Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks
John the Baptist Prepares the Way(A)
3 About this time,[a] John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the Judean wilderness, 2 “Repent, because the kingdom from[b] heaven is near!” 3 He was the one the prophet Isaiah was referring to when he said,
“He is a voice calling out in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way for the Lord![c]
Make his paths straight!’”[d]
4 John had clothing made of camel’s hair and wore[e] a leather belt around his waist. His diet consisted of grasshoppers[f] and wild honey.
5 Then the people of[g] Jerusalem, all Judea, and the entire region along the Jordan began flocking to him, 6 being baptized by him in the Jordan River while they confessed their sins.
7 But when John[h] saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing,[i] he told them, “You children of serpents! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit that is consistent with repentance! 9 Don’t think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have father Abraham!’ because I tell you that God can raise up descendants for Abraham from these stones! 10 The ax already lies against the roots of the trees. So every tree that isn’t producing good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. 11 I am baptizing you with[j] water as evidence of repentance,[k] but the one who is coming after me is stronger than I am, and I am not worthy to carry his sandals. It is he who will baptize you with[l] the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand. He will clean up his threshing floor and gather his grain into the barn, but he will burn the chaff with inextinguishable fire.”
Jesus is Baptized(B)
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to stop him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and are you coming to me?”
15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be this way for now, because this is the proper way for us to fulfill all righteousness.”[m]
At this, he permitted him to be baptized.[n] 16 When Jesus had been baptized, he immediately came up out of the water. Suddenly, the heavens opened up for him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him. 17 Then a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love. I am pleased with him!”
Jesus is Tempted by Satan(C)
4 After this, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil. 2 After fasting for 40 days and 40 nights, he finally became hungry.
3 Then the tempter came. “Since[o] you are the Son of God,” he said, “tell these stones to become loaves of bread.”
4 But he answered, “It is written,
‘One must not live on bread alone,
but on every word coming
out of the mouth of God.’”[p]
5 Then the Devil took him to the Holy City[q] and had him stand on the highest point of the Temple. 6 He told Jesus,[r] “Since[s] you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, because it is written,
‘God[t] will put his angels in charge of you,’
and,
‘With their hands they will hold you up,
so that you will never hit your foot against a rock.’”[u]
7 Jesus responded to him, “It is also written, ‘You must not tempt the Lord[v] your God.’”[w]
8 Once more the Devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, along with their splendor. 9 He told Jesus,[x] “I will give you all these things if you will bow down and worship me!”
10 Then Jesus told him, “Go away,[y] Satan! Because it is written,
‘You must worship the Lord your God
and serve only him.’”[z]
11 So the Devil left him, and angels came and began ministering to him.
Jesus Begins His Ministry in Galilee(D)
12 Now when Jesus[aa] heard that John had been arrested, he went back to Galilee. 13 He left Nazareth and settled in Capernaum by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 in order to fulfill what was declared by the prophet Isaiah when he said,
15 “O Land of Zebulun and Land of Naphtali,
on the road to the sea, across the Jordan,
Galilee of the unbelievers![ab]
16 The people living[ac] in darkness have seen a great light,
and for those living[ad] in the land and shadow of death,
a light has risen.”[ae]
17 From then on, Jesus began to announce, “Repent, because the kingdom from[af] heaven is near!”
Jesus Calls Four Fishermen(E)
18 While Jesus[ag] was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon (also[ah] called Peter) and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea, because they were fishermen. 19 “Follow me,” he told them, “and I will make you fishers of people!” 20 So at once they left their nets and followed him. 21 Going on from there he saw two other brothers—James, son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee repairing their nets. When he called them, 22 they immediately left the boat and their father and followed him.
Jesus Ministers to Many People(F)
23 Then he went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every illness among the people. 24 His fame spread throughout Syria, and people[ai] brought to him everyone who was sick—those afflicted with various diseases and pains, the demon-possessed, the epileptics, and the paralyzed—and he healed them. 25 Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis,[aj] Jerusalem, Judea, and from across the Jordan followed him.
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