January 31, 2021
Morning Service

Our goal in this study is to reintroduce ourselves to Jesus.  Through the Book of Matthew, we will follow along with each step of Jesus through His ministry.  We hope to not only experience each event along His journey from the manger to the cross, but to bond with our Savior and learn to truly abide in Him as we talked about last week. Always keep in mind as we read Matthew’s Gospel that he is a Jewish man writing to Jewish people about a Jewish man that he believes is the long awaited Messiah.  He emphasizes the many prophesies that were written hundreds of years earlier that are fulfilled in the life of Jesus. This is obvious as Chapter 1 is dedicated to providing the exact linage of Jesus in great detail. Through our study of His birth, we got to know those whom God chose to play major roles in the beginning of this love story; Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth, Zachariah, the shepherds and the wise men.  We will begin in Chapter 3, with the other baby in the Christmas story, John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin also destined to fulfill scripture as the forerunner of Christ.  Close to 30 years have passed from when we finished the first two chapters. It had been 400 years since God had brought a prophet to speak to His people and they were waiting with great anticipation for Him to move. It begins in the wilderness with a man whose appearance and spirit reflect the prophet Elijah.

Mat 3:1-6 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, (2) and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!"  (3)  For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: "THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS: 'PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD; MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT.' "  (4)  Now John himself was clothed in camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.  (5)  Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him (6) and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

            God’s plan of salvation is now in full swing with John fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah (40:3) quoted here by Matthew; “the voice of one crying in the wilderness.”  John the cousin of Jesus, son of Elizabeth and Zachariah comes out of the wilderness looking, eating, and sounding like the prophet Elijah (2 Kgs 1:8).  Here was a man who cared nothing about the things or pleasures of this world speaking boldly to a people hungry for the voice of God.  He called for them to “repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”  This call to repent (feel or express remorse or regret for something and a desire to change) made the children of Israel face the fact that there was sin in their lives and they needed to first admit it, secondly ask for forgiveness, and finally be baptized to have them removed.  To a hungry soul that is searching to “abide” with God, these are challenging words that bring them to a point of decision and they choose to follow.  Each of us that have chosen to follow Jesus have been there and done that.  We came face to face with reality that we are sinners and need a Savior to make things right with God.  It was the beginning of our journey with Jesus. Some like me were blessed to have done that at an early age while others come to the realization a little later in life.  Baptism follows repentance as an outward sign of that inward repentance.  It is a humbling and freeing moment to confess that you are a sinner and cry out for help to overcome it.  It is an “eternal moment” in your lifetime.  It changes your destiny forever as you not only begin to walk in a new direction, but it changes your destination as well.  Some find it so hard to overcome their pride and humble themselves, become broken, and confess their faults that their heart is hardened and they never repent and reach out to God for help.  Such were the religious leaders of the day who lived lives that defined hypocrisy. John speaks boldly to this group of men listening to him not with hungry hearts, but with hearts filled with judgement and condemnation.

 

 Mat 3:7-12   But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?  (8)  Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, (9) and do not think to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.  (10)  And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  (11)  I indeed baptize you with water unto 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 fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

            These religious leaders were listening but not hearing the message.  They were prideful, self-righteous, inwardly corrupt, and very hypocritical; “talking the talk but not walking the walk.”  This may have been some of us claiming we were as “good as the next guy” and we had our “own thing going with Jesus” finding no desire to repent and acknowledge that we needed help.  We all need to thank our Lord for the day that He called us and opened our hearts to the need for Him and His forgiveness in our lives. I thank God for the day He called me and that I accepted His call.

            John calls out these men who are supposed to be the spiritual leaders but were really more motivated by their prideful self-image than leading and helping others.  He warns them to not rely on their ancestry to save them, but called them to take an honest look at themselves and to repent of the false lives they were living.  True repentance brings with it a desire to change and a new view on life; or as John called it “fruits of repentance.”  We turn 180 degrees from the direction we are going, to please ourselves, and begin to follow Jesus and seek to please Him with our words, actions and life.  We seek and desire to live, dwell and abide with Christ as Lord of our heart, mind, body and soul.  We change both our direction and our destination.  John tells them the day of reckoning has come; the “ax is laid to the root of the tree and the winnowing fan is separating the chaff from the wheat.”  Judgement is coming to all for the choice they personally make concerning Jesus our Lord and Savior.

            John then begins to tell of the One who is coming that is far greater than he; “whose sandals I am not worthy to carry.” (Jn. 3:30 He must increase and I must decrease) Jesus will baptize not only with water for the forgiveness of sin but with the “Holy Spirit and with fire.”  John baptized to repentance and Jesus to the receiving of the Spirit of God and eternal life.  It is then that Jesus comes to John to be baptized.

 

 Mat 3:13-17 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him.  (14)  And John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?"  (15)  But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he allowed Him.  (16)  When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.  (17)  And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

            Jesus walked 60 miles to meet John here and that alone shows the importance He placed on this action.  Notice John’s understandable unwillingness to baptize Jesus who had no sin to repent of but confessed his need to be baptized of Jesus.  Jesus bids him to do it to “fulfill all righteousness.”  By being baptized Jesus identified Himself with John’s ministry, all those who had been baptized, and with us who later choose to follow His example and enter into the water.  Jesus leads by example first doing what He will later ask us to do.  Jesus in that way is the ultimate Leader.  “Love others as I have loved you,” washing the disciples’ feet, entering the waters of baptism, giving His life for His friends, and yielding His will to His Father’s will are all examples that He lived out before us and now asks us to follow Him by imitating His example to us.           

Immediately upon arising from the water, God sends His approval with the descending of the Spirit like a dove and His voice that states from heaven; “This is my Son, in whom I am well pleased.”  (Fulfilling prophecy from Psa. 2:7 and Is. 42:1.)  John’s ministry is validated and Jesus’ ministry now begins from this point. 

Today we learned we all need to come to the point of repentance in our lives and a change is needed.  We needed to change both our direction and destination.  All of us here today are sinners saved by the grace of God. Repentance is followed by baptism as an outward sign of that inward repentance and an act of obedience (Acts 2:38).

Jesus is leading us by example and strives diligently to “fulfill all righteousness.”  As we continue to walk with Him through this study, know that He does all things for this purpose and know that He succeeds in doing so.  Keep your eyes on Him, abide in Him, and be thankful for the day of your repentance and baptism that became your “eternal moment.”

 

Heavenly Father thank You for the day You called each of us to follow.  Please grant us the strength, faith, and courage to follow Your example.