Introductory remarks:
Chapter three begins with Matthew introducing us to the ministry of John the Baptist or 'Baptizer,' the forerunner of Jesus Christ. As we learned in our study in the Gospel of John, the Baptist's primary mission was to herald in the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and then John is arrested and put in prison, and then beheaded by Herod Antipas, the half brother of Herod the Great. "At the request of Salome, [the daughter of Herodias and Herod Philip] who pleased Herod Antipas [her father's half brother] so much with her dancing that he offered whatever she requested; at the prompting of her mother, she asked for the head of John the Baptist who had rebuked the subsequent marriage of Herodias and Antipas (Matt. 14:3-11; Mark 6:16-28). Salome became wife first to her uncle Philip, tetrarch of Trachonitis (Luke 3:1) and then to her cousin Aristobulus, son of Herod, king of Chalcis" (Zondervan Encyclopedia).
"This chapter and part of the next, containing the narrative of the temptation (Matt. 4:1-11), form the prelude [introduction] to the public ministry of Jesus. John, of whom we have not heard before, appears as consecrating Jesus to His Messianic calling by baptism, and from the baptism Jesus passes to the scene of moral trial. In what year of Christ's life these events happened is not indicated. The new narrative begins with the vague phrase 'in those days.' But it is obvious from the contents that Jesus has now reached manhood; His thoughts and experience are those of mature years. From childhood to manhood is an absolute blank in Matthew's Gospel. The evangelist gives a genesis [beginning] of Christ's body, but no genesis of His mind. As we see it in the sequel, it is a miracle of wisdom. It too, doubtless, had its genesis and history, but they are not given or even hinted at. Christ is ushered on the scene an unexplained prodigy [Wonder]. One would like to know how He reached this unprecedented height of wisdom and grace [Luke 2:52]. The only possible source of knowledge is reasoning back from the outcome in the full-grown man. Jesus grew, and the final result may reveal in part the means and process of growth. The anti-Pharisaic spirit and clean-cut description of Pharisaic ways imply antecedent [ancestor] study, perhaps in rabbinical schools. The parables may not have been so extempore [without preparation] as they seem, but may be the ripe fruit of long brooding thought, things new and yet old" (The Expositor's Greek Testament).
The Preaching of John the Baptist
Verse 1, "In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea,"
LGT "Now in those days comes John the Baptist preaching in the desert of Judea,"
"In those days came John the Baptist,"
"His name John means 'Gift of Jehovah' and is a shortened form of Johanan. He is described as 'the Baptist,' 'the Baptizer' for that is the rite that distinguishes him. The Jews had proselyte baptism. But this rite was meant for the Gentiles who accepted Judaism. John is treating the Jews as Gentiles in demanding baptism at their hands on the basis of repentance" (A.T. Robertson).
"Preaching in the wilderness of Judea,"
The Greek word for 'came' is paragenetai, and is an "historical present, giving vividness to the narrative" [Vincent], and should read. In those days comes John the Baptist. Wuest translates There makes his public appearance John the Baptizer; Moffit translates John the Baptist came on the scene. Robertson notes that "it is this 'historical present tense' that calls for a vivid imagination on the part of the reader."
"There is something grand, even awful, in the almost absolute silence which lies upon the thirty years between the Birth and the Messianic Manifestation of Jesus. In a narrative like that of the Gospels, this must have been designed; and, if so, affords presumptive evidence of the authenticity of what follows, and is intended to teach, that what had preceded concerned only the inner History of Jesus, and the preparation of the Christ. At last that solemn silence was broken by an appearance, a proclamation, a rite, and a ministry as startling as that of Elijah had been. In many respects, indeed, the two messengers and their times bore singular likeness. It was to a society secure, prosperous, and luxurious, yet in imminent danger of perishing from hidden, festering disease; and to a religious community which presented the appearance of hopeless perversion, and yet contained the germs of a possible regeneration, that both Elijah and John the Baptist came. Both suddenly appeared to threaten terrible judgment, but also to open unthought of possibilities of good. And, as if to deepen still more the impression of this contrast, both appeared in a manner unexpected, and even antithetic [opposite] to the habits of their contemporaries. John came suddenly out of the wilderness of Judea, as Elijah from the wilds of Gilead; John bore the same strange ascetic appearance as his predecessor; the message of John was the counterpart [compliment] of that of Elijah; his baptism that of Elijah's novel rite on Mount Carmel. And, as if to make complete the parallelism, with all of memory and hope which it awakened, even the more minute details surrounding the life of Elijah found their counterpart in that of John. Yet history never repeats itself. It fulfils in its development that of which it gave indication at its commencement. Thus, the history of John the Baptist was the fulfillment of that in the fullness of time" (The Words and Works of Jesus the Messiah - page 177- Alfred Edesheim).
