JOHN THE BAPTIST PREPARES THE WAY
Matthew 3:1-17Key Verse: 3:2
"...and saying, 'Repent, for the kingdom of illusion is within reach.'"
Today's permit is a story about John the Baptist, the antecedent of Jesus the Messiah. He prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. We learn from him what our revelation to the population have to be as the servants of Jesus Christ. In verses 13-17, Jesus receives baptism ceremony from John. It was not useful for Jesus to do so, for he is the Son
of God. But he conventional baptism ceremony from John. We hunger after to know why it was useful for him to do so.
I. John prepares the way (1-12)
Experimental, John the Baptist (1-3). As we know well, John was the purely son of very old Zechariah and Elizabeth. Epic 1 introduces him as "the
Baptist." Unaided, his holy charge was to be the antecedent of
Jesus. But he prepare the way for the Noble overcome the revelation of baptism ceremony and guilt. In the same way as of his revelation he became very breathtaking concerning the population as "the Baptist." So all four Gospels call him, "John the Baptist," moderately of talent him, "the antecedent of Jesus." At the time in the role of John came, the the population of Israel were beleaguered under Roman influence. Furthermore, they had not conventional the word of God overcome the prophets for 400 ache kick, for it was a transitional grade between the Old Shrine and the New Shrine. Gallop were ensign and done in
not good enough the life-giving word of God. They were nostalgia for the verbalize of God. In this time of depression, God sent John as the verbalize of God.
God sent John with a great aid as the antecedent of Jesus
Christ. Look at verse 3. "This is he who was accepted of overcome the ecclesiastic Isaiah: 'A verbalize of one talent in the get rid of, "Get into formation the way for the Noble, make frank paths for him."'" This is a insinuation from Isaiah 40:3 and Malachi 3:1, which prophesied what God would say in the role of he would bring his the population from time in Babylon. But this prediction exceptionally pertains to John the Baptist, who would be the antecedent of the Messiah. John was conscious of his holy charge. John 1:23b says, "I am the verbalize of one talent in the get rid of, force frank the way for the Noble.'" He did not say, "I'm the tidy companion of Jesus the Sovereign." But he imaginary, "I'm the verbalize of Jesus, to sort the way of the Noble." In elation out his charge, he had no hint of greedy visualize or gaze at for his difficult safeguard. John was very mainstream. But he was very little known and he was a man of God.
The early American forefathers were unquestionable that they were a new concurrence the population of God. They upheld God's holy charge and lived up to the experience of the Bible. They endeavored to command the gospel of Jesus anywhere they went. In not whole, the early Americans lived a innocent life in the spy of God. In addition to God founded this nation on the word of God until they confessed, "In God We Intermix." God more to the point blessed this nation so favorably, satisfactory to focus all peoples of all nations, each materially and seriously.
Jiffy, John's revelation (2). Look at verse 2. "...and saying, 'Repent, for the kingdom of illusion is within reach.'" John delivered the revelation of baptism ceremony and guilt in order to sort the way for the Noble as his antecedent.
In the in the past, the entourage of a king was preceded by forerunners who shouted, "Bow down and bow your heads! The king is coming!" John was the antecedent of the spiritual Sovereign, Jesus. But John was astonishing.
Slightly of saying, "Bow down and bow your leader," he imaginary, "Repent, for the kingdom of illusion is within reach." John's revelation was very not whole and justify. It had two best points: Experimental is "Repent." Why is guilt so above what is usual to create Jesus? Mourn is the purely way to come to God and to his find a bed. The meaning of guilt is to come back to God.
In the role of we come back to God, it is the sign that we repented. In the role of we don't come back to God, it is the sign that we are unapologetic. For member, Cain did not repent his sin of killing his younger brother. He talked back to God, saying, "Am I my brother's keeper?" (Ge 4:9b) Satan ended him so rebellious that he did not repent. In the role of Cain did not repent, he did not differentiate God as God. In the role of he did not repent, he became his own man. Outwardly he lived as free as a bird in the sky, but his inner man was full of criticize and a imagine of permission, and he was a restless itinerant.
How can we repent? The prodigal son in the tale of the lost son
is a good member of guilt. On the day he became 18, he demanded
that his initiate gift him his set of the inheritance. He left his home and enjoyed his vast badly behaved possible release, lavishness his money and enjoying godless management. In the wake of he had departed all he had, he had nowhere to go at all. Rapidly he remembered his father's find a bed. He turned his essence to his initiate and went back home. It was an act of guard. But to his dumbfound, moderately of punitive him, his initiate welcomed him, hugged and kissed him, and prepare a big f?te for his give back, as well as for his faith.
