Repent & Believe

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INTRO

Repent & Believe | Matt 3

A Message

A Ministry

A Meaning

Main Idea: Membership in the kingdom of heaven requires repenting of sin and trusting in the savior whom God has sent for sinners.

Jesus was baptized to make a public statement that His life is dedicated to God and his purposes.

This was the message of John this was the message of Jesus and this is the message of the Church.

Application Point: We must follow John’s preaching and Jesus’ practice.

MESSAGE

The Message of John

John out of nowhere

Jesus youth / Temple = Luke

Matt 3.1-2

In those days…

Mal 4.5-6

5 “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.”

John the Baptist

came PREACHING

Repent…

…The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand! = (KOH-32x)

Matt 3.3

Isa 40.3

All 4 Gospels have John…

Mark… V 1-4 = Jesus = Son of God

John appears… baptism of repentance = Isa 40.3

John… V 1-6 = Jesus = Divine = God in flesh - “light”

John = witness about the light

Luke… Whole 1st Chap… Birth of Jesus / John

Mal 4.5-6

5 “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.”

Lk 1.15-17 - Angel - Dad

15 for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, 17 and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”

Lk 1.76-77 - Dad - Zachariah… mute!

76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, 77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins,

The Voice of one crying in the wilderness

Prepare the way of the Lord

Make His paths straight

Matt 3.4

I know that your thinking… No John was not a “super model” = interesting cloths, diet plan???

Prophets clothes… Elijah

Mal 4.5-6

5 “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.”

2 King 1.8

8 They answered him, “He wore a garment of hair, with a belt of leather about his waist.” And he said, “It is Elijah the Tishbite.”

V5 = Jerusalem / Judea - All = went out to him...

Matt 11.7-15

7 As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. 9 What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is he of whom it is written, “ ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’ 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. 12 From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. 13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, 14 and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. 15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

Matt 17.11-15

11 He answered, “Elijah does come, and he will restore all things. 12 But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.

It’s almost like God was giving people a sign...

because he was

preaching boldly

living simply

acting righteously

Matt 3.5-6

Jerusalem / Judea = Jews

a prophet of old!!

a call to repentance!!

Baptism

Confession of Sin

First part of message (v2)

2nd part of message v7-12

Matt 3.7-8

But

Many - Pharisees & Sadducees… not friends

Pharisees = “separated” - God’s separated ones… studied the law carefully seeking to put every one into practice

Sadducees = saw themselves as the “high-priestly party” “true priests” - aristocratic (rich) political positions (Rome)

Coming to His baptism = not getting baptised

Political / Religions SHOW

2 Cor 7.10

10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.

Coming to His baptism = not getting baptised

Keeping with repentance = worthy

Matt 3.9

Do not Presume!! … Abraham

Jhn 8.39

39 They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works Abraham did,

Rom 9.6-8

6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, 7 and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” 8 This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.

Matt 3.10

Even now

The Axe is at the Root

not only the tree but the source of its nourishment...

Every tree / no fruit / cut & burned

fruit of the spirit

vine and the branches

Does John seem too stern? Jesus spoke with similar sternness; no gospel is needed if there is no judgment” (F. V. Filson).

Matt 3.11

2 Part Distinction...

He is Mightier!!

Baptism of Holy Spirit / Fire / Water

Acts 19.1-10

3 And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John’s baptism.” 4 And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.” 5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Sandals unfit to carry

Matt 3.12

Fire = not only judgement / purification

Dan 2.44

44 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,

Matt 3.2

Matt 3.8

Matt 3.10

Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand and bear fruit in keeping with repentance because 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.

D. A. Carson

Though the verb metanoeō is often explained etymologically as “to change one’s mind,” or popularly as “to be sorry for something,” neither rendering is adequate… What is meant is not a merely intellectual change of mind or mere grief, still less doing penance (cf. Notes), but a radical transformation of the entire person, a fundamental turnaround involving mind and action and including overtones of grief, which results in “fruit in keeping with repentance.”

Carson, D. A. “Matthew.” The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke. Edited by Frank E. Gaebelein. Vol. 8. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984.

2 Cor 7.10

10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.

The Message of John

John was baptizing people who were confessing their sin but that alone would not be enough to save them… One greater then he was coming !!

The Ministry of Jesus

For ver. 13–17, see Mark 1:9–11; Luke 3:21, 22; [John 1:32–34]

Who He Is

Why He Came

What He Did

Matt 3.13

Galilee to the Jordan = 70 miles

to be baptized by him

Matt 3.14

would have prevented him

I need to be baptized by you… you come to me?

I need your spirit filled fire baptism, you don’t need my water one...

NEED not a want!

change of heart not ritual cleansing

Baptism = illustration / ordinance - communion… = picture of salvation

Ritual cleansing / conversion = odd for jews…

renounce self dependency

renounce personal righteousness

renounce worldly possession

rely on God alone

Paul = crucifixion and rebukes Jesus… get behind me Satan! = John - humble obedience!

Matt 3.15

Let it be so now

One day this will not be the way that it is

One day Jesus will command not receive baptism …

for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness

Jesus need not repent...

Jesus aware of his position...

Isa 53.12

12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

Heb 4.15

15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Matt 28.19

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Baptism is not something that man has made up; it's something that God has commanded, something He has called every follower of Christ to do, and something He has told us to do in all nations

Platt, David. Exalting Jesus in Matthew. Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2013.

Jesus fulfills righteousness in every area for those who believe in Him on their behalf

Then John consented…

how could he argue!!

Matt 3.16-17

Jesus was baptized

the heavens were opened to him

He saw the spirit of God descending on Him… to rest

Isa 61.1

1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

Isa 42.1

1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.

Look…A Voice

This is my beloved Son

With whom I am well pleased

The Presentation

The Son obeys

The Spirit anoints

The Father speaks

He is declaring in richly allusive words that this man who has just been baptized by John is his own Son in whom he delights. From this point on Matthew’s readers have no excuse for failing to understand the significance of Jesus’ ministry, however long it may take the actors in the story to reach the same christological conclusion.

France, R. T. The Gospel of Matthew. The New International Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publication Co., 2007.

The Ministry of Jesus

Jesus came to inaugurate the coming kingdom of heaven and fulfill all of God’s righteous requirements on your behalf…

CLOSE

The Meaning for You

Surender - Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand

Baptism is commanded

Baptism by practice

Baptism by education

Baptism by the Spirit

Serve = bear fruit in keeping with repentance

Repent & be baptized

Proclaim this gospel

Biblical knowledge does not save you, Jesus saves you. Your ancestry and family tree does not save you, Jesus saves you. Your own “righteous” deeds do not save you, Jesus saves you. Religion and religions tradition and practice does not save you, Jesus saves you!

Main Idea: Membership in the kingdom of heaven requires repenting of sin and trusting in the savior whom God has sent for sinners.

Jesus was baptized to make a public statement that His life is dedicated to God and his purposes.

This was the message of John this was the message of Jesus and this is the message of the Church.

Application Point: We must follow John’s preaching and Jesus’ practice.

The Meaning for You

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