Verse 2, "And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
LGT "[And] saying, Repent: for the kingdom of the heavens is close at hand."
"And saying, Repent ye:"
The Greek word for 'repent' is metanoeite, an imperfect active verb meaning to 'change ones mind', but also has with the thought here of reformation. John the Baptist is calling on the Jewish nation to turn around and change their minds regarding their actions; he wants them to see things from God's Divine Viewpoint. There is no English word that justly defines the word 'repent'; the closest it comes is to say one must 'feel sorry' for their sins; this is an unfortunate problem, because many people think they must show their sorrow in order for them to receive forgiveness; however, although sorrow is the result of repentance, it never requires sorrow; I realize that 'a Godly sorrow leads to repentance', however, it is not a pre-requisite; in fact, I would question the sincerity in one who did not feel sorrow for their sins. When we see things from God's Divine Viewpoint, we will feel sorrow when we sin; and the only way we can see life from God's Perspective is in the Word of God. John is saying to Israel, turn about, for the kingdom of heaven is near at hand.
"For the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
The terms 'kingdom of heaven' and the 'kingdom of God' have the same meaning. John is telling them that the 'King' is here, and His Kingdom is near. We know from our studies that Christ did not set up His kingdom, for the Jews not only rejected Him as their King, then, in turn, rejected His Kingdom. In the original Greek the word 'heaven' is plural 'heavens.' When Christ finally does set up His Kingdom at the end of the Tribulation period, the world will be ruled by the heavens.
"The kingdom of heaven is the rule of the heavens over the earth. That's not in existence today. Christ is not reigning over the world now. There must be something wrong with the thinking of those who insist that the kingdom of heaven is in existence in our day. Christ is not reigning in any form, shape or fashion - except in the hearts of those who have received Him. However, He is coming someday to establish His kingdom on the earth. When He does, He will put down rebellion. Believe me, He is really going to put it down.
The kingdom of heaven was at hand, or was present, in the person of the King. That was the only way in which it was present" (McGee).
Verse 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."
LGT "For this is the one who was spoken of by Esaias the prophet saying, A voice of one crying in the desert, Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight His paths."
Matthew quotes Isaiah 40:3: A voice is calling, Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness: make smooth in the desert a highway for our God (NASV). The name 'Esaias' is the Greek pronunciation of the Hebrew name 'Isaiah.' Isaiah's prophecy is in its original context referring to the Jews return from Babylonian captivity. Matthew understands that Isaiah's prophecy does apply to John the Baptist, in that he is the forerunner of our Lord Jesus Christ, even though Isaiah doesn't name him, other than calling him 'a voice.' This is all that John ever claimed for himself, as we learned in the Gospel of John, for there John said of himself, 'I must decrease, in order that He [the Lord] must increase.' John only claimed to be 'a voice crying in the wilderness.'
Barnes notes on the custom of the East in sending forerunners ahead of dignitaries:
"Anciently it was customary in the march of armies to send messengers, or pioneers, before them to proclaim their approach; to provide for them; to remove obstructions; to make roads, level hills, fill up valleys, &c. Isaiah, describing the return from Babylon, uses language taken from that custom. A crier, or herald, is introduced. In the vast deserts that lay between Babylon and Judea he is represented as lifting up his voice, and, with authority, commanding a public road to be made for the return of the captive Jews, with the Lord as their deliverer. 'Prepare his ways, make them straight,' says he. The meaning in Isaiah is, 'Let the valleys be exalted, or filled up, and the hills be leveled, and a straight, level highway be prepared, that they may march with ease and safety. The custom here referred to is continued in the East at the present time "When Ibrahim Pasha proposed to visit certain places on Lebanon, the emeers and sheiks sent forth a general proclamation, somewhat in the style of Isaiah's exhortation, to all the inhabitants, to assemble along the proposed route and prepare the way before him. The same was done in 1845, on a grand scale, when the present sultan visited Brousa. The stones were gathered out, the crooked places straightened, and the rough ones made level and smooth' (The Land and the Book, vol. 1. p. 105, 106).
