Matthew 4:1-25

What is the theme of this chapter?

His temptation and inauguration.

What is the key verse(s) of this chapter? Verses 10 and 17

Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,“‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’”

From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

What can I apply to my life from this chapter (things to do/avoid)?

Christ's temptation reminds me of the verses in Hebrews which say that because He suffered temptation like I do, yet without sin, He is able to sympathize with me.  It is so comforting to know that He knows exactly what I am going through.

For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted (Heb 2:18).

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin (Heb 4:15).
  
Additional observations/questions:

 

Matthew 4:12-25

Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee. And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.” From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, epileptics, and paralytics, and he healed them. And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.


Galilee - "We notice a two-fold description of Galilee, namely, as the land of Zebulon and Nephtali and as the Galilee of the nations.  Read Genesis 49:13, 'Zebulon shall dwell at the haven of the sea, and he shall be for a haven of ships and his border shall be upon Zidon.'  Jacob's prophecy outlines the history of the sons of Jacob, that is, the whole nation, and Zebulon signifies the time of their rejection, when they become merchantmen.  Here in Matthew we see Zebulon swelling by the sea.  So that we have the fulfillment of two prophecies before us—the prophecy in the forty-ninth chapter in Genesis and the one in Isaiah.  The same is true of Nephtali.  This means struggler.  'Nephtali is a hind let loose' (Gen. 49:21).  In Jacob's prophecy Nephtali stands for the coming struggling and victorious Jewish remnant.  Here, then, in the land of Zebulon and Nephtali the great light shines first." (Gaebelein)

leaving Nazareth - "According to Luke 4:16-30, He left because they tried to kill him." (Ryrie)

Capernaum - "A flourishing city on the western short of the Sea of Galilee and the base of His ministry in Galilee." (Ryrie)

v 14 - "See Isa. 9:1-2 (cf. Isa. 42:6-7) for the source of Jesus' quote." (Ryrie)

From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” - "Like John the Baptist, Christ also preached the necessity of repentance before the messianic kingdom could be established." (Ryrie)

"From the lips of the King Himself comes now the proclamation, 'Repent, for the Kingdom of the heavens has drawn nigh' (verse 17).  He announces that the Kingdom has drawn nigh in that He, the King, is standing in their midst to establish that Kingdom.  He never said nor taught of a Kingdom within them.  All spiritualizing on these lines of a Kingdom within, which our Lord is made to teach here in Matthew,  is wrong.  It is the Kingdom John announced which He now preaches.  He prolongs the message of the forerunner for a short time and soon His lips were closed, too.  We preach not the Gospel of the Kingdom, but the Glad Tidings of Grace.  A day is coming when heralds will announce once more the Kingdom to be at hand, and when it will come in the person of the Son of Man coming from heaven with angels of His power in flaming fire (2 Thes 1)." (Gaebelein) 

Follow me - "This was their call to service and illustrates the directness, profundity, and power of Christ's commands (cf. 'go...,' Matt 28:19; 'love one another,' John 13:34)." (Ryrie)

James the son of Zebedee - "This is the apostle James, the brother of John, who was martyred under Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12:2).  Other men are named James in the NT: James the son of Alphaeus, 'the Less' (Mark 15:40), also one of the Twelve (Matt 10:3); James, the half brother of Christ and writer of the epistle of James; James, the father or, less probably, brother of the apostle Judas (to be distinguished from Judas Iscariot; Luke 6:16; Acts 1:13)." (Ryrie)

he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom - "This is the good news that the presence of the King caused the rule of God on the earth 9 in fulfillment of many OT prophecies) to be 'at hand.'  Prerequisites for entrance into the kingdom included repentance (v. 17), righteousness (Matt 5:20), childlike faith (Matt 18:3), or, in summary, being born again (John 3:3).  Because the people rejected these requirements, Christ taught that His earthly reign would not immediately come (Luke 19:11).  However, this gospel of the kingdom will be preached again during the Tribulation (Matt 24:14), just prior to the return of Christ to establish His kingdom on earth (Matt 25:31, 34)." (Ryrie)

and healing every disease and every affliction - "Closely connected with the preaching of the  Gospel of the Kingdom was the healing of every disease not spiritual, but every bodily disease and weakness.  The healing of disease is always connected with the preaching of the Gospel of the Kingdom.  The healings were signs that the King is the Jehovah and that the Kingdom had drawn nigh.  These signs of healing every disease are the powers of the world to come." (Gaebelein)

