The Purpose of the People of God - 3:1-2
The Purpose of the People of God - Matthew • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 48:14
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The Purpose of the People of God
The Purpose of the People of God
We have passed the safe zone!
Matthew has long been considered a controversial gospel theologically. Yet practically, it is extremely straightforward and easy to understand. As with many concepts of truth, they are easy to understand, but difficult to apply.
Our text today is the beginning of Matthew 3, the introduction of John the Baptist. But it includes the phrase “repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Between the discussion around what does it mean to repent, and what does it mean the kingdom is at hand, much has been written from many perspectives.
Because our understanding of this is so important, we are going to spend our time today dealing with these two concepts today. Next week, we will come back and take what we’ve studied today and look at it within the context of Matthew’s narrative as we have in previous weeks.
1 Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Let’s Pray
1 Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying,
δε - New Information
Time Lapse
Jesus’ Birth
Magi’s arrival and departure
Escape to Egypt
Return to Israel
Move to Galilee
“In those days”
Eschatological fulfillment of Jesus and JtB in regards to the prophets
Who is this John the Baptist character?
He is going to come up later in our Matthew Study, and we will be looking at him for the next few weeks here.
As we’ve seen in some of our previous studies,
JtB possibly Nazarite Vow (Numbers 6)
Definitely - set apart
What is JtB doing?
“Preaching in the Wilderness”
NOT ευαγγελιζω - Proclaim the Good News or Evangelize
Heavy usage by Luke
ΝΟΤ μαρτυρεω - Testify or Witness
Heavy usage in John
Κερυσσω - Preaching or To Proclaim!
Association with Herald
It announces an event or the arrival
Where is JtB?
In the Wilderness
Eschatological emphasis - Is 40.3 - which we will circle back to.
What is JtB Proclaiming?
2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Where we are today is perhaps one of the most argued about words in our time.
What does it mean to repent? This is quite the rabbit trail,
Prepare your hearts, As Elmer Fudd would say, we’re “huntin wabbits” so bear with me
When speaking of repentance, two questions come up?
What does repentance mean?
Is repentance required for salvation?
William Mounce writes:
“Both noun and verb denote a radical, moral turn of the whole person from sin and to God.”
Charles Ryrie writes:
“To repent is to change your mind.”
Lexham Theological Wordbook:
Repentance is an act of acknowledging past wrongdoing, expressing regret or contrition, and committing to right behavior and obedience to God.
So which is it?
Repentance:
Mounce - Complete Turn
Ryrie - Change of Mind
LTW - Regret and Commitment
We’re going to get academic here for a few minutes:
The Greek word is μετανοεω
The Greek only occurs as a verb 34 times in the New Testament
and as a noun 22 times totaling 56.
If you’re reading a NASB 95, ESV, or the LSB, this is the only word in the NT translated as repent. If you’re reading the NKJV there are two more uses of the word totaling 58 because of its underlying Greek Text. Regardless, in all of those translations, there is a 1:1 relationship between the Greek and the English for repent.
When we look at the Old Testament, this is where we begin to see some of our modern understanding come into play.
Use of “repent” in the OT
NASB95: 17
LSB: 8
ESV: 13
NKJV: 10
This is probably significantly less than you expected.
KJV: 42
If you grew up hearing or with a familiarity with the KJV, this probably resonates.
Now though this is informative, it can be a bit misleading.
LXX uses the Greek μετανοεω OR μετανοια 31 times (Includes extrabiblical uses)
LXX: 20
Why is there discrepancy in the translation of the word “repent” in Scripture?
So, let’s begin in the Old Testament
Repent is commonly translated from 2 Hebrew Words
nhm
109 times in the Old Testament
Depending on your translation, between 3 & 5 of those are typically translated as repent in English (37 of the KJV)
swb
1075 times in the Old Testament
3-11 of those are translated as repent in English
You cannot even see the striations of the word
In the LXX 692 of these are translated as a form of the root “στρεφω” in the Greek. This is the root used for turn.
To further complicate it, the Hebrew swb is never translated with μετανοεω in the LXX. This shows that to the LXX translators, this was a different word than “repent”
So where does this leave us?
nhm - Regret (109 uses)
~3% translated as “repent”
14 times = Greek μετανοεω
Never = Greek στρεφω
swb - Turn (1075 uses)
<1% translated as “repent”
Never = Greek μετανοεω
>690 = στρεφω
This is all great data, but what do we do with it?
Words have a range of meaning
These words are similar, not the same
So to begin to understand, we need to look at the overlap. How are these words similar?
Meaning typically moves from Literal to Figurative
So what understanding to both nhm and swb share?
Both swb and nhm carry with them the idea of “change”
nhm - change tied to emotions/mental (non physical state)
swb - change tied to act/state
in its literal sense….
So if we carry this idea of “change” through the Scriptures, how do we determine what is being called to “change” when we see repent?
What are the three c’s of Bible Interpretation?
Context!
Context!
Context!
So when we see repent or repentance, we need to ask what are we to change?
Let’s look at a few examples:
19 “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not establish it?
nhm
Does what God speak not come about?
6 “You who have abandoned Me,” declares Yahweh, “You keep going backward. So I will stretch out My hand against you and bring you to ruin; I am tired of relenting! 7 “And I will winnow them with a winnowing fork At the gates of the land; I will bereave them of children; I will make My people perish; They did not repent of their ways.
nhm
swb
Is this just a change of mind? No! It is a change of their ways. This is action.
I hope you can begin to see the dangers and necessity of Word Studies. We cannot simply look up a word in the original language, skim the definitions, and pick the one that fits. Similarly, we cannot just look up everywhere a word is used in Scripture, and grab any of the rendered meanings and transpose that into the text. Any “translation” decision (which is interpretation) we make, must be done in context.
