Matthew 21:25 Cross References - NSB

²⁵ »Where did the baptism of John come from? Was it from heaven or from men?« They talked among themselves. »If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why did you not have faith in him?’

¹ John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming: ² »Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.« ³ Isaiah spoke of John when he said: »He is a voice shouting in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of Jehovah. Make his paths straight.’« (Isaiah 40:3) ⁴ John wore clothes made from camel’s hair. He had a leather belt around his waist. He ate locusts and wild honey. ⁵ People from Jerusalem, Judea, and the whole Jordan Valley went to him. ⁶ They confessed their sins and were baptized by John in the Jordan River. ⁷ He saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism. »You offspring of vipers,« he said, »who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸ »Bear fruit worthy of repentance! ⁹ »Do not presume that Abraham is your father. I tell you that God can make descendants for Abraham from these stones! ¹⁰ »The ax is ready to cut down the trees at the roots. Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. ¹¹ »I baptize you with water because of your repentance. He that comes after me is mightier than I. He will baptize you with Holy Spirit and fire. I am not even good enough to carry his sandals. ¹² »His winnowing shovel is in his hand. He will clean his threshing floor and gather his wheat into a barn. He will then burn the husks in a fire that cannot be put out.«

⁷ When these men left, Jesus spoke to the crowds about John. »What did you go into the wilderness to find? Did you look for a reed shaken by the wind? ⁸ »What did you expect to see, a man clothed in fancy clothes? Those who wear fancy clothes are in king’s houses. ⁹ »Did you go to see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and much more than a prophet! ¹⁰ »This is he of whom it is written: ‘Behold, I send my messenger ahead of you. He will prepare the way for you.’ ¹¹ »I tell you, there is none, born of women, greater then John the Baptist. Yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. ¹² »From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been man’s goal, and men of violence have attempted to take it by force. ¹³ »For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. ¹⁴ »If you are willing to receive it, this is Elijah, who is to come. ¹⁵ »He who has ears to hear let him listen!

¹² »I tell you that Elijah has come. They did not know him and treated him badly as they pleased. They will do the same with the Son of man.« ¹³ Then the disciples saw that he was telling them about John the Baptist.

¹ The beginning of the good news about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. ² The prophet Isaiah wrote: »I am sending my messenger ahead of you to prepare your way.« ³ »The voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare the way of Jehovah (YHWH), make his paths straight.« (Isaiah 40:3) ⁴ John the Baptist was in the desert (wilderness) telling people to repent (turn away from sin) and be baptized for forgiveness of sins. ⁵ People from the province of Judea and the city of Jerusalem went out to hear John. They confessed their sins and he baptized them in the Jordan River. ⁶ John was clothed in camel’s hair with a leather belt about his loins. He ate locusts and wild honey. ⁷ He told the people: »The man who comes after me is greater than I am. I am not worthy to stoop down and untie his shoes. ⁸ »I baptized (immersed) you with water, but he will baptize (Greek: baptizo: immerse, submerge) you with Holy Spirit.« ⁹ Soon Jesus came from Nazareth in the province of Galilee. John baptized Jesus in the Jordan River. ¹⁰ When Jesus came out of the water he saw the heavens open and the Spirit descended on him like a dove. ¹¹ Then a voice came from heaven: »You are my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.«

²⁷ Chief priests and scribes approached him at the Temple in Jerusalem. ²⁸ They said to him: »By what authority do you do these things? Or who gave you authority to do these things?« ²⁹ Jesus said: »I will ask you one question. Give me an answer, and I will say by what authority I do these things.« ³⁰ »The baptism of John was it from heaven or from men?« Give me an answer. ³¹ They thought about it among themselves saying: »If we say from heaven he will say why did you not have faith in him?« ³² They feared the people. »If we say from men the people would not like it because they all thought John was a true prophet.« ³³ They told Jesus« »We have no idea.« Jesus said to them: »I should not say to you by what authority I do these things.«

