Matthew Chapter 3
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Matthew Chapter 3 (John the Baptist)
Matthew Chapter 3 (John the Baptist)
Intro:
We studied in the last chapter, Matthew Chapter 2, Christ being born, and the wise men coming to meet him, and how king Herod naturally was angry because they were referring to Christ as king of the Jews,
James went over how the star appeared and God divinely guiding them on the right path at the right times to Christ.
Here in Chapter 3 were going to pickup at John the Baptist.
In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
Who was John the Baptist?
John the Baptist came both from his mother and fathers side of a priestly background.
Zacharias was his father who was also a priest
and his mother was Elizabeth, who was the daughters of Aaron.
And we can document this in Luke chapter 1
Flip with me to Luke chapter 1, we are going to look at a couple of things here.
Starting at verse 5
There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.
King Herod, we learned about last chapter.
And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.
So Zacharias, and Elisabeth were strict followers of God, but yet they were barren, did not have any children,
and now were getting on up in their age.
We saw back in Genesis, that Abraham and Sarah were on up in age before they had Isaac, who carried on the covenant from God.
Fast forward to verse 15
Zacharias, and Elizabeth are both on up in age, without children, lets see what takes place.
But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.
For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb.
I don't want to get too in depth because we are going to get to Luke eventually, but to sum up the context here,
Zacharias and Elisabeth are wanting children, and because they are getting on up in age, Zacharias starts getting dishearted somewhat,
God sends an angel, a messenger, like we have seen him due throughout our Sunday, and Thursday studies, in order to bring peace and instruction unto the ones that are being used in HIS plan.
And exactly what it says here,
The messenger of God or angel, is telling Zacharias, “ fear not,God hears your prayer, y'all will bear a son, and call him John, and he will be righteous and filled with the Holy Ghost, even from the womb.”
This is showing us and Zacharias, that his son John will be apart of God’s divine plan taking place.
And we are going to see in this Chapter, that John the Baptist, and Jesus Christ interact and know each other.
Re read verses 1,2
I just wanted us to have a foundation on who exactly John the Baptist was and how he came about.
And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
John is out in the wilderness preaching,
Keep in mind, peasants, thieves, even religious ascetics would often dwell in the wilderness.
John is telling these types of people, “ turn away from sin, and toward God, the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
These are people who most religious leaders would not witness too. Kinda the same way we have today alot of times.
I think what John is preaching about here, ties back to what James hit on last lesson.
About the first question of the Old testament shows Man separating themselves from God,
To the first question of the New testament showing man SEEKING God.
John preaching to the people in the wilderness, to turn away from the sin of man, and towards God.
Remember, what we read in Luke a second ago, John was a man of God, he was filled with the Holy Spirit even in his mothers womb,
He is a great biblical role model to look up to.
For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
Esaias is just the Greek translation for Isaiah,
Matthew is referencing old testament prophecy being yet again fulfilled.
Lets take a look at Isaiah 40:3 here, I'll pull up a slide.
The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord,Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Isaiah is prophesying here, that God will lead a messenger through the wilderness, to prepare the way of the Lord.
He is talking about John here. John was filled with the Holy Spirit since conception, God sent his angel to clarify this with Zacharias, Johns father.
John is going to be the one to fulfill this prophecy.
The point of this, yet again, Old testament, divine prophecy, being fulfilled, God’s plan unfolding.
Matthew documents this, to show us that this is all apart of God’s plan, referring us back to the book of Isaiah.
And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.
At first you may thing “ew he ate locusts” but they were actually common in the middle east, and also.
Leviticus 11 20-23 specifies that there are 4 varieties that are clean to eat.
If you want to make a note and read through it.
Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,
Lets take a look at a map here.
The Jordan river is this river that flows between the dead sea, and the sea of Galilee.
and notice it says here, “all the region about Jordan”
Just to get a perspective here,
John was wearing clothes of camel hair, and leather, living off the land throughout this region in the wilderness,
People were gathering to him from all around this region to hear him preach the word of God, and him to baptize them.
which is what we see next in verse 6
Again, showing the prophecy from Isaiah being fulfilled here.
John the Baptist, preparing the way for Christ to lead His people away from sin.
