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    ​Matthew 3:1-17  Lesson 4

    Read both the "King James Bible" and the "New Living Translation."

    In this lesson:
     
    Years have passed since chapter two. 
    In the last lesson Jesus was a boy, now He's ready to begin His ministry. 
     
    Starting with this lesson and running through verse 4:11 (lesson five),
    we see John the Baptist preparing the way for Jesus.           ​

    Jesus' baptism in the Jordan
    River     at the hand of John the Baptist.
    Study Tip:
     
    Ask yourself;
    What does each passage teach me?
    Does it have a commandment for me to follow?
    What difference could it make in my life?
    Who were the -
        
    Pharisees -
    Pharisee is a Hebrew word meaning "the separated ones."  The Pharisees were one of four Jewish religious sects, along with the Sadducees, Zealots, and Essenes.  They were a legalistic party of religious leaders who avoided everything that wasn't Jewish.  The Pharisees were a dominant force in Jewish society who strictly, but often hypocritically, followed the Law of Moses (the Torah) and the "tradition of the elders" (Matthew 15:2).  All religious ceremonies, prayers, and sacrifices were performed according to their decrees.  Pharisees believed in God, the authority of the Scriptures, the resurrection of the dead (Daniel 12:2), angels, and spirits (Acts 23:8).  But they placed their own rules above God's.  They continually added more and more burdensome dictates on their followers to the point where true faith was lost.  The Pharisees were good at spinning the truth and finding fault in others.  They anticipated the Messiah's arrival but expected him to be a great military/political leader.  They were so caught up in following the minute details of Jewish law that they didn't recognize Jesus as the Messiah they had been waiting on.  They refused to accept Jesus even though they knew He performed miracles" (John 11:47) and witnessed some firsthand (Matthew 12:9-14; 21:14-15; Mark 3:1-6; Luke 5:24-26; 6:6-11; Luke 14:2-4).  They fasted twice a week (Luke 18:10-12) and considered themselves more devout than other Jews.  Yet, few Pharisees were truly religious.  Jesus called them hypocrites on many occasions (Matthew 15:7-8; 22:18; 23:23-35; Luke 12:1).  Their jealousy, pride, and anger towards Jesus turned to hatred, and their hatred led them to call for the crucifixion of the Messiah they had been waiting on.  To rid themselves of Jesus, the anti-Roman Pharisees even "took counsel" with their bitter foes and pro-Roman Herodians (Mark 3:6).  In Jesus' time, there were approximately six thousand Pharisees in Palestine.
     
    Sadducees -
    One of four Jewish sects (along with the Pharisees, Zealots, and the Essenes).  Mostly well educated, upper class, and aristocratic, the Sadducees wielded considerable political power due to their wealth.  Although smaller in number than the Pharisees, they were more worldly and held a majority of the seats in the council of elders (the Sanhedrin).  The Sadducees only believed in the first five books of the Old Testament (the Pentateuch) and rejected the traditions of the Pharisees.  They mocked the Pharisees' burdensome rules.  Unlike the Pharisees, they believed that souls died with the
    person, and denied such things as the resurrection of the body (Matthew 22:23; Mark 12:18; Luke 20:27), eternal punishment or reward, and the existence of angels, demons, and spirits (Acts 23:8).  Time and again, the Sadducees cast aside their religious beliefs to curry favor with the Roman occupiers.  The Sadducees and Pharisees normally distrusted each other but came together to plot against Jesus (Matthew 22:34).  The Sadducees vanished forever when the Roman army destroyed Jerusalem in AD 70.

    The Gospel According to St. Matthew

    The King James Bible    ​

    Matthew 3:1-17
    John the Baptist prepares the way
    ​
    1In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
     
    2And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
     
    3For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
     
    4And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.
     
    5Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,
     
    6And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.
     
    7But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
     
    8Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:
     
    9And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
     
    10And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
     
    11I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
     
    12Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
     
    13Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.
     
    14But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
     
    15And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.
     
