Messengers from John the Baptist
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When Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in their cities.
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e Now when John heard f in prison about the deeds of g the Christ, he sent word by h his disciples
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and said to him, "Are you i the one who is to come, or shall we j look for another?"
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And Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John what you hear and see:
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k the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and l the poor have good news preached to them.
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And blessed is the one who m is not offended by me."
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As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: "What did you go out n into the wilderness to see? o A reed shaken by the wind?
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What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.
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What then did you go out to see? p A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.
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This is he of whom it is written,
q "'Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way before you.'
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Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
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r From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.
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r For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John,
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and if you are willing to accept it, he is s Elijah who is to come.
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t He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
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"But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates,
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"'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.'
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For John came u neither eating v nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.'
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The Son of Man came w eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, x a friend of y tax collectors and sinners!' Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds."
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Cross References
Matthew 11:2 - 19
Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples
Luke 7:18 - 35
The disciples of John reported all these things to him. And John.
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Cross References
Matthew 14:3
For Herod had seized John and bound him and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife.
Matthew 4:12
Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee.
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Cross References
Matthew 1:17
So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.
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Cross References
Matthew 9:14
Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?
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Cross References
Matthew 11:2 - 19
Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples
Luke 7:18 - 35
The disciples of John reported all these things to him. And John.
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Cross References
John 4:25
The woman said to him, "I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.
John 6:14
When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, "This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!
John 11:27
She said to him, "Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.
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Cross References
Luke 3:15
As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ.
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Cross References
Luke 7:22
And he answered them, "Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them.
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Cross References
Luke 4:18
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed.
Matthew 5:3
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
James 2:5
Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?
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Cross References
Isaiah 8:14 - 15
And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
John 6:61
But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, "Do you take offense at this?
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Cross References
Matthew 3:1
In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea.
Luke 1:80
And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
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Cross References
Ephesians 4:14
So that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.
James 1:6
But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.
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Cross References
Matthew 14:5
And though he wanted to put him to death, he feared the people, because they held him to be a prophet.
Matthew 21:26
But if we say, 'From man,' we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet.
Luke 1:76
And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways.
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Cross References
Mark 1:2
As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, "Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way.
Malachi 3:1
Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts.
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Cross References
Malachi 3:1
Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts.
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Cross References
Luke 16:16
The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone forces his way into it.
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Cross References
Matthew 11:12
From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.
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Cross References
Matthew 17:10 - 13
And the disciples asked him, "Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?
Malachi 4:5
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.
Mark 9:11 - 13
And they asked him, "Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?
Luke 1:17
And he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.
John 1:21
And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" And he answered, "No.
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Cross References
Matthew 13:9
He who has ears, let him hear.
Matthew 13:43
Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.
Luke 8:8
And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold." As he said these things, he called out, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
Luke 14:35
It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
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Cross References
Matthew 3:4
Now John wore a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.
Mark 1:6
Now John was clothed with camel's hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey.
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Cross References
Luke 1:15
For he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb.
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Cross References
Matthew 9:10
And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples.
Luke 7:36
One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house and took his place at the table.
Luke 14:1
One Sabbath, when he went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him carefully.
John 2:1
On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.
John 12:2
So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table.
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Cross References
Matthew 9:11
And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?
Luke 15:2
And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, "This man receives sinners and eats with them.
Luke 19:7
And when they saw it, they all grumbled, "He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.
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Cross References
Matthew 18:17
If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.