3In the fifteenth year of the rule of Caesar Tiberius—it was while Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea; Herod, ruler of Galilee; his brother Philip, ruler of Iturea and Trachonitis; Lysanias, ruler of Abilene;G1161G1722G4003G2094G2231G5086G2541G4194G4091G2230G2449G2532G2264G5075G1056G1161G846G80G5376G5075G2484G2532G5561G5139G2532G3078G5075G92during the Chief-Priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas—John, Zachariah's son, out in the desert at the time, received a message from God.G452G2532G2533G1909G749G4487G2316G1096G1909G2491G5207G2197G1722G20483He went all through the country around the Jordan River preaching a baptism of life-change leading to forgiveness of sins,G2532G2064G1519G3956G4066G2446G2784G908G3341G1519G859G2664as described in the words of Isaiah the prophet: Thunder in the desert! "Prepare God's arrival! Make the road smooth and straight!G5613G1125G1722G976G3056G2268G4396G3004G5456G994G1722G2048G2090G3598G2962G4160G846G5147G21175Every ditch will be filled in, Every bump smoothed out, The detours straightened out, All the ruts paved over.G3956G5327G2071G4137G2532G3956G3735G2532G1015G5013G2532G4646G1519G2117G2532G5138G3598G1519G30066Everyone will be there to see The parade of God's salvation."G2532G3956G4561G3700G4992G23167When crowds of people came out for baptism because it was the popular thing to do, John exploded: "Brood of snakes! What do you think you're doing slithering down here to the river? Do you think a little water on your snakeskins is going to deflect God's judgment?G3767G3004G3793G1607G907G5259G846G1081G2191G5101G5263G5213G5343G575G3709G31958It's your life that must change, not your skin. And don't think you can pull rank by claiming Abraham as 'father.' Being a child of Abraham is neither here nor there—children of Abraham are a dime a dozen. God can make children from stones if he wants.G4160G3767G2590G514G3341G2532G756G3361G3004G1722G1438G2192G11G3962G1063G3004G5213G3754G2316G1410G1537G5130G3037G1453G5043G119What counts is your life. Is it green and blossoming? Because if it's deadwood, it goes on the fire."G1161G2235G2532G513G2749G4314G4491G1186G3956G1186G3767G4160G3361G4160G2570G2590G1581G2532G906G1519G444210The crowd asked him, "Then what are we supposed to do?"G2532G3793G1905G846G3004G5101G4160G376711"If you have two coats, give one away," he said. "Do the same with your food."G611G1161G3004G846G2192G1417G5509G3330G2192G3361G2532G2192G1033G4160G366812Tax men also came to be baptized and said, "Teacher, what should we do?"G1161G2064G2532G5057G907G2532G2036G4314G846G1320G5101G416013He told them, "No more extortion—collect only what is required by law."G1161G2036G4314G846G4238G3367G4119G3844G1299G521314Soldiers asked him, "And what should we do?" He told them, "No shakedowns, no blackmail—and be content with your rations."G1161G4754G2532G1905G846G3004G2532G5101G2249G4160G2532G2036G4314G846G1286G3367G3366G4811G2532G714G5216G380015The interest of the people by now was building. They were all beginning to wonder, "Could this John be the Messiah?"G1161G2992G4328G2532G3956G1260G1722G846G2588G4012G2491G3379G846G1498G5547G337916But John intervened: "I'm baptizing you here in the river. The main character in this drama, to whom I'm a mere stagehand, will ignite the kingdom life, a fire, the Holy Spirit within you, changing you from the inside out.G2491G611G3004G537G1473G3303G907G5209G5204G1161G2478G3450G2064G2438G3739G846G5266G1510G3756G2425G3089G846G907G5209G1722G40G4151G2532G444217He's going to clean house—make a clean sweep of your lives. He'll place everything true in its proper place before God; everything false he'll put out with the trash to be burned."G3739G4425G1722G846G5495G2532G1245G846G257G2532G4863G4621G1519G846G596G1161G892G2618G4442G76218There was a lot more of this—words that gave strength to the people, words that put heart in them. The Message!G2532G3767G4183G2087G4183G3303G3870G2097G299219But Herod, the ruler, stung by John's rebuke in the matter of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife,G1161G2264G5076G1651G5259G846G4012G2266G846G80G5376G1135G2532G4012G3956G4190G3739G2264G416020capped his long string of evil deeds with this outrage: He put John in jail.G4369G2532G5124G1909G3956G2532G2623G2491G1722G543821After all the people were baptized, Jesus was baptized. As he was praying, the sky opened upG1161G537G2992G1722G907G1096G2424G2532G907G2532G4336G3772G45522and the Holy Spirit, like a dove descending, came down on him. And along with the Spirit, a voice: "You are my Son, chosen and marked by my love, pride of my life."G2532G40G4151G2597G4984G1491G5616G4058G1909G846G2532G5456G1096G1537G3772G3004G4771G1488G3450G27G5207G1722G4671G210623When Jesus entered public life he was about thirty years old, the son (in public perception) of Joseph, who was— son of Heli,G2532G2424G846G756G2258G5616G5144G2094G5607G5613G3543G5207G2501G224224son of Matthat, son of Levi, son of Melchi, son of Jannai,G3158G3017G3197G2388G250125son of Joseph, son of Mattathias, son of Amos, son of Nahum, son of Esli, son of Naggai,G3161G301G3486G2069G347726son of Maath, son of Mattathias, son of Semein, son of Josech, son of Joda,G3092G3161G4584G2501G245527son of Joanan, son of Rhesa, son of Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, son of Neri,G2490G4488G2216G4528G351828son of Melchi, son of Addi, son of Cosam, son of Elmadam, son of Er,G3197G78G2973G1678G226229son of Joshua, son of Eliezer, son of Jorim, son of Matthat, son of Levi,G2499G1663G2497G3158G301730son of Simeon, son of Judah, son of Joseph, son of Jonam, son of Eliakim,G4826G2455G2501G2494G166231son of Melea, son of Menna, son of Mattatha, son of Nathan, son of David,G3190G3104G3160G3481G113832son of Jesse, son of Obed, son of Boaz, son of Sala, son of Nahshon,G2421G5601G1003G4533G347633son of Amminadab, son of Admin, son of Arni, son of Hezron, son of Perez, son of Judah,G284G689G2074G5329G245534son of Jacob, son of Isaac, son of Abraham, son of Terah, son of Nahor,G2384G2464G11G2291G349335son of Serug, son of Reu, son of Peleg, son of Eber, son of Shelah,G4562G4466G5317G1443G452736son of Cainan, son of Arphaxad, son of Shem, son of Noah, son of Lamech,G2536G742G4590G3575G298437son of Methuselah, son of Enoch, son of Jared, son of Mahalaleel, son of Cainan,G3103G1802G2391G3121G253638son of Enos, son of Seth, son of Adam, son of God.G1800G4589G76G2316
Dublin, OH
