Matthew Chapter 3
The Beginning of John’s Ministry
1 In time, John the Baptist camep preaching in the desert in Judaea, 2“Repent, the kingdom of heaven’s coming.” 3 He’s the one Isaiah spoke about:
“One shouting in the desert,
‘Get the road ready for the LORD!
Make it straight!’” [Is 40:3]
4 John wore clothes woven from camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist and lived on locusts and wild honey. 5 People from Jerusalem, all over Judaea, and around the Jordan River were going out 6 to have him baptize them in the Jordan as they confessed their sins.
Mt 3:1-6
An Example of John’s Preaching
7 When John saw lots of Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said,
“You bunch of poisonous snakes! Who warned you to flee from God’s wrath to come? 8 Bear fruit appropriate for repentance. 9 Don’t think, ‘Abraham’s our father.’ God can raise up descendants of Abraham from these rocks. 10 An axe is already lying at the base of the trees. Every tree that doesn’t bear good fruit will be chopped down and burned. 11 I’m immersing you in water to repentance. The One who’s coming after me is greater than me; I’m not worthy to take his sandals off. He’ll ‘immerse’ you in the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he’ll thoroughly clean up his threshing floor. He’ll put the grain in his granary but burn up the chaff with a fire you can’t put out.”
Mt 3:7-12
The Baptism of Jesus
13 Then Jesus camep from Galilee to the Jordan to have John baptize him. 14But John tried to stop him, “I need you to baptize me, and you’re coming to me?”
15 Jesus answered, “Let’s do this; it’s appropriate to do everything that’s right.” So John went aheadp and baptized him.
16 When he’d baptized him, Jesus came up from the water and the sky opened up, and John saw God’s Spirit come down on Jesus like a dove. 17 A voice came out of the sky, “This is my dearly loved Son that I delight in.”
Mt 3:13-17