Matthew 3

The Herald of the Messiah

1In those days John the Baptist came, # 3:1–12 Mk 1:3–8; Lk 3:2–17; Jn 1:6–8,19–28 preaching in the wilderness of Judea # 3:1 Jos 15:61; Jdg 1:16 2and saying, ‘Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near! ’ # 3:2 Dn 2:44; Mt 4:17; 6:10; 10:7; Mk 1:15; Lk 10:9; 11:20; 21:31 3For he is the one spoken of through the prophet Isaiah, who said:

A voice of one crying out in the wilderness:

Prepare the way for the Lord;

make his paths straight! # 3:3 Is 40:3,# 3:3 Is 40:3; Lk 1:17,76; Jn 1:23

4Now John had a camel-hair garment with a leather belt round his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5Then people from Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the vicinity of the Jordan were going out to him, 6and they were baptised by him in the River Jordan, confessing their sins. # 3:5–6 Mt 23:37; Mk 1:5; Lk 3:3; Jn 15:22; Ac 19:18

7When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees # 3:7 Mt 16:1; 22:23; 23:15; Ac 4:1; 5:17; 23:6 coming to his baptism, he said to them, ‘Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? # 3:7 Mt 12:34; 23:33; Rm 5:9; 1Th 1:10 8Therefore produce fruit # 3:8 Mt 3:10; 12:33; 13:8,26; 21:19,34,41,43; Mk 11:14 consistent with # 3:8 Lit fruit worthy of repentance. 9And don’t presume to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our father.” # 3:9 Lk 3:8; Jn 8:33,39; Ac 13:26; Rm 4:1 For I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones. 10The axe is already at the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. # 3:10 Mt 7:19; Lk 13:7,9; Jn 15:2,6

11‘I baptise you with # 3:11 Or in water for repentance, # 3:11 Mk 1:4,8; Jn 1:26; Ac 1:5 but the one who is coming after me is more powerful than I. I am not worthy to remove # 3:11 Or to carry his sandals. He himself will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire. # 3:11 Is 4:4; Jn 1:33; Ac 2:3–4; 11:16; Ti 3:5 12His winnowing shovel is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing-floor and gather his wheat into the barn. But the chaff he will burn with fire that never goes out.’ # 3:12 Is 30:24; Mt 13:30; Mk 9:43,48; Lk 3:17

The Baptism of Jesus

13Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptised by him. # 3:13–17 Mk 1:9–11; Lk 3:21–22; Jn 1:31–34 14But John tried to stop him, saying, ‘I need to be baptised by you, and yet you come to me? ’

15Jesus answered him, ‘Allow it for now, because this is the way for us to fulfil all righteousness.’ Then John allowed him to be baptised.

16When Jesus was baptised, he went up immediately from the water. The heavens # 3:16 Mt 24:35; Lk 12:33; Ac 17:24; Eph 6:9; Rv 21:10 suddenly opened for him, # 3:16 Other mss omit for him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down onto him. # 3:16 Is 11:2; Jn 1:32; Ac 7:56; 2Pt 1:17 17And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased.’ # 3:17 Ps 2:7; Is 42:1; Lk 9:35; Jn 12:28

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Matthew 3: CSBA

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