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Mark 9:13
But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they chose to abuse him, just as the Scriptures predicted.”
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Matthew 3:1-17
In those days John the Baptist came to the Judean wilderness and began preaching. His message was,“ Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.”The prophet Isaiah was speaking about John when he said,“ He is a voice shouting in the wilderness,‘ Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming! Clear the road for him!’”John’s clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey.People from Jerusalem and from all of Judea and all over the Jordan Valley went out to see and hear John.And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River.But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to watch him baptize, he denounced them.“ You brood of snakes!” he exclaimed.“ Who warned you to flee the coming wrath?Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God.Don’t just say to each other,‘ We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones.Even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.“ I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am— so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never ending fire.”Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John.But John tried to talk him out of it.“ I am the one who needs to be baptized by you,” he said,“ so why are you coming to me?”But Jesus said,“ It should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires.” So John agreed to baptize him.After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him.And a voice from heaven said,“ This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.”
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Mark 1:1-11
This is the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God. It beganjust as the prophet Isaiah had written:“ Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, and he will prepare your way.He is a voice shouting in the wilderness,‘ Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming! Clear the road for him!’”This messenger was John the Baptist. He was in the wilderness and preached that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven.All of Judea, including all the people of Jerusalem, went out to see and hear John. And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River.His clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey.John announced:“ Someone is coming soon who is greater than I am— so much greater that I’m not even worthy to stoop down like a slave and untie the straps of his sandals.I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit!”One day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River.As Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Holy Spirit descending on him like a dove.And a voice from heaven said,“ You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.”
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John 3:25-36
A debate broke out between John’s disciples and a certain Jew over ceremonial cleansing.So John’s disciples came to him and said,“ Rabbi, the man you met on the other side of the Jordan River, the one you identified as the Messiah, is also baptizing people. And everybody is going to him instead of coming to us.”John replied,“ No one can receive anything unless God gives it from heaven.You yourselves know how plainly I told you,‘ I am not the Messiah. I am only here to prepare the way for him.’It is the bridegroom who marries the bride, and the bridegroom’s friend is simply glad to stand with him and hear his vows. Therefore, I am filled with joy at his success.He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.“ He has come from above and is greater than anyone else. We are of the earth, and we speak of earthly things, but he has come from heaven and is greater than anyone else.He testifies about what he has seen and heard, but how few believe what he tells them!Anyone who accepts his testimony can affirm that God is true.For he is sent by God. He speaks God’s words, for God gives him the Spirit without limit.The Father loves his Son and has put everything into his hands.And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.”
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Luke 3:1-20
It was now the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius, the Roman emperor. Pontius Pilate was governor over Judea; Herod Antipas was ruler over Galilee; his brother Philip was ruler over Iturea and Traconitis; Lysanias was ruler over Abilene.Annas and Caiaphas were the high priests. At this time a message from God came to John son of Zechariah, who was living in the wilderness.Then John went from place to place on both sides of the Jordan River, preaching that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven.Isaiah had spoken of John when he said,“ He is a voice shouting in the wilderness,‘ Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming! Clear the road for him!The valleys will be filled, and the mountains and hills made level. The curves will be straightened, and the rough places made smooth.And then all people will see the salvation sent from God.’”When the crowds came to John for baptism, he said,“ You brood of snakes! Who warned you to flee the coming wrath?Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. Don’t just say to each other,‘ We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones.Even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.”The crowds asked,“ What should we do?”John replied,“ If you have two shirts, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry.”Even corrupt tax collectors came to be baptized and asked,“ Teacher, what should we do?”He replied,“ Collect no more taxes than the government requires.”“ What should we do?” asked some soldiers. John replied,“ Don’t extort money or make false accusations. And be content with your pay.”Everyone was expecting the Messiah to come soon, and they were eager to know whether John might be the Messiah.John answered their questions by saying,“ I baptize you with water; but someone is coming soon who is greater than I am— so much greater that I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never ending fire.”John used many such warnings as he announced the Good News to the people.John also publicly criticized Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, for marrying Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for many other wrongs he had done.So Herod put John in prison, adding this sin to his many others.
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John 1:15-36
John testified about him when he shouted to the crowds,“ This is the one I was talking about when I said,‘ Someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’”From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another.For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ.No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.This was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders sent priests and Temple assistants from Jerusalem to ask John,“ Who are you?”He came right out and said,“ I am not the Messiah.”“ Well then, who are you?” they asked.“ Are you Elijah?”“ No,” he replied.“ Are you the Prophet we are expecting?”“ No.”“ Then who are you? We need an answer for those who sent us. What do you have to say about yourself?”John replied in the words of the prophet Isaiah:“ I am a voice shouting in the wilderness,‘ Clear the way for the Lord’s coming!’”Then the Pharisees who had been sentasked him,“ If you aren’t the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet, what right do you have to baptize?”John told them,“ I baptize with water, but right here in the crowd is someone you do not recognize.Though his ministry follows mine, I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandal.”This encounter took place in Bethany, an area east of the Jordan River, 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!He is the one I was talking about when I said,‘ A man is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’I did not recognize him as the Messiah, but I have been baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel.”Then John testified,“ I saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and resting upon him.I didn’t know he was the one, but when God sent me to baptize with water, he told me,‘ The one on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’I saw this happen to Jesus, so I testify that he is the Chosen One of God.”The following day John was again standing with two of his disciples.As Jesus walked by, John looked at him and declared,“ Look! There is the Lamb of God!”
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John 1:6-8
God sent a man, John the Baptist,to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony.John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light.
