Luke 3:15-22

15At this time people were thinking, ‘Is John the Messiah that God has promised?’ They were all hoping that he might be.

16John knew what they were thinking. He said to them, ‘I baptize you with water. But someone else is coming soon. He is much greater than I am. I am not good enough even to undo his shoes for him. This other person will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

17He is like a farmer that brings the wheat home from his field. He uses a special tool to throw the wheat up in the air. He does this to make the wheat seeds separate from what remains. Then he cleans his yard. He carefully stores all the seeds to keep them safe. But he burns everything else in a great fire that nobody can put out.’

18John said many more things to the people. He was telling them the good news about how God could change their lives.

19One day John told Herod, the ruler, that it was wrong for him to marry Herodias. Before that, she had been the wife of Herod's brother. John also told Herod that he had done many other bad things.

20So then Herod did an even worse thing; he locked John up in prison.

21While John was still baptizing all the people, he also baptized Jesus. While Jesus was praying, the sky opened.

22The Holy Spirit came down onto Jesus. When he came down like that, he looked like a dove. Then a voice spoke from heaven, ‘You are my Son and I love you. You make me very happy.’