The Preaching of John the Baptist
1 This is where the good news starts – the good news of Jesus the Messiah, God’s son.
2 Isaiah the prophet put it like this (‘Look! I am sending my messenger ahead of me; he will clear the way for you!’):
3 ‘A shout goes up in the desert: Make way for the Lord! Clear a straight path for him!’
4 John the Baptizer appeared in the desert. He was announcing a baptism of repentance, to forgive sins. 5 The whole of Judaea, and everyone who lived in Jerusalem, went out to him; they confessed their sins and were baptized by him in the river Jordan. 6 John wore camel-hair clothes, with a leather belt round his waist. He used to eat locusts and wild honey.
7 ‘Someone a lot stronger than me is coming close behind,’ John used to tell them. ‘I don’t deserve to squat down and undo his sandals. 8 I’ve plunged you in the water; he’s going to plunge you in the holy spirit.’
Jesus’ Baptism
9 This is how it happened. Around that time, Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and was baptized by John in the river Jordan. 10 That very moment, as he was getting out of the water, he saw the heavens open, and the spirit coming down like a dove onto him. 11 Then there came a voice, out of the heavens: ‘You are my son! You are the one I love! You make me very glad.’
12 All at once the spirit pushed him out into the desert. 13 He was in the desert forty days, and the satan tested him there. He was with the wild beasts, and angels waited on him.
The Calling of the Disciples
14 After John’s arrest, Jesus came into Galilee, announcing God’s good news.
15 ‘The time is fulfilled!’ he said; ‘God’s kingdom is arriving! Turn back, and believe the good news!’
16 As he went along beside the sea of Galilee he saw Simon and his brother Andrew. They were fishermen, and were casting nets into the sea.
17 ‘Follow me!’ said Jesus to them. ‘I’ll have you fishing for people!’
18 Straight away they left their nets and followed him. 19 He went on a bit, and saw James, Zebedee’s son, and John his brother. They were in the boat mending their nets, 20 and he called them then and there. They left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went off after him.
Exorcism and Healings
21 They went to Capernaum. At once, on the sabbath, Jesus went into the synagogue and taught. 22 They were astonished at his teaching. He wasn’t like the legal teachers; he said things on his own authority.
23 All at once, in their synagogue, there was a man with an unclean spirit.
24 ‘What business have you got with us, Jesus of Nazareth?’ he yelled. ‘Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: you’re God’s Holy One!’
25 ‘Be quiet!’ ordered Jesus. ‘And come out of him!’
26 The unclean spirit convulsed the man, gave a great shout, and came out of him. 27 Everyone was astonished.
‘What’s this?’ they started to say to each other. ‘New teaching – with real authority! He even tells the unclean spirits what to do, and they do it!’
28 Word about Jesus spread at once, all over the surrounding district of Galilee.
29 They came out of the synagogue, and went at once (with James and John) into Simon and Andrew’s house. 30 Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told Jesus about her right away. 31 He went in, took her by the hand, and raised her up. The fever left her, and she waited on them.
32 When the sun went down and evening came, they brought to Jesus everyone who was ill, all who were demon-possessed. 33 The whole town was gathered around the door. 34 Jesus healed many people suffering from all kinds of diseases, and cast out many demons. He didn’t allow the demons to speak, because they knew him.
The Healing of a Man with a Skin Disease
35 Very early – in the middle of the night, actually – Jesus got up and went out, off to a lonely place, and prayed. 36 Simon, and those with him, followed. 37 When they found him, they said, ‘Everyone is looking for you!’
38 ‘Let’s go off to the other towns around here,’ Jesus replied, ‘so that I can tell the news to people there too. That’s why I came out.’
39 So he went into their synagogues, throughout the whole of Galilee, telling the news and casting out demons.
40 A man with a virulent skin disease came up to him. He knelt down and begged him, ‘If you want to, you can make me clean!’
41 Jesus was deeply moved. He reached out his hand and touched him, and said to him, ‘I do want to: be clean!’ 42 The disease left him at once, and he was clean.
43 Jesus sent him away at once, with this stern warning: 44 ‘Mind you don’t say anything to anyone! Just go and show yourself to the priest, and make the offering Moses commanded, to purify yourself and to give them a sign.’
45 But the man went out and began to tell the news widely. He spread the tale so effectively that Jesus couldn’t any longer go publicly into a town. He stayed out in the open country, and people came to him from all around.
