1About that time John the Baptist first appeared, proclaiming in the wilderness of Judea:stylusIsaiah 40:3, Isaiah 40:6, Isaiah 40:3, Isaiah 40:6, John 1:62“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”stylusMatthew 4:17, Matthew 4:17, Mark 1:15, Mark 1:15, Daniel 2:443John was the one who was spoken of in the prophet Isaiah, where he says — ‘The voice of one crying aloud in the wilderness: “Make ready the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.”’stylusIsaiah 40:3, Isaiah 40:3, Malachi 3:1, Malachi 3:1, John 1:234John’s clothes were made of camels’ hair, with a leather strap around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.stylus2 Kings 1:8, 2 Kings 1:8, Leviticus 11:22, Leviticus 11:22, Zechariah 13:45At that time Jerusalem, and all Judea, as well as the whole district of the Jordan, went out to himstylusMark 1:5, Mark 1:5, Matthew 11:7, Matthew 11:12, Luke 3:76and were baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.stylusActs 19:18, Acts 19:18, Matthew 3:13, Matthew 3:16, Matthew 3:137But when John saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to receive his baptism, he said to them: “You children of snakes! Who has prompted you to seek refuge from the coming judgment?stylusMatthew 12:34, Matthew 12:34, Romans 1:18, Matthew 23:33, 1 Thessalonians 1:108Let your life, then, prove your repentance;stylusLuke 3:8, Luke 3:8, Acts 26:20, Acts 26:20, 2 Peter 1:49and do not think that you can say among yourselves ‘Abraham is our ancestor,’ for I tell you that out of these stones God is able to raise descendants for Abraham!stylusLuke 3:8, Luke 3:8, Galatians 3:27, Galatians 3:29, Galatians 3:2710Already the axe is lying at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that fails to bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.stylusJohn 15:6, John 15:6, Luke 3:9, Luke 3:9, Matthew 7:1911I, indeed, baptize you with water to teach repentance; but he who is coming after me is more powerful than I, and I am not fit even to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.stylusIsaiah 4:4, Luke 3:16, Isaiah 4:4, Luke 3:16, Acts 1:512His winnowing-fan is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing-floor, and store his grain in the barn, but the chaff he will burn with a fire that cannot be put out.”stylusMalachi 4:1, Malachi 4:1, Matthew 13:30, Matthew 13:30, Luke 3:1713Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan, to John, to be baptized by him.stylusJohn 1:32, John 1:34, John 1:32, John 1:34, Mark 1:914But John tried to prevent him. “I need to be baptized by you,” he said, “so why have you come to me?”stylusJohn 3:3, John 3:7, John 3:3, John 3:7, Acts 1:515“This is the way it should be for now,” Jesus answered, “because we should do everything that God requires.” So John agreed.stylusJohn 4:34, John 4:34, John 15:10, John 13:15, Isaiah 42:2116After the baptism of Jesus, and just as he came up from the water, the heavens opened, and he saw the Spirit of God coming down like a dove and resting on him,stylusIsaiah 11:2, Isaiah 11:2, Mark 1:10, Luke 3:21, Luke 3:2217and from the heavens there came a voice which said: “This is my dearly loved son, who brings me great joy.”stylusIsaiah 42:1, Isaiah 42:1, Matthew 17:5, Matthew 17:5, Psalms 2:7