Sermon Tone Analysis

John the Baptist

As we continue in our study of the Gospel according to Matthew the ex-tax collector we come to our focus today on the greatest Old Testament prophet, John the Baptist.

You might say hold on this is in the New Testament, true but he came in the pattern of the Old Testament prophet Elijah.

(ESV)”Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me.

And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts.

From that message for 400 years God had been silent.

There was not word from Him.

Then came John dressed and with the message of an Old Testament prophets.

(ESV) Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.

I.

The Ministry of John the Baptist.

Vs.1-3

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.’

” Jesus said in (ESV) For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until (and including)John,  We see the prophecy of John’s coming in .

I.

The Ministry of John the Baptist.

Vs.1-3

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.’

” Jesus said in (ESV) For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until (and including)John,  We see the prophecy of John’s coming in .

3 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;

A. The wilderness.

Vs.1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea,  You noticed that John came with his prophetic message in the desert wilderness not in Jerusalem the center of religion.

Not in the Temple the place where with God.

Just as God met with the Jews when He called them out of Egypt’s slavery to make them a nation.

This is not the place you would expect to call people to do business with God.

It would be at the Temple.

(ESV) For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.

9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

make his paths straight.’

” Jesus said in (ESV) For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until (and including)John,  We see the prophecy of John’s coming in

8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

B. Repent.

(ESV) “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Some view this as being sorry for what he or she did or didn’t do.

But this misses what the Bible means by repentance.

Often I have seen this as being sorry for being caught and facing the consequence for the wrong.

I saw that in the Arkansas Depart- ment of Correction when I was there as a chaplain.

It was very difficult to know whether there true repentance with an inmate when they were in the unite.

(ESV) The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

The best way was when they got out of the joint.

The biblical understanding of repentance means change, not just of mind as some have said, but change of every aspect ones life.

It is acknowledging that one has sinned against God and that person the sin was commited against then a life change.

It is the putting off the sinful behavior and putting on the behavior that God requires.

This Paul describes in .

The “put off and the put on.”

neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

(ESV) A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Matthew quotes this passage.

(ESV) “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.

6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”

9 The heart is deceitful above all things,

9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

.

C. The closeness of the kingdom of heaven.

Vs. 2for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

All the Old Testament prophets said that the kingdom of heaven was coming some day, but John said it was very near.

It is right your hand.

Matthew is the only gospel writer who uses this term.

He uses it 32 times.

The other writers use the term the kingdom of God.

There is basically no difference in the terms.

The kingdom of God emphasizes God’s sovereign rule while the kingdom of heaven emphasizes kingdom itself.

While this phrase is not found exactly it is an Old Testament concept.

(ESV) Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations.

[The Lord is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works.]

(ESV) The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord sits enthroned as king forever.

(ESV) King Nebuchadnezzar to all peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you! 2 It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me. 3 How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders!

His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion endures from generation to generation.

and desperately sick;

13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,

and your dominion endures throughout all generations.

and your dominion endures throughout all generations.

[The Lord is faithful in all his words

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

3 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and kind in all his works.]

(ESV)

4 King Nebuchadnezzar to all peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you! 2 It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me.

10 The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;

3 How great are his signs,

how mighty his wonders!

the Lord sits enthroned as king forever.

(ESV) King Nebuchadnezzar to all peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you! 2 It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me. 3 How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders!

His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion endures from generation to generation.

His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,

and his dominion endures from generation to generation.

II.

The Mission of John the Baptist.

(ESV) 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.’

” Isaiah clearly describes His mission.

It was heart focus.

The covenant people were not ready to receive Him and they needed to do some preparation.

There were obstacles in their heart that needed to be removed.

There is an urgency here for the people to receive their King.

(ESV) Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain.

5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together,for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”