Matthew 3

When it says "in those days" it must be referring to six months prior to the fulfilling of the Messiah at the Jordan. John the Baptist was the forerunner of Jesus. He was born six months before Jesus was born. Luke 1:24-26, 36. This must be at 27 A.D. John must have been preaching and baptizing, starting in the spring of 27 A.D. John the Baptist was preaching the baptism of repentance. In Luke 3:1 it tells you when that time began. 

 

John the Baptist was calling for repentance. John 1:8, John the Baptist was sent to bear witness of the Light. Since he was a child his parents has set before him what is life work and mission was to be. He was prophesied as the "one crying in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord" Isaiah 40:3; Luke 1:17; Malachi 4:5. John was to go in the spirit and power of Elias. The Pharisees ask John who is he? John also quotes Isaiah 40:3. This is found in John 1:19-24. So John has a message and he knew who he was base on the Bible. John’s parents was giving strict instructions in Luke 1:15, so John was a Nazarite and the Bible mentions his dress and the food he ate. Locusts and wild honey Matthew 3:4. People have different things to say about the locust, that it was carob. Since John was living in the wilderness which is an desert like area, he was must likely eating the locust that is a insect base on Leviticus 11:22 or it could have been the "locust tree" which is carob. Looking at the root word for "locust" in Matthew 3:4 it points to the locust as the insect. Either way he ate something or had both. The locust as a insect is listed as approved to eat in Leviticus 11:22.

 

People from around the region went out to see John the Baptist and some responded to the message and were baptized by him in the Jordan. Some of the Pharisees and Sadducees came to the baptism, with wrong intentions. 5BC 1077.6. They had no real conviction of sin and were trying to gain more influence over the people. John was impress by the Holy Spirit to recognize it and question them. Matthew 3:7. He also told them to "bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance." In other words, in the margin, answerable to amendment of life. Or show true repentance by putting away your sins. John used a term for the Pharisees and sadducees, he called them "O generation of vipers" this is the same term that Jesus used in Matthew 12:34, 23:33 it was a more pointed and direct call out. They seem Holy and righteous but they were not Jeremiah 2:22; 4:14 because they say "we have Abraham to our father" but Abraham believe and it was credit to him as righteousness Romans 4:3 but these Pharisees and Sadducee showed no fruit of repentance Matthew 21:32. Which is why John spoke to them the way he did in Matthew 3:7-12. Jesus said all the law and the prophets prophesied until John 11:13

 

In John 1:19, the Jews sent priest and Levite’s to ask John "Who art thou?" Apparently, John was making a impact and he had not gone to the schools of their day (rabbinical), so they are trying to figure out who is he. The response that John gives is prophetic. He first says he is not the Christ, but shares with them the calling from Isaiah 40:3. His parents has kept this in front of him since he was a child DA 101.4. We need to let kids know their mission in life from a young age. Parents should be asking the Lord, if not told, what should I do with the child? How shall we order the child? As Manoah has asked in the book of Judges. John was able to share who he was based on prophecy. 

 

We are also called to prepare the way of the Lord as did John. We are to point people to Jesus as He works in the most holy place in the sanctuary above and will soon complete His work to return a second time. Our message is the three angels messages of Revelation 14, just like John was given specific instructions on message, diet and dress, the Lord has called us to a different lifestyle from the world. The diet is to eat to the glory of God 1 Corinthians 10:31; Daniel 1:12; Amos 9:14; Genesis 3:18. The dress is to be different than the world and to be clothed with the righteousness of Christ Isaiah 61:10; 52:1; Romans 13:14; Zephaniah 1:9. We must preach a message that gets to the root, for John baptizes with water, but Jesus will baptize with water and fire. He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

 

The baptism of Jesus marks the beginning of His ministry on earth based on Daniel 9:25"unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks..." 7+62=69 weeks which’s leads to the baptism of Jesus base on the 70 week prophecy. God does everything on time and according to His timing. Jesus was born on time and now He starts His ministry on time. Jesus was baptize not to repent from sin, but to give us an example of what is true conversion LHU 79. John who humble himself, told Jesus that "I have need to be baptized of thee" Matthew 3:14 but Jesus said "for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness" Jesus is righteousness and He was taking the steps we must do in order to have true conversion. So John baptized Jesus.

"Christ came to John, repenting on the sinner's account, believing in behalf of the sinner, that through the plan He had devised, of taking humanity, and in suffering and dying for man, the sinner would, through repentance, faith, and baptism, be accepted of God. He was buried by John in the liquid grave, and came up out of the water to represent to man, in His holy life, the true pattern for him to copy. . LHU 79.2-LHU 79.3"

"The steps in conversion, plainly marked out, are repentance, faith in Christ as the world's Redeemer, faith in His death, burial, and resurrection, shown by baptism, and His ascension on high to plead in the sinner's behalf. At the very commencement of His public ministry, He presents Himself in the character He sustains to man throughout His mediatorial work.. LHU 79.4"

 

This is what Jesus told Nicodemus that he must be born again. Jesus was also speaking to everyone who is born into this world. Christ and the law go hand and hand. He came to magnify the law and make it honorable Isaiah 42:21

 

He came to fulfill all righteousness, and, as the head of humanity, to show man that he can do the same work, meeting every specification of the requirements of God. Through the measure of His grace furnished to the human agent, not one need miss heaven. Perfection of character is attainable by every one who strives for it. This is made the very foundation of the new covenant of the gospel. The law of Jehovah is the tree; the gospel is the fragrant blossoms and fruit which it bears. . 1SM 211.2

 

There is no safety nor repose nor justification in transgression of the law. Man cannot hope to stand innocent before God, and at peace with Him through the merits of Christ, while he continues in sin. He must cease to transgress, and become loyal and true. As the sinner looks into the great moral looking glass, he sees his defects of character. He sees himself just as he is, spotted, defiled, and condemned. But he knows that the law cannot in any way remove the guilt or pardon the transgressor. He must go farther than this. The law is but the schoolmaster to bring him to Christ. He must look to his sin-bearing Saviour.. 1SM 213.2

 

Christ has fulfilled all righteousness for us that we might also do the same through the measure of His grace Romans 8:3, 4; Romans 10:4 (end-fulfillment). We must exercise repentance and faith toward Jesus Christ Acts 20:21. This also means going through the sanctuary as He did. Psalm 77:13

 

After Jesus was baptized, the Spirit of God came upon Him and the Father said "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Here we see the Godhead; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus with the disciples also heard a voice from heaven at the transfiguration. Luke 9:35 and Peter confirm this in 2 Peter 1:17. This indicates that Jesus is the Son of God. John also knew beforehand and it was also confirmed for him that this is the Christ.