John’s Birth Announced to Zacharias

There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.

But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.

Birth of John the Baptist

Now Elizabeth’s full time came for her to be delivered, and she brought forth a son.

Circumcision of John the Baptist

So it was, on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him by the name of his father, Zacharias.

His mother answered and said, “No; he shall be called John.”

And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, saying, “His name is John.” So they all marveled.

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,

while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.

John Preaches to the People

Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not,

John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

also added this, above all, that he shut John up in prison.

John Baptizes Jesus

When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened.

and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.”

Jesus Is Questioned About Fasting

Then they said to Him, “Why do the disciples of John fast often and make prayers, and likewise those of the Pharisees, but Yours eat and drink?”

Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew;

John the Baptist Sends Messengers to Jesus

Then the disciples of John reported to him concerning all these things.

And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus, saying, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”

When the men had come to Him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, ‘Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?’ ”

Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them.

When the messengers of John had departed, He began to speak to the multitudes concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?

For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

And when all the people heard Him, even the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John.

For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’

When He came into the house, He permitted no one to go in except Peter, James, and John, and the father and mother of the girl.