Matthew 3

Repent, the Messiah has come

In chapter 3 we meet for the first time John the Baptist. His message was one of repentance. Turing from a life of sin to God in faith. Rejecting the way of sin for a new life of righteousness. John the Baptist was a simple man who wore camel’s hair and a leather belt. His diet was simple also, he ate wild honey and locust. John was an uncompromising man who honoured the promises of God. John is a prime example of a faithful man of God.

Standing for truth is worthy, above all things. The truth of God is not just worthy of living for but is worthy of dying for. John was a relative of Jesus, the pair were cousins. John preached in the wilderness most likely this was in the West Bank of the Jordan between Jericho and the Dead Sea. His style of proclaiming the message of repentance was not shy nor quiet, but bold and clear. He cried out the messages of turning from sin to God. Proclaiming the truth like a herald was necessary for John’s day and is much needed in the nations today.

Throughout the Gospels we read about the “Kingdom of God” and the “Kingdom of Heaven.” The Kingdom of Heaven which is peculiar to Matthew’s Gospel refers to the rule of God over the earth. The Kingdom of God refers to the Messianic Kingdom of Christ’s literal one thousand year reign on the earth. The Kingdom of Heaven will be fully realised in the future millennial kingdom as recorded in Daniel 2:34-36, 44-45 and covenanted to David (2 Sam. 7:12-16). 

Almost 30 years passed between the first and second chapters of St. Matthew’s Gospel.

Proclamation of the coming Messiah

He that was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah and the other prophets had finally come. Isaiah 40:3 declares, “The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God." The arrival of the Messiah was not how the people of Israel anticipated it. They were hoping for a military or political leader that would free them from the bondage and control of Roman rule. Instead, Christ came to free sinners from the bondage of sin and the control of sin. An acknowledgement and confession of sin are necessary for forgiveness and salvation.

The gift of forgiveness is not free. Christ purchased sinners with His blood. Christ paid the price of sin and took the punishment that our sins rightfully deserve. As a result of Christ’s blood sacrifice, men and women can be redeemed. This is a gift of God’s grace. The sinner does not earn salvation, nor work or contribute towards it. The giver of the gift, Jesus Christ grants this unmerited and unique reconciliation between God and man.

The Pharisees and Sadducees

In verse 7 we meet the Pharisees and Sadducees. The Pharisees were strict men who believed in the separation of Jews and Pagans. This key attribute is where the name Pharisee comes from. They believed in the resurrection of the dead and a future state of rewards and punishments. They believed in angels and spirits. They behaved as if their religious deeds and conduct were enough to justify themselves before God. This led them to the piety of hypocrisy. They appeared good and holy on the outward but inwardly were full of sin and all manner of evil. The Pharisees are a good example of someone who behaves holy in public, but in private indulges and enjoys sinfulness.

The Sadducees, on the other hand, rejected much of what the Pharisees professed. The word Sadducee means ‘partly of righteousness.’ They depend much on logic and the wisdom of man, rather than faith and trust in God. They did not believe that all of the Old Testament was the Word of God and rejected an affirmation of a bodily resurrection and eternal life. A rejection of demons and angels was also part of being a Sadducee. The Sadducees often attributed their values and beliefs to profit themselves. They were more concerned about their position than the truth of God. Compromising for earthy gain is what the Sadducees are best known for. The truth was not important to them. Their position within society was much more important to them.

John warns the religious elite to flee from the coming judgment and righteous wrath of God. John’s message has not changed and is important for the modern reader, just as it was when the message was firstly announced.

The Christian life is more than mere head knowledge of doctrine, facts, Scripture, and history. Words, deeds, and rituals do not make us Christians. Repentance is at the heart of the Gospel and repentance from the heart is the foundation of the Gospel. Do not think for a single moment that the family you were born into, the country you were born in, and the faith of your parents have anything to do with justifying yourself in the sight of God. None of these profits you, pardons you nor pronounces eternal life. The only way to enter the privilege of God’s eternal paradise is through the Lord Jesus Christ’s shed blood on the cross. Salvation is very personal indeed. Salvation consists in personal repentance, personal holiness, and a personal Saviour of sin.

The Fruitless Cast Down

John teaches that a sinner is baptised unto repentance by Christ, not with water, but with the Holy Spirit. John’s baptism is a sign that a sinner has asked for God’s forgiveness of sin. It is a public picture of the new life in Christ. The Holy Spirit has now come to dwell in the believer as a result of God’s grace and mercy to convict of sin and change the countenance of the redeemed. John baptises upon a profession of faith. John thought himself unworthy to baptise Christ, this was a great honour in the service of Christ.

The dove is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. In the Bible, a dove is used as a symbol of love, peace, and a messenger. The first reference to a dove is found in Genesis. 8:11. The doctrine of baptism was ordained by Christ. The mention of “with fire” may refer to the Day of Pentecost when the Spirit empowered the apostles with tongues of fire.

Those who are outside of God’s Kingdom will end in eternal torment with unquenchable fire. In verse 12 a fan is a type of pitchfork. The wheat is the useful part of the plant, and the chaff is the useless part. Due to the uselessness of the chaff it is cast into the fire and burnt. The picture here is of repentance. Those who have repented will be with God in His Kingdom. Those who have not turned to God will not be saved nor used for the good of the Kingdom of Heaven.

The closing verses of Matthew 3 are examples of the members of the Godhead working together. The trinity always works in perfect harmony. God, the Father speaks, God, the Son is baptised and God, the Holy Spirit descends.