Mark 11:30 Cross References - AUV

³⁰ Was the immersion of John [authorized] from heaven or from men? Give me an answer.”

¹ In those days, John the Immerser went into the desert of Judea preaching [to Jews], saying, ² “You must repent [i.e., change your hearts and lives], for the kingdom of heaven will soon be here.” ³ For this is the man who was spoken of by Isaiah the prophet, who said, [Isa. 40:3], “[It is] the voice of a man who speaks out in the desert, [urging people to] make the road for the Lord ready [for Him to travel]; to make a straight pathway for Him [to walk on].” ⁴ Now John dressed in clothing made of camel’s hair and he wore a leather belt around his waist; he ate grasshoppers and wild honey [i.e., for his regular diet]. ⁵ [People from] Jerusalem and all over Judea and the region around the Jordan River all went out [to the desert] to [hear] him, ⁶ and people were immersed by him in the Jordan River as they confessed their sins. ⁷ But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to be immersed, John said to them, “You children of snakes, who warned you to run away from the coming wrath [of God]? ⁸ Demonstrate by your lives that you have [really] repented, ⁹ and quit thinking to yourselves, we claim Abraham as our forefather, because I tell you, God is able to make Abraham’s children out of these stones. ¹⁰ And even now the axe is ready to chop down the trees [i.e., you Jewish people]. Every tree [i.e., person] that does not produce wholesome fruit [i.e., godly, repentant lives] will be cut down and thrown into the fire [i.e., the final punishment of the wicked]. ¹¹ “I certainly am immersing you in water following [your] repentance, but the One who follows my [ministry], whose sandals I do not deserve to remove [as His slave], will immerse you people with the Holy Spirit and with fire [i.e., the punishment in hell. See verses 10 and 12]. ¹² His winnowing shovel [Note: This was a process whereby grain was tossed into the air so that the wind could blow the husks away, leaving only good grain on the ground] is in His hand and He will completely clear off His threshing floor [by removing all of the husks]. And He will gather His wheat into the barn, but will burn up the husks with a fire that will never go out.” ¹³ Jesus then came from [the province of] Galilee to be immersed by John in the Jordan River. ¹⁴ But John tried to discourage Him [from being immersed], saying, “I should be immersed by you, and you are coming to me [for immersion]?” ¹⁵ But Jesus answered him, “Allow it [to be done], for it is proper for us to complete everything that is right [before God].” So, John agreed to it. ¹⁶ After Jesus was immersed [by John], He came up out of the water and heaven was opened up before Him and He saw the Holy Spirit from God descending, as a dove, and landing upon Him. ¹⁷ Then a voice came out of heaven, saying, “This is my dearly loved Son. I am very pleased with Him.”

¹ This is [how] the good news about Jesus Christ, the Son of God, began. ² It was even written in Isaiah, the prophet [Note: Verse 2 is quote from Mal. 3:1; verse 3 from Isa. 40:3], “Look, I am sending my messenger on ahead of you. He will prepare the way for you. ³ He will be the voice of a man shouting out in the desert, [urging people] to make the road for the Lord ready [to travel on]; to make a straight pathway for him.” ⁴ John [the Immerser] came immersing people in the desert and proclaiming that those immersed on the basis of their repentance would receive the forgiveness of sins [from God]. ⁵ And people from throughout all the regions of Judea and all of Jerusalem went out to John [in the desert]. And he immersed them in the Jordan River as they confessed their sins. ⁶ John wore clothing made of camel’s hair and he had a leather belt around his waist. He ate grasshoppers and wild honey. ⁷ In his preaching John said, “One who is more powerful than I am will follow my ministry. I am not [even] worthy to stoop down and loosen the straps of His sandals [i.e., to serve as His slave]. ⁸ I am immersing you in water, but He will immerse you in the Holy Spirit.” ⁹ And it happened at that time that Jesus went from Nazareth, in Galilee [i.e., south to Judea], where He was immersed by John in the Jordan River. ¹⁰ And immediately upon emerging from the water, He saw the sky split open and the Holy Spirit descending on Him as a dove. ¹¹ And a voice called out from heaven, saying, “You are my dearly loved Son. I am very pleased with you.”

