John the Baptist Prepares the Way
During that time, a man named John the Baptist appeared in the desert wilderness of Judea, where he preached to anyone who would listen. His message was urgent and direct: "Turn away from your sins and change your hearts, because God's kingdom is coming soon." John was the very person the prophet Isaiah had written about long ago when he said, "A voice will cry out in the wilderness, saying, 'Get ready for the Lord's coming! Clear the road and make the path straight for him!'" John dressed simply, wearing rough clothes made from camel hair and a leather belt tied around his waist. He lived off the land, eating locusts and wild honey that he found in the desert. Word about John spread quickly, and people began traveling from everywhere to hear him speak. They came from Jerusalem, from towns and villages throughout Judea, and from all the areas surrounding the Jordan River. When these people heard John's message, they openly admitted their wrongdoings and failures before God. Then John baptized them in the waters of the Jordan River as a sign of their commitment to turn away from sin and follow God.
John Rebukes the Pharisees and Sadducees
When John saw many of the religious leaders — the Pharisees and Sadducees — coming to where he was baptizing people, he spoke harshly to them. "You poisonous snakes!" he said. "Who told you to run away from God's anger that is coming? If you truly want to turn away from your sins, then show it by the way you live. Don't think you can tell yourselves, 'We're safe because Abraham is our ancestor.' I'm telling you that God could make children for Abraham out of these rocks if he wanted to. "The ax is already lying at the bottom of the trees, ready to chop. Every tree that doesn't grow good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. I baptize you with water when you repent of your sins, but someone much more powerful than me is coming after me. I'm not even good enough to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. "He's holding his winnowing shovel, ready to clean out his threshing floor. He will gather his wheat and store it safely in his barn, but he will burn up the worthless chaff with a fire that never goes out."
The Baptism of Jesus
At that time, Jesus traveled from Galilee to the Jordan River, where John was baptizing people. Jesus came to John because he wanted to be baptized. But John tried to stop him. "I'm the one who needs to be baptized by you," John said. "Why are you coming to me?" Jesus answered, "Let this happen now. This is the right thing for us to do—it's how we should fulfill everything God requires." So John agreed and baptized him. The moment Jesus came up out of the water, the sky opened above him. Jesus saw God's Spirit coming down from heaven like a dove and settling on him. Then a voice spoke from heaven, saying, "This is my beloved Son, and I am completely pleased with him."