John the Baptist Prepares the Way for Jesus

(Matthew 3:1-12; Mark 1:1-8; John 1:19-28)

1Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Caesar Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, 2and Annas and Caiaphas high priests, a message from God came to John, the son of Zechariah, in the wilderness. 3Johna went throughout the entire Jordan region, proclaiming a baptism about repentance for the forgiveness of sins, 4as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah,

“He is a voice calling out in the wilderness:

‘Prepare the way for the Lord!b Make his paths straight!

5Every valley will be filled,

and every mountain and hill will be leveled.

The crooked ways will be made straight,

and the rough roads will be made smooth.

6Everyonec will see the salvation

that God has provided.’”d

7John would say to the crowds that were coming out to be baptized by him, “You children of serpents! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8Produce fruit that is consistent with repentance! Don’t begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have father Abraham!’ because I tell you that God can raise up descendants for Abraham from these stones! 9The ax already lies against the roots of the trees. So every tree not producing good fruit will be cut down and thrown into a fire.”

10The crowds kept asking him, “What, then, should we do?”

11He answered them, “The person who has two coats must share with the one who doesn’t have any, and the person who has food must do the same.”

12Even some tax collectors came to be baptized. They asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?”

13He told them, “Stop collecting more money than the amount you are told to collect.”

14Even some soldiers were asking him, “And what should we do?”

He told them, “Never extort money from anyone by threats or blackmail, and be satisfied with your pay.”

15Now the people were filled with expectation, and all of them were wondering if John was perhaps the Messiah.e 16John replied to all of them, “I’m baptizing you withf water, but one is coming who is more powerful than I, and I’m not worthy to untie his sandal straps. It is he who will baptize you withg the Holy Spirit and fire. 17His winnowing fork is in his hand to clean up his threshing floor. He’ll gather the grain into his barn, but he’ll burn the chaff with inextinguishable fire.”

18With many other exhortations Johnh continued to proclaim the good news to the people. 19Now Herod the tetrarch had been rebuked by Johni because he had marriedj his brother’s wife Herodias and because of all of the other evil things Herod had done. 20Added to all this, Herodk locked John up in prison.

Jesus is Baptized

(Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11)

21When all the people had been baptized, Jesus, too, was baptized. While he was praying, heaven opened, 22and the Holy Spirit descended on him, appearing in the form of a dove. Then a voice came from heaven, saying,l “You are my Son, whom I love. I am pleased with you!”m

The Ancestry of Jesus

(Matthew 1:1-17)

23Jesus himself was about 30 years old when he began his ministry.n He was (as legally calculated)o the son of Joseph, the son of Heli, 24the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, 25the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, 26the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, 27the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel,p the son of Neri, 28the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, 29the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, 30the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, 31the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, 32the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon,q the son of Nahshon, 33the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, 34the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, 35the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, 36the son of Cainan,r the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, 37the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan, 38the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.