Preparing and helping spread the gospel of repentance.
And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.
John would baptize people in the Jordan river.
The Jordan River was significant because it was the border that Israel crossed to enter into the promised land.
Hear, O Israel: Thou art to pass over Jordan this day, to go in to possess nations greater and mightier than thyself, cities great and fenced up to heaven,
The Jordan river can be used for that symbol of crossing the border.
Giving up the ways of ourselves and mans traditions, in order to inherit what God has in store for us and His Plan for us, which is greater and mightier than anything we could try to do for ourselves.
That representation of Baptism,
A lot of people believe that you cant enter the kingdom of heaven without being baptized.
That is NOT true.
Baptism, which we will see in a minute that even Jesus was baptized,
Baptism is that physical representation used to show our sins being washed away.
The representation of what Christs blood did for our souls.
John is using baptism here to represent that spiritual cleansing and what is being used as preparation for the coming of Christ.
Baptism is a beautiful thing to do, but it is to represent the spiritual cleansing we get from Christ
It is not barrier for salvation.
Christ is the barrier for salvation.
Christ is ONLY way to cross over the Jordan river like we see here in Deuteronomy 9:1
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
He being John the Baptist,
We see a lot of times the Pharisees and Sadducees being mention together, but they were actually two different groups and more so rivals.
Who were the Pharasees and Sadducees?
The Pharasees were a religious party among the Jews during the time of Christ,
They were basically free thinkers, even though they were sort of founded and based on the written laws AND oral laws of the Old testament, they took it and ran with it, they focused so much on traditions and rituals, they ended up losing complete site of the law.
Long story short, they let there own traditions take over more so then God’s commandments.
They were blinded by worrying more on practicing and forcing the laws onto others, than what the laws were even meant for.
The Pharasees are actually the foundation for modern Rabbinic Judaism
The Sadducees were also a religious party among the Jews during the time of Christ,
Sadducees were your more wealthy, priests who held political power, they only excepted the written Law. They focused solely on the Torah which is the First 5 books of the Bible.
The main thing with them, was they did not believe in the afterlife, and they denied the existence of angels.
John is comparing these parties to the descendants of vipers.
Again, evidence of the serpents seed, John is referencing what we studied in Genesis 3:15
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
God putting enmity between the serpent seed and woman's seed.
John is calling them descendants of the serpent, descendants of the corrupt bloodline.
John is ironically asking them “who told you about what is to come”
He knows their belief and that it doesn't support the gospel that John is preaching.
But take a look at what he says next.
Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:
Even though these parties were both out their living mans traditions, following mans commandments,
John tells them to bring forth righteous fruits.
And not literally “bring forth the shiniest apples you can find”,
John is saying “ bring forth the righteous works for God, to show and work towards repentance.”
And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
Bullinger makes a note in the companion Bible over that phrase “think not to say within yourselves” explaining that this phrase is John saying “Dont let your opinions over rule you,”
Dont fall into your own self will, God is the way of salvation.
And keep in mind, The Pharisees and Sadducees came to John, obviously in search of something.
Two rival parties, both coming to hear Johns preaching that contradicted their practices.
And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
John is illustrating to them judgement, “the axe is laid unto the root of the trees”
Once again going back to Genesis,
Trees are often used as metaphors for people.
Who is the tree of life? Christ
Who is the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? Satan
John is telling them, through the judgement of the Almighty,
the trees or people that DO NOT bring forth good fruit or in other words, Good works of Christ, are cast down into the fire.
I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
He is baptizing them in water as representation as their past sin being washed away,
But John is making great notice to them, that CHRIST which comes after him, is mightier and will baptize their spirit and consume them in His fire.
Christ is a consuming fire.
For our God is a consuming fire.
This is a description of the power of God and Christ who is God in the flesh, and their ability to purify us and our spirit and extinguish our sin.
Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
James did a perfect explanation of this same example a while back.
Everyone remembers the winnowing fan,
The wheat and chaff are scooped up together, and the fan blows away chaff, and it says here “the chaff will burn up with unquenchable fire”
The chaff will be done away with.
So the whole time John is baptizing these people, these parties that fell to corruption,
He is constantly preaching to them and explaining the significance and severity of what they are practicing.
