Døperen Johannes rydder vei for Jesus
1Tiden var kommet til det femtende regjeringsåret for den romerske keiseren Tiberius. Pontius Pilatus var landshøvding i Judea, Herodes var landsfyrste over Galilea, hans bror Filip var landsfyrste i Iturea og Trakonitis, og Lysanias hersket over Abilene. 2Annas og Kaifas var øversteprester.
På denne tiden kom det et budskap fra Gud til Johannes, sønnen til Sakarja, som levde ute i ødemarken. 3Johannes dro til distriktet nær elven Jordan. Over alt underviste han folket om at de kunne få syndene sine tilgitt dersom de tok avstand fra synden, vendte seg om til Gud og lot seg døpe. 4Dette hadde Gud forutsagt i det profeten Jesaja skrev i sin bok:
”En stemme roper i ødemarkent:
’Rydd vei for Herren! Gjør stiene rette for ham!
5Fyll dalene, senk alle fjell og høyder!
Rett ut svingene og jevn ut de grunne og steinete veiene!
6Da skal alle mennesker få se Guds frelse.’ ” 3:6 Se Jesaja 40:3-5.
7Mennesker i stort antall kom nå til Johannes for å bli døpt. Han talte strengt til dem og sa: ”Ormeyngel! Tror dere at dere kan unnslippe Guds kommende dom? 8Nei, først må dere bevise at dere virkelig har vendt dere bort fra synden ved å gjøre det som er rett og riktig. Innbill dere ikke at dere kan slippe bort ved å tenke: ’Vi er trygge, for vi er jøder, og Abraham er vår stamfar.’ Jeg forsikrer dere at det ikke hjelper. Gud kan forvandle disse steinene her til jøder! 9Dommen henger over hodet på dere, øksen har allerede begynt å hugge i trestammen. Hvert tre som ikke bærer god frukt skal bli hogget ned og kastet på ilden!”
10Da spurte folket: ”Hva vil du at vi skal gjøre?”
11Han svarte: ”Den som har to skjorter, skal gi bort den ene til den som ingen har. Og den av dere som har mat, skal gi til dem som er sultne.”
12Til og med tollere3:12 Tollerne var jøder som arbeidet med å ta inn skatt til romerne, og de var foraktet av alle. kom for å bli døpt, og de spurte: ”Hvordan kan vi vise at vi har sluttet å synde?”
13”Gjennom det å være ærlige”, svarte han. ”Krev ikke mer i skatt enn det som de romerske myndighetene har gitt befaling om.”
14”Og vi da, hva skal vi gjøre?” spurte noen soldater.
Johannes svarte: ”Tving ikke til dere penger ved å bruke trusler og vold, men vær fornøyd med den lønnen dere har.”
15Hele folket ventet på at Messias, den lovede kongen, snart skulle komme. Nå spurte de seg om det kunne være Johannes som var oppfyllelsen på det gamle løftet? 16Men Johannes svarte alle: ”Jeg døper dere med vann, men snart kommer en som er større enn meg. Han er så mektig at jeg ikke en gang er verdig til å løse opp remmene på sandalene hans.3:16 Dette var en oppgave for slaver. Han skal døpe dere med Guds Hellige Ånd og ild. 17Det er han som skal dømme verden. Han står ferdig til å skille de onde fra dem som følger Guds vilje, på samme måten som bonden når han skiller agnene fra hveten. Etter at han har renset opp på plassen der de tresker kornet, skal han samle hveten i laden, men agnene skal han brenne opp i en ild som aldri slokner.”
18På mange forskjellige måter formante Johannes folket gjennom budskapet han bar fram.
Herodes setter Johannes i fengsel
19Johannes rettet også sterk kritikk mot Herodes, herskeren i Galilea. Særlig for hans forhold til Herodias, som var kona til broren hans, og for alt det andre onde han gjorde. 20Derfor fikk Herodes seinere satt Johannes i fengsel. På denne måten fikk han lagt enda en ny ond gjerning til den lange listen av misgjerninger han fra før av hadde pådratt seg.
Jesus blir døpt
21Mye folk kom nå til Johannes for å bli døpt. Jesus kom også og lot seg døpe. Da Jesus etter dåpen sto der og ba, åpnet himmelen seg. 22Synlig senket Guds Hellige Ånd seg ned over ham i form av en due, og en stemme fra himmelen sa: ”Du er min elskede Sønn, du er min glede.”
Slektstavlen til Jesus
23-38Jesus var rundt 30 år da han begynte å undervise folket og gjøre mirakler. Han ble ansett for å være sønnen til Josef. Far til Josef, og forfedrenes hans lenger tilbake hadde denne rekkefølgen:
Eli, Mattat, Levi, Melki, Jannai, Josef, Mattatia, Amos, Nahum, Esli, Naggai, Ma`at, Mattatia, Sjimi, Josek, Joda, Johanan, Resa, Serubabel, Sealtiel, Neri, Melki, Addi, Kosam, Elmadam, Er, Josva, Elieser, Jorim, Mattat, Levi, Simeon, Juda, Josef, Jonam, Eljakim, Melea, Manna, Mattata, Natan, David, Isai, Obed, Boas, Salmon, Naksjon, Amminadab, Admin, Arni, Hesron, Peres, Juda, Jakob, Isak, Abraham, Tarah, Nakor, Serug, Re`u, Peleg, Eber, Salah, Kenan, Arpaksad, Sem, Noah, Lamek, Metusalah, Enok, Jered, Mahalael, Kenan, Enosj, Set. Set var sønn til Adam som ble skapt av Gud.
1Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Cæsar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judæa, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene, 2Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. 3And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; 4As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 5Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; 6And all flesh shall see the salvation of God. 7Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. 9And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 10And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then? 11He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise. 12Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do? 13And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you. 14And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages. 15And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not; 16John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire: 17Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable. 18And many other things in his exhortation preached he unto the people. 19But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, 20Added yet this above all, that he shut up John in prison. 21Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, 22And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased. 23And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli, 24Which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Janna, which was the son of Joseph, 25Which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Amos, which was the son of Naum, which was the son of Esli, which was the son of Nagge, 26Which was the son of Maath, which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Semei, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Juda, 27Which was the son of Joanna, which was the son of Rhesa, which was the son of Zorobabel, which was the son of Salathiel, which was the son of Neri, 28Which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Addi, which was the son of Cosam, which was the son of Elmodam, which was the son of Er, 29Which was the son of Jose, which was the son of Eliezer, which was the son of Jorim, which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, 30Which was the son of Simeon, which was the son of Juda, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Jonan, which was the son of Eliakim, 31Which was the son of Melea, which was the son of Menan, which was the son of Mattatha, which was the son of Nathan, which was the son of David, 32Which was the son of Jesse, which was the son of Obed, which was the son of Booz, which was the son of Salmon, which was the son of Naasson, 33Which was the son of Aminadab, which was the son of Aram, which was the son of Esrom, which was the son of Phares, which was the son of Juda, 34Which was the son of Jacob, which was the son of Isaac, which was the son of Abraham, which was the son of Thara, which was the son of Nachor, 35Which was the son of Saruch, which was the son of Ragau, which was the son of Phalec, which was the son of Heber, which was the son of Sala, 36Which was the son of Cainan, which was the son of Arphaxad, which was the son of Sem, which was the son of Noe, which was the son of Lamech, 37Which was the son of Mathusala, which was the son of Enoch, which was the son of Jared, which was the son of Maleleel, which was the son of Cainan, 38Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.
