(Isaiah 40:1–5; Matthew 3:1–17; Luke 3:1–22; John 1:19–34)
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A beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, Son of God.
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As it has been written in the Prophets: “Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, || Who will prepare Your way before You.
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A voice of one calling in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the LORD, || Make His paths straight.”
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John came immersing in the wilderness, and proclaiming an immersion of conversion for forgiveness of sins,
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and there were going forth to him all the region of Judea, and they of Jerusalem, and they were all immersed by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
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And John was clothed with camel’s hair, and a girdle of skin around his loins, and eating locusts and honey of the field,
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and he proclaimed, saying, “He comes—who is mightier than I—after me, of whom I am not worthy—having stooped down—to loose the strap of His sandals;
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I indeed immersed you in water, but He will immerse you in the Holy Spirit.”
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And it came to pass in those days, Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was immersed by John in the Jordan;
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and immediately coming up from the water, He saw the heavens dividing, and the Spirit coming down on Him as a dove;
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and a voice came out of the heavens, “You are My Son, the Beloved, in whom I delighted.”
The Temptation and Preaching of Jesus
(Matthew 4:1–17; Luke 4:1–15)
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And immediately the Spirit puts Him forth into the wilderness,
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and He was there in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan, and He was with the beasts, and the messengers were ministering to Him.
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And after the delivering up of John, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God,
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and saying, “The time has been fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God has come near, convert and believe in the good news.”
The First Disciples
(Matthew 4:18–22; Luke 5:1–11; John 1:35–42)
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And walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon, and his brother Andrew, casting a drag into the sea, for they were fishers,
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and Jesus said to them, “Come after Me, and I will make you to become fishers of men”;
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and immediately, having left their nets, they followed Him.
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And having gone on there a little, He saw James of Zebedee, and his brother John, and they were in the boat refitting the nets,
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and immediately He called them, and having left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, they went away after Him.
Jesus Expels an Unclean Spirit
(Luke 4:31–37)
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And they go on to Capernaum, and immediately, on the Sabbaths, having gone into the synagogue, He was teaching,
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and they were astonished at His teaching, for He was teaching them as having authority, and not as the scribes.
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And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out,
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saying, “What [regards] us and You, Jesus the Nazarene? You came to destroy us; I have known You, who You are—the Holy One of God.”
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And Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silenced, and come forth out of him,”
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and the unclean spirit having convulsed him, and having cried with a great voice, came forth out of him,
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and they were all amazed, so as to reason among themselves, saying, “What is this? What new teaching [is] this? That with authority He also commands the unclean spirits, and they obey Him!”
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And the fame of Him went forth immediately to all the region of Galilee.
Jesus Heals at Peter’s House
(Matthew 8:14–17; Luke 4:38–41)
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And immediately, having come forth out of the synagogue, they went into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John,
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and the mother-in-law of Simon was lying fevered, and immediately they tell Him about her,
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and having come near, He raised her up, having laid hold of her hand, and the fever left her immediately, and she was ministering to them.
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And evening having come, when the sun set, they brought to Him all who were ill and who were demoniacs,
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and the whole city was gathered together near the door,
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and He healed many who were ill of manifold diseases, and He cast forth many demons, and was not permitting the demons to speak, because they knew Him.
Jesus Prays and Preaches
(Luke 4:42–44)
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And very early, it being yet night, having risen, He went forth, and went away to a desolate place, and was praying there;
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and Simon and those with him went in quest of Him,
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and having found Him, they say to Him, “All seek You”;
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and He says to them, “We may go into the next towns, that there also I may preach, for—for this I came forth.”
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And He was preaching in their synagogues, in all Galilee, and is casting out the demons,
The Leper’s Prayer
(Leviticus 14:1–32; Matthew 8:1–4; Luke 5:12–16)
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and there comes to Him a leper, calling on Him, and kneeling to Him, and saying to Him, “If You may will, You are able to cleanse me.”
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And Jesus having been moved with compassion, having stretched forth the hand, touched him and says to him, “I will, be cleansed”;
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and He having spoken, immediately the leprosy went away from him, and he was cleansed.
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And having sternly charged him, immediately He put him forth,
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and says to him, “See [that] you may say nothing to anyone, but go away, show yourself to the priest, and bring near for your cleansing the things Moses directed, for a testimony to them.”
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And he, having gone forth, began to proclaim much, and to spread the thing abroad, so that He was no longer able to openly enter into the city, but He was outside in desolate places, and they were coming to Him from every quarter.
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