Matthew
3:1-12
Context:
Matthew 3:1-12
Memory
Verse:
Matthew 3:3
Main
Idea:
Jesus came to earth as the promised King who provides salvation for
those who trust Him.
FIRST
THOUGHTS
Preparing
the ground for a backyard garden can be an intimidating task.
Sometimes the soil is hard and packed. Weeds are prolific. This first
stage of preparing the garden is the most challenging, often
requiring tillers and shovels and other garden tools. Once this heavy
work is done, the following stages of preparation are less daunting.
The removal of weeds calls for special attention. Removing the roots
of weeds is imperative, or they will quickly produce more weeds and
briars. Then comes the task of preparing soil for the final stage of
planting the seed or setting out the plants that will ultimately
produce the flowers. The reward comes with the transformation of the
ground from a hard, packed earth to a cultivated bed that produces
the result of the gardener’s labors.
What kind of preparation would be required to establish a garden at
your residence? What obstacles would need to be overcome? Do you
think it would be worth the effort? Explain.
The
world into which God was about to send His Son was a moral and
spiritual bramble patch. Prophets throughout the generations had
warned of the results the people would face because of their refusal
to repent. After the prophet Malachi, four hundred years passed
without a prophetic voice in Israel. Instead of being alarmed that
God was not speaking to them, the people grew more and more sinful.
Now it was time, on God’s calendar, for the coming of His Son to
provide a way of escape for those who would receive Him as Savior. To
prepare for this event, God sent John to warn the people of judgment
to come. He would be the herald, the announcer, of the coming
Messiah. He would prepare the way for the coming of God’s Son.
I.
UNDERSTAND THE CONTEXT
Matthew
3:1-12
A
gap of over 400 years existed between the last of the Old Testament
prophets (Malachi) and the birth of Jesus (around 4 B.C.). A summary
of the events related to Jews during those four centuries offers
valuable background to Matthew. After their return from exile in
Babylon, the Jews attempted to re-establish their former lives in
their homeland. The rise of Alexander the Great saw Greek culture
extend into Jewish territory. The Jews became pawns in the power
struggles of Alexander’s successors. Finally the Jews gained a
hard-fought independence for about 100 years. Rome eventually made
inroads into Palestine and gained control. By the time of Jesus’
birth, the Romans held a tight reign on Jewish territory.
Jewish
religious leaders accepted an uneasy peace with Roman authorities.
They needed each other to retain control of the larger populace. The
religious hierarchy protected their position by instituting rigid,
legalistic religious practices that alienated them from the average
person. All this led to a sense of hopelessness among the people.
Against
that historical context Matthew presented the hope of a new kind of
King who reigned in a new kind of Kingdom. The lives of the people
were dominated by political oppression and demanding religious
leaders. Jesus offered them something, however, that the human
authorities could not control. He provided hope based on a right
relationship with God.
About
30 years passed from the time of Jesus’ birth and early years
(Matt. 1–2) to the start of His ministry. Matthew highlighted the
ministry and message of John the Baptist as preparatory to Jesus’
public ministry. John’s confrontational preaching of repentance
broke the silence of the years when the people heard no word from
God.
The
connection between Jesus and John the Baptist preceded their births.
Their mothers, Mary and Elizabeth, were relatives. Elizabeth gave
birth to John six months before Mary birthed Jesus (Luke 1:26,36).
Jesus possibly had His eye on John for a long time. The positive
reception John received alerted Jesus to the imminence of His own
public ministry.
God
ordered the perfect timing of the ministries of John and Jesus. John
whetted the appetite of the people for a fresh message from God. He
never lost sight of his purpose to prepare the people for the greater
One. At just the right time Jesus walked onto the scene to claim His
Kingship.
II.
EXPLORE THE TEXT
A.
Preparing
the Way (Matt.
3:1-6)
1
In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of
Judea, 2
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 3
For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said,
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of
the Lord; make his paths straight.’” 4
Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around
his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5
Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were
going out to him,
6 and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
6 and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
Verses
1-6 highlight a prominent theme in Matthew: Jesus’ life and
teaching fulfilled the Old Testament Law and Prophets. The Jews
anticipated the return of one of the prophets as a sign of the coming
of the Messiah. Some looked for a prophet like Moses (see Deut.
18:18). More commonly, Jews expected God to send “Elijah the
prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes” (Mal.
4:5). Consistent with this belief, God sent John the Baptist as a
forerunner prophet to prepare the way for Jesus.
VERSE
1
A
span of almost 30 years occurred between the events of chapters two
and three. John
the Baptist
burst on the scene preaching.
The term for preaching
designated a herald or spokesperson with a message from the king or
someone of high position. The herald carried the full authority of
the king. John preached in the
wilderness of Judea.
This region sloped down from the Judean hills south of Jerusalem
toward the Dead Sea. Desert settings held significance in the history
of God’s people. The great prophets Moses and Elijah spent time
there. King David also experienced the desert life. It was a place
where a person could meet with God without distractions.
