Mark 1:1–11

John Prepares for Jesus

1This is the beginning of the Good News about Jesus Christ, the Son of God, ^{n 2}as the prophet Isaiah wrote:

“I will send my messenger ahead of you,

who will prepare your way.”

³“This is a voice of one

who calls out in the desert:

‘Prepare the way for the Lord.

Make the road straight for him.’ ”

⁴John was baptizing people in the desert and preaching a baptism of changed hearts and lives for the forgiveness of sins. ⁵All the people from Judea and Jerusalem were going out to him. They confessed their sins and were baptized by him in the Jordan River. ⁶John wore clothes made from camel’s hair, had a leather belt around his waist, and ate locusts and wild honey. ⁷This is what John preached to the people: “There is one coming after me who is greater than I; I am not good enough even to kneel down and untie his sandals. ⁸I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

Jesus Is Baptized

⁹At that time Jesus came from the town of Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan River. ¹⁰Immediately, as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven open. The Holy Spirit came down on him like a dove, ¹¹and a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love, and I am very pleased with you.”