Jordan.

To the crowds that went out to be baptized by him he said, "You children
of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Bear fruits,
then, that will prove that you are truly sorry for what you have done.
Do not say to yourselves, 'We are children of Abraham'; for I tell you,
God can raise up children for Abraham from these stones. Already the axe
lies at the root of the trees. Every tree, therefore, that does not bear
good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."

The crowds kept asking him, "What must we do?" He answered them, "Let
him who has two coats share with him who has none; and let him who has
food do the same."

When the tax-gatherers came to be baptized, they said to him, "Teacher,
what must we do?" He said to them, "Do not take more from any one than
rightfully belongs to you." Soldiers also asked him, "And what must we
do?" To them he said, "Do not take money from anybody by force, nor make
false charges, but be content with your wages."

Now as the people were wondering whether John might possibly be the
Christ, John said to them all, "I indeed baptize you with water; but One
is coming mightier than I, whose shoe-strings I am not worthy to untie.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His fan is in
his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing-floor, and will
gather the wheat into his storehouse; but the chaff he will burn up with
fire that cannot be put out." In this way, and with many other earnest
words, he told the good news to the people.

JESUS DECIDES HOW HE WILL DO HIS WORK

At this time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by
John in the Jordan. And as he was coming up from the water, he saw the
heavens opening and the Spirit, like a dove, coming down upon him. And a
voice from heaven said,

"Thou art my beloved Son,
In thee I am well pleased."

[Illustration: (C) _Curtis Publishing Company_

"_O Little Town of Bethlehem_"

Painted by W. L. Taylor]

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by
the devil. And after he had fasted forty days and forty nights he was
hungry. Then the tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of
God, command these stones to become bread." But Jesus answered, "It is
written,

"'Man is not to live on bread alone,
But on every word that comes from God.'"

Then the devil took him to the holy city and, setting him on the highe