Study Desk

In those days John the Baptist came,^(a) preaching in the Wilderness of Judea^(b)

and saying, "Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near!"^(c)

For he is the one spoken of through the prophet Isaiah, who said: A voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Prepare the way for the Lord; make His paths straight! ^(d)[a]

John himself had a camel-hair garment with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.

Then people from Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the vicinity of the Jordan were flocking to him,

and they were baptized by him in the Jordan River as they confessed their sins.^(e)

When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees^(f) coming to the place of his baptism,^[b] he said to them, "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?^(g)

Therefore produce fruit^(h) consistent with^[c] repentance.

And don't presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.'⁽ⁱ⁾ For I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones!

Even now the ax is ready to strike the root of the trees! Therefore, every tree that doesn't produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.^(j)

"I baptize you with^[d] water for repentance,^[e](k) but the One who is coming after me is more powerful than I. I am not worthy to remove^[f] His sandals. He Himself will baptize you with^[g] the Holy Spirit and fire.^(l)

His winnowing shovel^[h] is in His hand, and He will clear His threshing floor and gather His wheat into the barn. But the chaff He will burn up with fire that never goes out."^(m)

Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him.⁽ⁿ⁾

But John tried to stop Him, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and yet You come to me?"

Jesus answered him, "Allow it for now, because this is the way for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he allowed Him to be baptized.

After Jesus was baptized, He went up immediately from the water. The heavens^(o) suddenly opened for Him,^[i] and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on Him.^(p)

And there came a voice from heaven: This is My beloved Son. I take delight in Him!^(q)

Then^(a) Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil.^(b)

After He had fasted 40 days and 40 nights,^(c) He was hungry.

Then the tempter approached Him and said, "If You are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."^(d)

But He answered, "It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. " ^(e)[a]

Then the Devil took Him to the holy city,^[b] had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple,^(f)

and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: He will give His angels ^(g) orders concerning you , and they will support you with their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. "^(h)[c]

Jesus told him, "It is also written: Do not test the Lord your God. " ^(i)[d]

Again, the Devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.

And he said to Him, "I will give You all these things if You will fall down and worship me."^[e]

Then Jesus told him, "Go away,^[f] Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve only ^(j) Him. " ^[g]

Then the Devil left Him, and immediately angels came and began to serve Him.^(k)

When He heard that John had been arrested,^(l) He withdrew into Galilee.^(m)

He left Nazareth behind and went to live in Capernaum⁽ⁿ⁾ by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali.

This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, along the sea road, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles!

The people who live in darkness have seen a great light, and for those living in the shadowland of death, light has dawned. ^[h](o)[i]

From then on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, because the kingdom of heaven^(p) has come near!"

As^(q) He was walking along the Sea of Galilee,^(r) He saw two brothers, Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea, since they were fishermen.

"Follow Me," He told them, "and I will make you fish for^[j] people!"

Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.

Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and He called them.

Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed Him.

Jesus was going all over Galilee,^(s) teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every^[k] disease and sickness among the people.^(t)

Then the news about Him spread throughout Syria.^(u) So they brought to Him all those who were afflicted, those suffering from various diseases and intense pains, the demon-possessed, the epileptics, and the paralytics.^(v) And He healed them.

Large crowds followed Him from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.^(w)