A Deputation from John

^18 (A)The disciples of John reported to him about all these things. ¹⁹ Summoning ^[a]two of his disciples, John sent them to ^(B)the Lord, saying, “Are You the ^[b]Expected One, or do we look for someone else?” ²⁰ When the men came to Him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to You, to ask, ‘Are You the ^[c]Expected One, or do we look for someone else?’” ²¹ At that ^[d]very time He ^(C)cured many people of diseases and ^(D)afflictions and evil spirits; and He gave sight to many who were blind. ²² And He answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: the ^(E)blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the ^(F)poor have the gospel preached to them. ²³ Blessed is he ^[e]who does not take offense at Me.”

²⁴ When the messengers of John had left, He began to speak to the crowds about John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? ^25 [f]But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft ^[g]clothing? Those who are splendidly clothed and live in luxury are found in royal palaces! ²⁶ But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and one who is more than a prophet. ²⁷ This is the one about whom it is written,

²⁸ I say to you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet he who is ^[i]least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” ²⁹ When all the people and the tax collectors heard this, they ^[j]acknowledged ^(H)God’s justice, ^(I)having been baptized with ^(J)the baptism of John. ³⁰ But the Pharisees and the ^[k](K)lawyers rejected God’s purpose for themselves, not having been baptized by ^[l]John.

³¹ “To what then shall I compare the men of this generation, and what are they like? ³² They are like children who sit in the market place and call to one another, and they say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.’ ³³ For John the Baptist has come ^(L)eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon!’ ³⁴ The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a ^[m]drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and ^[n]sinners!’ ³⁵ Yet wisdom ^(M)is vindicated by all her children.”

Jesus Begins His Ministry

¹² Now when Jesus heard that ^(A)John had been taken into custody, ^(B)He withdrew into Galilee;