John the Baptizer Prepares the Way for YHWH

Luke 3

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zachariah in the wilderness. He went into all the region around the Jordan River, preaching the baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sins. As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Y’all prepare the way of the Lord [YHWH]. Y’all make ʜɪꜱ paths straight. Every valley will be filled. Every mountain and hill will be made low. The crooked will become straight, and the rough ways smooth. And all humanity will see God’s salvation.’”+Isa 40:3-5

Then John said to the multitudes who went out to be baptized by him, “Y’all brood of vipers, who warned y’all to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore, y’all must produce fruits worthy of repentance. And y’all shouldn’t start saying to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father.’ For I tell y’all that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones! Indeed, the ax is already laid at the root of the trees, and every tree that doesn’t produce beautiful fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

So the crowds asked him, “Then what should we do?”

He answered them, “Anyone who has two coats should share with someone who has none, and anyone who has food must do likewise.”

Tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?”

He said to them, “Y’all shouldn’t collect more than what y’all are required to.”

Then some soldiers asked him, “What about us? What should we do?”

He replied, “Y’all must not take money from anyone by force or make false accusations. And y’all should be content with your* wages.”

While the people were waiting expectantly, and everyone was wondering in their hearts about whether John was the Christ, John answered them all, “I baptize y’all with water, but one who is stronger than I will come, and I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals. He will baptize y’all with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand to cleanse his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

Then with many other exhortations he proclaimed the good news to the people. But John rebuked Herod the tetrarch, because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had done, Herod added this to them all: he locked up John in prison.

The Baptism and Genealogy of Jesus

Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus also was baptized, and while he was praying, the sky was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my beloved Son. In you I am well pleased.”

Now Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his ministry.

He was the son (as it was thought) of Joseph, the son of Heli, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Joseph, the son of Judah, the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, the son of Jose, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon, the son of Amminadab, the son of Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel, the son of Kenan, the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.