Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're
taking this journey together to read the Bible
in a year. Today's reading is from the Gospel
of Matthew chapter 3, Mark chapter 1, and Luke
chapter 3. From the Gospel of Matthew chapter
3. In those days, John the Baptist came preaching
in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, Repent,
for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this
is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah,
saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness,
Prepare the way of the Lord, make his path straight.
Now John himself was clothed in camel's hair,
with a leather belt around his waist, and his
food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem,
all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan,
went out to him and were baptized by him in the
Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw
many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to
his baptism, he said to them, Brood of vipers,
who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance. And
do not think to say to yourselves, We have Abraham
as our father. For I say to you that God is able
to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
And even now the axe is laid to the root of the
trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear
good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance,
but he who is coming after me is mightier than
I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He
will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
His winnowing fan is in his hand, and he will
thoroughly clean out his threshing floor and
gather his wheat into the barn. But he will burn
up the chaff, with unquenchable fire. Then Jesus
came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be
baptized by him. And John tried to prevent him,
saying, I need to be baptized by you, and are
you coming to me? But Jesus answered and said
to him, Permit it to be so now, for thus it is
fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.
Then he allowed him. When he had been baptized,
Jesus came up immediately from the water, and
behold, the heavens were opened to him. And he
saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove
and alighting upon him. And suddenly a voice
came from heaven, saying, This is my beloved
Son, in whom I am well pleased. The Gospel of
Mark, Chapter 1 The beginning of the Gospel of
Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written
in the Prophets, Behold, I send my messenger
before your face, who will prepare your way before
you. The voice of one crying in the wilderness,
preparing the way of the Lord, make his path
straight. John came baptizing in the wilderness
and preaching a baptism of repentance for the
remission of sins. Then all the land of Judea
and those from Jerusalem went out to him and
were all baptized by him in the Jordan River,
confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with
camel's hair and with a leather belt around his
waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And
he preached, saying, There comes one after me
who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I
am not worthy to stoop down and loose. I indeed
baptized you with water, but he will baptize
you with the Holy Spirit. It came to pass in
those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee
and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And immediately
coming up from the water, he saw the heavens
parting and the Spirit descending upon him like
a dove. Then a voice came from heaven, You are
my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Immediately
the Spirit drove him into the wilderness, and
he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted
by Satan, and was with the wild beasts, and the
angels ministered to him. Now after John was
put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching
the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying,
The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God
is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel.
and as he walked by the sea of galilee he saw
simon and andrew his brother casting a net into
the sea for they were fishermen then jesus said
to them follow me and i will make you become
fishers of men they immediately left their nets
and followed him when he had gone a little farther
from there he saw james the son of zebedee and
john his brother who also were in the boat mending
their nets and immediately he called them and
they left their father zebedee in the boat with
the hired servants and went after him Then they
went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath
he entered the synagogue and taught. And they
were astonished at his teaching, for he taught
them as one having authority and not as the scribes.
Now there was a man in their synagogue with an
unclean spirit, and he cried out, saying, Let
us alone. What have we to do with you, Jesus
of Nazareth? Did you come to destroy us? I know
who you are, the Holy One of God. But Jesus rebuked
him, saying, Be quiet and come out of him. And
when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and
cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him.
Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned
among themselves, saying, What is this? What
new doctrine is this? For with authority he commands
even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.
And immediately his fame spread throughout all
the region around Galilee. Now as soon as they
had come out of the synagogue, they entered the
house of Simon and Andrew with James and John.
But Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever,
and they told him about her at once. So he came
and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and
immediately the fever left her, and she served
him. At evening, when the sun had set, they brought
to him all who were sick and those who were demon
-possessed, and the whole city was gathered together
at the door. Then he healed many who were sick
with various diseases, and cast out many demons.
And he did not allow the demons to speak, because
they knew him. Now in the morning, having risen
a long while before daylight, he went out and
departed to a solitary place. And there he prayed.