Verse 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."
LGT "Now John himself having his outer garment from camel hair, and a leather girdle around his loins, and his food was locust and wild honey."
"John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins;"
Matthew describes John as one who has survived in the wilderness, being prepared by the Lord to be the 'Voice of one crying in the wilderness.'
"Matthew thus introduces the man himself and draws a vivid sketch of his dress, his habit, and his food. Would such an uncouth [uncivilized] figure be welcome today in any pulpit in our cities? In the wilderness it did not matter. It was probably a matter of necessity with him, not an affection [a fondness for this type of garb], though it was the garb of the original Elijah (II Kings 1:8), rough sackcloth woven from the hair of camels. Plummer holds that John consciously took Elijah as a model" (Robertson).
"And his meat was locusts"
"Locusts are a useful source of protein, fat and calories; they also have a fair amount of mineral salts, but are rich in vitamins. Dried locusts contain more than fifty percent protein and a variable amount of fat - up to twenty percent. When John the Baptist was reported to be living on 'locusts and wild honey' he was enjoying a crude but fairly balanced diet; the honey would be basically sugar, but with some pollen and perhaps bee grubs as well, which would increase the protein content" (The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible).
"And wild honey."
"This was probably the honey that he found in the rocks of the wilderness. Palestine was often called the land flowing with milk and honey, Ex. 3:8, 17; 8:5. Bees were kept with great care, and great numbers of them abounded in the fissures of trees and the clefts of rocks. 'Bees abound there still, not only wild, but hived, as with us. I saw a great number of hives in the old castle near the pools of Solomon; several, also, at Deburieh, at the foot of Tabor; and again at Mejdel, the Magdala of the New Testament, on the Lake of Tiberias. Mandrell says that he saw bees very industrious about the blossoms between Jericho and the Dead Sea, which must have been within the limits of the very desert in which John did eat locusts and wild honey. There is also a species of honey called wild honey, or wood honey, or honey-dew, produced by certain little insects, and deposited on the leaves of trees, and flowing from them in great quantities to the ground. See 1 Sam. 14:24-27. This is said to be produced still in Arabia, and perhaps it was this which John lived upon" (Barnes).
Verse 5, "Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region round about Jordan."
LGT "Then kept on going out to him, Jerusalem, and all Judea, all the country around the Jordan."
Jerusalem was in part of the country known as Judea. This verse does not mean that literally all the peoples in Judea went out to meet him; just that it was a great multitude. "Notice that the crowds went out to him. John did not rent a stadium or an auditorium or a church, and there was no committee that invited him. In fact, he didn't come to town at all. If you wanted to hear John, you went out to where he was. Obviously, the Spirit of God was on this man" (McGee).
Verse 6, "And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins."
LGT "And were baptized in the Jordan River by him, confessing their sins."
John was an Old Testament prophet baptizing these Jews in their expectancy of their long awaited Messiah. The Jews were very familiar with baptism, which had many different forms. It was very demeaning for a Jew to openly admit that he needed forgiveness. Before the pouring out of the Spirit at Pentecost, Spirit Baptism, and the completion of the Scriptures, John used the symbol of Baptism to point to the Coming of the One who would forgive sin, that is, Christ would take away the sin of the world on the Cross when He died, both Spiritually and physically. John never claimed that he could forgive sin, however, here he is pointing to the One who could. Baptism had a purpose, of signifying the death burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, before the Word of God was finished, but in this age of grace baptism is done away with, as are all symbols and signs.
