Matthew 3:1-12
1John the Baptist Prepares the Way for Jesus Mark 1:1-8; Luke 3:1-9, 15-17; John 1:19-28In those days John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the wilderness of JudeaJosh 14:10; Mark 1:4, 15; Luke 3:2-3; John 1:28 2and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near!”Dan 2:44; Matt 4:17; 10:7 3He was the one the prophet Isaiah was referring to when he said,Isa 40:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 1:76; 3:4; John 1:23 “He is a voice calling out in the wilderness:‘Prepare the way for the Lord!Make his paths straight!’” ▼▼Isa 40:3
4John had clothing made of camel's hair and wore ▼▼The Gk. lacks wore
a leather belt around his waist. His diet consisted of locusts and wild honey.Lev 11:22; 1Sam 14:25-26; 2Kings 1:8; Zech 13:4; Mark 1:6 5Then the people of ▼▼The Gk. lacks the people of
Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region along the Jordan began flocking to him,Mark 1:5; Luke 3:7 6being baptized by him in the Jordan River while they confessed their sins.Acts 19:4, 18 7But when John ▼▼Lit. he
saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, ▼▼Lit. to his baptism
he said to them, “You children of serpents! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?Matt 12:34; 23:33; Luke 3:7-9; Rom 5:9; 1Thes 1:10 8Produce fruit that is consistent with repentance! 9Don't think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our forefather.’ For I tell you that God can raise up descendants for Abraham from these stones!John 8:33, 39; Acts 13:26; Rom 4:1, 11, 16 10The ax already lies against the roots of the trees. So every tree not producing good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.Matt 7:19; Luke 13:7, 9; John 15:6 11I am baptizing you with ▼▼Or in
water as a token of repentance, ▼▼Lit. for repentance
but the one who is coming after me is stronger than I am, and I am not worthy to carry his sandals. It is he who will baptize you with ▼▼Or in
the Holy Spirit and fire.Isa 4:4; 44:3; Mal 3:2; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:15, 26, 33; Acts 1:5; 2:3-4; 11:16; 19:4; 1Cor 12:13 12His winnowing fork is in his hand. He will clean up his threshing floor and gather his grain into the barn, but he will burn the chaff with inextinguishable fire.”Mal 3:3; 4:1; Matt 13:30 Mark 1:2-8
2As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,Mal 3:1; Matt 11:10; Luke 7:27“See! I am sending my messenger ahead of you,who will prepare your way. ▼▼Mal 3:1
3He is a voice calling out in the wilderness:Isa 40:3; Matt 3:3; Luke 3:4; John 1:15‘Prepare the way for the Lord!Make his paths straight!’” ▼▼Isa 40:3
4John was baptizing in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.Matt 3:1; Luke 3:3; John 3:23 5People from ▼▼The Gk. lacks People from
the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were flocking to him, being baptized by him while they confessed their sins.Matt 3:5 6Now John was dressed in camel's hair with ▼▼Lit. and
a leather belt around his waist. He ate locusts and wild honey.Lev 11:22; Matt 3:4 7He kept proclaiming, “The one who is coming after me is stronger than I am, and I am not worthy to bend down and untie his sandal straps.Matt 3:11; John 1:27; Acts 13:25 8I baptized you with ▼▼Or in
water, but it is he who will baptize you with ▼▼Or in
the Holy Spirit.”Isa 44:3; Joel 2:28; Acts 1:5; 2:4; 10:45; 11:15-16; 19:4; 1Cor 12:13 Luke 3:15-17
15Now the people were filled with expectation, and all of them were wondering if John was perhaps the Christ. ▼▼I.e. the Messiah
16John replied to all of them, “I am baptizing you with ▼▼Or in
water, but the one who is stronger than I am is coming, and I am not worthy to untie his sandal straps. It is he who will baptize you with ▼▼Or in
the Holy Spirit and fire.Matt 3:11 17His winnowing fork is in his hand to clean up his threshing floor. He will gather the grain into his barn, but he will burn the chaff with inextinguishable fire.”Mic 4:12; Matt 13:30
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