1The good news of Jesus Christ—the Message!—begins here,G746G2098G2424G5547G5207G23162following to the letter the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Watch closely: I'm sending my preacher ahead of you; He'll make the road smooth for you.G5613G1125G1722G4396G2400G1473G649G3450G32G4253G4675G4383G3739G2680G4675G3598G1715G46753Thunder in the desert! Prepare for God's arrival! Make the road smooth and straight!G5456G994G1722G2048G2090G3598G2962G4160G846G5147G21174John the Baptizer appeared in the wild, preaching a baptism of life-change that leads to forgiveness of sins.G2491G1096G907G1722G2048G2532G2784G908G3341G1519G859G2665People thronged to him from Judea and Jerusalem and, as they confessed their sins, were baptized by him in the Jordan River into a changed life.G2532G1607G4314G846G3956G5561G2449G2532G2415G2532G907G3956G907G5259G846G1722G4215G2446G1843G846G2666John wore a camel-hair habit, tied at the waist with a leather belt. He ate locusts and wild field honey.G1161G2491G2258G1746G2574G2359G2532G2223G1193G4012G846G3751G2532G2068G200G2532G66G31927As he preached he said, "The real action comes next: The star in this drama, to whom I'm a mere stagehand, will change your life.G2532G2784G3004G2064G2478G3450G3694G3450G2438G3739G846G5266G1510G3756G2425G2955G30898I'm baptizing you here in the river, turning your old life in for a kingdom life. His baptism—a holy baptism by the Holy Spirit—will change you from the inside out."G1473G3303G907G5209G1722G5204G1161G846G907G5209G1722G40G41519At this time, Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.G2532G1096G1722G1565G2250G2424G2064G575G3478G1056G2532G907G5259G2491G1519G244610The moment he came out of the water, he saw the sky split open and God's Spirit, looking like a dove, come down on him.G2532G2112G305G575G5204G1492G3772G4977G2532G4151G5616G4058G2597G1909G84611Along with the Spirit, a voice: "You are my Son, chosen and marked by my love, pride of my life."G2532G1096G5456G1537G3772G4771G1488G3450G27G5207G1722G3739G210612At once, this same Spirit pushed Jesus out into the wild.G2532G2117G4151G1544G846G1519G204813For forty wilderness days and nights he was tested by Satan. Wild animals were his companions, and angels took care of him.G2532G2258G1563G1722G2048G5062G2250G3985G5259G4567G2532G2258G3326G2342G2532G32G1247G84614After John was arrested, Jesus went to Galilee preaching the Message of God:G1161G3326G2491G3860G2424G2064G1519G1056G2784G2098G932G231615"Time's up! God's kingdom is here. Change your life and believe the Message."G2532G3004G3754G2540G4137G2532G932G2316G1448G3340G2532G4100G1722G209816Passing along the beach of Lake Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew net-fishing. Fishing was their regular work.G1161G4043G3844G2281G1056G1492G4613G2532G406G846G80G906G293G1722G2281G1063G2258G23117Jesus said to them, "Come with me. I'll make a new kind of fisherman out of you. I'll show you how to catch men and women instead of perch and bass."G2532G2424G2036G846G1205G3694G3450G2532G4160G5209G1096G231G44418They didn't ask questions. They dropped their nets and followed.G2532G2112G863G846G1350G190G84619A dozen yards or so down the beach, he saw the brothers James and John, Zebedee's sons. They were in the boat, mending their fishnets.G2532G4260G3641G4260G1564G1492G2385G3588G2199G2532G2491G846G80G846G2532G1722G4143G2675G135020Right off, he made the same offer. Immediately, they left their father Zebedee, the boat, and the hired hands, and followed.G2532G2112G2564G846G2532G863G846G3962G2199G1722G4143G3326G3411G565G3694G84621Then they entered Capernaum. When the Sabbath arrived, Jesus lost no time in getting to the meeting place. He spent the day there teaching.G2532G1531G1519G2584G2532G2112G4521G1525G1519G4864G132122They were surprised at his teaching—so forthright, so confident—not quibbling and quoting like the religion