The Life
Of Jesus - Jesus Prepares For Ministry
JESUS IS BAPTIZED...
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." (Matthew 3:13-17)
JESUS IS TEMPTED...
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. And the tempter came and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread."
But He answered and said, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'"
Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, 'HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU'; and 'ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP, SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.'"
Jesus said to him,
"On the other hand, it is written, 'YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD
YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.'"
Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him
all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and he said to
Him, "All these things I will give You, if You fall down and
worship me."
Then Jesus said to
him, "Go, Satan! For it is written, 'YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD
YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.'"
Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to
minister to Him. (Matthew 4:1-11)
Since we have a
great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the
Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.
For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize
with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things
as we are, yet without sin. (Hebrews 4:14-15)
JOHN SEES THE LAMB OF GOD...
Then John saw Jesus
coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes
away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said,
'After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was
before me.' did not know Him; but that He
should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with
water." And John bore witness, saying, "I saw the
Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon
Him. I did not know Him, but He who sent me to
baptize with water said to me, "Upon whom you see the Spirit
descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with
the Holy Spirit.' And I have seen and testified
that this is the Son of God." (John 1: 29-34)
JESUS CHOOSES THE FIRST DISCIPLES...
Then John stood with
two of his disciples. And looking at Jesus as He
walked, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God!"
The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.
Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to
them, "What do you seek?"
They said to Him,
"Rabbi" (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), "where are
You staying?" He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw
where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was
about the tenth hour).
One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was
Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first found his own
brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah"
(which is translated, the Christ). And he brought him
to Jesus.
Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, "You are Simon the son of
Jonah. You shall be called Cephas" (which is
translated, A Stone).
The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found
Philip and said to him, "Follow Me." Now Philip was
from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip
found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of whom
Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote--Jesus of
Nazareth, the son of Joseph." And Nathanael said to him, "Can
anything good come out of Nazareth?"
Philip said to him, "Come and see."
Jesus saw Nathanael
coming toward Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite
indeed, in whom is no deceit!" Nathanael said to Him, "How do
You know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip
called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."
Nathanael answered and said to Him, "Rabbi, You are the
Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" Jesus answered and said
to him, "Because I said to you, "I saw you under the fig tree,'
do you believe? You will see greater things than these."
And He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you,
hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God
ascending and descending upon the Son of Man." (John 1:35-51)
JESUS PERFORMS HIS FIRST MIRACLE...
On the third day
there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus
was there. Now both Jesus and His disciples were
invited to the wedding. And when they ran out of
wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine."
Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does your concern have to do
with Me? My hour has not yet come."
His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it." Now there were set there six water pots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. Jesus said to them, "Fill the water pots with water." And they filled them up to the brim. And He said to them, "Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast." And they took it. When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. And he said to him, "Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!"
This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him. (John 2:1-11)