"It is interesting that Christ did not come primarily as a miracle-worker.  He came to reveal the Father.  And He did so by opening up the Scriptures so that people might understand what had been written.  The miracles substantiated the truth of His word.  Matthew and Mark recorded the fact that Jesus Christ not only served as a teacher, but as a preacher (Matt 4:17; Mark 1:14).  As a preacher, He was a proclaimer.  The preacher was a prophet, publicly proclaiming God's message.  But Christ not only served as a teacher, or a rabbi, in the synagogue but also as a prophet who proclaimed God's message.  The message that Jesus proclaimed was identical in content to the message of John, His forerunner.  Both said, 'Repent, the kingdom of heaven is near' (Matt 4:17; cf. Matt 3:2).  Mark referred to Jesus' message as 'good news' (Mark 1:15).  Israel long had waited for the fulfillment of the covenant of promise.  Now the good news being given to them was that the kingdom for which they had waited was near.  Christ, like John, called on the people to repent.  Repentance involved an acknowledgment of sin and resulted in a restoration to fellowship with God from their state of alienation.  It involved offering God the acceptable sacrifice that He demanded.  The announcement that the kingdom 'is near' added an imperative to the message.  Mark noted that the hearers were asked to 'believe the good news.'  The truth of the message that was being preached had to be accepted by faith.  We note that Mark referred to 'the kingdom of God' (Mark 1:15) and Matthew to 'the kingdom of heaven' (Matt 4:17).  The difference in terms does not imply that Jesus was referring to two different kingdoms.  Matthew normally used the term 'kingdom of heaven' rather than 'kingdom of God.'  This was in keeping with the Jewish fear of taking the name of the Lord their God in vain; Matthew substituted God's dwelling place for the name of God." (Pentecost)

the Decapolis - "A district, originally containing 10 cities, S of the Sea of Galilee, mainly to the E of the Jordan River.  These were cities with Gentile populations and typical Greco-Roman structures—pagan temples, hippodromes, etc." (Ryrie)

Matthew 4:1-11

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, “‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and “‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’” Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.


"Satan's intention in the temptation was to make Christ sin so as to thwart God's plan for man's redemption by disqualifying the Savior.  God's purpose (note that the Spirit led Jesus to the test) was to prove His  Son to be sinless and thus a worthy Savior.  It is clear that He was actually tempted; it is equally clear that He was sinless (2 Cor 5:21)." (Ryrie)

"...make a careful comparison between the opening verses of the third chapter in Genesis and the temptations of our Lord.  The Satan there is the same, that old serpent, the devil.  He came to Eve with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, and the same he brings to bear upon the Lord.  He said to Eve, 'Is it so that God said?' and to Christ he said, 'If thou art the Son of God.'  It is doubt, unbelief with which he always advances.  He misquoted the Word of God to Eve.  God had said, 'Thou shalt surely die,' and he said, 'Lest ye die.'  He does the same in the temptations of Christ.  These hints will be sufficient to help in the comparison." (Gaebelein)

"Since Christ was under the full control of the Spirit, and since the purpose of the temptation was to demonstrate His sinlessness and thus prove His moral right to be Savior-Sovereign, we must recognize that Jesus was the Aggressor in the temptation.  He forced Satan to put Him to the test so that His true character might be revealed.  (That explains why He spent forty days in the desert before the temptations began.  Satan sought to escape the confrontation.)  Had there been a longer delay, it would have been a concession that Jesus was the sinless One." (Pentecost)

