Prepare the Way
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Kingdom.
What comes to your mind when you hear the word?
Kings, queens, princes, princesses, knights in shining armor, castles?
Maybe even fantastical stories from books, movies, or video games.
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary says that the word Kingdom means:
“a politically organized community or major territorial unit having a monarchical form of government headed by a king or queen”
or
“a realm or region in which something is dominant”
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kingdom
The very first proclamation Jesus makes when He begins His ministry is
From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
In Mark it says Mark 1:14-15
Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
The Kingdom of heaven / The Kingdom of God is at hand.
God’s kingdom was coming in the New Testament, and God’s kingdom is still coming today.
This is the topic that we are going to be exploring the next few weeks.
Jesus, the King Himself, invites us to join His kingdom -> so what does this look like? What exactly does this mean? How does this impact us?
We are going to be exploring these questions and more.
If you have any of your own questions feel free to ask as we go along, or you can write them down on a sticky note and put them in the question jar.
We are going to begin in Matthew, the first book of the New Testament in chapter 3. This is before Jesus officially begins His earthly ministry.
We start with looking at a man named John the Baptist.
Prayer
In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 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.’ ”
Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
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? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. 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. 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.
“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. 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.”
I. Repent - The Kingdom at Hand (v. 1-6)
I. Repent - The Kingdom at Hand (v. 1-6)
At the very beginning it’s important to note that this man, John the Baptist, begins with the exact same message Jesus shares when He begins His ministry in the next chapter
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
What are they saying here?
The word Repent means -> “Change one’s mind” and “to turn away from one thing towards something else”
In that culture everyone understood that there was a God. So when they heard repent from John the Baptist and Jesus, they knew it was a repentance to God. They were called to turn to God.
Another way of saying it could be “Turn away from your sins and come to God, the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Then John said, “The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.” What’s going on here?
This phrase is only used in Matthew; the Jews who were hearing John the Baptist would have understood that this Kingdom is the one that Daniel, one of the authors from the Old Testament was talking about.
And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever,
Daniel wrote this hundreds of years before John the Baptist was on the scene. Now the kingdom was coming, and that meant the King Himself would be coming too!
But who exactly is John the Baptist?
Have you guys heard of the role of a Herald before? With royalty or power?
A herald is someone who goes before royalty / power and announces their presence. Think “hear ye, hear ye, make way for the King.”
A newer example would be the Silver Surfer. He is a herald for the space being Galactus.
John the Baptist was a herald to Jesus.
He also was prophesied about in the Old Testament, God inspired and breathed writings from hundreds of years before the time of Christ. It’s also the first half of the Bible.
People were on the look out for the messenger, and John perfectly matches the description the Old Testament gives. The book of Matthew even references the book of Isaiah to prove that John the Baptist is the herald.
So John prepares the way by sharing the message of repentance as well as baptizing people.
II. Warning - To the religious, lineage and status will not save you (You can’t save yourself)(v. 7-10)
II. Warning - To the religious, lineage and status will not save you (You can’t save yourself)(v. 7-10)
The call to repentance is for everyone. Everyone is guilty and will be judged -> urgency to the warning. Judgement from God is coming, turn back to Him. Turn to God -> confess your sins
Matthew 3:7–10 “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? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. 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. 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.”
-> Don’t think because you’ve gone to church your whole life that that qualifies you to be freed from the judgement to come.
III. Baptism - John: Water -> Jesus: the Holy Spirit and fire (11-12)
III. Baptism - John: Water -> Jesus: the Holy Spirit and fire (11-12)
John’s Baptism - > Got Questions: Purification ceremony, acknowledging need.
Baptism = immersion = fully taken into
“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. 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.”
We need to be inwardly taken into Christ - > He gives us the Holy Spirit, baptizes us with Him. -> The Holy Spirit is who makes us born again. reborn spiritually.
Born again
Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
You can not see the kingdom of God unless you are born again.
No amount of family status / church attendance / wealth will help you see the kingdom of God. None. Only being born again.
Come back to God, turn to Him. He is providing a way through His son to be saved from the judgement to come.
Key Points:
The message and call of the Kingdom is to repent -> Turn to God
2. All people need to repent, even the religious
3. No one can see the Kingdom
Tonight’s invitation is one of repentance. Turning back to God and laying our lives down at His feet. For His Kingdom.
Again if you have any questions, please talk to us. If you don’t feel comfortable coming up to us, please fill out a card from the back. Seriously.
We are going to end with a song called run - > one of repentance and committing to God, turning back to Him. Let this be our prayer tonight, we sing to King Jesus.
