John the Baptizer Prepares the Way

Matthew 3

In those days, John the Baptizer came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, “Y’all must repent, for the Empire of Heaven has come near!” For this is he who was spoken of by Isaiah the prophet, saying,

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Y’all prepare the way of the Lord [YHWH]! Y’all make his paths straight!’”+Isa 40:3

Now John himself wore clothing made of camel hair and a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. Then people from Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him. They were baptized by him in the Jordan, publicly acknowledging their sins.

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for his baptism, he said to them, “Y’all brood of vipers! Who warned y’all to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore y’all produce fruit worthy of repentance! Don’t think y’all can say 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. Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that doesn’t produce beautiful fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

“I baptize y’all with water for repentance, but the one who comes after me is stronger than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize y’all in the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing floor. He will gather his wheat into the barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

The Father and Spirit Validate the Baptism of Jesus

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. But John tried to prevent him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and you come to me?”

But Jesus replied to him, “Permit it now, for this is the fitting way for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John allowed him.

After Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water, and suddenly the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and coming on him. And a voice from the heavens said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”