Episode 234: Jesus is tempted by the devil

Matthew 3-4

John the Baptist

3 ¹ In those days, John the Baptist preached in the wilderness of Judea, saying,

Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is coming soon.

³ Isaiah was referring to John the Baptist when he said there would be a voice crying in the wilderness, saying, "Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight."

⁴ John dressed in camel's hair, with a leather girdle about his loins. And his food was locusts and wild honey.

⁵ Everyone in Judea came to get baptized by him in the Jordan River.

⁷ But when the Pharisees and Sadducees came to be baptized, he said to them,

You generation of vipers! Who warned you to flee the wrath to come?

¹⁰ Every tree that doesn't produce good fruit will be cut down and cast into the fire.

¹¹ I baptize you with water, but someone is coming who is mightier than me who will baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire.

¹² He will burn the chaff with unquenchable fire.

The baptism of Jesus

¹³ Then Jesus came from Galilee to be baptized by John in the Jordan.

¹⁴ John protested, saying, "I shouldn't baptize you; you should baptize me."

¹⁴ But Jesus said, "No, go ahead and baptize me. It becomes us to fulfill all righteousness."

¹⁶ When Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens opened up and the Spirit of God descended upon him like a dove.

¹⁷ And there was a voice from heaven saying,

This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased.

4 ¹ After his baptism, Jesus was led by the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

² He had fasted for forty days and nights and was hungry.

³ The devil came to him and said,

If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become bread.

⁴ Jesus replied,

It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God.”

^5-6 Then the devil took Jesus to Jerusalem and set him on top of the temple's pinnacle, and said to him,

If you are the Son of God, jump off, because it is written, "God will make his angels protect you from falling, lest you smash your foot against a stone.”

⁷ Jesus said,

It is also written, "Don't tempt the Lord your God."

⁸ Then the devil took Jesus to a high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and said,

⁹ I’ll give you all these things if you fall down and worship me.

¹⁰ Jesus said,

Go away Satan, for it is written, "Worship the Lord your God, and only serve him."

¹¹ Then the devil left him, and the angels came to help him.

Jesus returns to Galilee

¹² When Jesus heard that John the Baptist was in prison, he left for Galilee.

¹³ After leaving Nazareth, he came to Capernaum and lived there.

Jesus calls his first disciples

¹⁷ He began to preach, saying,

Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is coming soon.

¹⁸ One day, while Jesus was walking along the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers: Simon (called Peter), and Andrew, his brother. They were casting their nets into the sea, for they were fishermen.

¹⁹ Jesus said to them, "Follow me, and I'll make you fishers of men. "

²⁰ And they immediately left their nets to follow Jesus.

²¹ A little later, Jesus saw two other brothers: James the son of Zebedee, and John, his brother. They were in a boat mending nets with their father. Jesus called them too.

²² And immediately they left the ship and their father to follow him.

Jesus heals sick people, devil-possessed lunatics, etc.

²³ Jesus walked through all of Galilee, teaching in synagogues, preaching, and healing all kinds of sicknesses and diseases.

²⁴ And his fame spread throughout Syria. He healed sick people and lunatics, and those who were possessed with devils

²⁵ Large crowds followed him.