"'If' [in vs 3] may be translated 'Since.'  Satan acknowledged that He had the power to turn stones into bread." (Ryrie)

command these stones to become loaves of bread - "Is there anything wrong in being hungry?  Certainly not.  It is in this that the subtlety of the tempter shows itself.  The enemy comes with a natural want and appeals to our Lord's power to relieve Himself from that want ... If He had entered upon the suggestion of Satan He would have acted according to His own will and that would have been the will of the enemy.  He would have taken His case in His own hands.  All the elements of disobedience and distrust to God are in it involved." (Gaebelein)

"Satan's invitation was based on the sonship which the Father had acknowledged at Jesus' baptism.  The sonship of Christ carried with it the implication that the Son had certain rights and there was no reason why He could not exercise those rights to gratify His appetite and satisfy Himself.  This suggests that man's highest good comes from gratifying his desires and happiness comes from satisfying his fleshly appetites.  The implication is that man is a physical being with physical appetites which are to be gratified; thus, man lives by bread alone." (Pentecost)

But he answered, “It is written - "Quoting Deut. 8:3 (a book whose authority is often rejected and whose contents not well known), the Lord refused to act independently of the Father's power but chose rather to rely on God's Word." (Ryrie)

"This temptation was an attempt to pervert Jesus Christ from perfect obedience to the will of God.  He was in the desert in the will of God, and therefore all that He endured while in the desert was part of God's will for Him.  To gratify His own desires would have been to abandon the will of God and substitute His own will, deeming that gratification of His appetite was more important than obedience to the will of God.  'Now, what constituted this a temptation? where lay its evil?  Suppose Christ had commanded the stones to become bread, what then?  To Christ, considering the work He had to do, two things were necessary.  He had to live His personal life (1) within the limits necessary to man, and (2) in perfect dependence on God.  Had He transgressed either of these conditions He had ceased to be man's ideal Brother or God's ideal Son.  Man cannot create; he lives by obeying Nature.  He has to plough, to sow, to reap, to garner and winnow, to bruise and bake his grain, that he may eat and live.  Now, had Christ by a direct miracle fed Himself, He had lifted Himself out of the circle and system of humanity, had annulled the very terms of the nature which made Him one with man.  While His supernatural power was His own, it existed not for Himself, but for us.  The moment He had stooped to save self He had become disqualified to save men.  The ideal human life must be perfect in its dependence on God, absolute in its obedience.  The ideal Son could not act as if He had no Father.  And so His choice was not to be His own Providence, but to leave Himself to the Divine.  He conquered by faith, and His first victory was like His last.' [Edersheim]" (Pentecost)

the pinnacle - "About 600 ft (182 m) above the valley below.  Had the Lord cast Himself off this height and lighted on the temple area unharmed, the people might have acclaimed Him as Messiah." (Ryrie)

for it is written - "Satan, as well as Jesus, quotes the Bible (in this instance, Ps. 91:11-12).  But Satan did not quote accurately, for he omitted a phrase that was not suited to his purpose ('in all your ways')." (Ryrie)

"The Psalm which Satan quotes (Psalm 91) is a Messianic Psalm.  He takes Him to the Holy City, Jerusalem, and upon the pinnacle of the temple, because the second temptation is the temptation of Him as the Messiah.  Standing upon that high place the people below must have seen Him and recognized Him; Satan was hid from their view.  What a test and proof of His Messiahship if slowly He had descended, the laws of gravitation completely set aside, landing unharmed on His feet before the astonished multitude.  Would they not at once accept Him?  Why should He be rejected if by doing this He might become in the shortest order their leader, their King and redeemer from the yoke of the Roman oppressor?" (Gaebelein)

