3In those days John the Baptist came to the Judean wilderness and began preaching. His message was,G1161G1722G1565G2250G3854G2491G910G2784G1722G2048G24492"Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near."G2532G3004G3340G1063G932G3772G14483The prophet Isaiah was speaking about John when he said, "He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way for the LORD's coming! Clear the road for him!'"G1063G3778G2076G4483G5259G4396G2268G3004G5456G994G1722G2048G2090G3598G2962G4160G846G5147G21174John's clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey.G1161G846G2491G2192G846G1742G575G2574G2359G2532G1193G2223G4012G846G3751G1161G846G5160G2258G200G2532G66G31925People from Jerusalem and from all of Judea and all over the Jordan Valley went out to see and hear John.G5119G1607G4314G846G2414G2532G3956G2449G2532G3956G4066G24466And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River.G2532G907G5259G846G1722G2446G1843G846G2667But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to watch him baptize, he denounced them. "You brood of snakes!" he exclaimed. "Who warned you to flee God's coming wrath?G1161G1492G4183G5330G2532G4523G2064G1909G846G908G2036G846G1081G2191G5101G5263G5213G5343G575G3709G31958Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God.G4160G3767G2590G514G33419Don't just say to each other, 'We're safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.' That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones.G2532G1380G3361G3004G1722G1438G2192G11G3962G1063G3004G5213G3754G2316G1410G1537G5130G3037G1453G5043G1110Even now the ax of God's judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.G1161G2235G2532G513G2749G4314G4491G1186G3767G3956G1186G4160G3361G4160G2570G2590G1581G2532G906G1519G444211"I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I'm not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.G1473G3303G907G5209G1722G5204G1519G3341G1161G2064G3694G3450G2076G2478G3450G3739G5266G1510G3756G2425G941G846G907G5209G1722G40G4151G2532G444212He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire."G3739G4425G1722G846G5495G2532G1245G846G257G2532G4863G846G4621G1519G596G1161G2618G892G762G4442
The Baptism of Jesus
13Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John.G5119G3854G2424G575G1056G1909G2446G4314G2491G907G5259G84614But John tried to talk him out of it. "I am the one who needs to be baptized by you," he said, "so why are you coming to me?"G1161G2491G1254G3004G1473G2192G5532G907G5259G4675G2532G2064G4771G4314G316515But Jesus said, "It should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires." So John agreed to baptize him.G1161G2424G611G2036G4314G846G863G737G1063G3779G4241G2076G2254G4137G3956G1343G5119G863G84616After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him.G2532G2424G907G305G2117G575G5204G2532G2400G3772G455G846G2532G1492G4151G2316G2597G5616G4058G2532G2064G1909G84617And a voice from heaven said, "This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy."G2532G2400G5456G1537G3772G3004G3778G2076G3450G27G5207G1722G3739G2106
Dublin, OH
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