"The Old Testament recognizes that God is sovereign in an eternal and universal Kingdom (1 Chr. 29:12; Psa 145:13; Psa 103:19). Yet because of God's covenant with Abraham, and more particularly His covenant with David (2 Sam. 7:16), the Jews expected God to send a Messiah into this world who would subdue all things to God's authority. The Jews looked for a literal kingdom here on the earth over which the Messiah would rule from David's throne, and thus the world would experience righteousness and peace. The prophets taught that God's eternal rule would be manifested here on earth through the reign of Christ (Zech. 14:9; Amos 9:11; Micah 5:2; Isa. 9:6). While the Jews may have anticipated a political Messiah to deliver them from Roman bondage, John as an Old Testament prophet proclaimed the kingdom of the prophets. He announced a literal kingdom on the earth under the personal rule of God's covenanted Messiah. The establishment of this kingdom would fulfill the covenant that God made with David, promising that one of David's sons would sit on David's throne and rule over David's house. John said this kingdom was near. Such a glorious promise was an impetus to bring the nation to repentance. John's announcement generated widespread interest. Mark recorded, 'The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him' (Mark 1:5). They willingly submitted to John's baptism [John's baptism] was a symbol of another and no less significant fact; the baptized were not simply the penitent, but the expectant, men consecrated to a great hope. They formed a community that had renounced with their sins the older Judaism, with its civil kingdom and political Messiah, and stood expectant, waiting the coming of Him who was to baptize with the Holy Ghost and with fire. Under this aspect this baptism had affinities [similarities] with events and customs dear to the Hebrews. When Moses descended from the mount to sanctify the people, he made them 'wash their clothes.' When the Gentiles became a Jew he was purified by water. What is to us a sensuous [deep] symbol was to him a translucent [transparent] form of an eternal truth" (Fairbairn-The Life of Christ).
"John was gathering together around his promise a company who believed his word and were anticipating the coming of the Messiah. The Messiah would both provide them with the forgiveness of sin and institute a kingdom of peace and righteousness in which they would enjoy the benefits of His reign" (Pentecost).
It doesn't matter how commentators try and convince us that baptism is strictly a symbol, and that it isn't necessary to be baptized to be saved, it still resounds loud and clear, that people still think they need to be baptized. I believe the connection that baptism has been placed so near to Salvation, that is, they say, 'it is an outward confession to an inward possession', that people naturally feel that it is a necessary condition to being saved. I could site many early Church Leaders, if I had the time and inclination, which taught baptism as a necessary condition to being saved. The early organized Church called the Lord Supper and Baptism a 'Holy Sacrament.' This led to divisive arguments and even excommunications because of differences of how these Sacraments were administered, and who was permitted to receive them. I believe the Word of God is very clear in its teaching that these symbolic rituals had a purpose in the pre-Cannon period, but that they were done away with after the Cannon was completed; for I do not believe that God would have us continue an unnecessary ritual simply to divide the body of believers and only cause confusion.
"John was widely recognized because of his baptism. Baptism was so associated with John's ministry that it became his identifying sign. It caused him to be known as John the Baptist. But this sign was external. Israel in the course of her history had had peculiar identifying signs previously. Circumcision was the external sign that one was rightly related to Abraham and to his covenant. Sabbath observance was the sign that one was rightly related to Moses and the law. Now the sign that one was rightly related to John and his message was submission to the external rite of water baptism. All these external signs were given to the nation Israel" (Pentecost).
I believe this should suffice to settle in any thinking person, that it is no longer to be practiced. We now have the completed Word of God; therefore we have no need for an external sign.
Verse 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?"
LGT "But having seen many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming unto his baptism he said to them, Offspring of vipers, who has suggested to you to scurry from the coming wrath?"
"But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism,"
I'm sure that these Pharisees and Sadducees were not coming to John to be baptized, by the remark at the end of this verse of him calling them the offspring of 'vipers.' The Pharisees and Sadducees, the ecclesiastical religious leaders were the opponents of our Lord Jesus Christ. (For a background on these two religious sects, see a good Bible dictionary or Encyclopedia)
"He said to them, O generation of vipers,"
"Jesus (Matt. 12:34; 23:33) will use the same language to the Pharisees. Broods of snakes were often seen by John in the rocks and when a fire broke out they would scurry (phugein) to their holes for safety" (A.T. Robertson).
"Who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?"
The Greek word for 'flee' is phugein, which means to scurry or to flee. As it is applied to 'vipers', snakes, so that is why I have chosen the word 'scurry' in my LGT.