    16And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
     
    17And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.                   ​
    ​Margin notes: 
     
    "John the Baptist." (3:1) - The son of the priest Zacharias and mother Elizabeth (Luke 1:8-13; 3:2).  Elizabeth was the Virgin Mary's cousin (Luke 1:34-36), thus making John and Jesus distant cousins.  John was a prophet of the Old Covenant sent by God to preach repentance (Matthew 3:2), to bridge the gap between the Old and New Testaments, and to prepare "the way" for the Messiah's arrival (Luke 1:17), a mission so important it is mentioned in all four Gospels (Matthew 3:1-17; Mark 1:2-5; Luke 3:4-11; John 1:19-27).  Jesus Himself said that there was never a person born greater than John the Baptist (Matthew 11:11).  John was the first prophet in four hundred years and a lifetime Nazarite.  To honor God, Nazarite Jews made religious offerings, took periodic vows not to drink alcohol, cut their hair, and to avoid contact with the dead.  These vows lasted anywhere from thirty to one hundred days.  Three men were under lifetime Nazarite vows, Samson (Judges 13:2-7), Samuel (1 Samuel 1:11) and John (Luke 1:15).  All three were set aside by God to perform extraordinary missions.  John's mission to prepare the way for the Messiah was prophesied in Isaiah 40:3 and 
    Malachi 3:1.  He was eventually beheaded by King Herod Antipas for denouncing the king's marriage to his niece and brothers ex-wife, Herodias and other sins (Luke 3:19-20).  To learn more about Nazarite vows read Numbers 6:1-21.
     
    "Prepares the way." (3:1) - Centuries earlier, Isaiah 40:3 and Malachi 3:1 predicted that a messenger would come before the Messiah to prepare "the way."  Another fulfilled prophecy.  The Bible considers John's mission so critical it is mentioned in all four Gospels (Mark 1:2-5; Luke 3:4-11; John 1:19-27). 
     
    "The kingdom of heaven." (3:2) - Means, "The kingdom of God."  Matthew uses the word "heaven" instead of the name "God" for the benefit of his Jewish audience who refused to speak the name of God out of respect.  Matthew's Gospel is the only place in the Bible you will find this phrase.   
     
    "This is he." (3:3) - "This is the one."
     
    "The voice of one crying in the wilderness." (3:3) - John is quoting Isaiah (Isaiah 40:3).  Isaias (meaning Jehovah is salvation) was a profit (also called Esaias) who died in 681 BC.  Considered the greatest Old Testament prophet, Isaiah wrote "The Book of the Prophet Isaiah" which spoke out against hypocrisy (Isaiah 29:13) and prophesized the coming of the Messiah (Isaiah 6:15) seven hundred years before the birth of Christ.  He is quoted over fifty times in the New Testament.
     
    "John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins." (3:4) - "John wore clothes made from camel's hair, and a leather belt around his waist."  These were the simple clothes of a poor man and reminiscent of Elijah's wardrobe (2 Kings 1:8), who John represented. 
     
    "Jordan." (3:6) - The Jordan River lies approximately twenty miles west of Jerusalem and is about seventy miles long.  It flows between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. 
     
    "Bring forth therefore fruits meet for  repentance." (3:8) - "Let the fruit of your actions prove your repentance."
     
    "We have Abraham to our father." (3:9) - Means, "Abraham is our father."  Jews often boasted that Abraham was their father (the first Jew).  Some believed that merely being a descendant of Abraham guaranteed salvation.
     
    "Every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire." (3:10) - See also John 15:6.
     
    "Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner." (3:12) - "His winnowing fork is at hand, and He will clean the (threshing) floor and bring his wheat into the barn."  A metaphor, farmers use winnowing forks to separate the valuable wheat from the worthless chaff and bring it into the barn.  In the same way, God will separate believers from non-believers.
     
    "Suffer it to be." (3:15) - "Let it be."
     
    "Then he suffered him." (3:15) - "Then he allowed him."
     
