JESUS - Gospels Integrated® - Sample

Under the Roman emperor Tiberius Caesar, in the fifteenth year of his reign, these were the sub-rulers of those client states where most of the Jews lived: Pontius Pilate governed Judea. Herod Antipas ruled Galilee, and his brother Philip ruled Ituraea and Trachonitis. Lysanias ruled Abilene. Their religious rulers were Annas and Caiaphas, who shared the office of High Priest.
Then... the Word of God came to John son of Zachariah, in the wilderness.

John, known as ‘the baptizer’, appeared in the Judean desert and the countryside near the Jordan River. And he was proclaiming this message:
“Repent! The Kingdom of Heaven is near.”
He was preaching an immersion to signify a change of mind, and forgiveness of sins. John himself wore a camel’s hair cloak, and lived on locusts and wild honey. Dwellers of Jerusalem and the rest of Judea and the vicinity of the Jordan were coming out to where he was. They were confessing their sins and being baptized by him in the river.

The Judean authorities sent agents (priests and Levites) from Jerusalem, to check him out, asking,
“You, who are you?” And John plainly stated,
“I am not the Messiah.”
“Then what? Are you Elijah?”
“I’m not.”
“Are you the Prophet?”
“No.”
“So who are you? That we may give a report to those who sent us?”
Now the Pharisees had sent them; but John wasn’t evasive, and admitted,
“I am the one written about in the prophet Isaiah, ‘Behold, I am sending My messenger before Your face, who will prepare the way before Me. The voice of one crying in the desert; to prepare the way of the Lord, to make His paths straight. Every gully will be filled in, and each hill and mount leveled. The winding made straight, and the rough roads made smooth. And all flesh shall see God’s salvation.’”

John noticed many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for immersion; and said, in front of the crowds,
“You brood of vipers! Who warned you to run from the coming fury? Show something that proves your change of heart. And don’t presume that you can tell yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as forefather.’ Believe Me, God can generate children to Abraham from these stones here. Yes; and an ax is already laid at the tree’s base. And any tree not bearing good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
The crowds wanted to know,
“Then what should we do?” And John explained,
“Whoever has two tunics should give one to somebody who hasn’t any. Those with food should share likewise.” Some tax-collectors had also come for baptism; and they asked,
“Teacher, what should we do?”
“Collect no more than you’ve been ordered to.” Some of the soldiers asked,
“What about us? What should we do?”
“Don’t accuse anyone falsely. And don’t extort money by force; be satisfied with your pay.”

Now the people were in a high state of anticipation. All were wondering in their minds about John, whether he might be the Messiah. And those sent by the Pharisees were insisting,
“If you’re not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet, then why are you baptizing?” Then John in his discourse answered them all,
“Me, I baptize you with water as an expression of your repentance. But standing among you is One you don’t know. There’s One coming after me Who ranks higher than me. I’m not even worthy to stoop down and unstrap His sandals. He’s going to baptize you with holy Spirit; yes, and with fire. His winnowing fork is in His hand. He will thoroughly clean His threshing floor. He will gather His wheat into the barn, but burn the chaff in a fire that can’t be put out.”
In many other ways John urgently declared the Gospel to the people. These things took place at that Bethany opposite the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

And it came to pass in those days that Jesus of Nazareth arrived at the Jordan; coming from Galilee, to be baptized by him. When John saw Jesus coming to him, he tried to deter Him, saying,
“I need to be baptized by You; yet You come to me?” Jesus told him,
“Allow it at this time. It’s proper that we fulfill all righteousness like this.”
So he conceded to Him. And just as all the people were baptized, Jesus too, was baptized by John in the Jordan.

As soon as He was baptized, and came out of the water, Jesus prayed. As He prayed, the heavens opened; and the holy Spirit was seen in bodily form, like a dove, descending and coming upon Him. And look, a Voice from Heaven saying,
“You are My beloved Son, in Whom I delight.” Then John declared,
“Look, the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the World. He’s the One about Whom I said, ‘There’s One coming after me Who ranks higher than me; for He existed before me.’ I didn’t recognize Him; but the One Who sent me to baptize in water told me, ‘The One on Whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining, He’s the One Who baptizes with holy Spirit.’ Now I have seen it; now I can bear witness, He’s the Son of God!”

When Jesus began his ministry, He was Himself about thirty years old.

Then Jesus, filled with the holy Spirit, left the Jordan; and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, out among wild animals. He ate nothing, but fasted for forty days and nights; being tempted by the devil. When those days were complete, He was hungry. And that’s when the tempter came, and said to Him,
“If You’re the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” Jesus answered him with Scripture,
“It stands written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every Word that
proceeds from the mouth of God.’”
The devil then led Him to the holy city, Jerusalem. And had Him stand on the summit of the temple; and he quoted Scripture,
“It stands written, too, that ‘He will give His angels charge concerning You, to guard You. On their hands they will bear You up, lest You strike Your foot on a stone.’ So if You’re God’s Son, throw Yourself down from here.” Jesus answered,
“That’s right. Nevertheless, it stands written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to a test.’”
Then the devil took Him atop a high mountain. And showed Him, in a moment of time, all the world’s kingdoms and their glory. And then the devil made his offer.
“I can give You all this dominion, and its splendor. For it’s been handed over to me; and I give it to whomever I please. So, if You’ll fall down and worship me, it will be all Yours.” But Jesus told him,
“Be gone Satan! This stands written: ‘You shall worship the Lord your God; and serve only Him.’”
After the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him alone until an opportune time. And angels came and began to take care of Him.

When the tetrarch Herod Antipas was reproached by John about Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, and for some other of Herod’s atrocities, he added this too: He had John imprisoned. Jesus heard that John was taken into ‘protective custody’. He knew that the Pharisees knew He was making and baptizing more disciples than John. (Actually, Jesus Himself wasn’t baptizing, but His disciples were.) So He left Judea; and, in the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee. From that time on Jesus began to proclaim the Gospel of God, saying,
“The time is ready; the Kingdom of God is close. Repent! Believe the Gospel.”