Gospel of Matthew Chapter 3 Vs. 1

 

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

Matthew 3:1 “In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea,”

John the Baptist... Son of Zacharias and Elizabeth (Luke 1:5-20, 1:39-80).

Baptist... Literally, baptizer (John 1:31).

preaching in the... Preaching is a part of prophecy (1Cor. 14:3). John was the greatest of prophets in this respect (Mat. 11:9-11). He also foretold certain events (Mat. 3:2-3, 3:11-12; John 1:29-33; 3:30).

John Preached Thirty Doctrines:

1. Repentance (Mat. 3:2-8; Mark 1:4)

2. Kingdom of heaven at hand (Mat. 3:2)

3. Prophecy (Mat. 3:3-12; John 1:15-34)

4. Water baptism (Mat. 3:11; John 1:31)

5. Restitution (Mat. 3:8; Luke 3:8)

6. Godliness (Mat. 3:3-10; 14:4)

7. Wrath to come (Mat. 3:7; Luke 3:1-38)

8. Against pride (Mat. 3:9; Luke 3:7)

9. Miracles (Mat. 3:9; Luke 3:8)

10. Heaven and hell (Mat. 3:10-12; Luke 3:1-38)

11. Spirit baptism (Mat. 3:11; John 1:33)

12. First coming of Christ (Mat. 3:11; John 1:29)

13. Second coming of Christ (Mat. 3:12; Luke 3:17)

14. Judgment on sin (Mat. 3:10; Luke 3:1-38)

15. Salvation (Luke 3:6; John 1:29)

16. Love to others (Luke 3:11)

17. Honesty in business (Luke 3:13)

18. Absolute justice (Luke 3:14)

19. Jesus, God’s Lamb (John 1:29)

20. Jesus, the Spirit Baptizer (Mat. 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33)

21. Jesus, God’s Son (John 1:34)

22. Jesus, the sin-bearer (John 1:29)

23. Unworthiness of man (John 1:27)

24. Jesus, the bridegroom (John 3:29)

25. Greatness of Jesus (John 3:30)

26. Jesus, from heaven (John 3:31-36)

27. Rejection of Jesus (John 3:32)

28. Jesus, the truth (John 3:30-36)

29. Jesus, the Anointed (John 3:34)

30. Jesus, God’s heir (John 3:35)

The forerunner of Christ was “John the Baptist.” He was the son of Zechariah and Elisabeth, and a cousin of the Lord (Luke 1:5-80). His birth was accompanied by the promise “He shall be great in the sight of the Lord … and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost” (Luke 1:15).

Jesus said of him that there was none “greater than John” (Mat. 11:11), during the Old Testament dispensation. This would imply that John the Baptist was the epitome of the message of the Old Testament itself. Matthew’s reference to John the Baptist assumes that his readers were familiar with him.

John is presented as the prophet sent in the spirit of Elijah “before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord” (Mal. 4:5). His appearance and dynamic preaching certainly depict him in the life-style of Israel’s ancient prophet. Jesus would later say of him, “I say unto you, that Elijah is come already” (Mat. 17:12).

The name “John” means the Lord is gracious. What a wonderful name for someone who would proclaim the arrival of the King of Grace (Jesus the Christ). The rest of his name, the Baptist, just meant that he was the baptizer.

Israelites had practiced a form of baptism for years. It was used as a symbol of being purified from sin by older customs. The washings in the Temple really were a form of baptism.

John also, was teaching in a different way. He was not in the temple, but wherever there were people and water to baptize those people in. That was where he preached. He preached mostly in an area near Jericho and near the Jordan River.

This “wilderness” did not mean an area heavily wooded, or like the jungles. It just meant it was out of the populated areas. It, also, meant that he was out where the ordinary people were. The region was to the immediate West of the Dead Sea, an utterly barren desert.

The Jewish sect of the Essenes had significant communities in this region. But there is no biblical evidence to suggest that John was in any way connected with that sect. John seems to have preached near the northern end of this region, close by where the Jordan flows into the Dead Sea (verse 6).

This was a full day’s journey from Jerusalem and seems an odd location to announce the arrival of a king. But it is perfectly in keeping with God’s ways (1 Cor. 1:26-29).

Presentation by an ambassador

In Matthew’s story of the Messiah-King, he skipped the next 30 years or so of Jesus’ life. Matthew picked up the story with the introductory ministry of John the Baptist, the “ambassador” of the King. In the Scriptures several men were named John, but only one had the distinguishing name John the Baptist, that is, the Baptizer. While self- imposed proselyte baptism was known to the Jews, John’s baptism was unusual for he was the first person who came baptizing others.