¹¹ God’s angel appeared to him when he was standing on the right side of the altar of incense. ¹² Zechariah was troubled. When he saw the angel he was filled with fear. ¹³ »Have no fear Zechariah,« said the angel, »for God has heard your prayer. Your wife Elisabeth will have a son and his name will be John. ¹⁴ »You will be filled with joy, and many will be happy at his birth. ¹⁵ »He will be great in the eyes of God. He will not drink wine or strong drink and he will be full of Holy Spirit from the time of his birth. ¹⁶ »Great numbers of the children of Israel will return to Jehovah their God because of him. (1 Samuel 7:3) ¹⁷ »He will go before God in the spirit and power of Elijah. He will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and wrongdoers to the way of righteousness. This will make ready a people whose hearts have been directed to Jehovah (YHWH).« (Malachi 3:1)

⁶⁷ His father Zechariah was filled with Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying, ⁶⁸ »Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Israel. He has visited his people and brought them redemption. (Psalm 72:18) ⁶⁹ »He raised up a horn of salvation (power of deliverance) for us in the house of his servant David ⁷⁰ »He spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from ages past. ⁷¹ »He provided salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us. ⁷² »He shows mercy towards our fathers and remembers his holy covenant. ⁷³ »It was the oath he spoke to Abraham our father. ⁷⁴ »He gave us deliverance out of the hand of our enemies so we could serve him without fear. ⁷⁵ »May we serve in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. ⁷⁶ »Your child will be called the prophet of the Most High. You will go in advance of Jehovah God to make his ways ready. (Malachi 3:1) ⁷⁷ »To give knowledge of salvation to his people in the remission of their sins. ⁷⁸ »A rising of light will visit us from on high because of the tender mercy of our God. ⁷⁹ »The light will shine on them who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. It will guide our feet into the way of peace.« ⁸⁰ The child grew and became spiritually strong. He lived in the deserts till the time came to show himself to Israel.

² This was in the time when Annas and Caiaphas were chief priests. The word of God was delivered to John the son of Zechariah. He was in the wilderness. ³ John traveled in the region near the Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ⁴ This was according to the words of Isaiah the prophet: »The voice of one crying in the wilderness. Make ready the way of Jehovah. Make his paths straight. ⁵ »Every valley shall be filled. Every mountain and hill shall be brought low. The crooked shall become straight and the rough ways smooth. ⁶ »All flesh shall see the salvation of God.« (Isaiah 40:3-6) ⁷ He told the crowds that came to be baptized by him: »You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸ »Produce fruit that is worthy of repentance. Do not say we have Abraham for our father. I tell you, that God is able to make these stones into children for Abraham. ⁹ »The axe is now at the root of the trees. Every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown in to the fire.« ¹⁰ The people asked him: »What must we do?« ¹¹ He answered: »He who has two coats let him give to him who has none. He who has food let him do likewise.« ¹² Tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him: »Teacher, what must we do?« ¹³ He told them: »Collect no more than that which is prescribed.« ¹⁴ Soldiers also asked him: »What must we do?« And he said: »Do not take money from any one by force. Never falsely accuse any one wrongfully and be content with your wages.« ¹⁵ Many people were expecting the Messiah. They reasoned in their hearts concerning John: »Perhaps he was the Messiah.« ¹⁶ John answered, saying to them: »I baptize you with water. He is coming who is mightier than I. I am not worthy to untie his shoelaces. He will baptize you in Holy Spirit and in fire. ¹⁷ »His winnowing fork is in his hand ready to thoroughly cleanse his threshing-floor. He will gather the wheat into his barn. He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.« ¹⁸ He preached good news to the people by offering many encouraging words. ¹⁹ John reproved Herod the tetrarch for all the evil things he had done for he took his brother Herodias’ wife. ²⁰ He added this also to them all. He locked up John in prison.

