Temptation and John's Final Witness
Mt 4:1-11; Mk 1:12-13; Lk 4:1-13; Jn 1:19-28; Jn 1:29-34
The Temptation of Jesus
(Mt 4:1-11; Mk 1:12-13; Lk 4:1-13)
Then 4:1Jesus came away from the Jordan full of the Spirit. The Spirit took him directly to the desert, and the devil tempted him there for forty days. The Spirit led him during the forty days while he was with the wild animals, and angels were helping him.
2He didn’t eat anything during that time. When it was over, he was hungry. 3The tempter came, “If you’re God’s Son, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.”
4Jesus answered, “The scripture says,
‘PEOPLE ARE NOT TO LIVE BY BREAD ALONE,
4BUT BY EVERY WORD THAT COMES FROM GOD’S MOUTH’” [Deut 8:3].
The devil took him to the Holy City and stood him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6“If you’re God’s Son, jump. The scripture says,
‘HE’LL COMMAND HIS ANGELS TO GUARD YOU,
AND TO CARRY YOU IN THEIR HANDS,
SO YOU’LL NEVER TRIP ON A ROCK’ [Ps 91:11-12].
7Jesus said, “Again scripture says,
‘DON’T TEST THE LORD YOUR GOD’” [Deut 6:16].
8The devil took him to a high mountain and showed him the kingdoms of the world and their splendor in an instant. 9“If you fall down and worship me, 6I’ll give you all this authority and their splendor. It’s been given to me, and I can give it to whoever I want.”
10Jesus said, “Go away, Satan. The scripture says,
‘WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD,
AND only SERVE HIM’” [Deut 6:12].
13The devil finished tempting him and left till another chance would come. Angels came to give him support.
John’s Defense of His Ministry
(Jn 1:19-28)
19This is what John said when Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him, “Who are you?”
20“I’m not the Messiah.”
21“Are you Elijah, then?”
“I’m not Elijah.”
22“Are you ‘the prophet’?”
“No.”
“Who are you, so we can answer the ones that sent us? What do you say about yourself?”
23“I’m the one SHOUTING IN THE DESERT, ‘MAKE THE WAY OF THE LORD STRAIGHT’ [Is 40:3], like Isaiah the prophet said.”
24The Pharisees had sent the ones that came 25to ask him, “Why are you baptizing if you’re not the Messiah, Elijah, or the prophet?”
26“I’m immersing in water. There’s a man standing among you that you don’t know. 27He’ll succeed me, a man whose sandal strap I’m not worthy to take loose.”
28This took place at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan River where John was baptizing.
John’s Identification of Jesus as the Messiah
(Jn 1:29-34)
29The next day he saw Jesus coming,
“Look, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world! 30He’s the One I was talking about when I said, ‘After me a man’s coming that has come to be before me, because he existed before me.’ 31I didn’t know who he was; but to point him out to Israel, I came immersing people in water. 32I’ve seen the Spirit coming down from the sky like a dove and remaining on him. 33The One that sent me to immerse people in water told me, ‘Whoever you see the Spirit coming down and remaining on is the One that will immerse them in the Holy Spirit.’ 34I’ve seen that, and I’m telling you, this is God’s Son.”