And Simon and those who were with him searched
for him. When they found him, they said to him,
Everyone is looking for you. But he said to them,
Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach
there also. Because for this purpose I have come
forth. And he was preaching in their synagogues
throughout all Galilee and casting out demons.
Now a leper came to him, imploring him, kneeling
down to him, and saying to him, If you are willing,
you can make me clean. Then Jesus moved with
compassion, stretched out his hand and touched
him, and said to him, I am willing, be cleansed.
As soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy
left him, and he was cleansed. And he strictly
warned him, and sent him away at once, and said
to him, See that you say nothing to anyone, but
go your way, show yourself to the priest, and
offer for your cleansing those things which Moses
commanded as a testimony to them. However, he
went out and began to proclaim it freely, and
to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no
longer openly enter the city, but was outside
in deserted places, and they came to him from
every direction. In the Gospel of Luke, Chapter
3 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius
Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea,
Herod being Tetrarch of Galilee, his brother
Philip Tetrarch of Etruria and the region of
Trachonitis, and Lusanias Tetrarch of Abilene,
while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the
word of God came to John the son of Zacharias
in the wilderness, and he went into all the region
around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance
for the remission of sins, as it is written in
the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,
saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness,
Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain
and hill brought low. The crooked places shall
be made straight, and the rough ways smooth,
and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
Then he said to the multitudes that came out
to be baptized by him, Brood of vipers, who warned
you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore
bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not
begin to say to yourselves, We have Abraham as
our father. For I say to you that God is able
to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
And even now the axe is laid to the root of the
trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear
good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
So the people asked him, saying, What shall we
do then? He answered and said to them, He who
has two tunics, let him give to him who has none,
and he who has food, let him do likewise. Then
tax collectors also came to be baptized and said
to him, Teacher, what shall we do? And he said
to them, Collect no more than what is appointed
for you. Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying,
And what shall we do? So he said to them, Do
not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and
be content with your wages. Now as the people
were in expectation, and all reasoned in their
hearts about John, whether he was the Christ
or not, John answered, saying to all, I indeed
baptize you with water, but one mightier than
I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy
to lose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit
and fire. His winnowing fan is in his hand, and
he will thoroughly clean out his threshing floor
and gather the wheat into his barn. But the chaff
he will burn with unquenchable fire. And with
many other exhortations he preached to the people.
But Herod the Tetrarch, being rebuked by him
concerning Herodias, his brother Philip's wife,
and for all the evils which Herod had done, also
added this, above all, that he shut John up in
prison. When all the people were baptized, it
came to pass that Jesus also was baptized, and
while he prayed, the heaven was opened, and the
Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove
upon him, and a voice came from heaven which
said, You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well
pleased. Now Jesus himself began his ministry
at about thirty years of age, being, as was supposed,
the son of Joseph, the son of Haley, the son
of Mattath. The son of Levi. The son of Melchi.
The son of Jana. The son of Joseph. The son of
Matatia. The son of Amos. The son of Nahum. The
son of Esli. The son of Nagai. The son of Maat.
The son of Matatia. The son of Simei. The son
of Joseph. The son of Judah. The son of Joannes.
The son of Risa. The son of Zerubbabel. The son
of Shealtiel. The son of Neri. The son of Melchi.
The son of Adi. the son of Kosem, the son of
Elmodam, the son of Er, the son of Josi, the
son of Eleazar, the son of Jorim, the son of
Matat, the son of Levi, the son of Simeon, the
son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonan,
the son of Eliakim, the son of Meliah, the son
of Menan, the son of Matata, the son of Nathan,
the son of David, the son of Jesse, the son of
Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the
son of Nashon, the son of Aminadab, the son of
Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the
son of Judah, the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac,
the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son
of Nahor, the son of Sirug, the son of Ru, the
son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah,
the son of Kynan, the son of Arphaxad, I hope
you enjoyed today's reading as much as I did
and I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow
to continue on our journey. God bless you and
have a great day.