¹³ But I tell you, Elijah has [already] come, and they did to him what they wanted to, just like it was written about him [in the Scriptures].”

¹ Now it was the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar. Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod was ruler of Galilee, his brother Philip was ruler of the regions of Ituraea and Trachonitus [Note: These two men were sons of Herod the Great (See Matt. 2:1) and ruled over provinces east of the Jordan River] and Lysanias was ruler of Abilene [Note: This was a province just north of the two previously mentioned ones]. ² [During this time], while Annas and Caiaphas [Note: This man was Annas’ son-in-law. See John 18:13] were head priests, God’s message came to John [the Immerser], son of Zacharias, [when he was] in the desert [of Judea]. ³ He went into the whole region around the Jordan River proclaiming that those immersed on the basis of their repentance [i.e., determining to change their hearts and lives] would receive the forgiveness of sins [from God]. ⁴ This was according to what is written in the book containing the words of Isaiah, the prophet [Isa. 40:3ff], “The voice of a man who speaks out in the desert [urging people] to make the road for the Lord ready [for Him to travel]; to make a straight pathway for Him [to walk on]. ⁵ Every valley will be filled up and every mountain and hill will be leveled. And crooked [roads] will become straight and rough ones smoothed out. ⁶ And all mankind will see the salvation of God [i.e., become available to them].” ⁷ He said to the crowds of people that went out [to the desert] to be immersed by him, “You children of snakes, who warned you to run away from the coming wrath [of God]? ⁸ Demonstrate by your lives that you have [really] repented, and quit saying to yourselves, ‘We claim Abraham as our forefather,’ because I tell you, God is able to make Abraham’s children out of these stones. ⁹ And even now the axe is also ready to chop down the trees at their roots [i.e., you Jews]. Every tree [i.e., person] that does not produce wholesome fruit [i.e., a godly life] will be cut down and thrown into the fire [i.e., the punishment of hell].” ¹⁰ Then the crowds asked him, “What then must we do [i.e., to demonstrate our repentance]?” ¹¹ And he answered them, “The person who has two coats should give [one of them] to the person who does not have any; and the person who has food should do the same thing.” ¹² Then some tax collectors came to him to be immersed and asked him, “Teacher, what must we do [i.e., to demonstrate our repentance]?” ¹³ And he answered them, “Do not collect any more [tax money] than you are required to.” ¹⁴ Some soldiers on duty also asked him, “And what must we do [i.e., to demonstrate our repentance]?” And he answered them, “Do not force people to give you money or accuse them falsely, and be content with your pay.” ¹⁵ Now as people were anticipating [what would happen] and everyone was wondering in their hearts if perhaps John were the Christ [i.e., God’s specially chosen one], ¹⁶ John answered [their concerns] by saying to all of them, “I am [the one] immersing you in water, but One who is more powerful than I will follow my [ministry]. I am not [even] worthy to loosen the straps of His sandals. He will immerse you people with the Holy Spirit and with fire [i.e., the punishment of hell. See Matt. 3:10-12]. ¹⁷ His separating shovel is in His hand and He will completely clear off His threshing floor [i.e., by removing all of the husks]. And He will gather the wheat into His barn, but will burn up the husks with a fire that will never go out.” ¹⁸ So, John preached the good news to the people with many different appeals. ¹⁹ But because he had rebuked Herod, the tetrarch, for [marrying] his brother’s wife Herodias, and for all the other bad things he had done, ²⁰ to top it off, Herod put John in prison.

⁶ There was a man sent from God whose name was John [the Immerser]. ⁷ He came to be a witness, so that he might testify concerning that Light, so that all people would believe [in Jesus] through him [i.e., through his testimony. See Acts 19:4]. ⁸ He himself was not that Light, but came [only] to testify concerning that Light.

