Matthew 3:11-17

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

11 b "I baptize you with water c for repentance, but d he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you e with the Holy Spirit and f fire. 12 His g winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and h gather his wheat into the barn, i but the chaff he will burn with j unquenchable fire."

The Baptism of Jesus

13 k Then Jesus came l from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14 m John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" 15 But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, o the heavens were opened to him, 1 and he p saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, q a voice from heaven said, r "This is my beloved Son, 2 with whom I am well pleased."

  1. Cross References
    John 1:26
    John answered them, "I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know.
    Acts 1:5
    For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.
  2. Cross References
    Acts 13:24
    Before his coming, John had proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.
    Acts 19:4
    And Paul said, "John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.
  3. Cross References
    John 1:15
    ( John bore witness about him, and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.'")
    John 1:27
    Even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.
    John 3:30 - 31
    He must increase, but I must decrease.
    Acts 13:25
    And as John was finishing his course, he said, 'What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. No, but behold, after me one is coming, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.
  4. Cross References
    John 1:33
    I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.
    Acts 11:16
    And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.
  5. Cross References
    Isaiah 4:4
    When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodstains of Jerusalem from its midst by a spirit of judgment and by a spirit of burning.
    Malachi 3:2 - 3
    But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap.
    Acts 2:3
    And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them.
  6. Cross References
    Isaiah 30:24
    And the oxen and the donkeys that work the ground will eat seasoned fodder, which has been winnowed with shovel and fork.
  7. Cross References
    Matthew 13:30
    Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.'
  8. Cross References
    Malachi 4:1
    For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.
  9. Cross References
    Mark 9:43
    And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire.
    Mark 9:48
    'where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.'
  10. Cross References
    Matthew 3:13 - 17
    Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him.
    Mark 1:9 - 11
    In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
    Luke 3:21 - 22
    Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened.
    John 1:32 - 34
    And John bore witness: "I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him.
  11. Cross References
    Matthew 2:22
    But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee.
  12. Cross References
    Matthew 3:13 - 17
    Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him.
    Mark 1:9 - 11
    In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
    Luke 3:21 - 22
    Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened.
  13. Cross References
    John 13:6
    He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, do you wash my feet?
  14. Cross References
    Acts 7:56
    And he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.
  15. Cross References
    John 1:32 - 33
    And John bore witness: "I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him.
    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.
    Luke 4:21
    And he began to say to them, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.
    Acts 10:38
    How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.
  16. Cross References
    John 12:28
    Father, glorify your name." Then a voice came from heaven: "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.
  17. Cross References
    Matthew 17:5
    He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cl...
    2 Peter 1:17
    For when he received honor and glory from God t...
    Psalms 2:7
    I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me,...
    Isaiah 42:1
    Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in...
    Ephesians 1:6
    To the praise of his glorious grace, with which...
    Colossians 1:13
    He has delivered us from the domain of darkness...
    1 John 5:9
    If we receive the testimony of men, the testimo...
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.