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FEBRUARY 18
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he ate locusts and wild honey. And he 12 Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the
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preached, saying, “There comes One after me wilderness. And He was there in the wilder-
who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I ness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was
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am not worthy to stoop down and loose. I with the wild beasts; and the angels minis-
indeed baptized you with water, but He will tered to Him.
baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” 14 Now after John was put in prison, Jesus
9 It came to pass in those days that Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the
came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was bap- kingdom of God, and saying, “The time is ful-
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tized by John in the Jordan. And immediately, filled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.
coming up from the water, He saw the heavens Repent, and believe in the gospel.”
parting and the Spirit descending upon Him 16 And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He
like a dove. Then a voice came from heaven, saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a
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“You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well net into the sea; for they were fishermen.
pleased.” 17 Then Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I
will make you become fishers of men.” They
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immediately left their nets and followed Him.
19 When He had gone a little farther from
there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and
John his brother, who also were in the boat
1:15 The time is fulfilled. Not time in a 20
chronological sense, but the time for decisive mending their nets. And immediately He called
action on God’s part. With the arrival of the them, and they left their father Zebedee in the
King, a new era in God’s dealings with men boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.
21 Then they went into Capernaum, and
had come. the kingdom of God. God’s sover-
eign rule over the sphere of salvation; at pres- immediately on the Sabbath He entered the
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ent in the hearts of His people (Luke 17:21), synagogue and taught. And they were aston-
and in the future, in a literal, earthly kingdom ished at His teaching, for He taught them as
(Rev. 20:4–6). at hand. Because the King was one having authority, and not as the scribes.
present. Repent, and believe. Repentance
and faith are man’s required response to God’s
gracious offer of salvation (see Acts 20:21).
1:17 Follow Me. Used frequently in the 1:22 authority. Jesus’ authoritative teaching,
Gospels in reference to discipleship (2:14;8:34; as the spoken Word of God, was in sharp con-
10:21; Matt. 4:19; 8:22; 9:9; 10:38; 16:24; 19:21; trast to that of the scribes (experts in the Old
Luke 9:23,59,61; 18:22; John 1:43; 10:27; 12:26). Testament Scriptures), who based their
fishers of men. Evangelism was the primary authority largely on that of other rabbis.Jesus’
purpose for which Jesus called the apostles,and direct, personal, and forceful teaching was so
it remains the central mission for His people foreign to their experience that those who
(see Matt. 28:19,20; Acts 1:8). heard Him were “astonished”(see Titus 2:15).

DAY 18:What was the purpose of John’s baptism?

The Gospels all introduce John the Baptist’s ministry by quoting Isaiah 40:3 (see Matt.3:3;Luke
3:4; John 1:23). John was called “My messenger” (Mark 1:2), the divinely promised messenger, sent
to prepare the way for the Messiah. In ancient times, a king’s envoys would travel ahead of him,
making sure the roads were safe and fit for him to travel on, as well as announcing his arrival.
As the last Old Testament prophet and the divinely ordained forerunner of the Messiah, John
was the culmination of Old Testament history and prophecy (Luke 16:16) as well as the beginning
of the historical record of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Not surprisingly, Jesus designated John as the
greatest man who had lived until his time (Matt. 11:11). John’s baptism, being the distinctive mark
of his ministry (Mark 1:4),differed from the ritual Jewish washings in that it was a one-time act.The
Jews performed a similar one-time washing of Gentile proselytes, symbolizing their embracing of
the true faith.That Jews would participate in such a rite was a startling admission that they needed
to come to God through repentance and faith just like Gentiles.

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