Matthew 3
3
The message of John the Baptist
The preaching of John the Baptist
(Mark 1.1-8; Luke 3.1-18; John 1.19-28)
1Years later, John the Baptist started preaching in the desert of Judea. 2He said, “Turn back to God! The kingdom of heaven#3.2 kingdom of heaven: In the Gospel of Matthew “kingdom of heaven” is used with the same meaning as “God's kingdom” in Mark and Luke. will soon be here.”#3.2 will soon be here: Or “is already here.”#Mt 4.17; Mk 1.15.
3John was the one the prophet Isaiah was talking about, when he said,#Is 40.3 (LXX).
“In the desert someone
is shouting,
‘Get the road ready
for the Lord!
Make a straight path
for him.’ ”
4John wore clothes made of camel's hair. He had a leather strap around his waist and ate grasshoppers and wild honey.#2 K 1.8.
5From Jerusalem and all Judea and from the River Jordan Valley crowds of people went to John. 6They told how sorry they were for their sins, and he baptized them in the river.
7Many Pharisees and Sadducees also came to be baptized. But John said to them:#Mt 12.34; 23.33.
You snakes! Who warned you to run from the coming judgment? 8Do something to show that you have really given up your sins. 9And don't start telling yourselves that you belong to Abraham's family. I tell you that God can turn these stones into children for Abraham.#Jn 8.33. 10An axe is ready to cut the trees down at their roots. Any tree that doesn't produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into a fire.#Mt 7.19.
11I baptize you with water so that you will give up your sins.#3.11 so that you will give up your sins: Or “because you have given up your sins.” But someone more powerful is going to come, and I am not good enough even to carry his sandals.#3.11 carry his sandals: This was one of the duties of a slave. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 12His threshing fork is in his hand, and he is ready to separate the wheat from the husks.#3.12 His threshing fork is in his hand, and he is ready to separate the wheat from the husks: After Jewish farmers had trampled out the grain, they used a large fork to pitch the grain and the husks into the air. Wind would blow away the light husks, and the grain would fall back to the ground, where it could be gathered up. He will store the wheat in a barn and burn the husks in a fire that never goes out.
The baptism and temptation of Jesus
The baptism of Jesus
(Mark 1.9-11; Luke 3.21,22)
13Jesus left Galilee and went to the River Jordan to be baptized by John. 14But John kept objecting and said, “I ought to be baptized by you. Why have you come to me?”
15Jesus answered, “For now this is how it should be, because we must do all that God wants us to do.” Then John agreed.
16So Jesus was baptized. And as soon as he came out of the water, the sky opened, and he saw the Spirit of God coming down on him like a dove. 17Then a voice from heaven said, “This is my own dear Son, and I am pleased with him.”#Gn 22.2; Ps 2.7; Is 42.1; Mt 12.18; 17.5; Mk 1.11; Lk 9.35.
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© British and Foreign Bible Society 2012
Matthew 3
3
John the Baptist Begins His Ministry
1 Now in those days John the Baptist came preaching in the Judean wilderness 2and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near!” 3For this is the one who was spoken about by the prophet Isaiah, saying,
“The voice of one crying out in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.’ ”#A quotation from Isa 40:3
4Now John himself had his clothing made from camel’s hair and a belt made of leather around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the district around the Jordan were going out to him, 6and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they#*Here “as” is supplied as a component of the participle (“confessed”) which is understood as temporal confessed their sins.
7But when he#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“saw”) which is understood as temporal saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Offspring of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8Therefore produce fruit worthy of repentance! 9And do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones! 10Already now the ax is positioned at the root of the trees; therefore every tree not producing good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 11I baptize you with water for repentance, but the one who comes after me is more powerful than I am, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12His winnowing shovel is in his hand, and he will clean out his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the storehouse, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
The Baptism of Jesus
13Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John in order to be baptized by him. 14But John tried to prevent#*The imperfect verb is understood as conative (“tried to”) him, saying, “I need#Literally “I have need” to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15But Jesus answered and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“answered”) has been translated as a finite verb said to him, “Permit it now, for in this way it is right for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he permitted him. 16Now after he#*Here “after” is supplied as a component of the participle (“was baptized”) which is understood as temporal was baptized, Jesus immediately went up from the water, and behold, the heavens opened#Some manuscripts have “opened to him” and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove coming#Some manuscripts have “and coming” upon him. 17And behold, there was#The words “there was” are not in the Greek text, but are supplied to make a complete sentence in English a voice from heaven saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
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