Key verse. 3:11, "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.”Prophetic Scriptures. 3:3 (Isaiah 40:3).
For some four hundred years the Jewish people had not heard from God through his prophets. This four hundred year interval is often called "the dark period" of Israel's history because during it there was neither prophet nor inspired writer. This period of Israel's history is a sad fulfillment of Psalm 74:9 upon Israel: "We do not see our signs; there is no longer any prophet, and there is none among us who knows how long."
In chapter 3 Matthew ends the prophetic silence in the person and ministry of John the Baptist, the last prophet of Israel who will prepare a people for the Lord. Jesus the child-King of chapter 2 will appear as a man to be baptized by John thus fulfilling all righteousness. In this section of his gospel Matthew teaches us the necessity of John’s ‘Fire Sermon’, the necessity of repentance, and the necessity of baptism.
John the Baptist (3:1-12)
The ministry of John the Baptist signifies Messiahs presence ("the kingdom of God is at hand") and that repentance is necessary for entrance into the Kingdom of God.
The man and his ‘repentance’ sermon (3:1-6)
The man. John was the son of a priest and fulfilled both the role of priest and prophet. His preaching and baptizing ministry took place in the wilderness areas of Judea. He preached a message of repentance (3:2) and of coming judgment (3:12). His ministry was foretold by Isaiah (3:3). His dress and lifestyle was like the bareness and simplicity of his surroundings. Nothing about John competes with communicating his urgent message of getting right with God. Nor does it detract attention away from Jesus when he arrives (John 3:30)! John can preach a message of repentance, prepare the way for the coming of Jesus, baptize, receive confession of sin, and point others to Christ, but as we will learn, only one can truly solve our problem by forgiving sins and sending the Holy Spirit.
His repentance sermon. “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” The Message Bible renders verse 2 as such, ‘Turn your lives around, God’s kingdom is here!’ Meier summarizes John’s repentance message nicely, “within, one must change one’s mind and heart about what is important in life and then change one’s outward life accordingly.” The Greek word for repent (metanoeō) means a change of mind. Repentance involves a turning with contrition from sin to God; the repentant sinner is in the proper condition to accept the divine forgiveness. John is urgently demanding God’s people to turn from sin and live in line with God’s given Law: the kingdom of God is here! His preaching ministry bears fruit: many confess their sins and are baptized.
His fire sermon and the promise of the Spirit-Baptizer (3:7-12)
His fire sermon. In these 6 verses the word ‘fire’ appears three times. In a sense, John’s ‘fire sermon’ summarizes the character of God’s law and the coming wrath for disobeying it. John is preaching the Law and in doing so he points out the sinful failure of the people. Note that John is preaching the law to the religious leaders! John is calling the religious to identify their sin, turn from it, and live according to God’s commands! We too need John's preaching of the Law of God in our churches. We need it to counter much of the ‘God-loves-us-as-we-are’ preaching, to counter our drift towards legalism-righteousness, and to drive us back to our real need for Jesus and his gospel. “For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes the knowledge of sin’ (Romans 3:20). Without the Law there is no gospel. Without John’s fire sermon preceding we will not hear Jesus correctly throughout the rest of Matthew’s gospel.
Heralding the ‘Spirit-Baptizer’. John’s ministry and message was succeeding. He was stirring up and confronting his hearers with their sins. However, he didn’t leave them without hope. He offered them the physical act of baptism as a way to show the sincerity of their heart-repentance. John’s baptism didn’t remedy their ultimate sin problem. It would take another priest-prophet-king to fulfill that ministry. John ends his sin-stirring sermons on a note of hope. He announces the coming of one who far exceeds him and his baptism in every way (3:11). The one coming will not merely provide a physical act of immersion, he will supernaturally baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. Where John’s baptism was merely water, Jesus’ baptism (using water) washes people clean by the power of the Holy Spirit. What does John mean by a baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire? He is distinguishing between the penitent who will be baptized in the grace of the Holy Spirit and the impenitent who will later be baptized into the fire of his eternal judgment. Simply stated: some will enjoy the safety of the barn and others will burn (3:12).
The baptism of Jesus (3:13-17) If John represents the Law then Jesus is the gospel. Jesus doesn’t come to abolish the Law but to fulfill the Law on our behalf. As Augustine said, “and grace was given that the Law might be fulfilled.” The first thing to notice is that Jesus comes as a baptizee not a baptizer. As Jesus emerges from the Jordan, the Father audibly speaks and the Spirit descends in the form of a dove. The Dove and Voice visually and audibly affirms Jesus as the Servant of God. He is the fulfillment of Isaiah’s Suffering Servant and the promise of Jeremiah’s New Covenant. He is also God’s unique Son and the fulfillment of the covenant promise to David of an anointed Son who would enjoy an eternal Kingly reign.
Why does Jesus, who was without sin, need to be baptized? Theologians have answered this question in several different ways:
- Jesus was baptized to identify himself with us sinners
- Jesus was baptized to set apart his Messianic ministry
- Jesus was baptized to side with the godly remnant of Israelite's who partook of John’s baptism
But why was he baptized? The simple answer is this: Jesus was baptized so he could enter into the Melchizedek priesthood so He could be the High Priest and offer Himself as a sacrifice for our sins. He had to fulfill the legal requirements for entering into the priesthood. He was a priest after the order of Melchizedek (Psalm 110:4; Heb. 5:8-10; 6:20). Priests offered sacrifice to God on behalf of the people. Jesus became a sacrifice for our sin (1 Pet. 2:24; 2 Cor. 5:21) in His role as priest.
To be consecrated as a priest, He had to be (1) washed with water (Lev. 8:6; Exodus 29:4, Matt. 3:16) and, (2) anointed with oil (Lev. 8:12; Exodus 29:7; Matt. 3:16). Both of these were bestowed upon Jesus at His baptism. Additionally, He may needed to be 30 years old (Numbers 4:3). It is significant that Luke writes that when Jesus came to be baptized he was 30 years of age (Luke 3:23). So we would say that Jesus fulfilled all righteousness in that he was duly set apart to the priestly office to be our high priest and ultimately, our perfect sacrifice.
Catechism: The sacrament of Holy Baptism
First. What is Baptism?--Answer.
Baptism is not simple water only, but it is the water comprehended in God's command and connected with God's Word.
Which is that word of God?--Answer.
Christ, our Lord, says in the last chapter of Matthew: Go into all the world and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
Secondly. What does Baptism give or profit?--Answer.
It works forgiveness of sins, delivers from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, as the words and promises of God declare.
Which are such words and promises of God? Answer.
Christ, our Lord, says in the last chapter of Mark: He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
Thirdly. How can water do such great things?--Answer.
It is not the water indeed that does them, but the word of God which is in and with the water, and faith, which trusts such word of God in the water. For without the word of God the water is simple water and no baptism. But with the word of God it is a baptism, that is, a gracious water of life and a washing of regeneration in the Holy Ghost, as St. Paul says, Titus, chapter three: By the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ, our Savior, that, being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a faithful saying.
Fourthly. What does such baptizing with water signify?--Answer.
It signifies that the old Adam in us should, by daily contrition and repentance, be drowned and die with all sins and evil lusts, and, again, a new man daily come forth and arise; who shall live before God in righteousness and purity forever.
Where is this written?--Answer.
St. Paul says Romans, chapter 6: We are buried with Christ by Baptism into death, that, like as He was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
No comments:
Post a Comment