- In those days John the Baptist came preaching in
the wilderness of Judea, (Mark 1:3-8)
- and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven
is at hand!"
- For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet
Isaiah, saying:
"The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
'Prepare the
way of the Lord, (Is. 40:3; Luke 1:76)
Make his paths straight.'"
And John himself was clothed in camel's hair, with
a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.
(Lev. 11:22; 1 Sam. 14:25&26; Mark 1:6)
Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around
the Jordan went out to him (Mark 1:5)
and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing
their sins. (John 1:31;
John 3:23)
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees
coming to his baptism, he said to them, "Brood of vipers! Who has warned
you to flee from the wrath to come? (Matt. 12:34; 1 Thess. 1:10)
"Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance,
"and do not think to say to yourselves, 'We have
Abraham as our father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up
children to Abraham from these stones. (John 8:33)
"And even now the axe is laid to the root of the
trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down
and thrown into the fire. (Matt. 7:19; John 15:6)
"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. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
(Luke 3:16; John 1:26;
John 1:33; Acts 2:3&4,
_2:33)
"His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will
thoroughly purge His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn;
but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan
to be baptized by him. (Matt. 2:22; Mark 1:9-11)
And John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I have
need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?" (John 13:6)
But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit it
it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfil all righteousness."
Then he allowed Him.
Then Jesus, when He had been baptized, came up
immediately from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and
He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.
(Is. 11:2; _42:1;
Mark 1:10; 1 John 5:9)
And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying,
"This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."
(Ps. 2:7; Is. 42:1;
Mark 1:11; John 5:32; John 5:37; John 12:28; 1 John 5:9)
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Chapters
_1 _2 _3
_4 _5 _6
_7 _8 _9
10 11 12
13 14 15
16 17 18
19 20 21
22 23 24
25 26 27
28
Matthew
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