VERSE
2
John
the Baptist’s straightforward message urged people to repent.
This Old Testament theme recalled the sinful nature of humans and the
need to turn to God. Repentance means to turn and go in a different
direction. But true repentance also requires a change of behavior.
John
pressed for this drastic change of attitude and actions because the
kingdom
of heaven is at hand.
A kingdom is where a king rules. The Jews anticipated a Messianic
kingdom that was geographically and politically based. They expected
to see the kingdom. In His sovereignty, however, God establishes His
reign in human hearts. The rule of God had arrived already. Thus,
John’s preaching stressed the need for urgency.
More
than likely the terms kingdom
of heaven
and kingdom
of God
mean the same thing. Why did Matthew prefer to use kingdom
of heaven?
Dedicated Jews thought the verbalization of God’s name was
sacrilegious, so they found words to substitute for the name of God.
Heaven
was one of those words.
VERSE
3
John
quoted Isaiah 40:3 to explain his own prophetic, preparatory task.
This description highlights the prophetic similarities between John
and Elijah. John, like Elijah, preached in the
wilderness.
Elijah spoke with the authority of God. John’s voice
also trumpeted God’s message like a herald announcing the arrival
of the king.
Isaiah’s
original context for this prophecy possibly revolved around the
homecoming of the Jews from Babylonian exile. God removed roadblocks
that hindered a return to their homeland. Isaiah compared this
triumphant return to the visit of a king. In ancient times the visit
of a king required extensive arrangements, including road work. Pot
holes and crooked turns on ancient roads made travel uncomfortable.
Since the king deserved and expected the best, road workers went
ahead to make roads passable. John saw himself as a “road worker”
readying the path of the coming Messiah.
VERSE
4
The
stark clothing and diet of John further identified him with the
dynamic wilderness prophets of the Old Testament, especially Elijah
(2 Kings 1:8). John wore a
garment of camel’s hair
and a
leather
belt,
materials readily available in the wilderness.
The
locusts
and wild honey
indicate John ate typical desert fare. Some argue that the locusts
were pods from a desert tree. The insect, however, also contained
useful nutrition. John the Baptist ate and wore basic items found in
the desert. What might be considered a hardship for most did not
divert John. He kept a sharp focus on the task at hand.
VERSE
5
To
whom did John the Baptist preach? The wilderness population was
limited. Proximity to Jerusalem, the main city of the nation and seat
of political and religious leadership, placed large numbers of people
near John.
What
drove John’s popularity? Certainly his urgent, direct message
gained him attention. But remember the era in which John preached.
For the first time in 400 years Israel experienced a real prophet.
Religion had become stale and stilted. John’s message thrust
long-lost hope in front of these people. They craved a genuine word
from God, and John delivered.
VERSE
6
The
people responded to John’s preaching by allowing him to baptize
them in
the river Jordan,
hence the name John the Baptizer. John chose this act of water
baptism for a reason. Other ancient cultures used it to serve
different purposes. The Jews practiced baptism in some contexts. When
Gentiles converted to Judaism, they submitted to baptism as a way to
wash away their Gentile uncleanness. Some Jews also practiced baptism
as a purification rite.
John
took this act known to his hearers and gave it new meaning. His
baptism symbolized a decision to repent. It evidenced a heart change.
For John, it stood for the cleansing from sin associated with
repentance. It served as a public commitment to a changed life that
set the person on a new path with God. The word baptism
refers to complete immersion in water.
A
crucial act accompanied baptism: the people were confessing
their sins.
They could not turn from sin until they first admitted to being
sinners. Through confession, the people agreed they needed to repent
and receive God’s forgiveness.
Eventually, Jesus came to John to be baptized (Matt. 3:13). Jesus, of course, did not seek baptism to show repentance. He didn’t need to repent. His baptism became for Him a public introduction to His ministry. He took the act of baptism and expanded its meaning further. It eventually became a picture of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. For Christians, baptism symbolizes an acceptance into the life of salvation offered by the forgiveness of sin.
Why
is the call to repentance relevant today? What role does confession
play in the salvation process?
B.
PROCLAIMING
THE TRUTH (Matt.
3:7-10)
7
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his
baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to
flee from the wrath to come? 8
Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. 9
And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our
father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up
children for Abraham. 10
Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree
therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into
the fire.
VERSE
7
Among
those flocking to hear John the Baptist were Pharisees
and Sadducees.
The Pharisees revered the law and sought to protect it. Their
detailed interpretations of the law expanded it and led to legalistic
tendencies. Few disputed that Pharisees were good people as far as
right actions. The Sadducees held closely to the first five books of
the Old Testament as their guide. Most of them hailed from the
priestly class and served in the temple. Most leaders or rulers of
Judaism held membership in one of these two groups. Disagreement over
legal interpretations and power issues usually left these parties at
odds with each other.