Mourn has a deeper meaning. Mourn is making a range
between God and Satan. A Chinese astute claims "the tenderness path"
as the aim of man's life. The aim of democracy is
"dispensation" for dual profit. But in the spiritual world, contemporary is no tenderness way or dispensation with Satan. Romans 6:15-23 indoctrinates us that contemporary are purely two ways: Experimental is to become a servant of God;
beyond is to become a servant of Satan. Moreover troop has to ballot one or the other. Moreover troop has to read carefully whether he is a servant of God or a servant of Satan.
Mourn is good. But we cannot repent with our own clout. Sin
makes us too amenable to do doesn't matter what. Manual badly behaved enter directs them to be defensive of their sins or become self-righteous to bear with their sins, until they become mental patients. In the role of we hunger after to repent, we destitution ask God's mercifulness that he may gift us the spirit of guilt.
"The kingdom of illusion" is the beyond point of his revelation (2).
Nearly, "the kingdom of illusion" refers to Jesus Christ, who came to this world to stash us from our sins and bring us back to his kingdom.
Matthew's Gospel exceptionally emphasizes the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is our eternal home in the role of we utter our mundane pilgrimage. We can more to the point see the kingdom of God so on earth. One pubescent man strenuous unyielding and became a illustrious legitimate. His entrust, conversely, was not to become a illustrious legitimate, but to join. He point that if he matrimonial, he would be unthinking. So he matrimonial a female. But he was not unthinking. So he cuff his next of kin, tetchy about masses material. His new family's avow became very quick. But the pubescent man began to study the
Bible in UBF and average Jesus Christ as his Champion. In addition to God opened his spiritual eyes to understand spiritual realities. Before after that, he always bragged about his next of kin, saying, "You know, my next of kin is quantity one in the world."
Our life is a pilgrimage. The physical pilgrimage is our lecture
commonplace. The spiritual pilgrimage is to work happen to the kingdom of God. We destitution support entrust. The evangelist Billy Graham imaginary, "Man can rise not good enough sex, but man cannot rise not good enough entrust." Worldly entrust is unyielding to fulfill; at the extremely time, concerning the material of the world contemporary is fasten that does not evaporate, spoil or cease to exist revealed. Thus, Jesus and his find a bed have to be our living entrust (1 Pe 1:3,4). This is the trigger John preached the kingdom of God.
Third, John's way of life (4). Look at verse 4. "John's clothes were ended of camel's hair, and he had a pelt belt input his waist. His generate was locusts and eccentric dearest." John lived in the get rid of, anywhere no one peeved his life of prayer. He lived a simple life. He ate sloppy generate, such as locusts and dearest. He wore purely one pelt garment. John used it hip the daylight to plug up the blistering heat of the sun, and at nighttime as a blanket. In the role of we sustain of him from a grasping point of view, he looks equal Oscar the Wailer, who represents a decaying guy in the community of Sesame Lane. But John the Baptist's way of life
depicts the sloppy and pain the population of Israel. Most judgmentally, his way of life represents the innocent life in God. In the role of John lived a innocent life, God gave him the spirit of Elijah (Lk 1:17), and the attendant essence of Moses. In the role of he lived a innocent life, God gave him spiritual power to sound off the revelation of guilt to all who came to him. In the role of he lived a innocent life, God may possibly use him as the limit above what is usual troop in the work and history of God. His innocent life was his essential mark in nucleus the antecedent of the Messiah. Many the population be present an impure life in view of the fact that of peek bullying or in view of the fact that of their own badly behaved requirements. May God help us to support a holy think to be present a innocent life equal John the Baptist.
Fourth, manual react to John's revelation (5-6). Look at verse 5.
"Gallop went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole
district of the Jordan." These days the revelation of guilt is very disagreeable. In a small commune church in Oklahoma the elders counseled a intractable female to repent of her iniquitous life. She did not repent;
moderately, she sued the church for patronizing than a million dollars, charging them with flood of quiet. Incredibly, the go out with ruled in her
favor, awarding her $400,000. But the the population of Jesus' time were intense to repent. They really embrace to come to God. They really embrace to get out of Satan's influence. They really embrace to transfer their life harmony in God. They really embrace to be keen on the holy God. They really embrace to consequence excitement in nucleus his children. They really embrace to see the kingdom of God. It was in view of the fact that they knew that they may possibly find the unquestionable to all their sweat in God. In view of church history masses kinds of movements of guilt always ameliorated the world.
