The Messiah’s Herald

3 In those days John the Baptist came,^(A) preaching in the Wilderness of Judea^{(B) 2} and saying, “Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near!”^{(C) 3} For he is the one spoken of through the prophet Isaiah, who said:

⁴ John himself had a camel-hair garment with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. ⁵ Then people from Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the vicinity of the Jordan were flocking to him, ⁶ and they were baptized by him in the Jordan River as they confessed their sins.^(E)

⁷ When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees^(F) coming to the place of his baptism,^[b] he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?^{(G) 8} Therefore produce fruit^(H) consistent with^[c] repentance. ⁹ And don’t presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’^(I) For I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones! ¹⁰ Even now the ax is ready to strike the root of the trees! Therefore, every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.^(J)

¹¹ “I baptize you with^[d] water for repentance,^[e](K) but the One who is coming after me is more powerful than I. I am not worthy to remove^[f] His sandals. He Himself will baptize you with^[g] the Holy Spirit and fire.^{(L) 12} His winnowing shovel^[h] is in His hand, and He will clear His threshing floor and gather His wheat into the barn. But the chaff He will burn up with fire that never goes out.”^(M)

The Baptism of Jesus

¹³ Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him.^{(N) 14} But John tried to stop Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and yet You come to me?”

¹⁵ Jesus answered him, “Allow it for now, because this is the way for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him to be baptized.

¹⁶ After Jesus was baptized, He went up immediately from the water. The heavens^(O) suddenly opened for Him,^[i] and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on Him.^{(P) 17} And there came a voice from heaven:

The Temptation of Jesus

4 Then^(R) Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil.^{(S) 2} After He had fasted 40 days and 40 nights,^(T) He was hungry. ³ Then the tempter approached Him and said, “If You are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”^(U)

⁴ But He answered, “It is written:

⁵ Then the Devil took Him to the holy city,^[k] had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple,^{(W) 6} and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written:

⁷ Jesus told him, “It is also written: Do not test the Lord your God.”^(Z)[m]

⁸ Again, the Devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. ⁹ And he said to Him, “I will give You all these things if You will fall down and worship me.”^[n]

¹⁰ Then Jesus told him, “Go away,^[o] Satan! For it is written:

¹¹ Then the Devil left Him, and immediately angels came and began to serve Him.^(AB)

Ministry in Galilee

¹² When He heard that John had been arrested,^(AC) He withdrew into Galilee.^{(AD) 13} He left Nazareth behind and went to live in Capernaum^(AE) by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. ¹⁴ This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

¹⁷ From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, because the kingdom of heaven^(AG) has come near!”

The First Disciples

¹⁸ As^(AH) He was walking along the Sea of Galilee,^(AI) He saw two brothers, Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea, since they were fishermen. ¹⁹ “Follow Me,” He told them, “and I will make you fish for^[s] people!” ²⁰ Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.

²¹ Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and He called them. ²² Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed Him.

Teaching, Preaching, and Healing

²³ Jesus was going all over Galilee,^(AJ) teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every^[t] disease and sickness among the people.^{(AK) 24} Then the news about Him spread throughout Syria.^(AL) So they brought to Him all those who were afflicted, those suffering from various diseases and intense pains, the demon-possessed, the epileptics, and the paralytics.^(AM) And He healed them. ²⁵ Large crowds followed Him from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.^(AN)

In Praise of John the Baptist

11 When Jesus had finished giving orders to His 12 disciples, He moved on from there to teach and preach in their towns.^{(A) 2} When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent a message by his disciples^{(B) 3} and asked Him, “Are You the One who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”^(C)

⁴ Jesus replied to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: ⁵ the blind see, the lame walk, those with skin diseases are healed,^[a] the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor are told the good news.^{(D) 6} And if anyone is not offended because of Me, he is blessed.”^(E)

⁷ As these men went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the wind?^{(F) 8} What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothes? Look, those who wear soft clothes are in kings’ palaces. ⁹ But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and far more than a prophet.^{(G) 10} This is the one it is written about:

¹¹ “I assure you: Among those born of women no one greater than John the Baptist has appeared,^[d] but the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. ¹² From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been suffering violence,^[e] and the violent have been seizing it by force. ¹³ For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John; ¹⁴ if you’re willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who is to come.^{(I) 15} Anyone who has ears^[f] should listen!^(J)

An Unresponsive Generation

¹⁶ “To what should I compare this generation? It’s like children sitting in the marketplaces who call out to each other:

¹⁸ For John did not come eating or drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’^{(K) 19} The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard,^(L) a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’^(M) Yet wisdom is vindicated^[h] by her deeds.”^[i]

²⁰ Then He proceeded to denounce the towns where most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent: ²¹ “Woe to you, Chorazin!^(N) Woe to you, Bethsaida!^(O) For if the miracles that were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon,^(P) they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes long ago! ²² But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment^(Q) than for you. ²³ And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to Hades.^(R) For if the miracles that were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until today. ²⁴ But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”

The Son Gives Knowledge and Rest

²⁵ At that time Jesus said,^(S) “I praise^[j] You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to infants.^{(T) 26} Yes, Father, because this was Your good pleasure.^{[k] 27} All things have been entrusted to Me by My Father. No one knows^[l] the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son desires^[m] to reveal Him.^(U)

²⁸ “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.^{(V) 29} All of you, take up My yoke and learn from Me,^(W) because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves.^{(X) 30} For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”