"John recognized their rejection of his message and called them a 'brood of vipers.' According to the law, a viper was unclean and unacceptable to God and would defile anything it touched. In calling them snakes, John said they were unclean and spread defilement to everyone they touched. He repudiated the teaching that one's relationship to Abraham was a basis for entrance into the kingdom. He reminded them that God was able to give life to stones to make them the children of Abraham" (Pentecost).
The term 'wrath to come' is referencing the coming final judgment: And to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come (1 Thess. 1:10). Robertson notes: "Its no small wonder that the Pharisees and Sadducees winced under such a powerful indictment."
Verse 8, "Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance."
LGT "Produce therefore fruits worthy of repentance."
John says to these religious rulers, show me that you have changed your mind; the meaning of repentance here in this verse is metanoias, meaning 'a change of mode [method] of thought and feeling (AGL). "The 'fruits' worthy of repentance" is not the change of mental attitude, but is what results from the repentance, that is, the fruits are the response that comes from repentance. John is not about to baptize these self-righteous Jews until they show him that they are really genuine about this ritual.
Verse 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."
LGT "And think not to say within yourselves, We are having Abraham [for our] father: for I say to you that the God is able of these stones to be raising up children of Abraham."
"And think not within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father:"
John gets right down to where these men lived; he is saying, don't fool yourselves with your self-deception, thinking that you are something special to God because you are Jews. John says that by the fact that they were descendants of Abraham is to no avail if there is not true faith.
"For I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham."
John is not going to win any popularity contest with words like these; John gets down to the facts of true repentance, for without true change of mind, there is no change in actions, that is, the fruits that are worthy of repentance. John is not having any part in their make-believe faith.
"Pointing to the stones on the river bank and possibly to those used by Joshua to make a monument, where Israel rested after passing through the Jordan, he declared solemnly to them, that God could raise up those same hard lumps children unto Abraham. From stony-hearted Gentiles, he did make spiritual sons of Israel in the Messianic kingdom. They must learn that one is a son of Abraham, only when he has the Spirit of that great servant in his heart. Mere flesh and blood relationship avails not in the kingdom of the Messiah" (Pentecost).
Verse 10, "And 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."
LGT "But already the axe to the root of the tree is laid: every tree therefore not producing fruit is cut off and into [the] fire is cast."
"And also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees:"
This statement is a beautiful representation of the imminent wrath of God that will judge all men's fruits. "Men are to be tried by their lives, not by birth or profession. They who are not found to bear this test are to be rejected. The very root shall feel the blow, and the fruitless tree shall fall" (Barnes).
"Therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down,"
The axe is prefigured as the implement to cut off the non-producing tree. The term 'is hewn down' is ekkoptetai a prophetic present tense meaning that it is in the future, but is presented as having already taken place.
"And cast into the fire."
The term 'cast into the fire' is pur balletai a prophetic present meaning it is a surety that it will happen. "The root and the fruit go together, by the way, and a tree must have the right kind of root to bear the right kind of fruit. That is exactly what John the Baptist is saying to them here. He is telling them that the wrong kind of tree is going to be taken down and cast into the fire" (McGee).
Verse 11, "I 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."
LGT "I indeed baptize you in water unto repentance, but the One coming after me is stronger than I, of whom I am not fit the sandals to bear: He will baptize you all in the Holy Spirit and [with] fire."
"I baptize you with water unto repentance:"
We have already covered the symbolic significance of water baptism, that it is a sign that the one being baptized has accepted the 'death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ; it also is a sign that the believer has turned about from his old life and has changed his or her mind about the direction they were heading, and have accepted the divine viewpoint of their lives.
But he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear:"
"The word here translated shoes has a signification different from what it has had in our language. At first, in order to keep the feet from the sharp stones or the burning sand, small pieces of wood were fastened to the soles of the feet, and called sandals. Leather, or skins of beasts dressed, afterward were used. The foot was not covered at all, but the sandal, or piece of leather or wood, was bound by thongs. The people put off these when they enter a house, and put them on when they leave it. To unloose and bind on sandals, on such occasions, was formerly the business of the lowest servants. The expression in this place, therefore, denotes great humility, and John says that he was not worthy to be the servant of Him who should come after him" (Barnes).
"He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire."
