Matthew 3

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

1 John the Baptist was out in the wilderness, preaching, “Turn your life around, because God’s kingdom is almost here!”

2 That was his message: repentance and getting right with God.

3 Isaiah called it: “A voice in the wild, telling people to get the road ready for the Lord.”

4 John’s style was rugged, camel-hair clothes, leather belt, and eating locusts and honey.

5 Folks from Jerusalem, Judea, and all around came out to see him.

6 They confessed their sins, and John baptized them in the Jordan River.

7 When John saw some Pharisees and Sadducees coming, he said, “You all snakes! Who warned you about the judgment coming?”

8 “Do not just talk like you have changed, show it by the way you live.”

9 “Do not think saying, ‘We got Abraham as our father,’ will save you. God could make children of Abraham outta these rocks!”

10 “The axe is at the root of the trees. If a tree is not producing good fruit, it is getting chopped down and thrown in the fire.”

11 “I am baptizing you all with water to show repentance, but someone way greater than me is coming. I am not even worthy to tie His shoes. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

12 “He has got His winnowing fork, separating the wheat from the chaff. The wheat is going in the barn, and the chaff is getting burned.”

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to be baptized by John at the Jordan.

14 John said, “Nah, Jesus. I need to be baptized by You, not the other way around.”

15 Jesus replied, “We must do this, it is the right move to fulfill all righteousness.” So John baptized Him.

16 As Jesus came up from the water, the heavens opened, and the Spirit of God came down on Him like a dove.

17 A voice from heaven said, “This is My Son, the One I love, and I am real pleased with Him.”