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Mark 9:13
But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did whatever they pleased to him, just as it is written about him.”
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Matthew 3:1-17
In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judeaand saying,“ Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near!”For he is the one spoken of through the prophet Isaiah, who said: A voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Prepare the way for the Lord; make his paths straight!Now John had a camel-hair garment with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.Then people from Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the vicinity of the Jordan were going out to him,and they were baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them,“ Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?Therefore produce fruit consistent with repentance.And don’t presume to say to yourselves,‘ We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones.The ax is already at the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.“ I baptize you with water for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is more powerful than I. I am not worthy to remove his sandals. He himself will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.His winnowing shovel is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn. But the chaff he will burn with fire that never goes out.”Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him.But John tried to stop him, saying,“ I need to be baptized by you, and yet you come to me?”Jesus answered him,“ Allow it for now, because this is the way for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John allowed him to be baptized.When Jesus was baptized, he went up immediately from the water. The heavens suddenly opened for him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on him.And a voice from heaven said,“ This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased.”
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Mark 1:1-11
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way.A voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Prepare the way for the Lord; make his paths straight!John came baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.John wore a camel-hair garment with a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey.He proclaimed,“ One who is more powerful than I am is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the strap of his sandals.I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John.As soon as he came up out of the water, he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.And a voice came from heaven:“ You are my beloved Son; with you I am well-pleased.”
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John 3:25-36
Then a dispute arose between John’s disciples and a Jew about purification.So they came to John and told him,“ Rabbi, the one you testified about, and who was with you across the Jordan, is baptizing— and everyone is going to him.”John responded,“ No one can receive anything unless it has been given to him from heaven.You yourselves can testify that I said,‘ I am not the Messiah, but I’ve been sent ahead of him.’He who has the bride is the groom. But the groom’s friend, who stands by and listens for him, rejoices greatly at the groom’s voice. So this joy of mine is complete.He must increase, but I must decrease.”The one who comes from above is above all. The one who is from the earth is earthly and speaks in earthly terms. The one who comes from heaven is above all.He testifies to what he has seen and heard, and yet no one accepts his testimony.The one who has accepted his testimony has affirmed that God is true.For the one whom God sent speaks God’s words, since he gives the Spirit without measure.The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hands.The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who rejects the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him.
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Luke 3:1-20
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, while Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, God’s word came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness.He went into all the vicinity of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah: A voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Prepare the way for the Lord; make his paths straight!Every valley will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be made low; the crooked will become straight, the rough ways smooth,and everyone will see the salvation of God.He then said to the crowds who came out to be baptized by him,“ Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?Therefore produce fruit consistent with repentance. And don’t start saying to yourselves,‘ We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones.The ax is already at the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”“ What then should we do?” the crowds were asking him.He replied to them,“ The one who has two shirts must share with someone who has none, and the one who has food must do the same.”Tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they asked him,“ Teacher, what should we do?”He told them,“ Don’t collect any more than what you have been authorized.”Some soldiers also questioned him,“ What should we do?” He said to them,“ Don’t take money from anyone by force or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.”Now the people were waiting expectantly, and all of them were questioning in their hearts whether John might be the Messiah.John answered them all,“ I baptize you with water, but one who is more powerful than I am is coming. I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.His winnowing shovel is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with fire that never goes out.”Then, along with many other exhortations, he proclaimed good news to the people.But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and all the evil things he had done,Herod added this to everything else— he locked up John in prison.
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John 1:15-36
( John testified concerning him and exclaimed,“ This was the one of whom I said,‘ The one coming after me ranks ahead of me, because he existed before me.’”)Indeed, we have all received grace upon grace from his fullness,for the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.No one has ever seen God. The one and only Son, who is himself God and is at the Father’s side— he has revealed him.This was John’s testimony when the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him,“ Who are you?”He didn’t deny it but confessed,“ I am not the Messiah.”“ What then?” they asked him.“ Are you Elijah?”“ I am not,” he said.“ Are you the Prophet?”“ No,” he answered.“ Who are you, then?” they asked.“ We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What can you tell us about yourself?”He said,“ I am a voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord— just as Isaiah the prophet said.”Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.So they asked him,“ Why then do you baptize if you aren’t the Messiah, or Elijah, or the Prophet?”“ I baptize with water,” John answered them.“ Someone stands among you, but you don’t know him.He is the one coming after me, whose sandal strap I’m not worthy to untie.”All this happened in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said,“ Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!This is the one I told you about:‘ After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me, because he existed before me.’I didn’t know him, but I came baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel.”And John testified,“ I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and he rested on him.I didn’t know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water told me,‘ The one you see the Spirit descending and resting on— he is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”The next day, John was standing with two of his disciples.When he saw Jesus passing by, he said,“ Look, the Lamb of God!”
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John 1:6-8
There was a man sent from God whose name was John.He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that all might believe through him.He was not the light, but he came to testify about the light.
