Luke 3:15–22

¹⁵People’s hopes were rising as they all wondered whether John was the Messiah. ¹⁶John replied to all of them, “I baptize you with water. But the one who is more powerful than I is coming. I am not worthy to untie his sandal straps. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹⁷His winnowing^bshovel is in his hand to clean up his threshing floor.^cHe will gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn the husks in a fire that can never be put out.” 

¹⁸With many other encouraging words, he told the Good News to the people. 

¹⁹John spoke out against the ruler Herod because Herod had married his own sister-in-law, Herodias. He also spoke out against Herod for all the evil things he had done. ²⁰So Herod added one more evil to all the others; he locked John in prison. 

The Baptism of Jesus—Matthew 3:13–17; Mark 1:9–11

²¹When all the people were baptized, Jesus, too, was baptized. While he was praying, heaven opened, ²²and the Holy Spirit came down to him in the form of a dove. A voice from heaven said, “You are my Son, whom I love. I am pleased with you.”