"Now, what was the evil in this suggested act?  It was twofold, evil alike on the Godward and on the manward side.  In the first aspect it meant that God should be forced to do for Him what He had before refused to do for Himself—make Him an object of supernatural care, exempted from obedience to natural law, a child of miracle, exceptional in His very physical relations to God and Nature.  In the second aspect it meant that He was to be a Son of Wonder, clothed in marvels, living a life that struck the senses and dazzled the fancies of the poor vulgar crowd." (G. Campbell Morgan)

Again it is written - "Quoting Deut. 6:16, Christ responded that one cannot expect God to protect when out of His will." (Ryrie)

"Christ responded to this temptation by quoting Deuteronomy 6:16: 'Do not test the Lord your God.'  Once again the tempted One submitted Himself to the authority of the Word of God, accepting it as the will of God rather than submitting to the solicitation of the evil one.  Christ's refusal to put God to the test did not come because He was afraid God could not prove Himself.  To the contrary, Christ's trust was so implicit that He saw no need to put God to a test.  Christ believed God because of His Word, not because of evidence that had been presented that He is faithful.  In this test Jesus Christ showed absolute confidence in God and remained in perfect obedience to God's will." (Pentecost)

I will give you - "Satan, as prince of this world, was within his rights to make this offer (John 12:31)." (Ryrie)

"Notice here particularly the claim the devil set up, and let it not be forgotten that the claim was made in the presence of Jesus.  He claimed some right to the kingdoms of the world, and the claim was based upon certain unquestionable facts.  These kingdoms had become what they were, largely under his control.  They were at the moment submissive to his sway, obedient to his laws, being led captive by  him at his will.  For the larger part, the whole of them were blindly asleep in the arms of the wicked one.  By the very temptation, Satan seems to lay claim to a title, which Jesus Himself gave him incidentally at a later period, 'the prince of this world.'  The fact of his sway is undisputed.  He was then as he is today, exercising authority over all those who are in darkness, and he is perpetually paying his price to those who serve him." (Pentecost)

Matthew 3:1-17

What is the theme of this chapter?

Jesus' Baptism.

What is the key verse(s) of this chapter? Verses 14-15

John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented.

What can I apply to my life from this chapter (things to do/avoid)?

I can avoid being a hypocrite like the Pharisees and Sadducees.  Since I am a new creation in Christ and have a new nature, I need to keep walking in the Spirit.  I need to be who I am now, not who I was when I was without Christ (Col 3:1-17).
  
Additional observations/questions:

I thought what Gaebelein said about the Pharisees was quite telling:

"The Pharisees (the name Pharisee means a Separatist; one who says: 'I am holier than thou.') were the strictly religious, orthodox-ritualistic class.  They were well versed in the traditions of the elders, and occupied themselves with creating new commandments and strange interpretations of the law." 

It's sad to see this in much of evangelical Christianity today, especially in our so-called spiritual leaders.  They are "well versed in the traditions of the elders," often quoting them as proof text instead of Scripture, and occupied "with creating ... strange interpretations" of Scripture, trying to make it say what they want it to say.  Why is progressive revelation so difficult for them to see?


 

Matthew 3:13-17

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”


"John was widely recognized because of his baptism.  Baptism was so associated with John's ministry that it became his identifying sign.  It caused him to be known as John the Baptist.  But this sign was external.  Israel in the course of her history had had peculiar identifying signs previously.  Circumcision was the external sign that one was rightly related to Abraham and to his covenant.  Sabbath observance was the sign that one was rightly related to Moses and his law.  Now the sign that one was rightly related to John and his message was submission to the external rite of water baptism.  All these external signs were given to the nation Israel.  When Messiah comes, He will have a new sign by which to identify God's people.  It had been promised in Joel 2;28 and Ezekiel 36:25-27 that God would give His Holy spirit as a gift to all those in Messiah's kingdom.  John promised that when Messiah came, He would 'baptize you with the Holy Spirit' (Lk 3:16).  The One who would give the Spirit as an identifying sign of relationship would be the true Messiah—not the one who gave the external preparatory sign.  Messiah's baptism would not be external but internal.  Whereas any external sign could be duplicated by men, the work which Messiah would do in giving the Holy Spirit to believers could not be duplicated by men.  Such a baptism would identify the true Messiah and also be a true identification of those who belong to Him.  John gave a second part of the baptizing work of the Messiah when he said, 'He will baptize you ... with fire' (Lk 3:16).  Fire was associated with judgment just as the winnowing fork of Matthew 3:12 was a sign of judgment.  When Messiah comes to rule, He will remove all that is worthless, useless, and lifeless; He will accept into His kingdom only what has life—the life which men have received from Him." (Pentecost)

