John the Baptist Prepares the Way

Tiberius Caesar had been ruling for 15 years. Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea. Herod was the ruler of Galilee. His brother Philip was the ruler of Iturea and Traconitis. Lysanias was ruler of Abilene.

Annas and Caiaphas were high priests. At that time God’s word came to John, son of Zechariah, in the desert.

John spoke to the crowds coming to be baptized by him. He said, “You are like a nest of poisonous snakes! Who warned you to escape the coming of God’s anger?

John answered, “Anyone who has extra clothes should share with the one who has none. And anyone who has extra food should do the same.”

“Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” John told them.

Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?” John replied, “Don’t force people to give you money. Don’t bring false charges against people. Be happy with your pay.”

The people were waiting. They were expecting something. They were all wondering in their hearts if John might be the Messiah.

John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I am will come. I’m not good enough to untie the straps of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

John said many other things to warn the people. He also announced the good news to them.

But John found fault with Herod, the ruler of Galilee, because of his marriage to Herodias. She was the wife of Herod’s brother. John also spoke strongly to Herod about all the other evil things he had done.

So Herod locked John up in prison. Herod added this sin to all his others.

So were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who worked with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid. From now on you will fish for people.”

Jesus Is Asked About Fasting

Some of the people who were there said to Jesus, “John’s disciples often pray and go without eating. So do the disciples of the Pharisees. But yours go on eating and drinking.”

Simon, whom Jesus named Peter, and his brother Andrew James John Philip Bartholomew

Jesus and John the Baptist

John’s disciples told him about all these things. So he chose two of them.

He sent them to the Lord. John told them to ask him, “Are you the one who is supposed to come? Or should we look for someone else?”

The men came to Jesus. They said, “John the Baptist sent us to ask you, ‘Are you the one who is supposed to come? Or should we look for someone else?’ ”

So Jesus replied to the messengers, “Go back to John. Tell him what you have seen and heard. Blind people receive sight. Disabled people walk. Those who have skin diseases are made ‘clean.’ Deaf people hear. Those who are dead are raised to life. And the good news is announced to those who are poor.

So John’s messengers left. Then Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John. He said, “What did you go out into the desert to see? Tall grass waving in the wind?

I tell you, no one more important than John has ever been born. But the least important person in God’s kingdom is more important than John is.”

All the people who heard Jesus’ words agreed that God’s way was right. Even the tax collectors agreed. These people had all been baptized by John.

But the Pharisees and the authorities on the law did not accept for themselves God’s purpose. So they had not been baptized by John.

That is how it has been with John the Baptist. When he came to you, he didn’t eat bread or drink wine. And you say, ‘He has a demon.’

When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let everyone go in with him. He took only Peter, John and James, and the child’s father and mother.

Now Herod, the ruler of Galilee, heard about everything that was going on. He was bewildered, because some were saying that John the Baptist had been raised from the dead.