Hey everybody! Thank you for taking the time to join me in daily Bible reading as we seek to glorify Jesus, know Him more, and interpret the truth of His Word.
If this is your first time going through the Bible, then I am especially excited to have you here. If this is your 5000th time, then I am humbled that you are here and hope you grow in your relationship with Jesus along with me. May we all seek to know Him more and apply what we learn to further our mission of spreading the gospel. Today, we are continuing the preaching of John the Baptist! Day 13, Matthew 3:4-6 — The Preaching of John the Baptist Matthew 3:4-6 (NASB1995) “4 Now John himself had a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea and all the district around the Jordan; 6 and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins.” Intro Matthew began his gospel by laying the foundation that Jesus is the Messiah. Now, we are at the precipice of Jesus’ earthly ministry, but first, we read about the prophecy-fulfilling preaching of John the Baptist. The gospel of Luke gives far more details about John the Baptist’s life and ministry, while Matthew focuses more on John’s message: Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand! Historical Context Set around 27-30 AD, Matthew 3 briefly covers Jesus’ cousin, John the Baptist, and his preaching throughout the Judean wilderness. His preaching was radical, attracting attacks from the synagogue and political leaders. While the gospel of Luke provides far more details about John and his ministry, Matthew emphasizes John’s message, which sets the stage for Jesus about six months later. Discussion Yesterday, we got into our first meatier discussion about repentance and what it truly means. John the Baptist's message of repentance was bold and ruffled feathers, leading many to repent of their sins to prepare for the coming of Jesus. His teaching of repentance was more than just changing one’s mind from unbelief to belief; it demanded a transformation of one’s life from ungodly living to godly living. John’s preaching also came with a sense of urgency, which is seen by the people’s response (v. 5). Multitudes of people from all over the Judean province came to John to hear his message to repent and be baptized. Matthew mentions John’s appearance, likening it to the prophet Elijah. This is notable because many Jews knew the story of Elijah and his travels throughout the wilderness, which John echoes with his attire and diet. 2 Kings 1:8 describes Elijah as “a hairy man with a leather girdle bound about his loins.” His diet and appearance attracted the lowly and poor, as it was a relatable way of living for many—locusts and wild honey were common foods for most. This dress, diet, and simple lifestyle, along with his prophecy-fulfilling cry in the wilderness, recalled the hardened days of Elijah moving the Jewish people to confess their sins humbly and repent. John’s popularity grew over time, bringing people from all over the region to follow his ministry to prepare for the coming of Jesus. As mentioned yesterday, John’s message of repentance confirms Isaiah’s prophecy from Isaiah 40:3: “Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.” His preaching moved people as we see in v. 5. The cry of this great preacher of repentance and herald of the approaching Messiah brought multitudes of penitents eagerly expectant of their Messiah. John’s message was blunt and spiritually powerful, demanding a transformation of one’s heart and mind. This transformation was not passive but sought by the sinner, who eagerly confessed their sin at baptism. As we see today, they used baptism as a public confession of faith, but the main purpose was a public declaration of a commitment to live Godly as God commands. The confession of sin is not so public anymore, contrary to the eagerness of the Jewish people to announce their repentance and deliverance from sin. Being immersed and raised up out of the water symbolized the cleansing of sin and the escape from God's coming judgment, highlighting the expectation of the coming Messiah and the readiness to welcome Him at His coming. We will continue John’s message of repentance tomorrow. Application The application today is a continuation of yesterday. Repentance is not a popular message in the Western church, but it is necessary. If John the Baptist and Jesus preached this message, then we should, too. Studying today’s passage helped me recall when I first came to Christ. The Jewish people eagerly repented, confessed their sins, and were baptized into a new committed life of godly living—as was my experience. I had lived a selfish, ungodly life of sin. I was called to repent and did it eagerly, expecting to be free from the sin that was leading me to hell. Jesus saved me and I excitedly declared my new life in Christ through water baptism. As we study John’s message of repentance more, we should understand that it requires a committed lifestyle change away from sin. This is something we cannot do on our own, but the Holy Spirit can convict us of our sins and need for change. This acknowledgment of sin and having a humble eagerness to flee from them is a great first step to having a saving, transformative faith in Christ. Thank you, Jesus, for coming and providing a way for us to be free from the oppression and penalty of sin. May we praise, worship, honor, and glorify Him every day in all that we do while continually pursuing righteousness, holiness, and forgiveness as He forgave us. Looking Ahead Thank you for joining today’s daily Bible reading! Tomorrow, we will read Matthew 3:7. I hope you join me! I have made commenting available, so please please please feel free to discuss the reading and ask questions. If you do not want to discuss publicly, please reach out to me privately. We are on this journey together!
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
WRITTEN BY
|