Matthew Chapter 3

Between chapters 2 and 3 of the book of Matthew, around 25-30 years have passed. The book of Luke details more about John the Baptist, who was called that because he baptized people as a sign of their repentance from sin. He is not the same John who wrote the gospel of John in the Bible. As mentioned previously, Isaiah prophesied John the Baptist symbolically “preparing the path” for Jesus, and calling on Israel to follow Jesus.

John baptized people in the Jordan River. He saw the Pharisees as unrepentant, and called them a brood of vipers. Verse 8 is John’s way of telling them they should bear fruit in keeping with repentance, meaning you can’t just repent with your words, you must bear the fruit of it and make a life change. We must lead holy and faithful lives in order to not be cut down (verse 10). Verse 10 is symbolic – I imagine God as the axe, and us as the trees.

John recognizes that Jesus is the Messiah he has been preaching about, and did not feel worthy enough to carry his sandals, let alone baptize him (3:14 – I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?). Although Jesus had no sins to repent and be baptized from, it is believed that He was baptized to serve as an example for Christians to later follow. It could be that it was simply God’s will for John to baptize Jesus because it’s what God wants us to do. The voice from Heaven that is sounded after the baptism of Jesus (This is my beloved Son…) confirms the eternally existing relationship of divine love that the Son and Father share, as well as Jesus being the Son of God.

Below is the third chapter of Matthew.

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Matthew 3:

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

3 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”[a] For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said,

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare[b] 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.

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. 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.”

The Baptism of Jesus

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him,[c] and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son,[d] with whom I am well pleased.”