The Mission of John the Baptist (Isaiah 40:1–5; Matthew 3:1–17; Luke 3:1–22; John 1:19–34)
2 UST This story began as Isaiah, who spoke for God, wrote that it would:“Listen, I am sending my messenger ahead of you. He will make things ready for when you come. BSB BSB: As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “Behold, I will send My messenger ahead of You, who will prepare Your way.”
3 UST In the desolate place, someone will be calling out{ to the people}:‘Prepare yourselves to receive the Lord! Make yourselves ready for when he comes!’” BSB BSB: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.’”
4 UST Now there was a man whose name was John. He baptized people in a desolate area. He proclaimed that people should allow him to baptize them. That would show that they were going to stop doing what was wrong. That way, God would forgive their sins. BSB BSB: John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
5 UST Many people who lived in the region of Judea and many people who lived in the city of Jerusalem often went to listen to John. Many of these people agreed that they had sinned. Then, John baptized them in the Jordan River. BSB BSB: People went out to him from all of Jerusalem and the countryside of Judea. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
6 UST John wore rough clothes that he made out of camel’ s hair. He fastened around his waist a belt that he made from animal skin. He ate grasshoppers and honey that he found in that desolate area. BSB BSB: John was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.
7 UST He often preached,“Soon you will see someone else who is greater than I am. It is not appropriate for me even to kneel down and help him take off his sandals. BSB BSB: And he proclaimed: “After me will come One more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.
8 UST I use water to baptize you. However, he will give you the Holy Spirit, which will be like baptizing you.” BSB BSB: I baptize you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
9 UST Now while John was preaching and baptizing people, Jesus traveled from the town of Nazareth, which was in the region of Galilee.{ He arrived where John was} and had John baptize him in the Jordan River. BSB BSB: In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
10 UST As soon as John baptized him, Jesus waded out of the Jordan River. Then, he saw God opening the way from heaven. He saw that the Holy Spirit, who looked like a small bird, was descending{ from heaven} to him. BSB BSB: As soon as Jesus came up out of the water, He saw the heavens breaking open and the Spirit descending on Him like a dove.
11 UST Then God spoke from heaven,“You are my Son, the one whom I love dearly. What you do pleases me.” BSB BSB: And a voice came from heaven: “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.”
The Temptation and Preaching of Jesus (Matthew 4:1–17; Luke 4:1–15)
12 UST As soon as that happened, the Holy Spirit sent Jesus into a desolate area. BSB BSB: At once the Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness,
13 UST Jesus stayed for 40 days in that desolate area with the animals that lived there. During that time, Satan tried to make Jesus sin. Also, angels took care of Jesus. BSB BSB: and He was there for forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and the angels ministered to Him.
15 UST He declared,“This is the moment when God is about to establish his kingdom here. Stop doing what is wrong! Trust the good news!” BSB BSB: “The time is fulfilled,” He said, “and the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe in the gospel!”
The First Disciples (Matthew 4:18–22; Luke 5:1–11; John 1:35–42)
16 UST One day, Jesus was walking next to the Sea of Galilee. He saw{ a man whose name was} Simon and that man’ s{ younger} brother,{ whose name was} Andrew. They earned money by catching and selling fish.{ When Jesus saw them,} they were using nets to try to catch fish. BSB BSB: As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.
17 UST Jesus told them,“Come with me and be my apprentices. I will teach you how to gather people{ to be my apprentices}, just as you have been gathering fish.” BSB BSB: “Come, follow Me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”
18 UST As soon as{ Jesus said that}, they stopped working. They went with him and were his apprentices. BSB BSB: And at once they left their nets and followed Him.
20 UST As soon as he saw them, Jesus commanded them,{“Come with me and be my apprentices.”} They got out of the boat and left Zebedee their father with the workers they had hired. They went with Jesus and were his apprentices. BSB BSB: Immediately Jesus called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed Him.
Jesus Expels an Unclean Spirit (Luke 4:31–37)
22 UST The way that Jesus taught impressed{ the people who were there}.{ It impressed them} because Jesus did not teach as the teachers of the Jewish law did. Rather, he taught them like someone whom God had authorized to do so. BSB BSB: The people were astonished at His teaching, because He taught as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.
