The Mission of John the Baptist
(Isaiah 40:1-5; Matthew 3:1-12; Luke 3:1-20; John 1:19-28)
1The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;
2As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
3The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
4John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. 5And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins. 6And John was clothed with camel's hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey; 7And preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose. 8I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.
The Baptism of Jesus
(Matthew 3:13-17; Luke 3:21-22; John 1:29-34)
9And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. 10And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: 11And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
The Temptation of Jesus
(Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13)
12And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness. 13And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.
Jesus Preaches in Galilee
(Isaiah 9:1-7; Matthew 4:12-17; Luke 4:14-15)
14Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
Jesus Calls His First Disciples
(Matthew 4:18-22; Matthew 13:47-52; Luke 5:1-11; John 1:35-42)
16Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. 17And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men. 18And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him. 19And when he had gone a little further thence, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the ship mending their nets. 20And straightway he called them: and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after him.
Jesus Expels an Evil Spirit
(Luke 4:31-37)
21And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught. 22And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes. 23And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, 24Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God. 25And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. 26And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him. 27And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him. 28And immediately his fame spread abroad throughout all the region round about Galilee.
Jesus Heals at Peter's House
(Matthew 8:14-17; Luke 4:38-41)
29And forthwith, when they were come out of the synagogue, they entered into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30But Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever, and anon they tell him of her. 31And he came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up; and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them.
32And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils. 33And all the city was gathered together at the door. 34And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him.
Jesus Prays and Preaches
(Luke 4:42-44)
35And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed. 36And Simon and they that were with him followed after him. 37And when they had found him, they said unto him, All men seek for thee. 38And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth. 39And he preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils.
The Leper's Prayer
(Leviticus 14:1-32; Matthew 8:1-4; Luke 5:12-16)
40And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. 41And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean. 42And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed. 43And he straitly charged him, and forthwith sent him away; 44And saith unto him, See thou say nothing to any man: but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them. 45But he went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter, insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places: and they came to him from every quarter.
King James Bible
Text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.
The Mission of John the Baptist
(Isaiah 40:1–5; Matthew 3:1–17; Luke 3:1–22; John 1:19–34)
1 The beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
2 As it is written in the prophets, “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.
3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord! Make his paths straight!’”
4 John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching the baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sins. 5 All the country of Judea and all those of Jerusalem went out to him. They were baptized by him in the Jordan river, confessing their sins. 6 John was clothed with camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist. He ate locusts and wild honey. 7 He preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and loosen. 8 I baptized you in water, but he will baptize you in the Holy Spirit.”
9 It happened in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 Immediately coming up from the water, he saw the heavens parting, and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 A voice came out of the sky, “You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
The Temptation and Preaching of Jesus
(Matthew 4:1–17; Luke 4:1–15)
12 Immediately the Spirit drove him out into the wilderness. 13 He was there in the wilderness forty days tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals; and the angels were serving him.
14 Now after John was taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Good News of the Kingdom of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand! Repent, and believe in the Good News.”
The First Disciples
(Matthew 4:18–22; Luke 5:1–11; John 1:35–42)
16 Passing along by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.
17 Jesus said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you into fishers for men.” 18 Immediately they left their nets, and followed him. 19 Going on a little further from there, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John, his brother, who were also in the boat mending the nets. 20 Immediately he called them, and they left their father, Zebedee, in the boat with the hired servants, and went after him.
Jesus Expels an Unclean Spirit
(Luke 4:31–37)
21 They went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath day he entered into the synagogue and taught. 22 They were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as having authority, and not as the scribes. 23 Immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, 24 saying, “Ha! What do we have to do with you, Jesus, you Nazarene? Have you come to destroy us? I know you who you are: the Holy One of God!” 25 Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” 26 The unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. 27 They were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching? For with authority he commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him!” 28 The report of him went out immediately everywhere into all the region of Galilee and its surrounding area.
