Matthew 3:1-12 Wed Night
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Wednesday Night Teaching
1 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.’ ”
4 Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, 6 and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
7 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? 8 Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 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. 10 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.
11 “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. 12 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.”
Pray
Introduction -
Have you ever attempted to take wallpaper off the wall?
I’ve had great experiences and terrible.
If you prepare the wall properly then taking it down for the new paint is ok.
Without preparation it is a mess. It does not work.
Preparation is very important.
Today as we look at John the Baptist and Jesus we will see that John the Baptist is preparing the way for Jesus ministry.
John the Baptist is like the Opening band before the real band comes on stage.
John the Baptist is the one who transitions.
He is the last O.T. prophet and like a quarterback is handing off the ball to Jesus. When we watch football on T.V. after the hand off you don’t see the quarterback anymore. All focus is on the running back. In this case the running back is Jesus.
In our text today John the Baptist happily takes the focus off of self and points the crowds and his disciples to Jesus.
Context - vs. 1 “In those days” = Before the formal ministry of Jesus began. Jesus was about to appear, but His formal ministry had not started.
What was Jesus doing for 30 years?
We don’t know. If we were to speculate ...
He was experiencing life as an everyday common person.
Nazareth, poor, probably apprenticing under his father … most likely buried his father (before age 30). He did have younger brothers from Joseph and Mary.
When we get a glimpse of Jesus at the age of 12, when he was lost in Jerusalem, we find him at the Temple, listening, asking questions and giving answers. It would not be surprising if Jesus had a special role in the local Synagogue. (This is just a guess.) Jesus was working for a living, helping support a family, being tempted by everyday sin, struggling to make ends meet.
Transition
I. John the Baptist enters the picture (Matthew 3:1-6)
-Who is John?
A. Jesus’ cousin from Elizabeth and Zechariah, roughly 6 months older than Jesus.
B. A man of the wilderness, not a man of the city.
He wore camel hair, not fine linen. Shepherds would wear this. John the Baptist wore Carharts not Izod. John was an outdoor guy.
C. His message was that of repentance - Turn from your sin back to God, in heart, in action, in mind.
D. He was prophesied about ()
3 A voice cries:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
E.
-Baptism was common in Jesus time. Not all Baptism was spiritual.
F. People were confessing their sins.
II. What was John doing?
Baptizing with a baptism of repentance.
People were going out to Him and being Baptized.
-Baptism was somewhat common in Jesus time. Not all Baptism was spiritual.
-When someone was going to make a serious new commitment or join a sect. They might be baptized.
-Rebirth or change.
John’s Message -
vs. 2 “Repent for God’s Kingdom is here.”
Mark and Luke say this is a “Repentance for the forgiveness of sin”. We see how closely tied salvation and repentance are,
Call of the people of Israel back to God.
Had the people been involved in Idolatry like in much of Israels past? No
Individually the nation had wandered.
Here is the beauty, God was at work.
People were confessing their sins.
-It seems like public confession.
-God is doing something. God is at work.
Question - If a group of people in Louisville were confessing their sins and following God, what would be our response?
-That God was up to something.
-Conviction and changed lives were taking place.
What is John doing?
John is preaching repentance and Baptizing.
III. John’s Warning (Vs. 7-10)
vs. 7-8, No lip service.
7 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? 8 Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.
Matthew
We see the boldness of a prophet by his fearlessness
-John is not afraid to confront the religious leaders.
-John is not afraid to confront the religious leaders.
When he calls them the offspring of a viper. He is pointing out how evil they are.
With this evil comes judgement - vs. 7 “Wrath to come”
The word “wrath” is used 36 times in the N.T. In almost ever instance it is talking about the judgement of God.
Transition - John the Baptist continues in his warning
9 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.
-John is not afraid to confront the religious leaders.
The insult “brood of vipors” is a juxtaposition to their claim that Abraham is their father.
Religious Leaders are saying, We are the holy ones.
Jesus is saying, you are more like the Devil.
Here is the great challenge if this passage to everyone in this room.
Application question - Are you trusting in some kind of religious or spiritual history to be right with God or are you in repentance right now?
Unpack - Everyone in this room has a longer spiritual history than I do.
We can mistakenly rely on our past experiences or past actions to fool ourselves - I am saved. I am safe from God’s judgment.
I am safe from God’s judgment.
-This is what the religious leaders did.
-I have followed the law to the closest detail.
-I memorized the first 5 books.
-
-I have a spiritual heritage.
-They were very sincere.
John says, Don’t lean on your past. Look at the present.
Are you in a continual process of heart transformation that bears fruit in your actions?
Is there a progressive sanctification in your life?
-You will still have bumpy spiritual seasons.
Are you making efforts to grow spiritually?
Are you checking your heart for tenderness, humility and teachability.
Here is the warning to the religious -
Mattew 3:10
10 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.
This is a picture of judgement and hell.
Religion is what man does.
Transformation is what God does.
Am I trying in my own strength or am I trusting in what God has done for me?
So fare we’ve answered the question:
-Who is John
-What was John doing.
-We’ve gotten John’s warning
Transition - Then the text answers to the question
IV. Who is Jesus?
To give context - we answer the question, Who was John.
11 Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
So, every person after Adam and Eve is in the shadow of John the Baptist (Abraham, Moses, David, Elijah, Daniel…)
11 “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.
Matthew 3:11
John says, Jesus is so far above me … I’m not worthy to carry his shoes. Remember that feet and sandals in Bible times walked on road that did not drain well and that were shared with animals. They were sloppy with a lot of organic matter in them.
The greatest man - was unworthy to touch Jesus shoes.
A. Jesus is so much more worthy than the greatest human.
A. Jesus is so much more worthy than the greatest human.
Why? Who was Jesus? Jesus was 100% God and 100% human.
Sinless God man.
B. Jesus Baptizes:
The Holy Spirit - God gifts you with Himself at salvation.
4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
2. Baptism of Fire - This is a baptism of trials (persecution, discipline).
This is a different fire.
A. He separates.John says of Jesus this.
Illustration - Crucible, impure gold goes into the crucible, the blast furnace is turned up, the gold melts, impurity rises to the surface, the slag is skimmed and skimmed until the refiner can see the reflection of his face.
3. Jesus separates. John says of Jesus this.
John says of Jesus this.
12 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.”
Example - One of the first tasks in play for a child is separation.
John 10:
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
Example - One of the first tasks in play for a child is separation.
Blue blocks here, red blocks there.
Matthew 25:31-33
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.
We see further separation in .
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
4. He saves
4. He saves
12 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 have already spoken about the fire of judgement.
Look what He does with the wheat - gathers into His barn.
He holds onto it and makes it His.
This is our hope tonight.
When Jesus returns - He will have wheat.
If you are a Christ follower - you are His wheat and you will be saved.
We will be saved, when we have followed Jesus in repentance.
8 Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.
-
Don’t say you follow God, show a transformed heart.