In this context John has already said that the ones who do not believe will be cast into the fire; this speaks of the final judgment of the Lord Jesus Christ at the end of His Millennial reign, at the 'Great White Throne Judgment' all unbelievers will be cast into the 'Lake of Fire.' Here John brings the two aspects of Spirit Baptism; 1) All believers will be baptized with the Holy Spirit, and 2) All unbelievers will be judged and cast into the burning abyss, the 'Lake of Fire.'
"When Messiah comes, He will have a new sign by which to identify God's people. It had been promised in Joel 2:28 and Ezekiel 36:25-27 that God would give His Holy Spirit as a gift to all those in Messiah's kingdom. John promised that when Messiah came, He would 'baptize you with the Holy Spirit.' The One who would give the Spirit as an identifying sign of relationship would be the true Messiah-not the one who gave the external preparatory sign. Messiah's baptism would not be external but internal. Whereas any external sign could be duplicated by men, the work, which Messiah would do in giving the Holy Spirit to believers, could not be duplicated by men. Such a baptism would identify the true Messiah and also be a true identification of those who belong to Him.
John gave a second part of the baptizing work of the Messiah when he said, 'He will baptize you . . . with fire' (Luke 3:16). Fire was associated with judgment just as the winnowing fork of Matthew 3:12 was a sign of Judgment. When Messiah comes to rule, He will remove all that is worthless, useless, and lifeless; He will accept into His kingdom only what has life - the life which men have received from Him. It is significant that John, in denying that he was Messiah and in introducing the true Messiah, appeared to the Old Testament Scriptures. The concept of Messiah was well established in the Judaism of John's day; so it was scarcely necessary for John to describe Him" (Pentecost).
Verse 12, "Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
LGT "Of whom the winnowing-shovel [is] in His hand and He will thoroughly purge His floor and gather together His wheat into the granary, but the chaff He will burn up with fire unquenchable."
"Whose fan is in his hand,"
"The word here used and rendered fan rather means a winnowing-shovel, used for throwing the grain, after it was threshed, into the air, that the chaff might be driven away by the wind. This mode of separating the grain from the chaff is still practiced today in the East" (Barnes).
"And he will thoroughly purge his floor,"
The threshing-floor was an elevated plateau, a raised piece of ground in the middle of the field where the grain would be separated from the useless chaff.
"And gather his wheat into the garner;
The 'garner' is the farmers granary, that is, a place he used to store his wheat; today in the Mid-West and in the areas of the country, such as the Northwest, where they grow and harvest wheat, they store their grain in silos.
"But he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
The fire the farmer uses is stoked continually to keep it burning so that it consumes the chaff completely. "The whole metaphor represents the Messiah as separating the evil from the good, according to the tests of his kingdom and Gospel, receiving the worthy into the kingdom and consigning the unworthy to destruction" (Vincent).
"By the floor, here, is represented the Jewish people. By the wheat, the righteous, or the people of God. By the chaff, the wicked. They are often represented as being driven away like chaff before the wind Job 21:18; Psa. 1:4; Isa. 17:13; Hos. 13:13. They are also represented as chaff which the fire consumes, Isa. 5:24. This image is often to express judgments, Isa. 41:15: Thou shall thresh the mountains and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff. By the unquenchable fire is meant the eternal suffering of the wicked in hell, 2 Thess. 1:8, 9; Mark 9:48; Matt. 24:41" (Barnes).
The Baptism of Jesus
Verse 13, "Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him."
LGT "Then comes Jesus from Galilee unto the Jordan to John to be baptized by him."
Jesus comes to John because His hour has come for Him to begin His earthly ministry.
"Luke (Luk 3:23) mentions that at the commencement of His ministry, Jesus was 'about thirty years of age.' Jesus was born around December, 5 B.C./January, 4 B.C. . . . If . . . Jesus' baptism [was] shortly before the Passover of A.D.28 then He would have been around thirty-one or thirty-two years of age at the beginning of His ministry. However, it seems more plausible . . . for John to have baptized Jesus sometime in A.D. 29 and to have the commencement of Christ's ministry sometime before the Passover of A.D. 30, which means that Christ would have been thirty-two or thirty-three. This view is more acceptable for the following reasons. First, it does not require a quick succession of events in such a short span of time in John's ministry. Second, it allows for Christ's ministry to be at least three years in duration. Third, the fact that Luke used the term 'about' (hosei) indicates that Jesus was not exactly thirty years of age when He began His ministry" (Pentecost).