23 UST As Jesus was instructing people in the Jewish meeting place, a man whom a demon controlled was there. He shouted, BSB BSB: Suddenly a man with an unclean spirit cried out in the synagogue:
24 UST “Jesus from the town of Nazareth, leave us alone! You must be here to punish us. I realize who you are. You are the special one whom God has set apart!” BSB BSB: “What do You want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”
25 UST Then Jesus commanded the demon to stop{ controlling the man}. He said,“Be quiet. Leave that man!” BSB BSB: But Jesus rebuked the spirit. “Be silent!” He said. “Come out of him!”
26 UST The demon shook the man violently and shouted loudly. Then, it left the man. BSB BSB: At this, the unclean spirit threw the man into convulsions and came out with a loud shriek.
27 UST { What Jesus had done} impressed all{ the people who were in the Jewish meeting place}, and they talked about it with each other. They said,“{ What he does} is amazing! He teaches new things as someone whom God has authorized{ to do so}. He tells the demons what to do, and they do what he says!” BSB BSB: All the people were amazed and began to ask one another, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him!”
28 UST And so, throughout the whole region of Galilee, people kept talking about what Jesus had done. BSB BSB: And the news about Jesus spread quickly through the whole region of Galilee.
Jesus Heals at Peter’s House (Matthew 8:14–17; Luke 4:38–41)
30 UST Meanwhile, Simon’ s mother- in- law was resting in bed because she had a fever. As soon as{ Jesus arrived}, the people there told him that she was sick. BSB BSB: Simon’s mother-in-law was sick in bed with a fever, and they promptly told Jesus about her.
31 UST So, Jesus went to her. He took her hand and helped her stand up. Then, she recovered from the fever and offered Jesus and his disciples some food. BSB BSB: So He went to her, took her by the hand, and helped her up. The fever left her, and she began to serve them.
33 UST In fact, almost everybody in the town of Capernaum assembled outside the door of{ Simon and Andrew’ s home}. BSB BSB: and the whole town gathered at the door.
34 UST Jesus cured many people who were sick in many different ways. He also forced demons out of many people. Further, because the demons realized that Jesus was{ the Messiah}, he did not allow them to say anything. BSB BSB: And He healed many who were ill with various diseases and drove out many demons. But He would not allow the demons to speak, because they knew who He was.
Jesus Prays and Preaches (Luke 4:42–44)
35 UST Jesus woke up early the next morning, before sunrise. He left{ the house} and walked to a place where no one lived. He prayed{ to God} there. BSB BSB: Early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up and went out to a solitary place to pray.
36 UST { When they realized that Jesus was gone}, Simon and other people with him urgently searched for Jesus. BSB BSB: Simon and his companions went to look for Him,
37 UST When they found Jesus, they told him,“Almost everybody{ in the town of Capernaum} is trying to find you.{ We think that you should return there with us.}” BSB BSB: and when they found Him, they said, “Everyone is looking for You!”
38 UST Jesus replied,“{ I will not return with you.} I need to do what I am here to do. So, we need to visit other towns in this area. That way, I can preach{ the good news} in those places too.” BSB BSB: But Jesus answered, “Let us go on to the neighboring towns so I can preach there as well, for that is why I have come.”
39 UST So Jesus and his apprentices visited all the towns in the region of Galilee. Jesus preached{ the good news} in the Jewish meeting places. Also, he forced demons out of people. BSB BSB: So He went throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.
The Leper’s Prayer (Leviticus 14:1–32; Matthew 8:1–4; Luke 5:12–16)
41 UST Jesus pitied the man. So, he stretched out his hand and touched the man. Jesus told him,“I want{ to heal you}, and I heal you now!” BSB BSB: Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean!”
42 UST At that time, Jesus cured the man. He no longer had the skin disease! BSB BSB: And immediately the leprosy left him, and the man was cleansed.
43 UST As soon as{ he healed the man}, Jesus commanded him to leave. As he was leaving, Jesus sternly told him, BSB BSB: Jesus promptly sent him away with a stern warning:
44 UST “Do not tell anyone what just happened. Instead, go and show yourself to a priest{ so that he can examine you and see that you no longer have the skin disease}. Also, present what Moses required you to offer to become ceremonially clean again. This will prove to the community{ that you no longer have the skin disease}.” BSB BSB: “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and present the offering Moses prescribed for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”
45 UST However, after the man left, he frequently told people about how Jesus had healed him. As a result, people from many different places kept approaching Jesus. So, Jesus could no longer walk into any town publicly. Instead, he stayed outside{ the towns} in places where no one lived. BSB BSB: But the man went out and openly began to proclaim and spread the news. Consequently, Jesus could no longer enter a town in plain view, but He stayed out in solitary places. Yet people came to Him from every quarter.