to fulfill all righteousness - "Jesus fulfilled all the righteous requirements to be Israel's Messiah.  Also, by allowing John to baptize Him, He identified with sinners whom He came to save, though, of course, He Himself had no sin to repent of." (Ryrie)

vss 16-17 - "This is the first clear expression of the concept of the Trinity.  The descent of the Spirit upon Christ was for special power at the beginning of His public ministry." (Ryrie)

Matt 3:7-12

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? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. 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. 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. “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. 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.”


Pharisees - "The Pharisees were the most influential of the Jewish sects at the time of Christ.  Though holding orthodox doctrines, their zeal for the Mosaic Law led them to a degenerate, though strict, outward observance of both the law and their equally authoritative (in their own eyes) interpretations of it.  They knew the Scriptures (Matt 23:2), tithed (Lk 18:12), fasted (Matt 9:14, and prayed (Mark 12:40); but they were also hypocritical (Matt 23:15), self-righteous (Lk 18:9), and the foremost persecutors of the Lord (Matt 9:3)." (Ryrie)

Sadducees - "The Sadducees, whose membership came largely from the priesthood and upper classes, were the anti-supernaturalists of Christ's day.  They denied the truth of bodily resurrection, of future punishment and reward, and of the existence of angels (Acts 23: Though they upheld the written law of Moses, they were opposed to the oral traditions observed by the Pharisees.  They were the party of the high-priestly families of Jerusalem with direct interests in the apparatus of Temple worship and generally collaborated with the Roman rulers.  They opposed Christ as vigorously as the Pharisees and were condemned by Him as severely, though not so frequently (Matt 16:1-4, 6)." (Ryrie)

"Many were baptized unto repentance by the forerunner.  But now for the first time we meet with the two great religious classes and leaders among the Jews, the Pharisees and the Sadducees, who came out to John.  These two classes play an important role in the Gospel. The Pharisees (the name Pharisee means a Separatist; one who says: 'I am holier than thou.') were the strictly religious, orthodox-ritualistic class.  They were well versed in the traditions of the elders, and occupied themselves with creating new commandments and strange interpretations of the law.  They are the fathers of the talmudical Jews of the present day and typical of ritualistic Christendom, having the form of godliness and not the power.  The Sadducees were the rationalists, the unbelieving class.  They were much given to reform.  Their offspring today are the reformed Jews, who reject the greater part of the Word of God, and in Christendom they are remarkably reproduced in the 'Isms,' though they call themselves 'Christian' (as the Sadducees called themselves Jews), who reject portions of the Word, who do not believe in the inspiration of the Bible.  'Offspring of vipers!' thus the Holy Spirit declared through the forerunner their true character.  What a strong and cutting word it is, which applies not alone to the Pharisees and Sadducees, but to all ritualistic-religiousness and unbelieving criticism.  They are the offspring not of God but of vipers.  But still they were the proud boasters of being the seed of Abraham and as such entitled to the promised blessing.   They believed that they were to be saved from the wrath of God connected with the establishment of the kingdom, and the wrath would fall entirely upon the Gentile nations.  One only needs to peruse some of the tracts of the Talmud to find the reflection of their proud, self-righteous belief.  When they came, they were far from taking that true position in repentance, in death." (Gaebelein)