scholars.G2532G1605G1909G846G1322G1063G1321G2258G846G5613G2192G1849G2532G3756G5613G112223Suddenly, while still in the meeting place, he was interrupted by a man who was deeply disturbed and yelling out,G2532G2258G1722G846G4864G444G1722G169G4151G2532G34924"What business do you have here with us, Jesus? Nazarene! I know what you're up to! You're the Holy One of God, and you've come to destroy us!"G3004G1436G5101G2254G2532G4671G2424G3479G2064G622G2248G1492G4571G5101G1488G40G231625Jesus shut him up: "Quiet! Get out of him!"G2532G2424G2008G846G3004G5392G2532G1831G1537G84626The afflicting spirit threw the man into spasms, protesting loudly—and got out.G2532G169G4151G4682G846G2532G2896G3173G5456G1831G1537G84627Everyone there was incredulous, buzzing with curiosity. "What's going on here? A new teaching that does what it says? He shuts up defiling, demonic spirits and sends them packing!"G2532G2284G3956G2284G5620G4802G4314G846G3004G5101G2076G3778G5101G2537G1322G5124G3754G2596G1849G2004G2532G169G4151G2532G5219G84628News of this traveled fast and was soon all over Galilee.G1161G2117G846G189G1831G1519G3650G4066G105629Directly on leaving the meeting place, they came to Simon and Andrew's house, accompanied by James and John.G2532G2112G1831G1537G4864G2064G1519G3614G4613G2532G406G3326G2385G2532G249130Simon's mother-in-law was sick in bed, burning up with fever. They told Jesus.G1161G4613G3994G2621G4445G2532G2112G3004G846G4012G84631He went to her, took her hand, and raised her up. No sooner had the fever left than she was up fixing dinner for them.G2532G4334G2902G846G5495G1453G846G1453G2532G2112G4446G863G846G2532G1247G84632That evening, after the sun was down, they brought sick and evil-afflicted people to him,G1161G1096G3798G3753G2246G1416G5342G4314G846G3956G2192G2560G2532G113933the whole city lined up at his door!G2532G3650G4172G2258G1996G4314G237434He cured their sick bodies and tormented spirits. Because the demons knew his true identity, he didn't let them say a word.G2532G2323G4183G2192G2560G4164G3554G2532G1544G4183G1140G2532G863G3756G1140G2980G3754G1492G84635While it was still night, way before dawn, he got up and went out to a secluded spot and prayed.G2532G4404G450G3029G1773G1831G2532G565G1519G2048G5117G2546G433636Simon and those with him went looking for him.G2532G4613G2532G3326G846G2614G84637They found him and said, "Everybody's looking for you."G2532G2147G846G3004G846G3754G3956G2212G457138Jesus said, "Let's go to the rest of the villages so I can preach there also. This is why I've come."G2532G3004G846G71G1519G2192G2969G2443G2784G2546G1063G1519G5124G183139He went to their meeting places all through Galilee, preaching and throwing out the demons.G2532G2784G2258G1722G846G4864G1519G3650G1056G2532G1544G114040A leper came to him, begging on his knees, "If you want to, you can cleanse me."G2532G2064G3015G4314G846G3870G846G2532G1120G846G2532G3004G846G3754G1437G2309G1410G2511G3165G251141Deeply moved, Jesus put out his hand, touched him, and said, "I want to. Be clean."G1161G2424G4697G1614G5495G680G846G2532G3004G846G2309G251142Then and there the leprosy was gone, his skin smooth and healthy.G2532G846G2036G2112G3014G565G575G846G2532G251143Jesus dismissed him with strict orders:G2532G1690G846G2112G1544G846G154444"Say nothing to anyone. Take the offering for cleansing that Moses prescribed and present yourself to the priest. This will validate your healing to the people."G2532G3004G846G3708G2036G3367G3367G235G5217G1166G4572G2409G2532G4374G4012G4675G2512G3739G3475G4367G1519G3142G84645But as soon as the man was out of earshot, he told everyone he met what had happened, spreading the news all over town. So Jesus kept to out-of-the-way places, no longer able to move freely in and out of the city. But people found him, and came from all over.G1161G1831G756G2784G4183G2532G1310G3056G5620G846G1410G3371G5320G1525G1519G4172G235G2258G1854G1722G2048G5117G2532G2064G4314G846G3836
Dublin, OH