Jesus Heals at Peter’s House
(Matthew 8:14–17; Luke 4:38–41)
29 Immediately, when they had come out of the synagogue, they came into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 Now Simon’s wife’s mother lay sick with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. 31 He came and took her by the hand, and raised her up. The fever left her, and she served them.
32 At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to him all who were sick, and those who were possessed by demons. 33 All the city was gathered together at the door. 34 He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. He didn’t allow the demons to speak, because they knew him.
Jesus Prays and Preaches
(Luke 4:42–44)
35 Early in the morning, while it was still dark, he rose up and went out, and departed into a deserted place, and prayed there. 36 Simon and those who were with him followed after him; 37 and they found him, and told him, “Everyone is looking for you.” 38 He said to them, “Let’s go elsewhere into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because I came out for this reason.” 39 He went into their synagogues throughout all Galilee, preaching and casting out demons.
The Leper’s Prayer
(Leviticus 14:1–32; Matthew 8:1–4; Luke 5:12–16)
40 A leper came to him, begging him, kneeling down to him, and saying to him, “If you want to, you can make me clean.” 41 Being moved with compassion, he stretched out his hand, and touched him, and said to him, “I want to. Be made clean.” 42 When he had said this, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was made clean. 43 He strictly warned him, and immediately sent him out, 44 and said to him, “See you say nothing to anybody, but go show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing the things which Moses commanded, for a testimony to them.” 45 But he went out, and began to proclaim it much, and to spread about the matter, so that Jesus could no more openly enter into a city, but was outside in desert places: and they came to him from everywhere.
The Mission of John the Baptist
(Isaiah 40:1–5; Matthew 3:1–17; Luke 3:1–22; John 1:19–34)
1 This is the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. a 2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: b
“Behold, I will send My messenger ahead of You,
who will prepare Your way.” c
3 “A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for Him.’ ” d
4 John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 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 John was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. 7 And he began to proclaim: “After me will come One more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I baptize you with water, e but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit. f”
9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 As soon as Jesus came up out of the water, He saw g the heavens breaking open and the Spirit descending on Him like a dove. 11 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 At once the Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness, 13 and He was there for forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and the angels ministered to Him.
14 After the arrest of John, Jesus went into Galilee and proclaimed the gospel of God. h 15 “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 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 “Come, follow Me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” 18 And at once they left their nets and followed Him.
19 Going on a little farther, He saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat, mending their nets. 20 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)
21 Then Jesus and His companions went to Capernaum, and right away Jesus entered the synagogue on the Sabbath and began to teach. 22 The people were astonished at His teaching, because He taught as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.
23 Suddenly a man with an unclean spirit cried out in the synagogue: 24 “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 But Jesus rebuked the spirit. “Be silent!” He said. “Come out of him!” 26 At this, the unclean spirit threw the man into convulsions and came out with a loud shriek.
27 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 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)
29 As soon as Jesus and His companions had left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. 30 Simon’s mother-in-law was sick in bed with a fever, and they promptly told Jesus about her. 31 So He went to her, took her by the hand, and helped her up. The fever left her, and she began to serve them.
32 That evening, after sunset, people brought to Jesus all who were sick and demon-possessed, 33 and the whole town gathered at the door. 34 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 Early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up and slipped out to a solitary place to pray. 36 Simon and his companions went to look for Him, 37 and when they found Him, they said, “Everyone is looking for You!”
38 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 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)
40 Then a leper i came to Jesus, begging on his knees: “If You are willing, You can make me clean.”
41 Moved with compassion, j Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean!” 42 And immediately the leprosy left him, and the man was cleansed.
43 Jesus promptly sent him away with a stern warning: 44 “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.” k
45 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.
Footnotes:
1 a ECM, NE, BYZ, and TR; SBL and WH the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
2 b BYZ and TR in the prophets:
2 c Malachi 3:1
3 d Isaiah 40:3 (see also LXX)
8 e Or in water
8 f Or in the Holy Spirit
10 g Or he saw ; see John 1:32–33
14 h BYZ and TR the gospel of the kingdom of God
40 i A leper was one afflicted with a skin disease. See Leviticus 13.
