His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

The Baptism of Jesus

Then Jesus *arrived from Galilee at the Jordan, coming to John to be baptized by him.

But John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I have the need to be baptized by You, and yet You are coming to me?”

But Jesus, answering, said to him, “Allow it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he *allowed Him.

After He was baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and settling on Him,

and behold, a voice from the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

The Temptation of Jesus

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

And after He had fasted for forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry.

And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”

But He answered and said, “It is written: ‘class="small-caps" >Man shall not live on bread alone, class="small-caps" >but on every word that comes out of the mouth of God.’”

Then the devil *took Him along into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple,

and he *said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written: ‘class="small-caps" >He will give His angels orders concerning You’; and ‘class="small-caps" >On their hands they will lift You up, class="small-caps" >So that You do not strike Your foot against a stone.’”

Then the devil *left Him; and behold, angels came and began to serve Him.

Jesus Begins His Ministry

Now when Jesus heard that John had been taken into custody, He withdrew into Galilee;

and leaving Nazareth, He came and settled in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali.

This happened so that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled:

“class="small-caps" >The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, class="small-caps" >By the way of the sea, class="small-caps" >on the other side of the Jordan, class="small-caps" >Galilee of the class="small-caps" >Gentiles—

From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

The First Disciples

Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.

Going on from there He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets; and He called them.

Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.

Ministry in Galilee

Jesus was going about in all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people.

And the news about Him spread throughout Syria; and they brought to Him all who were ill, those suffering with various diseases and severe pain, demon-possessed, people with epilepsy, and people who were paralyzed; and He healed them.

Large crowds followed Him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and Jerusalem, and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.

The Sermon on the Mount; The Beatitudes

Now when Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him.