The Gospel According to Matthew Chapter 3

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The Gospel According to Matthew Chapter 3

The Bible Text from https://www.bible.com/bible/111/MAT.3.NIV

John the Baptist & Baptism of Jesus

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

1 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea 2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven (Ministry of Jesus, Gospel, Mt. 4:23) has come near.”

3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:

“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,

‘Prepare the way for the Lord,

make straight paths for him.’ ” (Isa. 40:3)

4 John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. (Very humble and minimal life style, He was born in priest family, so supposed to be a priest by his birth right, but had sent out to wilderness by his father to grow/learn there. Luke 1:80,  3:2-16, more at https://christian.net/theology-and-spirituality/why-did-john-the-baptist-go-into-the-wilderness/)

5 People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan.

6 Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. (Baptism of John long has been regular cleansing ceremony for Jews and new converts- proselytes, originated from the Moses' Law. more at https://www.gotquestions.org/baptism-of-John.html)

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees (religious leaders) and Sadducees (social & political leaders) coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.

9 And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.

10 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. (rebuking their hypocrisy.)

11 “I baptize you with water for repentance (which was traditional). But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. (new baptism of Salvation and Judgment)

12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” (Foretelling of the salvific- with the Holy Spirit- and condemning- with fire- ministry of Jesus. You may refer to the section BEING FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT at https://cafe.daum.net/k331/PeqF/31, Make distinction between Being Baptized with the Holy Spirit and Being Filled with the Holy Spirit.)

The Baptism of Jesus

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John.

14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”

15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. (As Jesus accepted the Old Testament Tradition, not only He proves the authenticity of Old Testament, and also humbled himself to fulfill God's righteous way. Phil. 2:6-7)

16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.

17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (It was the climactic moment in which Jesus was approved to be the Messiah by God and the Holy Spirit. We will see what comes next in the next chapter.)

John the Baptist & Essenes

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-John-the-Baptist/Possible-relationship-with-the-Essenes

The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls (found in 1947, near Dead Sea) drew attention to the numerous parallels between John’s mission and that of the Essenes, with whom John may have received some of his religious training (Lk. 1:80). Both were priestly in origin, were ascetic (prohibiting indulgence of luxury- pietism), and had intense and, in many respects, similar expectations about the end of the world. But John neither belonged to nor intended to found any organized community, he did not stress study of the Mosaic Law, and his message was more widely directed (to the poor, to sinners) than was that of the Essenes.