41 j SBL Moved with indignation
44 k See Leviticus 14:1–32.
The Mission of John the Baptist
(Isaiah 40:1-5; Matthew 3:1-12; Luke 3:1-20; John 1:19-28)
1A beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, Son of God.
2As it hath been written in the prophets, 'Lo, I send My messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee,' --
3'A voice of one calling in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, straight make ye his paths,' --
4John came baptizing in the wilderness, and proclaiming a baptism of reformation -- to remission of sins, 5and there were going forth to him all the region of Judea, and they of Jerusalem, and they were all baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6And John was clothed with camel's hair, and a girdle of skin around his loins, and eating locusts and honey of the field, 7and he proclaimed, saying, 'He doth come -- who is mightier than I -- after me, of whom I am not worthy -- having stooped down -- to loose the latchet of his sandals; 8I indeed did baptize you with water, but he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit.'
The Baptism of Jesus
(Matthew 3:13-17; Luke 3:21-22; John 1:29-34)
9And it came to pass in those days, Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John at the Jordan; 10and immediately coming up from the water, he saw the heavens dividing, and the Spirit as a dove coming down upon him; 11and a voice came out of the heavens, 'Thou art My Son -- the Beloved, in whom I did delight.'
The Temptation of Jesus
(Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13)
12And immediately doth the Spirit put him forth to the wilderness, 13and he was there in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by the Adversary, and he was with the beasts, and the messengers were ministering to him.
Jesus Preaches in Galilee
(Isaiah 9:1-7; Matthew 4:12-17; Luke 4:14-15)
14And after the delivering up of John, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of the reign of God, 15and saying -- 'Fulfilled hath been the time, and the reign of God hath come nigh, reform ye, and believe in the good news.'
Jesus Calls His First Disciples
(Matthew 4:18-22; Matthew 13:47-52; Luke 5:1-11; John 1:35-42)
16And, walking by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon, and Andrew his brother, casting a drag into the sea, for they were fishers, 17and Jesus said to them, 'Come ye after me, and I shall make you to become fishers of men;' 18and immediately, having left their nets, they followed him. 19And having gone on thence a little, he saw James of Zebedee, and John his brother, and they were in the boat refitting the nets, 20and immediately he called them, and, having left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, they went away after him.
Jesus Expels an Evil Spirit
(Luke 4:31-37)
21And they go on to Capernaum, and immediately, on the sabbaths, having gone into the synagogue, he was teaching, 22and they were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as having authority, and not as the scribes. 23And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, 24saying, 'Away! what -- to us and to thee, Jesus the Nazarene? thou didst come to destroy us; I have known thee who thou art -- the Holy One of God.' 25And Jesus rebuked him, saying, 'Be silenced, and come forth out of him,' 26and the unclean spirit having torn him, and having cried with a great voice, came forth out of him, 27and they were all amazed, so as to reason among themselves, saying, 'What is this? what new teaching is this? that with authority also the unclean spirits he commandeth, and they obey him!' 28And the fame of him went forth immediately to all the region, round about, of Galilee.
Jesus Heals at Peter's House
(Matthew 8:14-17; Luke 4:38-41)
29And immediately, having come forth out of the synagogue, they went to the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John, 30and the mother-in-law of Simon was lying fevered, and immediately they tell him about her, 31and having come near, he raised her up, having laid hold of her hand, and the fever left her immediately, and she was ministering to them.
32And evening having come, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all who were ill, and who were demoniacs, 33and the whole city was gathered together near the door, 34and he healed many who were ill of manifold diseases, and many demons he cast forth, and was not suffering the demons to speak, because they knew him.