"The crowd seemed to be divided into two parts.  On the one hand, there were the religious leaders of the day.  The Pharisees and Sadducees were coming to where John was baptizing (Matt 3:7).  These religious leaders in their self-righteousness considered themselves acceptable to God.  They denied having sin that needed to be confessed or unrighteousness that needed to be forgiven.  By virtue of their physical birth, they saw themselves as Abraham's children, as acceptable to God, and as already members of His kingdom." (Pentecost)

We have Abraham as our father - "The common teaching of that day said that the Jews participated in the merits of Abraham, which made their prayers acceptable, helped in war, expiated sins, appeased the wrath of God, and assured a share in God's eternal kingdom.  Consequently, the people were startled when John and Jesus preached the necessity of personal repentance." (Ryrie)

Even now the axe is laid - "Time is running out; judgment is near." (Ryrie)

Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire - "John demanded repentance of the religious leaders.  Asking them to demonstrate the genuineness of their repentance, he exhorted, 'Produce fruit in keeping with repentance' (Matt 3:8).  Once again we see a note of urgency in John's message, for when he called for repentance, he told them that judgment was at hand.  He said, 'The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire' (v. 10).  This was in keeping with the Old Testament revelation that the Messiah would come as a Judge and remove the sinful from His kingdom.  David in Psalm 24:3 asked rhetorically, 'Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place?'  David meant, Who will be accepted in the Messiah's kingdom when He comes?  The answer is then given: 'He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false' (v. 4).  Ezekiel 20:34-38 describes this judgment in detail." (Pentecost)

I baptize you with water for repentance - "Baptism is a form of identification.  John's baptism was a sign of an individual's acknowledgment of his need of repentance for the remission of his sins.  When Jesus was baptized by John (v. 15) He identified Himself with John's message of righteousness (though, being sinless, He Himself needed no cleansing from sin)." (Ryrie)

He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire - "Let us understand in the first place that the words spoken refer to the first and second coming of our Lord.  Let this be clearly fixed in our minds, and all will be plain.  The promise connected with the first coming is, He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit.  The second coming of the Lord will bring the baptism with Fire, as it is seen at once in the words which follow, which speak clearly of judgment and fire unquenchable.  It may appear strange at the first glance that John says in one breath: 'He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire'—that the Holy Spirit should refer to His first coming and the fire to His second appearing, but let us take into consideration that John still belongs to the Old Testament, and he expresses himself in a way as many of the prophets did, who frequently spoke in one clause of the Lord's first and second coming.  However, the fifth verse in the first chapter of Acts puts into our hands the key.  The Lord said then to His disciples, 'John, indeed, baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days hence.'   That our Lord speaks of what John said in our passage here is evident, yet He does not mention baptism with fire.  If He had added, and with fire, it would clearly prove that the baptism connected with his first coming is a baptism with the Holy Spirit and fire.  But He leaves out the fire because it stands in connection with his second coming.  Thus it is seen in the entire prophetic Word, which speaks of the day of wrath and vengeance a being a day of burning and fire." (Gaebelein)

winnowing fork - "A wooden shovel used for tossing grain against the wind after threshing so that the lighter chaff would be blown away, leaving the kernels to settle in a pile." (Ryrie)

Matthew 3:1-6

In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 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.’” Now John wore a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.


John the Baptist - "The forerunner is John the Baptist, a typical Old Testament person, of whom the Lord says later in the Gospel, 'Yea, I say to you, and more than a prophet, this is he of whom it is written, Behold I send My messenger before Thy face, who shall prepare Thy way before Thee.  Verily I say to you, that there is not arisen among the born of women a greater than John the Baptist, but he who is a little one in the kingdom of the heavens is greater than he' (Matt 11:9-12).  In the same discourse the Lord says, in vindication of John, who was then in prison: 'And if ye will receive it, this is Elias who is to come.'  I the first chapter of Luke the angel announces his birth and says: 'For he shall be great before the Lord, and he shall drink no wine or strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.  And many of the sons of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.  And he shall go before Him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn hearts of fathers to children, and disobedient ones to the thought of just men, to make ready for the Lord a prepared people' (Lk 1:15-17).  In these words, given through the Holy Spirit, the Lord Himself and an angel of the Lord, we have the three prophecies of the Old Testament concerning the forerunner quoted.  These are: Isaiah 40:3-5; Mal 3:1; 4:5-6.  That he was sent in fulfillment of these prophecies is therefore unquestionable." (Gaebelein)

