Juan el Bautista
(Mt 3.1-12Mc 1.1-8Jn 1.19-28)1-2 Juan el Bautista, el hijo de Zacarías, vivía en el desierto. Dios le habló allí, en el desierto, cuando Tiberio tenía ya quince años de ser el emperador romano y Poncio Pilato era el gobernador de la región de Judea. En ese tiempo Herodes Antipas gobernaba en la región de Galilea; por su parte Filipo, el hermano de Herodes, gobernaba en las regiones de Iturea y Traconítide; Lisanias gobernaba en la región de Abilene. Anás y Caifás eran los jefes de los sacerdotes del pueblo judío.
3 Juan fue entonces a la región cercana al río Jordán. Allí le decía a la gente: «¡Bautícense y vuélvanse a Dios! Solo así Dios los perdonará.»
4 Mucho tiempo atrás, el profeta Isaías había escrito acerca de Juan:
«Alguien grita en el desierto:
“Prepárenle el camino a nuestro Dios.
¡Ábranle paso!
¡Que no encuentre estorbos!
5 ”Rellenen los valles,
y conviertan en llanura
la región montañosa.
Enderecen los caminos torcidos.
6 ¡Todo el mundo verá
al Salvador que Dios envía!”»
7 Mucha gente venía para que Juan los bautizara, y él les decía:
—¡Ustedes son unas víboras! ¿Creen que van a escaparse del castigo que Dios les enviará? 8 Muestren con su conducta que realmente han dejado de pecar. No piensen que van a salvarse solo por ser descendientes de Abraham. Si Dios así lo quiere, hasta estas piedras las puede convertir en familiares de Abraham. 9 Cuando un árbol no produce buenos frutos, su dueño lo corta de raíz y lo quema. ¡Y Dios ya está listo para destruir a los que no hacen lo bueno!
10 La gente le preguntaba:
—Y entonces, ¿qué podemos hacer?
11 Él les respondía:
—El que tenga dos mantos, comparta uno con quien no tenga nada que ponerse. El que tenga comida, compártala con quien no tenga nada que comer.
12 Vinieron también unos cobradores de impuestos y le preguntaron a Juan:
—Maestro, ¿qué podemos hacer para salvarnos?
13 Juan les contestó:
—No le cobren a la gente más dinero del que debe pagar.
14 Unos soldados preguntaron:
—Juan, ¿qué podemos hacer nosotros?
Él les contestó:
—Ustedes amenazan a la gente y la obligan a que les dé dinero. Solo así le prometen dejarla en paz. ¡No lo vuelvan a hacer, y quédense satisfechos con su salario!
15 Todos se admiraban y querían saber si Juan era el Mesías que esperaban. 16 Pero Juan les respondió:
—Yo los bautizo a ustedes con agua. Pero hay alguien que viene después de mí, y que es más poderoso que yo. Él los bautizará con el Espíritu Santo y con fuego. ¡Yo ni siquiera merezco ser su esclavo! 17 El que viene después de mí separará a los buenos de los malos. A los buenos los pondrá a salvo, y a los malos los echará en un fuego que nunca se apaga.
18 De este modo, y de otras maneras, Juan anunciaba las buenas noticias a la gente. 19 Además, reprendió a Herodes Antipas porque vivía con Herodías, la esposa de su hermano Filipo, y por todo lo malo que había hecho. 20 Pero a toda su maldad Herodes añadió otra mala acción: puso a Juan en la cárcel.
Juan bautiza a Jesús
(Mt 3.13-17Mc 1.9-11)21 Cuando Juan terminó de bautizar a todos, Jesús vino y también se bautizó. Mientras Jesús oraba, el cielo se abrió 22 y el Espíritu Santo bajó sobre él en forma de paloma. Luego se oyó una voz que desde el cielo decía: «Tú eres mi Hijo, a quien quiero mucho. Estoy muy contento contigo.»
Los antepasados de Jesús
(Mt 1.1-17)23 Jesús comenzó a predicar cuando tenía unos treinta años y, según la gente, era hijo de José. Esta es la lista de sus antepasados:
José,
Elí,
24 Matat,
Leví,
Melquí,
Janai,
José,
25 Matatías,
Amós,
Nahúm,
Eslí,
Nagai,
26 Máhat,
Matatías,
Semeí,
Josec,
Joiadá,
27 Johanán,
Resá,
Zorobabel,
Salatiel,
Nerí,
28 Melquí,
Adí,
Cosam,
Elmadam,
Er,
29 Jesús,
Eliézer,
Jorim,
Matat,
30 Leví,
Simeón,
Judá,
José,
Jonam,
Eliaquim,
31 Meleá,
Mená,
Matatá,
Natán,
32 David,
Jesé,
Obed,
Booz,
Sélah,
Nahasón,
33 Aminadab,
Admín,
Arní,
Hersón,
Fares,
Judá,
34 Jacob,
Isaac,
Abraham,
Térah,
Nahor,
35 Serug,
Ragau,
Péleg,
Éber,
Sélah,
36 Cainán,
Arfaxad,
Sem,
Noé,
Lámec,
37 Matusalén,
Henoc,
Jéred,
Mahalalel,
Cainán,
38 Enós,
Set,
Adán,
Dios mismo.
1 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Cæsar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judæa, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene, 2 Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. 3 And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; 4 As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 5 Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; 6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God. 7 Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. 9 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 10 And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then? 11 He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise. 12 Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do? 13 And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you. 14 And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages. 15 And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not; 16 John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire: 17 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable. 18 And many other things in his exhortation preached he unto the people. 19 But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, 20 Added yet this above all, that he shut up John in prison. 21 Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, 22 And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased. 23 And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli, 24 Which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Janna, which was the son of Joseph, 25 Which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Amos, which was the son of Naum, which was the son of Esli, which was the son of Nagge, 26 Which was the son of Maath, which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Semei, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Juda, 27 Which was the son of Joanna, which was the son of Rhesa, which was the son of Zorobabel, which was the son of Salathiel, which was the son of Neri, 28 Which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Addi, which was the son of Cosam, which was the son of Elmodam, which was the son of Er, 29 Which was the son of Jose, which was the son of Eliezer, which was the son of Jorim, which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, 30 Which was the son of Simeon, which was the son of Juda, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Jonan, which was the son of Eliakim, 31 Which was the son of Melea, which was the son of Menan, which was the son of Mattatha, which was the son of Nathan, which was the son of David, 32 Which was the son of Jesse, which was the son of Obed, which was the son of Booz, which was the son of Salmon, which was the son of Naasson, 33 Which was the son of Aminadab, which was the son of Aram, which was the son of Esrom, which was the son of Phares, which was the son of Juda, 34 Which was the son of Jacob, which was the son of Isaac, which was the son of Abraham, which was the son of Thara, which was the son of Nachor, 35 Which was the son of Saruch, which was the son of Ragau, which was the son of Phalec, which was the son of Heber, which was the son of Sala, 36 Which was the son of Cainan, which was the son of Arphaxad, which was the son of Sem, which was the son of Noe, which was the son of Lamech, 37 Which was the son of Mathusala, which was the son of Enoch, which was the son of Jared, which was the son of Maleleel, which was the son of Cainan, 38 Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.