Jesus Prays and Preaches
(Luke 4:42-44)
35And very early, it being yet night, having risen, he went forth, and went away to a desert place, and was there praying; 36and Simon and those with him went in quest of him, 37and having found him, they say to him, -- 'All do seek thee;' 38and he saith to them, 'We may go to the next towns, that there also I may preach, for for this I came forth.' 39And he was preaching in their synagogues, in all Galilee, and is casting out the demons,
The Leper's Prayer
(Leviticus 14:1-32; Matthew 8:1-4; Luke 5:12-16)
40and there doth come to him a leper, calling on him, and kneeling to him, and saying to him -- 'If thou mayest will, thou art able to cleanse me.' 41And Jesus having been moved with compassion, having stretched forth the hand, touched him, and saith to him, 'I will; be thou cleansed;' 42and he having spoken, immediately the leprosy went away from him, and he was cleansed. 43And having sternly charged him, immediately he put him forth, 44and saith to him, 'See thou mayest say nothing to any one, but go away, thyself shew to the priest, and bring near for thy cleansing the things Moses directed, for a testimony to them.' 45And he, having gone forth, began to proclaim much, and to spread abroad the thing, so that no more he was able openly to enter into the city, but he was without in desert places, and they were coming unto him from every quarter.
The Favor of God Message paraphrase
The Beginning of the Good News about Jesus
¹ The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God,
² as it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “I will send My messenger ahead of You, who will prepare Your way”—
³ “a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.’”
John the Baptist Prepares the Way
⁴ And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
⁵ The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
⁶ John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.*
⁷ And this was his message: “After me comes the One more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.
⁸ I baptize you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
The Baptism and Temptation of Jesus
⁹ At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
¹⁰ Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, He saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on Him like a dove.
¹¹ And a voice came from heaven: “You are My Son, whom I love; with You, I am well pleased.”
¹² At once the Spirit sent Him out into the wilderness,
¹³ and He was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended Him.
Jesus Announces the Good News
¹⁴ After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God.
¹⁵ “The time has come,” He said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
Jesus Calls His First Disciples
¹⁶ As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.
¹⁷ “Come, follow Me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”
¹⁸ At once they left their nets and followed Him.
¹⁹ When He had gone a little farther, He saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets.
²⁰ Without delay He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed Him.
Jesus Drives Out an Impure Spirit
²¹ They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach.
²² The people were amazed at His teaching, because He taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.
²³ Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out,
²⁴ “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 “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!”
²⁶ The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.
²⁷ The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits, and they obey Him.”
²⁸ News about Him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.
Jesus Heals Many
²⁹ As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew.
³⁰ Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they immediately told Jesus about her.
³¹ So He went to her, took her hand, and helped her up. The fever left her, and she began to wait on them.
³² That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed.
³³ The whole town gathered at the door,
³⁴ and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but He would not let the demons speak because they knew who He was.
Jesus Prays in a Solitary Place
³⁵ Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed.
³⁶ Simon and his companions went to look for Him,
³⁷ and when they found Him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for You!”
³⁸ Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.”
³⁹ So He traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.
Jesus Heals a Man with Leprosy
⁴⁰ A man with leprosy came to Him and begged Him on his knees, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.”
⁴¹ Jesus was indignant.* He reached out His hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean!”
⁴² Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.
⁴³ Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning:
⁴⁴ “See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”
⁴⁵ Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to Him from everywhere.
Footnotes:
1:6: John’s appearance and diet reflect the lifestyle of a prophet, reminiscent of Elijah, emphasizing his role as a forerunner preparing the way for the Messiah.
1:8: John contrasts his baptism with water with Jesus’ future baptism with the Holy Spirit, signaling the transformative power Jesus would bring.
1:13: Jesus’ forty days in the wilderness parallel Israel’s forty years of wandering, symbolizing His role as the new and perfect Israel, overcoming temptation.
1:22: The authority of Jesus’ teaching was radically different from the scribes, who relied on quoting tradition. Jesus spoke with direct divine authority.
1:41: The word translated “indignant” may also mean “deeply moved” or “compassionate,” expressing the depth of Jesus’ emotions in healing the leper.
1:42: Leprosy in this context refers to various skin diseases, and the healing restored not only physical health but social acceptance.
1:44: Jesus instructs the man to follow the Mosaic law (Leviticus 14) for cleansing to show that He honored the law while revealing the greater spiritual cleansing He offers.
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