Matthew 3–4

The Person of John the Baptist

Mark 1:2–6; Luke 3:3–6

3In those days ^aJohn the Baptist came preaching ^bin the wilderness of Judea, ²and saying, “Repent, for ^cthe kingdom of heaven is at hand!” ³For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying:

^d“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

^e‘Prepare the way of the Lord;

Make His paths straight.’ ”

⁴Now ^fJohn himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was ^glocusts and ^hwild honey. ⁵ⁱThen Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him ^6jand were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

The Preaching of John the Baptist

Mark 1:7–9; Luke 3:7–9, 16, 17

⁷But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, ^k“Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from ^lthe wrath to come? ⁸Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, ⁹and do not think to say to yourselves, ^m‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. ¹⁰And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. ⁿTherefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ^11oI indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. ^pHe will baptize you with the Holy Spirit ¹and fire. ^12qHis winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will ^rburn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

Baptism of Jesus

Mark 1:9–11; Luke 3:21–23

^13sThen Jesus came ^tfrom Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. ¹⁴And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?”

¹⁵But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him.

^16uWhen He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and ²He saw ^vthe Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. ^17wAnd suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ^x“This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

First Temptation

Mark 1:12, 13; Luke 4:1–4

4Then ^aJesus was led up by ^bthe Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. ²And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. ³Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”

⁴But He answered and said, “It is written, ^c‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”

Second Temptation

Luke 4:9–12

⁵Then the devil took Him up ^dinto the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, ⁶and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written:

^e‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’

and,

^f‘In their hands they shall bear you up,

Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ”

⁷Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ^g‘You shall not ¹tempt the Lord your God.’ ”

Third Temptation

Mark 1:13; Luke 4:5–8, 13

⁸Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and ^hshowed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. ⁹And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”

¹⁰Then Jesus said to him, ²“Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ⁱ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”

¹¹Then the devil ^jleft Him, and behold, ^kangels came and ministered to Him.

Jesus Begins His Ministry

Mark 1:14, 15; Luke 4:14, 31

^12lNow when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee. ¹³And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, ¹⁴that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:

¹⁵“The ^mland of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,

By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan,

Galilee of the Gentiles:

¹⁶ⁿThe people who sat in darkness have seen a great light,

And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death

Light has dawned.”

^17oFrom that time Jesus began to preach and to say, ^p“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven ³is at hand.”

Jesus Calls His First Disciples

Mark 1:16–20

^18qAnd Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon ^rcalled Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. ¹⁹Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and ^sI will make you fishers of men.” ^20tThey immediately left their nets and followed Him.

^21uGoing on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, ²²and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.

Jesus Ministers in Galilee

Mark 1:39; Luke 4:44

²³And Jesus went about all Galilee, ^vteaching in their synagogues, preaching ^wthe gospel of the kingdom, ^xand healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. ²⁴Then ⁴His fame went throughout all Syria; and they ^ybrought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them. ^25zGreat multitudes followed Him—from Galilee, and from ⁵Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.