Matthew 3
Notes
Transcript
Matthew 3
I. JOHN MINISTERS TO THE MULTITUDES (3:1-12)
There was a wide message that was preached. A wide net was thrown. This net was for everyone.
A. What John preaches (3:1-4)
His message (3:1-3)
a. As proclaimed (3:1-2): "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand."
John’s message is going to both the religious and the non-religious, Jews and gentiles. Those serious about the God of the Old Testament and those who are unsure about the Roman god’s of the pantheon.
-This is a wide message.
-The reason that I bring this up is that one of the groups John is preaching to is the spiritually serious. The spiritually committed.
-We tend to think that the message of repentance is just for the non-religious, that person who is not serious about spiritual things, that person who is lost.
This message did not come from a spontaneous act of God or a spontaneous decision from John.
b. 700 years earlier, As predicted (vs. 3:3): Isaiah the prophet foretold John's ministry and message some 700 years earlier (Isa. 40:3).
Malachi 3:1
His clothes (3:4): He wears a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt, and he eats locusts
and wild honey.
B. To whom John preaches (3:5-10)
To the people of Israel (3:5-6): Look in verse 5-6 at how many came out to hear John. Many all over the area.
The walk from Jerusalem to the Jordan was about as far a walk from Louisville to Augusta.
Jerusalem 2,500 feet above sea level
Jordan river about 1,200 feet below sea level.
3,700 feet decline and then walk back up.
-For some, The Religious leaders who had to give a report and those who sincerely wanted to hear John’s message, it was a sacrifice to come here him.
-Be reminded that between the last prophet and John the Baptist had been 400 years of silence.
-People were desperate to hear a message from God, especially during Roman occupancy.
The Baptism - The greek root word for baptism means to dip or immerse. So, John the Baptist was immersing in the Jordan.
This Baptism was not an identification with Christ, who was not yet the REALIZED Savior, but a Baptism of showing that you were a new person. You made a decision to repent to leave your sin.
This was not a repentance to religiousness. This was a repentance to trust that what God said is true and that he is the king of your life.
(Transition - And John is not afraid to confront the religious leaders.)
John’s confrontation with the religious leaders. Read 3:7-10
a. John's description of these wicked men (3:7): He refers to them as a brood of vipers!
What do vipers do? Strike, hurt and kill. Who were they manipulating? The jewish commoner, as they added rules to scripture.
As conservatives, we get in a boil when someone takes away from scripture, ignores scripture or interprets it in a way it wasn’t intended.
-But the Pharisees weren’t theological liberals.
-However, they perverted the scripture by adding to it.
-Liberals pervert by taking from it.
-Conservative pervert it by adding to it.
What does John the Baptist tell these conservative religious people to do?
John tells the church people to repent.
Repent. Turn from their sin. Not just be baptized. Not just say they are turning from their sin, but bare fruit. Show it, give evidence.
Isn’t this fruit of change such a key part of our faith journey.
Isn’t changing and growing in our life to follow God at the center of a transformed life?
Are you transformed?
Do you live a life or repentance?
Are you growing spiritually?
Have you allowed yourself to live by the church rules and not live by Christ?
be destroyed. (Wrath - the judgement of God)
-John attacks their theological error.
-There is a lie the religious leaders believe
-I am saved by my heritage, I am saved by my good works.
“Not by works of righteousness that we have done, but according to His mercy he saved us.”
What is the consequence of not bearing good fruit?
vs. 10-12, “The axe is at the foot of the tree.”
The tree is the unrepentant person. The axe is the judgement of God. The fire is eternal condemnation in hell.
Transition - John goes from ministering to the people to ministering to the Messiah.
Read John 13-15
II. JOHN MINISTERS TO THE MESSIAH (3:13-17)
A. The agreement by the Baptist (3:13-15)
John's objection (3:13-14): John at first refuses Christ's request to be baptized, feeling he is unworthy to do so.
-John knows that this is Lamb of God.
-John knows that this is the Son of God.
-The sinless one.
-John is unworthy to touch the sandals of Jesus.
-Someone has to. And everyone is unworthy.
John's obedience (3:15): After the second request he baptizes the Savior.
B. The anointing by the Spirit (3:16):
The Holy Spirit descends like a dove upon Jesus.
The one who would baptise others with The Spirit, would first be anointed with The Spirit.
The Spirit of God rests on Jesus.
Not only is this evidence of Jesus approval.
His first miracles happen after this.
This is a turning point in His ministry.
Isaiah 42:1
The Spirit of God will go ahead and play and important roll in Jesus life.
-If Spirit of God plays an important roll in Jesus life,
C. The approval by the Father (3:17): A voice from heaven says, "This is my beloved Son, and I am fully pleased with him."
-We see not only the approval of the Father.
-We have a divine revelation of who Jesus was.
-He was the Son of God.
Here the Trinity is manifest together.
The Father, Son, and Spirit clearly seen.
While they are individually, they are one together.
The Son has given his life for your Salvation, The Spirit has been given to you for your Sanctification, and you give yourself to the Father for HIS glorification.