¹⁵ John gave testimony about Jesus, shouting out, “This person is the one about whom I said, ‘He who will come after me ranks above me because He existed before me.’” ¹⁶ For we have all received from His full richness one favor after another. ¹⁷ For the law was given through Moses; [but] God’s favor and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ No one has ever seen God [i.e., His full splendor], but God, the only conceived [and eventually born Son], who is at the Father’s side, has shown us who He is. ¹⁹ And this is the testimony John [the Immerser] gave when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” [Note: Levites were men who assisted the priests in the Temple service]. ²⁰ Then he declared openly, without denying it, “I am not the Christ [i.e., God’s specially chosen one].” ²¹ So, they asked him, “Who then [are you]? Are you Elijah [i.e., returned from the dead]?” But he answered, “[No], I am not.” “[Then], are you the prophet [i.e., Moses. See Deut. 18:15-19]?” they asked. And he answered, “No.” ²² So, they asked him [again], “[Then], who are you? We need to take back an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” ²³ He replied, “I am the voice of a man who is calling out in the desert, [urging people to] ‘Make the road for the Lord straight,’ as Isaiah the prophet said, [Isa. 40:3].” ²⁴ Now those who were sent [i.e., to question John] were Pharisees [i.e., a strict sect of the Jewish religion]. ²⁵ They asked him, “Why do you immerse people then, if you are not the Christ, or Elijah, or the prophet [Moses]?” ²⁶ So, John answered them, saying, “I am immersing people in water, but there is Someone among you whom you do not recognize. ²⁷ He is the One who will follow my ministry; [and] I do not deserve to untie his sandal lace.” ²⁸ These things happened in Bethany on the east side of the Jordan River where John was immersing people. [Note: This was a different Bethany from the one just outside of Jerusalem]. ²⁹ On the next day John [the Immerser] saw Jesus approaching him and said, “Look, [there is] the Lamb of God; He [will] take away the sin of the people of the world. ³⁰ He is the One about whom I said, ‘A man will come after me who ranks above me, for He existed before me.’ ³¹ And I would not have recognized Him, but I came immersing people in water so that He would become known to the Israelites.” ³² So, John gave his testimony, saying, “I have seen the Holy Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and it remained on Him. ³³ And I did not recognize Him, but He [i.e., God], who sent me to immerse in water, said to me, ‘The one on whom you see the Holy Spirit descending and remaining is the same One who [will] immerse people in the Holy Spirit.’ ³⁴ And I have seen and given testimony that this person is the Son of God.” ³⁵ Then on the following day John was standing [there] again with two of his disciples. ³⁶ And when he saw Jesus walking by, he said, “Look, [there is] the Lamb of God!”

²⁵ [About then] a dispute arose between John’s disciples and a Jew over ceremonial cleansing. ²⁶ These disciples went to John and said to him, “Rabbi, look, that man who was with you on the east side of the Jordan River [i.e., Jesus], whom you testified about, is immersing people and everyone is going to him.” [Note: Actually, it was Jesus’ disciples who did the immersing. See 4:2]. ²⁷ John replied to them, “A person cannot receive anything, unless it has been given to him from [God in] heaven. ²⁸ You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ [i.e., God’s specially chosen one] but [rather] that I was sent [by God] ahead of Him.’ ²⁹ The one who has the bride is the groom; but the best man, who stands up with him and listens to him [take his vows], is very happy when he hears him speak. So, [now] my joy is complete [i.e. over hearing about Jesus’ ministry]. ³⁰ He [i.e., Jesus] must increase [in importance and influence], while I must decrease.” ³¹ The One who comes from above [i.e., Jesus] ranks over all [others]; but the one who is out of the earth [i.e., of human origin] is [merely] an earthly [being] and he speaks in earthly [ways]. [But] the One who comes from heaven [i.e., Jesus] ranks over all [others]. ³² He testifies concerning what He has seen and heard, but no one accepts His testimony. ³³ The person who has accepted Jesus’ testimony has confirmed this [fact], that God is truthful. ³⁴ For the One whom God has sent [i.e., Jesus] speaks the words of God, for He [i.e., God] does not give the Holy Spirit in a limited quantity [i.e., to Jesus. See next verse]. ³⁵ The Father loves the Son and has given everything into His hands [See Eph. 1:20-22]. ³⁶ The person who believes in the Son has never ending life, but the person who disobeys the Son will not see life [i.e., will not experience never ending life], but [instead], God’s wrath remains on him.