The Gospel of St Matthew

Class #5 & 6 – October 22^th& Nov 19 2006

Chapter 3 – The beginning of Christ’s ministry

1. ALMIGHTY God, who by thy blessed Son didst call Matthew from the receipt of custom to be an Apostle and Evangelist; Grant us grace to forsake all covetous de-sires, and inordinate love of riches, and to follow the same thy Son Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen. (Collect for St Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist, September 21)
   
   
2. Recap/review/questions
   
   
3. Read Matthew Chapter 3
   1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
   2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
   3 For 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.
   4 And 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.
   5 Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,
   6 And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.
   7 But 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?
   8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:
   9 And 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.
   10 And 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.
   11 I 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:
   12 Whose 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.
   13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.
   14 But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
   15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.
   16 And 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:
   17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
   
   

4. John the Baptist

1. All four Gospels begin their story with John. He was critical to the beginning of the story and ministry of Jesus.

                                                               i.      He was a challenge to authority (as was Jesus)

1.      he lived a life of complete simplicity

2.      He preached repentance

3.      He was courageous in the face of opposition (Herod as well as the Jewish leaders)

4.      He accepts no credit for his ministry

5.      He points to Jesus, both through his Old Testament prophetic ministry and in his reaction to Jesus’ presence

5. vv 3 – “Prepare ye the way of the Lord”

1. a very practical and meaningful statement – roads of the day were usually little more than a hard packed trail. It was not unusual for servants to go out before the King and clear the way or lay down a road for his travel.

                                                               i.      Servants or citizens in local areas were required to maintain the roads to ease the Kings travels should he come their way – that was the role John saw himself as fulfilling.

2. Is a reference back to Isaiah 40 (esp vv 40:3)

                                                               i.      Isaiah 40
1 Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
2 Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD's hand double for all her sins.
3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:
5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

                                                             ii.      This was a passage of comfort, to call God’s people from exile back to Him.

3. The desert was also meaningful to the Jews and to us.

                                                               i.      It was the place where Israel was purified

                                                             ii.      It was where one met God – Moses, David, John even Jesus.

                                                            iii.      It is the desert where one is stripped of everything.

4. John’s was a message of and for repentance

                                                               i.      The Hebrew word for repentance literally means “to turn” – one is to turn away from evil and back towards God.

                                                             ii.      In Hebrew thought repentance meant “such a thorough change of mind that it issues in a change of life and a change of conduct”.

                                                            iii.      It is an ethical demand – our evil behavior separates us from God.

                                                           iv.      But it is also comfortable

1.      Repentance is always available – even when prayer is not.

2.      It is completely essential.

3.      It lasts as long as life – in other words as long as breath is in us we can repent.

4.      God meets the repentant more than half-way

6. Baptism

1. Baptism was not new – it has been part of Judaism for some years

                                                               i.      Gentile converts initiation included bathing, circumcision and sacrifice.

                                                             ii.      The baptismal bath was to was away Gentile impurities.

                                                            iii.      In Baptism

1.      converts were said to be born anew

2.      it was a recreation of the crossing through the Red Sea.

3.      All members of the family participated.

2. Difference in John’s baptism with proselyte baptism:

                                                               i.      John’s baptism was given to Jews

                                                             ii.      It was not self-administered.

                                                            iii.      It was eschatological – that is it pointed to the final end of mankind – judgment. Without repentance we would be subject to Gods eternal wrath.

3. Difference in John’s baptism with Christian baptism

                                                               i.      John does not convey the Holy Spirit

                                                             ii.      John does not profess to give forgiveness of sins.

7. Baptism of Jesus

1. It is recorded in all four Gospels – it was clearly an important event.

2. It was an acknowledgement of God’s claim upon Jesus as on each of us.

                                                               i.      In baptism we are renamed by and for God.

3. It announcements the arrival of the messiah and the start of His ministry.

4. He is giving an example for His followers – present and future – to follow.

5. It reveals this mystery of the Holy Trinity.

                                                               i.      Dove

1.      The dove was symbolic of the Holy Spirit

2.      May have been a reflection of the dove Noah set out from the ark (and who later landed upon as a sign of the end of the flood)

3.      Some believe it was a pointer back to the OT prophet Jonah (whose name means ‘done’)

                                                             ii.      The Voice from Heaven

1.      The sign of the Father.

2.      “The age-ling silence was ended”.

6. ‘Son of God’ was a pre-Christian messianic title in Judea