Study Desk

Now ^(C1)in those days ^(C2)John the Baptist ^(*)(F1)came, ^(F2)preaching in the ^(C3)wilderness of Judea, saying,

"^(C1)Repent, for ^(C2)the kingdom of heaven has come near."

For this is the ^(C1)one referred to ^(F1)by Isaiah the prophet when he said, "^(C2)THE VOICE OF ONE ^(F2)CALLING ^(F3)OUT IN THE WILDERNESS, '^(C3)PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD, MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT!'"

Now John himself had ^(F1)(C1)a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was ^(C2)locusts and wild honey.

At that time Jerusalem ^(C1)was going out to him, and all Judea and all ^(C2)the region around the Jordan;

and they were being ^(C1)baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins.

But when he saw many of the ^(C1)Pharisees and ^(C2)Sadducees coming for ^(F1)baptism, he said to them, "You ^(F2)(C3)offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from ^(C4)the wrath to come?

"^(C1)Therefore produce fruit ^(C2)consistent with repentance;

and do not assume that you can say to yourselves, '^(C1)We have Abraham as our father'; for I tell you that God is able, from these stones, to raise up children for Abraham.

"And the ^(C1)axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore, ^(C2)every tree that does not bear good fruit is being cut down and thrown into the fire.

"As for me, ^(C1)I baptize you ^(F1)with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; ^(C2)He will baptize you ^(F1)with the Holy Spirit and fire.

"His ^(C1)winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will ^(C2)gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the ^(C3)chaff with ^(C4)unquenchable fire."

^(C1)Then Jesus ^(*)arrived ^(C2)from Galilee at the Jordan, coming to John to be baptized by him.

But John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I have the need to be baptized by You, and yet You are coming to me?"

But Jesus, answering, said to him, "Allow it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us ^(C1)to fulfill all righteousness." Then he ^(*)allowed Him.

After He was baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and ^(F1)(C1)he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and ^(F2)settling on Him,

and behold, a voice from the heavens said, "^(C1)This is ^(F1)My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."

^(C1)Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness ^(C2)to be tempted by the devil.

And after He had ^(C1)fasted for forty days and forty nights, He ^(F1)then became hungry.

And ^(C1)the tempter came and said to Him, "If You are the ^(C2)Son of God, command that these stones become bread."

But He answered and said, "It is written: '^(C1)MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT COMES OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'"

Then the devil ^(*)took Him along into ^(C1)the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple,

and he ^(*)said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written: '^(C1)HE WILL GIVE HIS ANGELS ORDERS CONCERNING YOU'; and 'ON THEIR HANDS THEY WILL LIFT YOU UP, SO THAT YOU DO NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.'"

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Jesus said to him, "^(F1)On the other hand, it is written: '^(C1)YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.'"

^(C1)Again, the devil ^(*)took Him along to a very high mountain and ^(*)showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory;

and he said to Him, "^(C1)All these things I will give You, if You fall down and ^(F1)worship me."

Then Jesus ^(*)said to him, "Go away, Satan! For it is written: '^(C1)YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND ^(F1)SERVE HIM ONLY.'"

Then the devil ^(*)left Him; and behold, ^(C1)angels came and began to serve Him.

Now when Jesus heard that ^(C1)John had been taken into custody, ^(C2)He withdrew into Galilee;

and leaving Nazareth, He came and ^(C1)settled in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali.

This happened so that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled:

"^(C1)THE LAND OF ZEBULUN AND THE LAND OF NAPHTALI, ^(F1)BY THE WAY OF THE SEA, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE JORDAN, GALILEE OF THE ^(F2)GENTILES—

^(C1)THE PEOPLE WHO WERE SITTING IN DARKNESS SAW A GREAT LIGHT, AND THOSE WHO WERE SITTING IN THE LAND AND SHADOW OF DEATH, UPON THEM A LIGHT DAWNED."

^(C1)From that time Jesus began to ^(F1)preach and say, "^(C2)Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near."

^(C1)Now as Jesus was walking by ^(C2)the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, ^(C3)Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.

And He ^(*)said to them, "^(F1)Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of people."

Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.

Going on from there He saw two other brothers, ^(F1)(C1)James the son of Zebedee, and his brother ^(F2)John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets; and He called them.

Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.

Jesus was going ^(C1)about in all of Galilee, ^(C2)teaching in their synagogues and ^(C3)proclaiming the ^(F1)gospel of the kingdom, and ^(C4)healing every disease and every sickness among the people.

And the news about Him spread ^(C1)throughout Syria; and they brought to Him all who were ill, those suffering with various diseases and severe pain, ^(C2)demon-possessed, people with ^(C3)epilepsy, and people who were ^(C4)paralyzed; and He healed them.

Large crowds ^(C1)followed Him from Galilee and ^(C2)the Decapolis, and Jerusalem, and Judea, and from ^(C3)beyond the Jordan.