“This is a voice of one who calls out in the desert: ‘Prepare the way for the Lord. Make the road straight for him.’ ” John was baptizing people in the desert and preaching a baptism of changed hearts and lives for the forgiveness of sins. All the people from Judea and Jerusalem were going out to him. They confessed their sins and were baptized by him in the Jordan River. John wore clothes made from camel’s hair, had a leather belt around his waist, and ate locusts and wild honey. This is what John preached to the people: “There is one coming after me who is greater than I; I am not good enough even to kneel down and untie his sandals. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” At that time Jesus came from the town of Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan River. Immediately, as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven open. The Holy Spirit came down on him like a dove, and a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love, and I am very pleased with you.” Then the Spirit sent Jesus into the desert. He was in the desert forty days and was tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and the angels came and took care of him.
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Compare All Versions: Mark 1:3-13
4 Days
Tony Evans gives you a book summary for each of the Gospels in this four-day reading plan, helping you to gain a broader understanding of this important section of the Bible.
Perhaps the greatest thing that we often neglect about John the Baptist is that he lived his whole life and ministry in the shadow of someone greater than him - Jesus Christ. Yet despite this, we are never told of any feelings of jealousy or resentment. Just as John the Baptist’s ministry was gaining traction, it was cut short, presumably to make way for Jesus, someone greater than him. From his birth to his death, John the Baptist lived in the shadows of Jesus. But fulfilled his ministry and pleased the Lord. This devotional is an amended extract from an upcoming book by Jean Kabasomi.
Who was Jesus? In our modern imaginations sometimes He appears as a teacher with good advice, a revolutionary who sticks it to the Empire, or as a relaxed friend who wants us to take it easy. But these caricatures are far from the truth. Join us in this four-day plan as we explore Jesus: Messiah, sacrifice, God and giver of life.
What does it mean to prepare the way for the Lord? In this devotional we look at how we can prepare our hearts, our thinking and our environments to be fully consecrated to Jesus, and to prepare the way for him - for his glory to be revealed!
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