²⁸ »I say to you, of those who are born of women there is none greater than John. Yet he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.« ²⁹ When the people heard, they acknowledged God’s justice. They received their baptism from John. ³⁰ The Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the counsel of God and were not baptized by him. ³¹ »To whom or what should I compare the men of this generation? ³² They are like children that sit in the marketplace and call to each other. We played the flute for you but you did not dance. We wailed and you did not weep. ³³ »John the Baptist came fasting and drinking no wine and you say he has a demon. ³⁴ »The Son of man came eating and drinking, and you say look he is a gluttonous man, and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners! ³⁵ »All her children vindicate wisdom.«

⁵ They reasoned among themselves, »If we say from heaven; he will say why did you not believe him?

⁶ God sent a man named John. (Malachi 3:1)

¹⁵ John spoke about him and declared: He is the one I said would come after me. He is greater than I am because he lived before me.«

²⁵ They said to him: »Why do you baptize if you are not the Christ, not Elijah, and not the prophet?« ²⁶ John answered: »I baptize in water. There is one in your midst whom you do not know. ²⁷ »I am not worthy to fasten his shoes.« ²⁸ These things were done in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing. ²⁹ The next day he saw Jesus coming to him. He boldly declared: »Behold! The Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world!« ³⁰ »This is he whom I said would come after me. He is greater than I am because he came before me. ³¹ »I did not know him. I came baptizing in water so that everyone in Israel will come to know him.« ³² John said: »I saw the spirit descending as a dove out of heaven upon him. ³³ »I did not know he was the one. God sent me to baptize in water and said: ‘You will see one upon whom the spirit descends. The same is he who baptizes in Holy Spirit.’ ³⁴ »I have seen, and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.«

¹⁸ »He who has an active faith in him is not judged. He who does not have an active faith has been judged already for he has not had faith in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

²⁶ They went to John and said: »Rabbi, he who was with you beyond the Jordan, the one about whom you witnessed, he and the men with him baptize.« ²⁷ John answered: »A man can receive nothing unless it is given to him from heaven. ²⁸ »You bear witness that I said I am not the Christ. I have been sent before him. ²⁹ »He that has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom stands and listens to him. He rejoices greatly because he hears the bridegroom’s voice. This fills me with joy. ³⁰ »He must increase and I must decrease.« ³¹ »He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks from an earthly viewpoint. He who comes from heaven is superior. ³² »He testifies about what he has seen and heard, but no man accepts his testimony. ³³ »He who receives his testimony confirms by his seal that God is true. ³⁴ »For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God. God does not give the spirit by measure. ³⁵ »The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. ³⁶ »He who puts active faith in the Son has everlasting life. He who disobeys* the Son will not see life for the wrath of God remains upon him.« (*Greek: apeitheo: willfully disobey, not having faith)

³³ »You sent people to John the Baptist and he has witnessed about the truth. ³⁴ »The testimony I receive is not from man. However I say these things that you may be saved. ³⁵ »He was the lamp that burns and shines. You were willing to rejoice for a season in his light. ³⁶ »The testimony I have is greater than that of John. The works I do are the works the Father gave me to accomplish. They testify that the Father has sent me.

⁴⁴ »How can you believe? You seek praise and glory from one another? Why do you not seek the glory that comes from the only God? ⁴⁵ »Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father. Moses on whom you have set your hope is a plaintiff against you. ⁴⁶ »It is a fact! If you believed Moses you would believe me. He wrote about me! ⁴⁷ »If you do not believe his writings how will you believe my words?«

²⁵ Jesus replied: »I told you and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness of me. ²⁶ »You do not believe because you are not my sheep!

³⁷ Even though he performed many miracles in front of them they did not believe in him. ³⁸ The word of Isaiah the prophet was fulfilled: »Jehovah who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of Jehovah been revealed?« (Isaiah 53:1) ³⁹ Isaiah revealed the reason they could not believe: ⁴⁰ »He has blinded their eyes. He hardened their heart. Otherwise they would see with their eyes and perceive with their heart. Then they would turn and I would heal them.« ⁴¹ Isaiah said these things because he saw and spoke about his glory. ⁴² Many of the rulers believed in him, although they did not confess their faith because of the Pharisees, for they would be expelled from the synagogue. ⁴³ They loved the glory from men more than the glory from God.

²⁰ If our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.