THE BEGINNINGS OF HIS MINISTRY

JESUS AND JOHN THE BAPTIST

THE VOICE IN THE WILDERNESS.

Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Cæsar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judæa, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the reign of Ituræa and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, in the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.

And John was clothed with camel's hair, and had a leathern girdle about his loins, and did eat locusts and wild honey.

And he came into all the region round about the Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance unto remission of sins; and saying, "Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

For this is he that was spoken of by Isaiah the prophet, saying,

"The voice of one crying in the wilderness,

Make ye ready the way of the Lord,

Make his paths straight.

Every valley shall be filled,

And every mountain and hill shall be brought low;
And the crooked shall become straight,

And the rough ways smooth;

And all flesh shall see the salvation of God."

And there went out to him all the country of Judæa,

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and all they of Jerusalem, and they were baptized of him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism he said unto them, "Ye offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, 'We have Abraham to our father': for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And even now the axe also lieth at the root of the trees: every tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire."

And the multitudes asked him, saying, "What then must we do?"

And he answered and said unto them, "He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath food; let him do likewise."

And there came also publicans to be baptized, and they said unto him, "Teacher, what must we do?"

And he said unto them, "Extort no more than that which is appointed you."

And soldiers also asked him, saying, "And we, what must we do?"

And he said unto them, "Extort from no man by violence, neither accuse any one wrongfully; and be content with your wages."

And as the people were in expectation, and all men reasoned in their hearts concerning John, whether haply he were the Christ; John answered, saying unto them all, "I indeed baptize you with water; but there cometh he that is mightier than I, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire: whose fan is in his hand, thoroughly to cleanse his threshing-floor,

and to gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire.”

With many other exhortations therefore preached he good tidings unto the people.

THE BAPTISM OF JESUS.

And it came to pass in those days, when all the people were baptized, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee to the Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.

But John would have hindered him, saying, “I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?" But Jesus answering said unto him, "Suffer it now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness."

Then he suffereth him. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway from the water; and lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon him; and lo, a voice out of the heavens, saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

THE TEMPTATION IN THE WILDERNESS.

Then straightway was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil, and he was with the wild beasts, and did eat nothing in those days. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he afterward hungered.

And the tempter came and said unto him, "If thou art the Son of God, command that these stones become bread."

But he answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proIceedeth out of the mouth of God.'

Then the devil taketh him into the holy city; and he

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set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and saith unto him, "If thou art the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written,

'He shall give his angels charge concerning thee, to guard thee.'

"On their hands they shall bear thee up,

Lest haply thou dash thy foot against a stone."" Jesus said unto him, "Again it is written, 'Thou shalt not make trial of the Lord thy God.''

Again, the devil taketh him unto an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and the glory of them.

And the devil said unto him, "To thee will I give all this authority, and the glory of them: for it hath been delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship before me, it shall all be thine."

Then saith Jesus unto him, "Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.'

And when the devil had completed every temptation, he departed from him for a season; and behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

JOHN'S TESTIMONY TO JESUS.

And this is the witness of John, when the Jews sent unto him from Jerusalem priests and Levites to ask him, "Who art thou?" And he confessed and denied not; and he confessed, "I am not the Christ."

And they asked him, "What then?

jah?"

And he saith, "I am not."

"Art thou the prophet?"

And he answered "No."

Art thou Eli

They said therefore unto him, "Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us? What sayest thou of thyself?"

He said, "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the Lord,' as said Isaiah the prophet.”

And they had been sent from the Pharisees. And they asked him, and said unto him, "Why then baptizest thou, if thou art not the Christ, neither Elijah, neither the prophet."

John answered them, saying, "I baptize in water: in the midst of you standeth one whom ye know not, even he that cometh after me, the latchet of whose shoe I am not worthy to unloose."

These things were done in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

On the morrow he seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, "Behold, the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, 'After me cometh a man who is become before me: for he was before me.' And I knew him not; but that he should be made manifest to Israel, for this cause came I baptizing in water."

And John bare witness, saying, "I have beheld the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven; and it abode upon him. And I knew him not; but he that sent me to baptize in water, he said unto me, ‘Upon whomsoever thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and abiding upon him, the same is he that baptizeth in the Holy Spirit.' And I have seen, and have borne witness that this is the Son of God."