The
visit of the religious elite to John’s venue got his attention.
More than likely they felt threatened by John’s popularity. He
recognized their hypocrisy and branded them a brood
of vipers.
John saw in them what they refused to see in themselves—sinners in
need of salvation. He declined any sympathy for their self-promoting
agenda.
John
questioned why they had come out of their dens like snakes. Were they
there “just in case” John might be right? Or did his popularity
threaten them so much that they feigned interest as a means to get
close enough to gather damaging evidence against him? He knew them to
be unrepentant. John warned that they would not be able to avoid the
wrath
of God’s judgment.
VERSES
8-10
What
basis did John have to question the motives of the religious leaders?
He saw no evidence that they lived repentant lives. John identified
the real test of faith as fruit
in keeping with repentance.
Good works follow salvation as confirmation of a changed life.
John
explained further the reason for this word of judgment. The religious
leaders committed the sin of presumption. They presumed that as
descendants of Abraham
their heritage as God’s chosen people guaranteed a right
relationship with God. They considered themselves special in God’s
eyes and above common sinners because of their Jewish ancestry. John
challenged that presumption as false.
The
religious leaders forgot that God sets the standard for who His
people are. God is able from
these stones to raise up children for Abraham.
This exaggeration illustrated the fact that God can take a rock and
make it His child if He chooses. Heritage does not ensure a right
relationship with God.
John
continued the judgment language. In an orchard, unproductive trees
got cut to make room for others. The farmer added the useless tree to
the pile to burn. Fire
often symbolized judgment.
What
are some things people might depend on for salvation instead of the
grace of God? How can you use this passage to explain the error of
those beliefs?
C.
Pointing
to the King
(Matt. 3:11-12)
11
I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after
me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He
will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12
His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing
floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn
with unquenchable fire.”
VERSE
11
John
purposed to stir people to repent. His baptism with water
for repentance
symbolized the heart change God makes in those who turn to Him.
The
phrase he
who is coming
resonated with the Jews. They would have understood it as a reference
to the coming Messiah. No doubt the skeptical religious leaders
picked up on the terminology.
John
knew his role. He refused to be caught up in the excitement that
accompanied the great wilderness revival. He contrasted Jesus’
greatness with his lowly status when he said: whose
sandals I am not worthy to carry.
Such duty fell to slaves. John, although great in the eyes of many,
considered himself no more than Jesus’ lowly slave.
The
distinctive power of Jesus lay not in water baptism like John’s but
in baptism with the Holy
Spirit and fire.
Although Jesus submitted to water baptism and encouraged it for
others, He offered an immersion in a new kind of life. To the Jews,
the Spirit (meaning “wind” or “breath”) represented the
indwelling of God’s living presence in their lives. This linkage of
Jesus and the Holy Spirit equated Jesus with Messiah.
John
also related Jesus’ baptism to fire.
Like wind, fire exerts the power to consume. This probably compared
the purifying effect of fire with the cleansing power of Jesus’
work of salvation. Fire represented judgment in verse 10. In this
verse, however, fire depicted the hope of changed lives offered by
Jesus.
VERSE
12
John
used the agricultural illustration of a granary to explain Jesus’
role further. After crushing newly harvested grain, the farmer took a
winnowing
fork
or scoop and pitched the grain in the air. The lighter husks floated
off in the wind. The good kernels fell to the floor. The farmer
worked to clear
his threshing floor.
He diligently saved every piece of grain. A good farmer missed
nothing useful. He got every bit of valuable wheat
into the barn.
The chaff or husks might be burned as fuel. They served no other
useful purpose. The unquenchable
fire
indicates a blistering blaze that consumes everything in it.
These
images of storing the good grain and total destruction of the waste
depict two crucial roles of the Messiah. One, He came to save people
from sin. He loses none who call on Him for salvation. Two, the
Messiah will judge those who reject Him. Jesus became a great
separator who makes no mistakes with the souls entrusted to Him. John
never claimed that kind of authority. Instead, he pointed people to
One with that kind of discernment and power.
In
what ways do you think contemporary Christians are to be like John
the Baptist? What are some characteristics you see in John that might
be incorporated into your life to enable you to fulfill God’s
purpose for you?
KEY
DOCTRINE
Evangelism
and Missions
The
Lord Jesus Christ has commanded the preaching of the gospel to all
nations.
BIBLE
SKILL
Use
a Bible atlas and Bible dictionary (print or online version) to
locate and learn about places mentioned in Scripture.
Locate
the Judean wilderness in a Bible atlas. (Tip: Check the atlas index
or search on the internet for Judean wilderness.) Note places
significant to John’s ministry, such as the Jordan River and
Jerusalem. Use a Bible dictionary to learn more about the Judean
wilderness. What other crucial events in the Bible took place in this
wilderness? How does the wilderness serve as an appropriate backdrop
for the announcement of the coming Messiah?
