Baptize with the Holy Spirit

Luke 3 ⁷  Crowds of people came out to be baptized, but John said to them, “You bunch of snakes! Who warned you to run from the coming judgment? ⁸  Do something to show that you really have given up your sins. Don’t start saying you belong to Abraham’s family. God can turn these stones into children for Abraham. ⁹  An ax is ready to cut the trees down at their roots. Any tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into a fire.”

¹⁰ The crowds asked John, “What should we do?”

¹¹ John told them, “If you have two coats, give one to someone who doesn’t have any. If you have food, share it with someone else.”

¹²  When tax collectors came to be baptized, they asked John, “Teacher, what should we do?”

¹³ John told them, “Don’t make people pay more than they owe.”

¹⁴ Some soldiers asked him, “And what about us? What do we have to do?”

John told them, “Don’t force people to pay money to make you leave them alone. Be satisfied with your pay.”

¹⁵ Everyone became excited and wondered, “Could John be the Messiah?”

¹⁶ John said, “I am just baptizing with water. But someone more powerful is going to come, and I am not good enough even to untie his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. ¹⁷ His threshing fork is in his hand, and he is ready to separate the wheat from the husks. He will store the wheat in his barn and burn the husks with a fire that never goes out.”

¹⁸ In many different ways John preached the good news to the people. 

Prepare the Way

Luke 3 For 15 years Emperor Tiberius had ruled that part of the world. Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was the ruler of Galilee. Herod’s brother, Philip, was the ruler in the countries of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was the ruler of Abilene. ² Annas and Caiaphas were the Jewish high priests.

At that time God spoke to Zechariah’s son John, who was living in the desert. ³ So John went along the Jordan Valley, telling the people, “Turn back to God and be baptized! Then your sins will be forgiven.” ⁴  Isaiah the prophet wrote about John when he said,

“In the desert
    someone is shouting,
‘Get the road ready
    for the Lord!
Make a straight path
    for him.
⁵ Fill up every valley
and level every mountain
    and hill.
Straighten the crooked paths
and smooth out
    the rough roads.
⁶ Then everyone will see
    the saving power of God.’ ”