JOHN THE BAPTIST PREPARES THE WAY
Judea spring of 26 A.D.
Matthew 3:1-6, Mark 1:1-6, Luke 3:1-6 and John 1:6-8
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar [Tiberius Claudius Nero BC42-AD37], Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, [AD 26-36 Died AD39], Herod [Antipas] being tetrarch of Galilee [BC 4-AD 39 Died AD39], and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, [BC 4-AD 34 Died AD34], and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene [AD 29 – see Note 1]. Annas [AD 6-15, President Sanhedrin AD15-66] and [Joseph, son of Annas, see note 2]and Caiaphas [AD18-37] being the high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.
In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, and saying, “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias [Isaiah], saying, as it is written in the book of the words of Esaias [Isaiah] the prophet, as it is written in the prophets, ‘Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare ye 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 be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth. And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John and he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.
John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
And John was clothed with his raiment of camel's hair, and with a leather girdle of a skin about his loins; and his meat he did eat locusts and wild honey.
And then there went out to him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem and all the whole Judean countryside, and all the region round about Jordan, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.
JOHN FACES DOWN THE PHARISEES AND PROCLAIMS THE COMING MESSIAH
Matthew 3:7-12, Mark 1:7-8 and Luke 3:7-18
But when he [John] saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, he said unto them. “O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say and think not to say within yourselves, ‘We have Abraham to our father’: for I say to you that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
“And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which brings not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.”
And the people asked him, saying, “What shall we do then?”
He answered and said to them, “He that has two coats, let him impart to him that has none; and he that has meat, let him do likewise.”
Then came also publicans [contractors who hired out to Rome as tax collectors, suppliers to the military, overseers of public building projects and collectors of port fees] to be baptized, and said to him, “Master, what shall we do?”
And he said to them, “Exact no more than that which is appointed you.”
And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, “And what shall we do?”
And he said to them, “Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.”
And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he was the Christ, or not.
John answered, saying to them all and this was his message, “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance”. And preached, saying “But one that comes after is mightier than I, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear. He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire, and whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and will gather his wheat into his garner, but he will burn up the chaff with fire unquenchable.”
And many other things in his exhortation preached he to the people.
JESUS IS BAPTIZED
Autumn 26 A.D
The Jordan River
Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11 and Luke 3:21-23a
And it came to pass in those days, then that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him saying, “I have need to be baptized of you, and come you to me?”
And Jesus answering said to him, “Suffer it to be so now for thus it becomes us to fulfil all righteousness.”
Then [John] suffered him and [Jesus] was baptized of John in Jordan.
Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized and praying, the heaven was opened. And straightway coming up out of the water, and, lo he [Jesus] saw the heavens opened, and he saw the Spirit of God, the Holy Ghost, in a bodily shape like a dove descending and lighting upon him.
And lo there came a voice from heaven saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age,
JESUS TEMPTED BY SATAN
Autumn 26 A.D
Judean Wilderness
Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13 and Luke 4:1-13
And immediately the spirit drove him into the wilderness. And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to him.
And then was Jesus, being full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted forty days of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward hungered.
And when the tempter came to him the Devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God command that these stones be made bread.”
But he Jesus answered him and said, ”It is written, That Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.”
And Then the devil he brought him to Jerusalem, took him up into the holy city, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, And said to him, “If you be the Son of God, cast yourself down for it is written, ‘He shall give his angels charge concerning you to keep thee: and in their hands they shall bear you up, lest at any time you dash your foot against a stone’.”
And Jesus answering said to him, “It is written again, ’You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’”
And again, the devil took him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showed him in a moment of time all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them. And the devil said to him, “All this power will I give you, and the glory of them, for that is delivered to me and to whomsoever I will I give it. All these things will I give you if you will therefore fall down and will worship me, it all shall be yours."
And Then Jesus answered and said to him, “Get you hence behind me, Satan, for it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve’.”
And when the devil had ended all the temptation, then the devil left him, he departed from him for a season, behold, angels came and ministered to him.
[Note: Luke reverses Matthew’s order of Satan taking Jesus to Jerusalem and the high mountain.]
JOHN THE BAPTIST DENIES BEING THE CHRIST
Autumn 26 A.D
Bethany Beyond the Jordan
John 1:15-34
John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, “This was he of whom I spoke, He that comes after me is preferred before me for he was before me. And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. No man has seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him.” (Reference Luke 3:16, Matthew 3:11 and Mark 1:7.) And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”
And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, “I am not the Christ.”
And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?”
And he said, “I am not.”
“Are you that prophet?”
And he answered, “No.”
Then said they to him, “Who are you that we may give an answer to them that sent us? What say you of yourself?”
He said, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Isaiah.” (Isaiah 40:3--“A voice of one calling in the desert, prepare
the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.”)
And they which were sent were of the Pharisees. And they asked him, and said to him, “Why baptize you then, if you be not that Christ, nor Elijah, neither that prophet?”
John answered them saying, “I baptize with water: but there stands one among you, whom you know not. He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.”
These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.
The next day John saw Jesus coming to him, and said, “Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, ‘After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me’. And I knew him not, but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.”
And John bare record, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said to me, ‘Upon whom you shall see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizes with the Holy Ghost’. And I saw and bare record that this is the Son of God.”
JESUS' FIRST DISCIPLES
John 1:35-51
Again the next day after, John stood and two of his disciples and looking upon Jesus as he walked, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God!”
And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.
Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and said to them, “What seek you?”
They said to him, “Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwell you?”
He said to them, “Come and see.”
They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day for it was about the tenth hour. [4:00 PM]
One of the two, which heard John speak, and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah?” (which is, being interpreted, the Christ.)
And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, “You are Simon the son of Jona [John], you shall be called Cephas,” which is by interpretation, a stone.
Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael
The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and found Philip, and said to him, “Follow me.”
Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.
Philip found Nathanael, and said to him, “We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
And Nathanael said to him, “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?”
Philip said to him, “Come and see.”
Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him and said of him, “Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!”
Nathanael said to him, “Whence knows you me?”
Jesus answered and said to him, “Before that Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”
Nathanael answered and said to him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”
Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you, I saw you under the fig tree, believe you? You shall see greater things than these.” And he said to him, “Verily, verily, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.”
JESUS AT THE WEDDING FEAST IN CANA
Autumn 26 A.D
Cana in Galilee
John 2:1-12
And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there and both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.
And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.”
Jesus said to her, “Woman, what have I to do with thee? My hour is not yet come.”
His mother said to the servants, “Whatsoever he says to you, do it.”
And there were set there six water pots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins [8 or 9 gallons] apiece. Jesus said to them, “Fill the water pots with water.”
And they filled them up to the brim.
And he said to them, “Draw out now, and bear to the governor of the feast.”
And they bare it.
When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was (but the servants which drew the water knew) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, “Every man at the beginning does set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse, but you have kept the good wine until now.”
This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory, and his disciples believed on him.
After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples and they continued there not many days.
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