Manger Things: The Kingdom of Heaven is Near

MANGER THINGS: THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS NEAR

Sunday Scripture Reading: Matthew 3:1–12

Matthew 3:1–12 (KJV 1900)

1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, 2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 3 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. 4 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. 5 Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan, 6 And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins. 7 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? 8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: 9 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. 10 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. 11 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: 12 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.

Introduction

The wilderness seems like an odd place for a new beginning. We don’t always think of large desert areas as being a place for new things to begin or grow—yet that is what we see here in the text. In the midst of the wilderness, something new is happening. We’ve seen it throughout the story of Scripture...

Moses receiving a call from God in the wilderness;

the people of God being delivered from Pharaoh’s hand and continually being provided for in the wilderness;

the forty days of Jesus in the wilderness (though that story happens after today’s).

Jesus’ ministry begins with his baptism, a passing through the waters, reminiscent of the Red Sea

After all, Paul, likely reflecting first century A.D. Jewish theological ideas, speaks of the Israelites’ crossing of the sea as their baptism:

(1 Cor 10:1–3).

I don’t want you to forget, dear brothers and sisters, about our ancestors in the wilderness long ago. All of them were guided by a cloud that moved ahead of them, and all of them walked through the sea on dry ground. In the cloud and in the sea, all of them were baptized as followers of Moses.

JESUS TEMPTATIONS

The connection between Jesus’ baptism and the crossing of the sea is accentuated by the fact that the former is followed by 40 days and 40 nights in the wilderness, just as Israel spent 40 years in the wilderness.

The connection between the 40 years and the 40 days and nights in the wilderness goes much deeper than a mere number. The temptations that Jesus experienced in the wilderness are the same as those of Israel. The difference between the two is that Jesus was obedient where Israel was disobedient.

First temptation.

Jesus had been fasting for many days and certainly was famished. The devil advises him to turn the stones into loaves of bread but Jesus refuses, citing Deuteronomy 8:3: “People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” The significance of the citation from Deuteronomy is that this Old Testament book contains Moses’ final sermon to the Israelites, exhorting the second generation about to enter the Promised Land not to disobey as their fathers had disobeyed in the wilderness. Jesus is the obedient son of God in contrast to Israel, God’s disobedient sons.

Second temptation.

The devil now takes Jesus to the highest point of the temple and tells him to throw himself off. God will show his love and care for him by sending angels to catch him. Again, Jesus responds by citing Deuteronomy: “You must not test the LORD your God” (Deut 6:16). Jesus’ obedience again contrasts with the disobedience of Israel in the wilderness where they constantly tested God.

Third temptation.

Finally the devil tells Jesus to bend the knee to him and in return he will give Jesus all the kingdoms of the world. The Israelites had bent the knee to a false god, the Golden Calf (Ex 32), but Jesus refuses and for a final time cites Deuteronomy: “You must worship the LORD your God and serve only him” (Deut 6:13).

Throughout the Scriptures God’s hand and provision have been present even in the harshest places, the most barren lands. In church history, we see mothers and fathers who intentionally travel to places of wilderness to deepen their faith with God; mystics who meditate, pray, and write, who call the church to be who we are supposed to be.

Even Mother Teresa was said to go through a dry season where she didn’t hear from God for a period of fifty years!

While most of us spend time avoiding wilderness places and spaces in our hearts and lives, it appears that, while seemingly barren, these are the very grounds on which God chooses to birth new life.

Here in today’s text, we are again in a wilderness. We are not in a synagogue, not in a temple, not in a city—but at the edge of a river in a barren land. As someone with wild hair and crazy clothes cries out, “Something new is happening. Someone is coming. Repent! Be ready! Be ready for this new thing that God is doing!”

1. The New Exodus

a. This passage has sometimes been referred to as ushering in the new exodus.

b. It takes place in the wilderness.

i. We know that the wilderness was a big image in the exodus.

ii. Moses was called in the wilderness.

iii. The people wandered in the wilderness for forty years.

iv. There is a connection between the forty years of wilderness wandering and the forty days Jesus spent in the wilderness, which occurs shortly after today’s text.

c. Moving into a new place, away from the old.

i. The reference to Pharisees and Sadducees could be seen as criticism of thinking they had all their theology correct. It could also be seen as a call for change that needs to happen because of what’s coming.

ii. The reference to Abraham and creating children from stones is directly stating that God can make new children if God wants.

iii. While the children of Israel were the chosen ones before, God is creating a new people.

d. This new exodus is to be led by the Messiah.

i. The baptism shows a passage through the new Red Sea.

ii. Through the journey they will be formed into the new people of God, following the Messiah.

2. John the Baptist, the new Elijah

a. The reference to John the Baptist’s clothes is to connect him to Elijah, the Old Testament prophet (2 Kings 1:8).

b. Later in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus directly refers to John as Elijah (11:10, 14; 17:11–13).

c. While we often mistakenly place “fortune teller” on the backs of prophets, what they really are is truth tellers. They see the world for what it is and reveal what is wrong. John reveals several issues here for the people to confront.

i. The attitude that what they do doesn’t matter because they are the children of Abraham.

1. He makes it clear that God can create children from whatever and whomever he wants.

2. Lineage is not what saves us; repentance and grace are.

ii. The kingdom of heaven is near, literally; repentance is needed

1. Repentance doesn’t just mean to seek forgiveness; it means a completely new way of thinking.

2. People entangled in the idea that law, theology, and lineage save them are going to need new eyes to see the new way Jesus offers.

3. Bear the fruit of repentance. It isn’t enough to give lip service to this baptism and this new way; it must be embodied in the way we live as God’s people.

4. There will be a division of people: those who repent and follow (the wheat) and those who don’t (the chaff).

d. John the Baptist is revealing a new way of living as he points toward Jesus, preparing a path for him.

3. Entering into Our Own Wilderness

a. Advent is a time for us to enter our own wilderness places—the places we avoid or don’t want to confront—and cultivate and look for new growth.

b. Just as a new thing was happening in the wilderness of our text, new things are also happening around us and in us, if we look.

c. The first step is repentance, seeing with new eyes.