In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Wilderness of Judea

John himself had a camel-hair garment with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.

Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him.

But John tried to stop Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and yet You come to me?”

When He heard that John had been arrested, He withdrew into Galilee.

Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and He called them.

Then John’s disciples came to Him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?”

These are the names of the 12 apostles:

First, Simon, who is called Peter,
and Andrew his brother;
James the son of Zebedee,
and John his brother;

When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent a message by his disciples

Jesus replied to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see:

As these men went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the wind?

“I assure you: Among those born of women no one greater than John the Baptist has appeared, but the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been suffering violence, and the violent have been seizing it by force.

For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John;

For John did not come eating or drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’

But He answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation demands a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

For as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights.

The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at Jonah’s proclamation; and look—something greater than Jonah is here!

“This is John the Baptist!” he told his servants. “He has been raised from the dead, and that’s why supernatural powers are at work in him.”

For Herod had arrested John, chained him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife,

since John had been telling him, “It’s not lawful for you to have her!”

And prompted by her mother, she answered, “Give me John the Baptist’s head here on a platter!”

So he sent orders and had John beheaded in the prison.

An evil and adulterous generation demands a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” Then He left them and went away.

And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

And Jesus responded, “Simon son of Jonah, you are blessed because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father in heaven.

After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John and led them up on a high mountain by themselves.

Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them about John the Baptist.

Where did John’s baptism come from? From heaven or from men?”

They began to argue among themselves, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’

But if we say, ‘From men,’ we’re afraid of the crowd, because everyone thought John was a prophet.”

For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you didn’t believe him. Tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him, but you, when you saw it, didn’t even change your minds then and believe him.