"The three synoptists were careful to relate John to the prophetic program revealed in the Old Testament.  All quoted Isaiah 40:3-5 in explaining the ministry of John.  In Isaiah 40, the prophet brought a comforting message to a distressed, oppressed people.   The northern kingdom had already gone into captivity.  The southern kingdom was threatened with a like exile.  There was no visible hope for the nation.  Yet God sent His prophet to promise that the oppression by Gentiles would be terminated and the nation's warfare would cease.  God would pardon all the nation's sins.  The prophet promised the coming of a Messiah who would bring redemption from sin and deliverance from Gentile aggressors.  The prophet went on to say that the Messiah would be preceded by a forerunner who would make an announcement in the desert concerning His coming.  The voice, the prophet said, would not be heard in the temple or in Jerusalem but outside the city in the desert.  This is indeed significant, for when the temple was originally built, God occupied the temple as His dwelling place (2 Chron 5:13-14).  However, because of iniquity God departed from the temple.  In Ezekiel 10-11 the prophet traced the departure of the glory of God from the temple and from the nation.  Having removed Himself due to His peoples' sins, God judged the nation.  The judgment included Nebuchadnezzar's invasion, destruction of Jerusalem, and deportation of the people.  When God returned to His people, he would speak to them outside Jerusalem and the temple.  God's plan unfolded when John appeared as the messenger of Messiah.  John did not come in priestly robes that he by birth was eligible to wear but rather in the attire of a prophet." (Pentecost)

the wilderness of Judea - "A barren wasteland extending along the western shore of the Dead Sea." (Ryrie)

repent - "Repentance is a change of mind that bears fruit in a changed life (see v. 8)." (Ryrie)

"John's preaching began with the word 'repent' (Matt 3:1).  The word 'repent' brings an important Old Testament truth to us.  In Deuteronomy 28 God had clearly revealed the principle with which He would deal with His covenant people.  Obedience would bring blessing; disobedience would bring discipline.  The culminating disciple would be that the nation would be delivered into Gentile bondage.  In Deuteronomy 30 God revealed that the discipline could not and would not be lifted until the nation turned back to God from their sin and obeyed His commands (v 2).  Repentance was just such a return to God.  God's faithfulness would be proved by their obedience to His Word.  Their obedience would cause God to turn back to them in blessing, regather them from the nations where they had been scattered, and restore them to their land.  God would circumcise their hearts, i.e., remove impurity from them.  This principle recurs throughout the Old Testament.  Prophet after prophet appeared to the nation to forewarn it of judgment and to exhort the people to turn back to God to prevent the coming judgment.  However, judgment fell, and the northern kingdom of Israel was carried into captivity to Assyria.   Then other prophets exhorted Judah to turn back to God, lest a similar judgment fall on her.  God's promise was such that even if judgment fell for disobedience, and they subsequently returned to Him, He would send the Messiah to bless them.  John, then, in calling the nation to repentance, was functioning as an Old Testament prophet.  His ministry was in keeping with the principle of Deuteronomy 28 and 30.  Before Messiah's blessings could come, the people must turn from their sin to God.  They must seek His forgiveness." (Pentecost)

kingdom of heaven - "This is the rule of heaven over the earth.  The Jewish people of Christ's day were looking for this messianic or Davidic kingdom to be established on the earth, and this is what john proclaimed as being 'at hand.'  The requirement that the people must repent in order for the kingdom to be established was new and became a stumbling block to them.  The rejection of Christ by the people delayed its establishment until the second coming of Christ (Matt 25:31)." (Ryrie)