Verse 14, "But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?"
LGT "But John would have hindered Him, saying, I have need from You to be baptized, and You are coming to me?
John had it in his mind to try an prevent Jesus from being baptized by him, and this is the force of the imperfect verb 'hindered.'
The Greek word for 'forbad' is diekoluen, a conative imperfect, meaning John tried to stand in the way of Jesus' request. "The two men of destiny are face to face for the first time apparently. The Coming One stands before John and he recognizes Him before the pronounced sign is given" (Robertson).
Verse 15, "And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he suffered him."
LGT "But Jesus answering him said to him, permit [it] now, for thus it is proper to us to fulfill all righteousness; then he [John] permits Him.
"And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now:"
The Geek word for the old English word 'suffer' is afes, meaning to 'permit or allow', so it is literally, permit or allow it now.
"For thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness."
The Greek word for 'becometh' is prepon, meaning 'it is proper', so it is literally, it is proper to fulfill all righteousness. Jesus gives John the reason that He wants him to baptize Him, and this satisfies John. Jesus did not have any thing to repent of, because He is sinless; therefore, it must be for another reason that He wanted to be baptized, and that reason is, that He must fulfill all the righteous demands of his Father.
You see, the believers in the time of John were entering into the waters of baptism in order to witness to the fact that they were physically identifying themselves with the coming death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ; it must be remembered always, that they were baptized after they became believers, and that baptism has never been an instrument to cleanse them, it was only a type or symbol of Christ's coming work. Believers in every dispensation have only been saved by faith alone in Christ alone, and that we all have been washed in the 'Blood of Christ, that was shed on Calvary's Cross. Today, now that we have the complete Word of God' there is no more need for types and symbols; Christ has fulfilled all righteousness, and has finished the work the Father gave Him to complete in His incarnation.
On Christ's baptism, Edersheim writes:
"Here, at these waters, was the Kingdom, into which Jesus had entered in fulfillment of all righteousness: and from them He entered as its Heaven-designated, Heaven-qualified, and Heaven-proclaimed King. As such He received the fullness of the Spirit for His Messianic Work - a fullness abiding in Him - that out of it we might receive, grace for grace. As such also the voice from Heaven proclaimed it, to Him and to John: 'Thou art [this is] My Beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased.' The ratification of the great Davidic promise, the announcement of the fulfillment of its predictive import in Psalm 2 was God's solemn declaration of Jesus as the Messiah, His public proclamation of it, and the beginning of Jesus' Messianic work. And also the Baptist understood it, when he 'bare record' that He was the Son of God."
"Then he suffered him."
John is completely satisfied with Jesus' reply, and he permits himself to baptize the Son of God.
Verse 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 on him:"
LGT "And having been baptized, Jesus immediately went up from the water: and behold, the Heavens were opened [to Him], and He saw [the] Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon Him."
"It is not certain whether Matthew means that the Spirit of God took the form of a dove or came upon Jesus as a dove comes down. Either makes [grammatical] sense, but Luke (Luk 3:22) has it 'in bodily form as a dove' and that is probably the idea here. The dove in Christian art has been considered the symbol of the Holy Spirit" (A.T. Robertson).
Verse 17, "And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."
LGT "And behold a voice out of the Heavens, saying, This is My Son, the Beloved One, in whom I have found delight."
Let those who deny the Trinity explain this verse away. Robertson notes:
"This was the voice of the Father to the Son whom He identifies as His Son, 'My Beloved Son.' Thus each Person of the Trinity is represented (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) at this formal entrance of Jesus upon His Messianic Ministry. John heard the voice, of course, and saw the dove. It was a momentous occasion for John and for Jesus and for the whole world. The words are similar to Psalm 2:7 and the voice at the Transfiguration (Matt. 17:5). The Good pleasure of the Father is expressed by the timeless aorist (eudokesa)."
Jesus Christ is coming out of the water, and the Holy Spirit is descending on Him in the form of a dove, and the voice of His Father is heard from the heavens saying, This is My Son, the Beloved, in Whom I have found delight. The only people who can deny the Trinity are unbelievers, because they refuse to believe.
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