Matthew 3-4
- In Matthew 3, we are introduced to John the Baptizer. He is given this name because he is known for leading people into a "baptism of repentance" which often involved the use of living or flowing water. His message is pointed and clear "repent for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand." What does it mean to repent?
- John is the fulfillment of Isaiah 40:3. This is quoted in Matthew 3:3.
- John is the prophetic voice of the hour. He stands against the religious leaders and rebukes them very sharply. He warns them to repent of their corruption and sin against God and God's people. He warns that Messiah is soon to come and His ministry will take care of the corruption that is in their hearts and in the religious system they have created.
- In verse 12, John says that Messiah will "thoroughly clean out His threshing floor...". He is making a reference to the Temple ministry and the priesthood that operated in the Holy City, Jerusalem. Remember, David purchased this ground that the Temple was built upon from Ornan and it was a threshing floor. (1 Chronicles 21:21-30)
- John also says that Messiah will "baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." Messiah's ministry will be unlike anything Israel or the world has ever seen or experienced. Thank God, Jesus still baptizes us in the Holy Spirit today.
- Jesus proclaims this about John the Baptizer: Mt 11:11 "Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he." Jesus says that John was the greatest man that has ever lived up to this point in history. What a statement about this man! And look at what Jesus says about us in the same sentence. How could we be greater than the greatest man that's ever lived?
- In Matthew 4, Jesus asserts His authority over satan, sin and temptation. How did Jesus defeat the tempter? What can we learn from Jesus' strategy against satan?
- This 40 day temptation is to be compared with Israel's 40 year temptation in the desert. They failed God, but He was perfectly obedient and faithful in every way. How do the stories of Israel and Jesus parallel here? What can we learn about God? What can we learn about our adversary?
- After defeating satan in the desert, Jesus moves from Nazareth to Capernaum. Remember what we said Sunday about Capernaum? Shortly thereafter, Jesus chooses 4 fisherman to be His disciples: Peter, Andrew, James & John.
- Jesus goes thoroughout the region of Galilee (in the small towns and villages around the Sea of Galilee) teaching in the synagogues, preaching the gospel of the Kingdom and healing all kinds of sickness and disease. The Rescue has begun and the Rescuer is at work!
Posts
7 comments:
If you're interested in reading the passages in parallel format, you can go to biblegateway.com. It will allow you to choose 1 or more versions which you can line up in columns and compare...The Holy Spirit is our Clarifier...always!
I am doing my daily reading on biblegateway.com for that very reason. It helps me to clarify what the scriptures are saying. Question: Were the ones that came to John to be baptized automatically saved by Jesus, or did they have to believe on Him once they heard that he was Messiah, or is that what John was preaching along with repentance?
In verse 5 the devil "took Him into the city" and verse 8 "the devil took Him into the city." Why does it appear that Jesus was hanging out with the devil?
To me it doesn't seem so much that Jesus was "hanging out" with the Devil, but rather to show us that Jesus experienced persisten and tormenting temptation by the devil. He was physically at the end of His capabilities, and mentally probably not doing so well either due to the lack of nourishment. He perservered past all that, and was able to defeat the devil. I know there have been times in my life where it seems like everytime I turn around or everytime it seems I win one battle, there is an even harder one to fight. It just gives me new meaning to Hebrews 4:15 where we are told we have a High Priest who sympathizes with EVERY weakness.
I don't believe that Jesus was hanging out with the Devil by choice but to show us that when we are at our weakest or most dire times in our lives the Devil uses these opportunities to tempt us and we must stand strong and deny the Devil as Jesus did.
To sweetteaqueen:
John's baptism was one of repentance and preparation for Messiah. These were Jewish people preparing their hearts for Messiah. John's ministry was one of "preparing the way" for Jesus. Everyone would still have to accept Jesus in order to be saved. The ones who came to be baptized by John would more than likely have believed that Jesus was the Messiah when John pointed Him out at the Jordan River. John was considered by them to be a great prophet. In fact, Jesus said that up to this time, John was the greatest man ever born of woman.
To Marion:
After His baptism, Jesus was led into the wilderness by the Spirit. He was on a forty day fast from food & water. Forty is the number of testing and trial in the Bible. This was a huge test and Jesus knew. During this testing, satan comes and tempts Jesus to follow him instead of His Father. Jesus overcame satan's every temptation. Jesus willingly enters into conflict with the enemy in order to secure salvation for us. I believe Jesus knew that He would be tempted by satan when He went into the desert. He would know because this is exactly what happened to Israel after they crossed the Red Sea. The parallel is: Israel called out of Egypt, baptized in the Red Sea, goes into the desert and fails all the testing and trials of the enemy. Meanwhile, Jesus is also called out of Egypt, baptized in the Jordan River, goes into the desert and overcomes the temptations of the enemy. This battle with satan is showing how Jesus is the Champion over satan & sin. He was tempted like us, willingly, but did not sin.
Post a Comment