    "Went up straightway out of the water." (3:16) - "Came immediately out of the water."
    You can read more about the baptism of Jesus in Mark 1:2-8; Luke 3:1-22; and John 1:19-34. 


                                                  New Living Translation 
     

    Matthew 3:1-17
    John the Baptist Prepares the Way
     
    1 In those days John the Baptist came to the Judean wilderness and began preaching. His message was,

    2 "Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near."

    3 The prophet Isaiah was speaking about John when he said,
     
      "He is a voice shouting in the wilderness,
       'Prepare the way for the Lord's coming!
          Clear the road for him!'"
     
    4 John's clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey.

    5 People from Jerusalem and from all of Judea and all over the Jordan Valley went out to see and hear John.

    6 And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River.
     
    7 But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to watch him baptize, he denounced them. "You brood of snakes!" he exclaimed. "Who warned you to flee God's coming wrath?

    8 Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God.

    9 Don't just say to each other, 'We're safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.' That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones.

    10 Even now the ax of God's judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.
     
    11 "I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am-so much greater that I'm not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

    12 He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire."
     
    The Baptism of Jesus
     
    13 Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John.

    14 But John tried to talk him out of it. "I am the one who needs to be baptized by you," he said, "so why are you coming to me?"
     
    15 But Jesus said, "It should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires." So John agreed to baptize him.
     
    16 After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him.

    17 And a voice from heaven said, "This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy."

    ​This second Bible text from the "New Living Translation" (Tyndale House, Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois) is a paraphrase and not an accurate word for word translation of the Bible.  However, it is a helpful tool when read with the "King James Version."
    Today's Question:
    ​
    1. Are sins f    orgiven by baptism? (3:6)
     
    2. Was John the first to perform baptisms? (3:11)​​
    We are not saved by our good works, we are saved to do good works.
    Answers: (Do you agree?) 
    ​
    1. No, baptism alone does not forgive sins or bring salvation.  Baptism is a public announcement meant to show faith in and a willingness to accept Jesus as the Messiah.
     
    2. No, John was not the first to perform baptisms.  Baptisms are an old tradition in Judaism (Leviticus 15:13).  After the Jewish exile to Babylon, Rabbis used baptism as a cleansing ceremony.  Baptisms also welcomed new converts to Judaism.  By John's day, many Jewish homes even had baptism baths so families could ritually cleanse themselves.  However, John's baptisms were different.  He turned their meaning into a symbolic, one-time public demonstration of repentance and commitment to Jesus. 

    ​Application thought for the day:
     
    God expects His followers to be productive and bear fruit (3:8-10).
    How can you be more productive for God?
    Thanks to the writings and commentary of John Wesley and Adam Clarke. Also, "The Layman's Bible Study Notebook" by Irving Jensen published by Harvest House Publishing, Irvine, California; the "Life Change Series" published by NavPress Books, Colorado Springs, Colorado; the "Life Application Study Bible" published by Tyndale House Publishing, Carol Stream, Illinois; "The Quest Study Bible" published by The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "Robertson's New Testament Word Studies"; "The MacArthur Bible Commentary" by John MacArthur published by Thomas Nelson, Nashville, Tennessee; "Wisdom of the Bible" CD by Topics Entertainment, Inc., Renton, Washington for their inspiring pictures; "My utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers published by Barbour publishing, Inc., Uhrichsville, Ohio; The "Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge" by Reuben Archer Torrey; "Hope For Each Day" by Billy Graham published by J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee; "Easton's Bible Dictionary" by Matthew George Easton; "Unger's Bible Dictionary" by Merrill F. Unger, published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois; "Halley's Bible Handbook" by Henry H. Halley, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "The Living New Testament" published by Tyndale house; "The New Living Translation" published by Tyndale House; BibleGateway.com for all their wonderful links; and of course the "King James Bible".  All were critical in putting these lessons together.
    © 2023 evolke