Matthew 3

While Jesus was living in Galilee, a man whom people called John the Baptizer went to a desolate area in the region of Judea. He proclaimed,

“Stop doing what is wrong! {You should do that} because God is about to establish his heavenly kingdom here.”

That man is the one about whom the Lord said, by speaking through the prophet Isaiah, “In the desolate place, someone will be calling out {to the people}: ‘Prepare yourselves to receive the Lord! Make yourselves ready for when he comes!’” \*

As for this man John, he wore rough clothes that he made out of camel’s hair. He fastened around his waist a belt that he made from animal skin. He ate grasshoppers and honey that he found in that desolate area.

At that time, people who lived in the city of Jerusalem, many people who lived in the region of Judea, and many people who lived near the Jordan River often went to listen to John.

Many of these people agreed that they had sinned. Then, John baptized them in the Jordan River. \*

In fact, many men from the Pharisee sect and from the Sadducee sect went to John so that he would baptize them. When he saw them, he declared to them, “You people are sneaky and dangerous like poisonous snakes! You think that if I baptize you, God will spare you when he punishes sinners. {But I did not say that!}

You need to do the things that show that you have truly rejected your previous sinful way of living!

Do not think to yourselves, ‘{Certainly God will not punish us, because} we are descendants of Abraham!’ {That does not impress God.} Let me assure you, God could turn these stones into descendants of Abraham! \*

You are like fruit trees that do not produce good fruit. God is like a man who is positioning the head of his axe at the base of those trees, ready to chop them down and throw them into the fire. God is ready to punish you like that if you continue sinning.

I use water to baptize you so that you stop doing what is wrong. However, soon you will see someone else who is more powerful than I am. It is not appropriate for me to be even his servant. He will give you the Holy Spirit and make you pure.

{The Messiah is ready to do that, just like} a farmer who has his winnowing fork ready to use. A farmer separates all the good grain from the useless chaff. He stores the grain safely in his barn, but he burns the chaff until it is all gone. {Much like that farmer, the Messiah will preserve the people who obey God, and he will punish the people who disobey God.}” \*

After {John began preaching and baptizing people}, Jesus traveled from the region of Galilee to where John was near the Jordan River. He wanted John to baptize him.

However, John did not want to baptize him. He said to Jesus, “You should not want me to baptize you. Actually, I need you to baptize me!”

Jesus answered him, “Please {baptize me} at this time. When you do, you and I will be acting appropriately by doing what God requires.” After {Jesus said that,} John agreed {to baptize} him. \*

Right after John baptized him, Jesus walked out of the River Jordan. Then, God allowed him to see into heaven! He saw that the Holy Spirit, who looked like a small bird, was descending {from heaven} and landing on him.

Then God spoke from heaven! He declared, “This man is my Son, the one whom I love dearly. What he does pleases me.” \*