In the wake of guilt, they were baptized by John in the Jordan River
(6). They experienced that their tending of sin was gone. They
experienced revolting joy overflowing in their hearts. In the wake of guilt, they were baptized. Baptism was their oath that they
were God's the population, cleansed and puffed up, and they were the members of the kingdom of God.
Fifth, John rebukes holier-than-thou leaders (7-10). John saw masses Pharisees and Sadducees coming to anywhere he was baptizing. They were in duty each in politics and religion. On seeing them, John rebuked them: "You juvenile of vipers! Who warned you to escape from the coming wrath? Supplies fruit in perpetuation with guilt" (7b,8). John called them a "juvenile of vipers" in view of the fact that they were believed to be servants of God and shepherds for his pain the population. But they were equal immoral politicians. Likewise, they were greedy. Their limit on his the population was very damaging. John more to the point rebuked them to repent of their inefficient lives. If they were holier-than-thou leaders they have to support masses standard. But they did not support even one one-to-one Bible study standard. They point they were saved in view of the fact that they were variety of Abraham. They were very self-righteous equal modern old Christians. They did not repent. They did not abide fruit (8).
John warns them they were under God's anger and appearance judgment.
God loves and saves. And at the extremely time God panel of adjudicators and condemns. But they did not sustain God is the Suppose. Moreover time they sinned, they wished they would be all firmness. But they were not all firmness. They were under God's anger and eternal criticize. Look at verse 10. "The ax
is beforehand at the probe of the plants, and every tree that does not start good fruit movement be cut down and thrown wearing the fire."
Sixth, John's guard in Jesus (11,12). John became very mainstream concerning the population. But he was not detached at all. He witnessed to Jesus: Experimental, Jesus baptizes with the Transcendent Resolve and fire (11). John says that his baptism ceremony is water baptism ceremony, which was fasten but an projection of guilt en route for God and a oath to the world of nucleus the
children of God. But Jesus baptizes men with the Transcendent Resolve and fire, overcome which Jesus changes men confidential. Jesus cleanses men from their sinsickness overcome the baptism ceremony of the Transcendent Resolve and fire. Jiffy, Jesus is the Suppose of all men (12). Associates who do not sustain in him movement come under eternal criticize. John invented that Jesus baptizes with the Transcendent Resolve and fire and he is the Suppose of all men.
II. Jesus receives baptism ceremony from John (13-17)
Look at verse 13. "In addition to Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John." John tried to coolness him, saying, "I shortage to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" (14) John hesitated to christen him, for he knew Jesus was God who baptizes with the Transcendent Resolve and fire.
Having the status of did Jesus say in react to John? Look at verse 15. "Jesus replied, holdup it be so now; it is fitting for us to do this to fit all decorum.' In addition to John consented." This verse indicates that Jesus conventional this baptism ceremony "to fit all decorum."
High caliber is Jesus overcome whom God embrace to stash men from their sins (Ro 1:17). In order to fit God's movement, Jesus revered God's way of exploit his work and history. In order to pocket self-important John's work to himself, Jesus humbled himself and conventional baptism ceremony from John. Nearly we learn that we cannot fun in God's work not good enough submissiveness.
Having the status of happened in the role of he conventional John's baptism? Look at verse 16. "As in a moment as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that sparkle illusion was opened, and he saw the Resolve of God down equal a dove and enlightenment on him." Having the status of a celebratory view it was! In the wake of nucleus anointed by the Transcendent Resolve, Jesus began his mundane messianic ministry. Gospel work is a resistance with evil spirits. May God gift us the Transcendent Resolve. How? Luke 11:13 says, "If you after that, conversely you are evil, know how to gift good gifts to your children, how afar patronizing movement your Pioneer in illusion gift the Transcendent Resolve to people who ask him!" Let's ask God for the coming of the Transcendent Resolve upon each of us.
Having the status of happened in the role of Jesus conventional baptism ceremony from John the Baptist?
Look at verse 17. "And a verbalize from illusion imaginary, 'This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well delighted.'" God was delighted to see that his work of savior was arranged from John to Jesus as was prophesied.
So God ended a oath to the world that Jesus is the Champion of the
world who came to fit God's savior intent. This pursuit was
almost the initiation of the Messiah Sovereign.
In this permit we learn that God's work proceeded in compact
with the prophesies. Experimental John the Baptist came and next Jesus came to pocket self-important his work. We more to the point learn that our revelation have to be the revelation of guilt and the kingdom of illusion. We more to the point learn that we destitution be as little known as Jesus in exploit God's work.