Let’s move to the New Testament:
Our word, μετανοεω
Luke uses this word a lot, more than any other NT author
μετανοεω OVER στρεφω
Note the correlation, especially in the gospels!
There is close connection between “repenting” and “turning” even though these are not the same thing.
1 Now at that same time there were some present who were reporting to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you think that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered these things?
3 “I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.
4 “Or do you think that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse offenders than all the men who live in Jerusalem?
5 “I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”
Jesus is saying their sin is not greater than yours. So you, STOP SINNING!
Let’s look at Luke’s writing in Acts
20 but kept declaring both to those of Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, practicing deeds appropriate to repentance.
Yet like John the Baptist, Luke closely correlates repentance with forgiveness of sins.
3 “Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.
If your brother sins, can he undo it?
4 “And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.”
Once again, clearly this is not an action oriented repentance! It has happened 7 times? This is not a change of course of action, this is a change of intent, a reconsidering of what one thinks!
Luke uses the word differently!
The reason there is so much arguing over repentance is because it doesn’t fit neatly into a single bucket. Words do not always mean the exact same thing, but they carry a similar, root concept or idea.
If I ask you to draw a trunk, which of these things do you draw?
At their root, all of these hold things.
Similarly, at it’s root, repentance always references change, context tells us what changes.
It is for this reason that you will not hear me say “repent for salvation” when I share the gospel. The term has too much baggage associated with it. And I don’t want anyone to get the misconception that they have to completely abandon all sin in their life before God will save them. I’m still working on abandoning all sin in my life! But I have assurance of my salvation!
Is Repentance required for Salvation?
30 And the Pharisees and their scribes began grumbling at His disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?” 31 And Jesus answered and said to them, “It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick.
32 “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”
Are sinners believers or unbelievers?
BOTH!
This is immediately after Levi (Matthew) is called and follows Jesus and then he throws a banquet for Him!
Luke’s Great Commission:
46 and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
Therefore, having gone, disciple all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to keep all I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always until the completion of the age.
I propose to you that there is more in view here than just to spend eternity in heaven. Like the great commission in Matthew, God’s desire (will) for your life is not just to make it in to heaven, His command is to disciple the nations.
Dave Anderson writes regarding the topic of repentance:
“It is perfectly right to preach to unbelievers God’s highest desire for them, that is, to have both a relationship and fellowship with them. Christ did no different when the rich young ruler came to him. Depending on your understanding of the word “inherit,” the ruler was asking either how to obtain eternal life or how to enjoy it to its fullest.
In either case Jesus did not tell him how to obtain eternal life; he simply told him how to enjoy it to its fullest—by selling his goods, giving the money to poor, and following Jesus. Was that disingenuous on the part of Jesus? No. Jesus went right to God’s highest desire for the rich young ruler. But before the rich young ruler could get to point B (enjoy his life to the fullest), he had to go through point A (believe in Jesus as his Savior).”
David R. Anderson, “The Role of Repentance in Salvation,” in A Defense of Free Grace Theology: With Respect to Saving Faith, Perseverance, and Assurance, ed. Fred Chay (Houston, TX: Grace Theology Press, 2017), 117–118.
Luke expresses this as well in Acts when he writes:
43 “Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.”
38 “Therefore let it be known to you, brothers, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 39 and that in Him, everyone who believes is justified from all things which you could not be justified from through the Law of Moses.
different word for “proclaimed” καταγγελλω
Salvation is through faith alone.
24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.
Salvation is through faith alone,
But Salvation Alone is not God’s desire for your life.
3 This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the full knowledge of the truth.
saved and what?
Do you have full knowledge of the truth?
1 Finally then, brothers, we ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more. 2 For you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will (desire) of God, your sanctification
God’s desire is what? Sanctification!
9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some consider slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be found out. 11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,
How ought we to live in light of repentance?
Why? Because the day of the Lord will come like a thief!
So let’s turn back to our text for today:
2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
What is Matthew, what is John the Baptist, asking their audience to change?
John the Baptist is speaking to Jews who believe and are looking for the coming Messiah. He is speaking to Jews, the nation of Israel, who have adopted legalism because they believe that adherence to the law is what brings about the kingdom.
THIS IS WHAT WE SPENT OUR KINGDOM STUDY ON!
Do you remember when we talked about how in the intertestamental period we talked about the kingdom being conflated with the purpose of the law instead of the outcome of it?
Even though you haven’t figured it out, you haven’t found the purpose of the law, the kingdom is at hand!
John’s message, like the prophets of the Old Testament, is largely a “national” message. John is not going to the Gentiles. He is going to the Jews and he is calling the nation to do something.
The Kingdom here is not eternity in heaven. The kingdom here is dwelling under the promised King, the fulfillment of the covenants of God with Israel.
John comes with a different message, the message that Jesus is going to bring. Legalism doesn’t bring about the kingdom of Heaven. Following the Law, doesn’t bring about the kingdom of heaven.
Repentance isn’t going to bring about the kingdom of heaven.
Repentance provides the means to participate in it!
As we studied in the outcomes of the Mosaic Covenant in Deut 28-30, regardless of what you do, God’s kingdom is coming. God’s kingdom will be established.
____________________
The Message of John the Baptist should resonate well with us today, as we live in similar times. We are waiting for the Return of the King.
Are you pursuing God’s highest desire for your life today?
What do you need to repent (change) of in order to get there?
The Message of John the Baptist should resonate well with us today, as we live in similar times. We are waiting for the Return of the King.
Let’s Pray
2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