"The phrase, kingdom of the heavens, is mentioned thirty-two times in the Gospel of Matthew.  Here it is for the first time.  The strangest mean has been put upon this term.  Christendom at large is all at sea about the meaning of it.  Heaven or the church are the general interpretations which are given.  Both are wrong, and because the meaning of this term is so grossly misunderstood, there is no conception whatever of the thoughts and purposes of God.  The kingdom of the heavens is an Old Testament term.  It is to be in the earth and not in heaven.  It is a kingdom in which the heavens rule (Daniel 4:26).  The setting up of that kingdom is spoken of in Daniel 2:44, and in the seventh chapter, verse 14.  It is in the hands of One who is the Son of Man, Messiah, the Son of David, who is to rule in righteousness.  In that kingdom there will be universal peace, and the knowledge of the glory of the Lord shall cover the earth as the waters cover the deep.  His own people, the house of Judah and the house of Israel, will all be regathered into the land, Jerusalem built again and become the great centre of blessing for the nations of the earth.  In one word, the kingdom of the heavens is the literal fulfillment of all the prophecies and promises contained in the Old Testament, which the Lord gave to the seed of Abraham, and the blessings of the nations of the earth to come after this kingdom is set up.  The Church is not known in the Old Testament, nor is it seen in the opening chapters of Matthew.  This kingdom, the forerunner declares, now has drawn nigh, it is at hand.  The King is in the earth, Emanuel, He who name is Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, and concerning whom it is said, 'that of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom, to order it and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever.'  Not alone did John preach this kingdom to its Jewish, earthly form, but the Lord Himself declared that it had drawn nigh, and when the King sent out His disciples He told them to preach, 'The kingdom of the heavens has drawn nigh,' the special Messianic kingdom power was put upon them to heal the sick, to raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, and cast out demons (Matthew 10)." (Gaebelein)

locusts - "The law permitted eating locusts (Lev 11:22)." (Ryrie)

they were baptized - "As one of the conditions of becoming a proselyte to Judaism, the person had to immerse himself in water (also be circumcised if a male and offer a sacrifice).  To be baptized by John was a striking aligning of oneself with his message.  John had no organization to join; those being baptized were already Jews; and the church was not yet in existence.  So they were acknowledging the truth of his message and siding with righteousness." (Ryrie)

"The baptism of John shows clearly what repentance means.  Jordan is always in the Word the type of death.  Thus John baptized in the river of death, which would mean unto death.  (Baptism in water was known and practiced among the Jews centuries before John.  Proselytes were not only circumcised but also dipped in water.)  The people came, confessed their sins, seeing then their true position, what they were and what they served; they went down into Jordan to be buried in water, thus typifying death.  They heard, they believed, they confessed and witnessed to it outwardly.  In this way they justified God, as recorded in Luke 7:29-30.  Christian baptism is, of course, something essentially different.  It is not a baptism unto repentance of deserved death, but it is unto Christ's death, who has taken our place and died for us.  'Are you ignorant that we, as many as have been baptized unto Christ, have been baptized unto His death?  We have been therefore buried with Him by baptism unto death, in order that even as Christ has been raised up from among the dead by the glory of the Father, so we also should walk  in newness of life' (Rom 6:3-5)." (Gaebelein)

"Although the Jews were familiar with the concept of baptism and John did baptize, there are several important reasons for concluding that he was not merely performing the Old Testament ritual of cleansing.  The text does not tell us that he was functioning as a priest, using water for cleansing as provided by the law.  Rather, it is specifically stated that John preached 'a baptism of repentance' (Lk 3:3).  Thus Scripture distinguishes his baptism from a baptism for ceremonial cleansing.  Four facts about John's baptism are recorded: (1) John's baptism was in view of the coming of Messiah (Matt 3:2). (2) It was in view of the people's uncleanness (Mark 1:5). (3) It was based on confession and repentance (Mark 1:4). (4) It was with a view to receiving forgiveness of sins (Mark 1:4)." (Pentecost)