Matthew 3:1-12 - Get ready, someone greater is coming!

theological

Here's the latest in the Matthew studies I've been working through in the mornings for the last few days. The first thread is here, and the last thread is here.

Today we're looking at Matthew 3:1-12:

Matthew 3:1-12 wrote:

3 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 round 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.”

There's a few things that struck out to me when I was reading this:

John the Baptist prepares the people with a simple message:
The simple message is in verse 2, repent for God's kingdom is coming.

The quote is from Isaiah 40:3 which says that a messenger will be crying out in the wilderness to prepare the way of the Lord. Repenting means basically turning around and saying no to sin and accepting that we are turning to follow God. John's role is of huge importance, it means that He is preparing the way for God to come. The one who is coming is God Himself. The people need to repent because they need to get ready for the one who is coming.

There's more Biblical allusions going on in this passage. We're told in verse 4 that John wore camel hair and a belt around his waist and he ate locusts and honey. This is intentionally making John appear like Elijah in the Old Testament in 1 Kings. This might seem a bit odd until you look to Malachi 4:6 which says that Elijah will come before the day of the Lord. So John the Baptist is the Elijah who was to come and is preparing the way for God Himself.

We see that his message is well received because people are coming to him.

Your reputation won't save you:
We see the Pharisees and the Sadducees coming and we see John making a very strong point. He starts off by calling them a brood of vipers in verse 7. The key point here is that their reputation and standing within institutional Judaism doesn't matter. What matters is the fruit that comes from ones faith. Note not the works that we do in order to look faithful, but works that proceed from faith. John goes on to say I could make these stones even look like Orthodox Jews. For God nothing is impossible and he can see through every facade that we erect for appearances.

He continues the agricultural analogy with a strong warning. If there is no fruit on the tree God will still cut it down in judgement (verse 10). A farmer would be right to look through his field of fig trees for example and see that if there is no fruit the tree is useless.


Our response to the one who is coming matters:
John then points us to the one who is coming, who is far greater than John. His baptism is much better because it isn't simply a washing with water, but the Holy Spirit is given for renewal. I'm not 100% sure about the fire reference, but it could be in respect to purifying. One uses fire to refine gold. John's baptism can only be an outward symbol. Jesus' baptism is a baptism that offers a real chance for renewal and change with the Holy Spirit taking the lead.
Our response to His coming, is of paramount importance. Either he will gather the wheat in, or He will burn the chaff in judgement.

A few thoughts in response and prayers. It would be great to chat about the implications of these truths in the thread:
Father, please help us to prepare our hearts by repenting of our sins and turning to you daily. Help us to examine what could be holding us back.
Please forgive us when we justify ourselves according to our religious reputation and identity rather than simply relying on our faith with you.
Help us to be fruitful in our daily walk with you.
Help us to revere your Son and hold Him in His rightful place. Help us to respond rightly to Him.

antiskeptic

theological wrote: »

Here's the latest in the Matthew studies I've been working through in the mornings for the last few days. The first thread is here, and the last thread is here.

Today we're looking at Matthew 3:1-12:


There's a few things that struck out to me when I was reading this:

John the Baptist prepares the people with a simple message:
The simple message is in verse 2, repent for God's kingdom is coming.

The quote is from Isaiah 40:3 which says that a messenger will be crying out in the wilderness to prepare the way of the Lord. Repenting means basically turning around and saying no to sin and accepting that we are turning to follow God. John's role is of huge importance, it means that He is preparing the way for God to come. The one who is coming is God Himself. The people need to repent because they need to get ready for the one who is coming.

There's more Biblical allusions going on in this passage. We're told in verse 4 that John wore camel hair and a belt around his waist and he ate locusts and honey. This is intentionally making John appear like Elijah in the Old Testament in 1 Kings. This might seem a bit odd until you look to Malachi 4:6 which says that Elijah will come before the day of the Lord. So John the Baptist is the Elijah who was to come and is preparing the way for God Himself.

We see that his message is well received because people are coming to him.

Your reputation won't save you:
We see the Pharisees and the Sadducees coming and we see John making a very strong point. He starts off by calling them a brood of vipers in verse 7. The key point here is that their reputation and standing within institutional Judaism doesn't matter. What matters is the fruit that comes from ones faith. Note not the works that we do in order to look faithful, but works that proceed from faith. John goes on to say I could make these stones even look like Orthodox Jews. For God nothing is impossible and he can see through every facade that we erect for appearances.

He continues the agricultural analogy with a strong warning. If there is no fruit on the tree God will still cut it down in judgement (verse 10). A farmer would be right to look through his field of fig trees for example and see that if there is no fruit the tree is useless.


Our response to the one who is coming matters:
John then points us to the one who is coming, who is far greater than John. His baptism is much better because it isn't simply a washing with water, but the Holy Spirit is given for renewal. I'm not 100% sure about the fire reference, but it could be in respect to purifying. One uses fire to refine gold. John's baptism can only be an outward symbol. Jesus' baptism is a baptism that offers a real chance for renewal and change with the Holy Spirit taking the lead.
Our response to His coming, is of paramount importance. Either he will gather the wheat in, or He will burn the chaff in judgement.

A few thoughts in response and prayers. It would be great to chat about the implications of these truths in the thread:
Father, please help us to prepare our hearts by repenting of our sins and turning to you daily. Help us to examine what could be holding us back.
Please forgive us when we justify ourselves according to our religious reputation and identity rather than simply relying on our faith with you.
Help us to be fruitful in our daily walk with you.
Help us to revere your Son and hold Him in His rightful place. Help us to respond rightly to Him.

At root I think 'repentance' isn't much to do with turning away from sin towards God. To do that you would have to believe in God. Turn to something you don't believe in??

I think repentance is more turning away from your self directed life (which results in a consequence: sin).

And the turning away isn't so much something you chose to do (since man choosing is absent in scripture. Certainly the NT hasn't a single verse indicating unbelieving man choosing to turn to God).

Rather, the turning away and rejection of the self directed life (from whence sin) arises out of the numerous negative impacts the self-directed life brings with it. The addictions, the broken relationships, the empty, fleeting and futility-filled buzz you get from consumerism, the failure of godless philosophy to answer deepest questions and needs...

It's a long list.

When you run out of road with such things, you can come to a point where you either continue to bounce against a dead end: in agony, trying to extract peace, comfort, love, joy from something which you come, gradually and painfully to know, cannot provide it. An even wider TV screen? Or one whose resolution exceeds the ability of the human eye to discern any difference??

Or you face the fact and the truth and reject them.

Rejection of the self directed life, not by choice to reject, but by having partaken of the self directed life and finding it doesn't work (and really hasn't ever worked, except as a painkiller works: to mask the fact of a rotten tooth) is, as it happens, a rejection of the sin of Adam.

The decision to opt for the self-directed life was, after all, the Original Sin. Not what God says ought to be (cos he ought to know), but what I, who knows bugger all, reckoned works for me.

The stupidity!

Having rejected the self-directed life, the person has, in effect, surrendered their self-directed life. They have given up the battle against God as King.

And these people he saves. For that is his criterion for salvation. Repentance. Rejecting the self directed life. For he cannot force. Love cannot force. But he cannot work with a self-directed life. For it needs (like pride needs to be). King.

But only one King is fit and skilled and wise enough to be King. And clearly can't be us.


We repent, without freely choosing to do so. Rather, we can be forced to. By the truth of what we are and do. By our inability to solve our root problems.