Explaining what this represents and why.
The word baptize means,
The word baptism derives from the Greek work bapto
in the Strongs concordance it is G911
which means to cover wholly with fluid.
Again just to re illustrate, baptism, is a practice to REPRESENT Christ baptizing our spirit with the Holy Ghost.
It is a representation of Christ washing away our sins.
Leaving them in the past.
But just because we get baptized DOES NOT mean we are free from sin.
Baptism can be that physical turning point for our lives.
And John gives the Pharisees and Sadducees a great gospel here over this.
Baptism is not the key to eternal salvation, Christ is the ONLY key to eternal salvation.
But through faith and works through Christ is our duty from hear on out. Witnessing to others and spreading the Gospel of Jesus. Just like we see John doing.
In other words, Christ is the key to the door, faith and works for Christ is what keeps us on the road that leads to the door. The door being eternal life with Him. With our creator.
We end with the baptism and preaching to the Pharisees and Sadducee's, but now take a look at verse 13
Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.
Christ coming unto the wilderness of Jordan to meet John the Baptist.
In order for John to baptize him.
This is the first recorded encounter of John and Jesus
But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
If this is the first recorded encounter, why does John forbid him to need baptism from him?
Remember we learned earlier in this chapter that John was chosen by God even in his mothers womb. God had a plan for him. He even sends an angel to explain to his father of his sons importance.
John clearly recognized who this man is. He recognized that this is Christ our Messiah.
And even though John turns him down, knowing that his is Christ, Matthew is explaining to us that John feels a sense of inferiority, showing us that John does not let his pride take over, even though he is a man of God, He puts himself under Christ.
John saying at the end of this verse to Jesus, “you should be baptizing me not the other way around, Why have you come to me?”
He shows how he feels unworthy to baptize Christ.
Lets see Christs response here.
And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.
Jesus tells John, “I know you feel unworthy to baptize me, but you have been called to do so in order to fulfill all rightouesness.”
And where it says “then he suffered him” just is saying how John baptized Christ, even though he felt uncomfortable and unworthy to do so
I want us to pause and really focus on these last two verses. A lot of people believe the Bible contradicts itself as to “why does Christ get baptized if he has no sin to repent from?”
And it was strictly for this very reason right here. lets read
And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Jesus is submerged in the Jordan river, and when he comes up out of the water, divine signs immediately take place. God’s voice speaks explaining who this man is for all who are around to witness, and the Spirit of God descends like a dove, landing on Christ.
Jesus was baptized not because he needed to repent from his sin,
But to show the others around that HE WAS THE MESSIAH,
they one who would baptize their soul in the Spirit of the Lord.
Remember all these different types of people were coming unto John to hear him preach the word,
There was a big variety of people gathered around when this took place.
These people from all over witnessed this all take place when Christ was baptized.
So what can we take away from the story of John and Christ?
All souls are created and put here on Earth from God.
Even as children we are put here to perform our works unto Christ and practice our faith to shed his light onto others,
Using John here as a great example for our own lives,
Imagine, this man was living in the wilderness eating locusts and honey,
Wearing camel hair and leather clothing walking around preaching God’s word and Christ to come,
Looking at this from afar, John could easily be seen as the crazy loony guy wondering in the wilderness,
But instead, All these people from all different classes, all different areas and practices, they were drawn to John to hear his gospel,
To hear him preach,
Why?
Because he was preaching the true Gospel, the word of God, and the prophecy from Isaiah being fulfilled,
In life practicing our faith, we may seem to feel sometimes like the crazy loony guy wondering in the wilderness,
But when we take, and study the TRUE word of God, and live and let His word guide us, People will be attracted to the TRUTH,
We see at this day in time, all these celebrities and people from all over the world coming to Christ, and why?
The people of the world are starting to get sick and tired of the traditions of men and are seeking knowledge and truth,
Which is the word of God,
There is a great spiritual awakening happening in the world right now, even though the news and the higher powers of darkness are trying to hide it, people are being drawn to the truth,
And all of us “wilderness
Matthew Chapter 3 (John the Baptist)
Matthew Chapter 3 (John the Baptist)
