Matthew 3
3
John the Baptist Prepares the Way
1 # For ver. 1-12, see Mark 1:2-8; Luke 3:2-17 In those days #John 1:6, 7 John the Baptist came preaching in #Josh. 15:61; [Judg. 1:16]the wilderness of Judea, 2#ch. 4:17; Mark 1:15 “Repent, for #ch. 10:7; Dan. 2:44; [ch. 6:10]the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”#3:2 Or the kingdom of heaven has come near 3For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said,
#
John 1:23; Cited from Isa. 40:3 “The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
#
Luke 1:76
‘Prepare#3:3 Or crying: Prepare in the wilderness the way of the Lord;
make his paths straight.’”
4Now John wore #2 Kgs. 1:8; Zech. 13:4; [Heb. 11:37] a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was #Lev. 11:22 locusts and #1 Sam. 14:26wild honey. 5Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, 6and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, #Acts 19:18confessing their sins.
7But when he saw many of #ch. 23:13, 15 the Pharisees and #ch. 22:23 Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, #ch. 12:34; 23:33 “You brood of #Ps. 140:3 vipers! Who warned you to flee from #Rom. 5:9; Eph. 5:6; Col. 3:6; 1 Thess. 1:10the wrath to come? 8Bear fruit #Acts 26:20in keeping with repentance. 9And do not presume to say to yourselves, #John 8:39 ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from #[ch. 4:3]these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 10Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. #ch. 7:19; Luke 13:7, 9; John 15:2, 6Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
11 #
John 1:26; Acts 1:5 “I baptize you with water #Acts 13:24; 19:4 for repentance, but #John 1:15, 27; 3:30, 31; Acts 13:25 he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you #John 1:33; Acts 11:16 with the Holy Spirit and #[Isa. 4:4; Mal. 3:2, 3; Acts 2:3]fire. 12His #Isa. 30:24 winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and #ch. 13:30 gather his wheat into the barn, #Mal. 4:1 but the chaff he will burn with #Mark 9:43, 48unquenchable fire.”
The Baptism of Jesus
13 # For ver. 13-17, see Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21, 22; [John 1:32-34] Then Jesus came #ch. 2:22from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14#[John 13:6]John 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 thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, #Acts 7:56 the heavens were opened to him,#3:16 Some manuscripts omit to him and he #John 1:32, 33; [Luke 4:18, 21; Acts 10:38]saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17and behold, #John 12:28 a voice from heaven said, #ch. 17:5; 2 Pet. 1:17; [Ps. 2:7; Isa. 42:1; Eph. 1:6; Col. 1:13; 1 John 5:9]“This is my beloved Son,#3:17 Or my Son, my (or the) Beloved with whom I am well pleased.”
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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Matthew 3
3
1 IN THOSE days there appeared John the Baptist, preaching in the Wilderness (Desert) of Judea
2 And saying, Repent (think differently; change your mind, regretting your sins and changing your conduct), for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
3 This is he who was mentioned by the prophet Isaiah when he said, The voice of one crying in the wilderness (shouting in the desert), Prepare the road for the Lord, make His highways straight (level, direct). [Isa. 40:3.]
4 This same John's garments were made of camel's hair, and he wore a leather girdle about his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. [Lev. 11:22; II Kings 1:8; Zech. 13:4.]
5 Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the country round about the Jordan went out to him;
6 And they were baptized in the Jordan by him, confessing their sins.
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee and escape from the wrath and indignation [of God against disobedience] that is coming?
8 Bring forth fruit that is consistent with repentance [let your lives prove your change of heart];
9 And do not presume to say to yourselves, We have Abraham for our forefather; for I tell you, God is able to raise up descendants for Abraham from these stones!
10 And already 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 indeed baptize you in (with) water because of repentance [that is, because of your changing your minds for the better, heartily amending your ways, with abhorrence of your past sins]. But He Who is coming after me is mightier than I, Whose sandals I am not worthy or fit to take off or carry; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
12 His winnowing fan (shovel, fork) is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear out and clean His threshing floor and gather and store His wheat in His barn, but the chaff He will burn up with fire that cannot be put out.
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John to be baptized by him.
14 But John protested strenuously, having in mind to prevent Him, saying, It is I who have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?
15 But Jesus replied to him, Permit it just now; for this is the fitting way for [both of] us to fulfill all righteousness [that is, to perform completely whatever is right]. Then he permitted Him.
16 And when Jesus was baptized, He went up at once out of the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he [John] saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on Him.
17 And behold, a voice from heaven said, This is My Son, My Beloved, in Whom I delight! [Ps. 2:7; Isa. 42:1.]
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1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation