Life Recovery Bible - Flipbook - Page 14
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honey. 5 People from Jerusalem and from all
of Judea and all over the Jordan Valley went
out to see and hear John. 6 And when they
confessed their sins, he baptized them in the
Jordan River.
7
But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to watch him baptize,* he
denounced them. “You brood of snakes!” he
exclaimed. “Who warned you to flee the coming wrath? 8 Prove by the way you live that you
have repented of your sins and turned to God.
9
Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for
we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means
nothing, for I tell you, God can create children
of Abraham from these very stones. 10 Even
now the ax of God’s judgment is poised,
ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every
tree that does not produce good fruit will be
chopped down and thrown into the fire.
11
“I baptize with* water those who repent of
their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much
greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave
and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with
the Holy Spirit and with fire.* 12 He is ready to
separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but
burning the chaff with never-ending fire.”
The Baptism of Jesus
13
Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan
River to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried
to talk him out of it. “I am the one who needs
to be baptized by you,” he said, “so why are
you coming to me?”
15
But Jesus said, “It should be done, for we
must carry out all that God requires.*” So
John agreed to baptize him.
16
After his baptism, as Jesus came up out
of the water, the heavens were opened* and
he saw the Spirit of God descending like a
dove and settling on him. 17 And a voice from
heaven said, “This is my dearly loved Son,
who brings me great joy.”
CHAPTER 4
The Temptation of Jesus
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the
wilderness to be tempted there by the devil.
2
For forty days and forty nights he fasted and
became very hungry.
3
During that time the devil* came and said
to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these
stones to become loaves of bread.”
4
But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say,
‘People do not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the
mouth of God.’*”
5
Then the devil took him to the holy city,
Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple,
6
and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump
off! For the Scriptures say,
‘He will order his angels to protect you.
And they will hold you up with their
hands
so you won’t even hurt your foot on
a stone.’*”
7
Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say,
‘You must not test the Lord your God.’*”
3:7 Or coming to be baptized.
3:11a Or in.
3:11b Or in the Holy Spirit and in fire.
3:15 Or for we must fulfill all
righteousness.
3:16 Some manuscripts read opened to him.
4:3 Greek the tempter.
4:4 Deut 8:3. 4:6 Ps 91:11-12.
4:7 Deut 6:16.
3:16-17 After Jesus’ baptism, the Holy Spirit was seen in visible form, and the Father commended
his Son. Jesus is thus shown to be in perfect harmony with his Father and the Holy Spirit. While
those of us seeking recovery will never have perfect unity in our relationships, we can draw support from those who affirm us. As we study the Bible, God’s “love letter” to the human race, we
see numerous evidences of God’s unlimited love for us. Knowing how much our heavenly Father
loves us can help offset the lack of love and affirmation from our earthly relationships.
4:3-7 Satan did not doubt that Jesus was the Son of God. Satan appealed to real needs and possible doubts that were common to all humanity. Like us, Jesus needed food, security, protection,
significance, and achievement. Had Jesus faltered in his humanity, Satan could have called into
question Jesus’ right to rule and his perfection as the unique God-man. Similarly, Satan and his
forces will attack those of us pursuing recovery at our most vulnerable points. It is important that
we be on guard against these attacks.
4:12-16 The way of recovery through Jesus Christ is open to everyone, not just the “religious.”
Jesus can heal anyone, regardless of past history, religious affiliation, or nationality. Jesus himself
proved this by spending his early years in the cosmopolitan region of Galilee. The Jews in this
area were not considered “good Jews” by those in Judea because of their contact with the many
Gentiles who lived there. But Jesus showed God’s love for them. And he continues to show his
love to all who trust him, no matter who we are or how great our past sins.
