35. John the Baptist

John was the son born to Zacharias and Elizabeth. He was to be the messenger to tell the people about the coming of God's Savior. Many people already knew that a child had been born who was supposed to be the king of the Jews, but they needed to get ready for Jesus.

John had a lot of work to do. He left the desert where he had stayed for many years, and went to the Jordan River. He wore clothes made of camel's hair and leather. He had a special plan for the people who would listen to him speak.

"The kingdom of heaven is almost here," he said. "Be sorry for your sins." Then he baptized them in the water of the river and told them the good news that Jesus was coming soon.

Some of the Jews in the crowd who listened to John did not think they needed to be baptized.

"You must be forgiven for your sins, too," John told them. "Don't think that just because you are descended from Abraham, you are saved from God's judgment."

The people asked what it was that they should do. John told them to stop cheating and robbing one another and to share what they had with the poor. The more he talked, the more the people wondered if he might be the Savior.

"I baptize you with water, but one who is greater than I will come. I am not even worthy to tie his shoes!" John told the crowd. "He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire!"

Many people came to John to be baptized. Word spread about his preaching. People listened to what he had to say and began calling him John the Baptist because of his baptisms.

Jesus traveled to the Jordan River from Galilee one day because he wanted to be baptized by John. John recognized him at once.

"You should be baptizing me," he said.

"It's best that we do what is right," Jesus said.

He wanted to be baptized just like everyone else because it was God's will for everyone to ask forgiveness of their sins. So John lowered Jesus' body into the water of the river and blessed him.

Then Jesus rose up from the muddy water, and the sky seemed to open above him. The Spirit of God took on the shape of a dove and flew down from the opening. As it lit on his shoulder, a voice from heaven spoke to him.

"You are my son, whom I love," the voice said, "with you I am well pleased."

John knew that the voice was God himself. The Savior whom he had been telling everyone about had finally come.

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