is why he said, “except for one of you.”

¹⁹ Christ then preached to the spirits that were being kept in prison. ^20 (A)(B) They had disobeyed God while Noah was building the boat, but God had been patient with them. Eight people went into that boat and were brought safely through the flood.

²¹ Those flood waters were like baptism that now saves you. But baptism is more than just washing your body. It means turning to God with a clear conscience, because Jesus Christ was raised from death. ²² Christ is now in heaven, where he sits at the right side^[a] of God. All angels, authorities, and powers are under his control.