Matthew 3
3
Chapter 3
John the Baptist prepares a way for Jesus
1While Jesus still lived in Nazareth, a man called John the Baptist was speaking a message from God. He was doing this in the wilderness in Judea.#3:1 Judea was part of Israel. 2He told people, ‘You have done many wrong things. You must turn away from them and change how you live. Do this now, because the kingdom of heaven has come very near.’
3God's prophet Isaiah spoke about this man John long ago. He said:
‘Somebody's voice is shouting in the wilderness,
“The Lord will come soon, so prepare a way for him to follow.
Make the paths straight for him.” ’ #3:3 See Isaiah 40:3. Isaiah was telling people about a man called John. John told the people to get ready for Jesus to come. People mend roads before a king travels along them. Isaiah used this as a picture. It helped the people to understand how to prepare themselves for Jesus.
4John wore clothes made from the hair of a camel. He also wore a belt made from leather. His usual food was locusts and honey from the wilderness. #3:4 A camel is a large animal that lives in the wilderness. It can carry heavy things on its back like a horse. The insects that John ate were called locusts. An insect called a bee makes honey. It is sweet like sugar.
5Many people went to listen to John. They lived in Jerusalem and all over the country called Judea and many other places near the Jordan River. 6The people told God about all the wrong things that they had done. Then John baptized them in the Jordan River. #3:6 John baptized people who wanted to stop doing wrong things. These people told God that they were sorry. They were sorry about the wrong things that they had done. God then forgave them.
7Many Pharisees and Sadducees came to John. #3:7 The Pharisees were a group of Jews. They thought that they obeyed all God's rules. They thought that they did not do any wrong things. Sadducees were an important group of Jewish leaders at the time of Jesus. They wanted John to baptize them. He said to them, ‘You are like dangerous snakes. God is angry. You are trying to run away from him. But he will soon punish people like you. 8You have to show that you are sorry. Change how you live. Stop doing things that God does not like. 9Do not say to yourselves, “We are in the family of Abraham. God will surely not punish us.” Listen! God can take these stones and make children for Abraham out of them! 10You are like trees that have bad fruit. God has an axe ready to use. He will cut down every tree that does not make good fruit. He will throw those trees into the fire.
11I baptize you with water. This shows that you want to change the way that you live. But another person will come soon. #3:11 Jesus is the important person who is coming. John is using a story to teach the people about the work that Jesus will do. He is greater than I am. I am not good enough even to carry his shoes for him. This other person will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 12He is like a farmer that brings the wheat home from his field. He uses a special tool to throw the wheat up in the air. He does this to make the wheat seeds separate from what remains. Then he cleans his yard. He carefully stores all the seeds to keep them safe. But he burns everything else in a great fire that nobody can put out.’
John baptizes Jesus
13Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River. He wanted John to baptize him. 14But John tried to stop him. He said to Jesus, ‘I should ask you to baptize me. You should not ask me to baptize you.’
15Jesus replied, ‘This time, do what I ask you to do. We must do everything correctly, as God wants it.’ So John did what Jesus asked him to do.
16When John baptized him, Jesus came up out of the water. At that moment, the skies opened. Jesus saw God's Spirit coming down. He came down like a dove and he stayed on Jesus. 17Then a voice spoke from heaven, which said, ‘This man is my Son and I love him. He makes me very happy.’
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Matthew 3: EASY
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MissionAssist 2018
Matthew 3
3
The Proclamation of John the Baptist
1In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, 2“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”#3.2 Or is at hand 3This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said,
“The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.’ ”
4Now John wore clothing of camel's hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, 6and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
7But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8Bear fruit worthy of repentance. 9Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 10Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
11“I baptize you with#3.11 Or in water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with#3.11 Or in the Holy Spirit and fire. 12His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
The Baptism of Jesus
13Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. 14John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved,#3.17 Or my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased.”
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New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.