The prominent features of Matthew three are the mission of John the Baptist, and the entrance upon the scene of the Lord Himself.
Except for one incident when Jesus was twelve years old, about twenty-eight years are passed over in silence by the Spirit of God. Luke also gives us the birth and early history of John the Baptist; Matthew speaks only of his ministry. Being about six months older than the Lord, he was to go before Him in the spirit and power of Elias (Mal. 4:5, 65Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: 6And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. (Malachi 4:5‑6); Matt. 17:1212But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. (Matthew 17:12)), and make ready a people prepared for the Lord. He was a prophet, and even more than a prophet, seeing he not only spoke of the kingdom to come like other prophets, but introduced the King in person. Although he was greatest of those born of women, he was not in the kingdom itself.
John now enters upon his ministry. We will notice in order the subject of his ministry, then where it takes place, his manner of dress and manner of life, and finally the result.
Paul, in Acts 19:44Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. (Acts 19:4), tells us that John's mission was to bring the people to repentance and to believe on a coming Messiah. But in Matthew we get a fuller revelation. He announces that Jehovah Himself is coming and that they were to prepare His way. He tells them that the kingdom of the heavens is at hand and in view of these two facts, their true position was that of self-judgment or repentance.
In contrast with Luke 3:4-64As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 5Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; 6And all flesh shall see the salvation of God. (Luke 3:4‑6), the application of Isa. 40 is remarkable here. In both cases the Evangelist takes as much of the prophecy as is suitable to his subject. In Luke, inasmuch as the wider glory of the Son of Man is brought in, "all flesh" is mentioned. Here in Matthew, the Messiah is in view and that part is omitted.
The Subject of His Ministry
The kingdom of the heavens is what John announces. No longer is allegiance to the law set before the people, but a new state of things well known to those conversant with the prophets, for nearly all mention it. (Dan. 8:13, 1413Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? 14And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed. (Daniel 8:13‑14); Deut. 11:2121That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth. (Deuteronomy 11:21), Psa. 89:2929His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven. (Psalm 89:29), Dan. 4:2626And whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots; thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee, after that thou shalt have known that the heavens do rule. (Daniel 4:26), Matt. 6:1010Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:10)) God's government will then be openly manifested upon the earth and His will done on earth as it is in heaven. We know the period of its establishment has been indefinitely postponed. The kingdom of heaven in mystery is the consequence of the Jews' rejection of their Messiah, the mystery being that the King is absent. God yet tests His people by the offer of "the days of heaven upon earth.”
The Place of Ministry
The place where John ministers is the wilderness-not Jerusalem. This is emphatic. It was beautifully situated and the joy of the whole earth, but the city of the great king was no longer owned of God. Therefore He sends His servant apart from the court and form of godliness, to draw out the people to take new ground through the baptism of repentance. God touches the hearts of these people. They no longer rank themselves under the headship of Moses, but under John the Baptist. With John they wait for the Messiah.
John's Dress and Manner of Life
John's dress and manner of life are in character with his ministry. In connection with the camel's hair and leather girdle, notice Elijah's dress (2 Kings 1:88And they answered him, He was an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite. (2 Kings 1:8)). We read of the goats' hair covering of the tabernacle, and the sheepskins and goatskins of those "of whom the world was not worthy" (Heb. 11:37, 3837They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; 38(Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. (Hebrews 11:37‑38)). The camel's hair points us to the separate character of Christ as He walked here on the earth, for the tabernacle is a figure of the person of Christ (Heb. 9:1111But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; (Hebrews 9:11)). The leather girdle tells us that those who followed in His footsteps maintained the same characteristic features; they were inferior, but similar. Also his food was not of the city, but of the wilderness.
The Result of His Ministry
Next we notice the result of his ministry. Many of the Jews, no doubt discontented with the existing state of things, were baptized by him in Jordan. They were not pleading righteousness, wisdom or law, but confessing sinfulness, the only "way of righteousness" for the time (Matt. 21:3232For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him. (Matthew 21:32)).
The Pharisees and Sadducees accompany the crowd, but John, detecting their insincerity, exposes their true characters. He warns them not only that true repentance would bring forth fruit, but that hereditary privileges would not avail without it. Moreover, God who raised up Abraham to be His servant, could also raise up children to him from the very stones. It was not a question now of mere fruit-bearing, but God was about to test the root itself. Unless there was true repentance, root and branch would alike be cast into the eternal burning.
He then unfolds the purpose of the Lord's mission in contrast with his own. His was to lead the upright in heart to confess their sins. The Lord's mission was to baptize with the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:55For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. (Acts 1:5)) those who took their true place, and to burn up utterly those whose hearts remained untouched by His warnings. The land of Israel, the "floor" of Isa. 21:1010O my threshing, and the corn of my floor: that which I have heard of the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have I declared unto you. (Isaiah 21:10), should be the scene of both blessing and judgment. There the wheat has already been gathered into the garner (Acts 2:4747Praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. (Acts 2:47)); there the apostates will yet be burned with fire unquenchable in the time of the great tribulation.
Jesus Appears on the Scene
Jesus Himself now appears on the scene from the solitudes of Galilee. Graciously owning the working of the Spirit of God in the hearts of the people so dear to Him, He desires to identify Himself with them. Though sinless Himself, He takes a place, in grace, side by side with them in order to accompany them in their trials and encourage them by His presence (Dan. 3:2525He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. (Daniel 3:25); Isa. 43:2, 32When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. 3For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. (Isaiah 43:2‑3)). John beautifully owns his unfitness for the office, but this does not hinder the devotedness of the Lord. He saw His people's need and would not be prevented from meeting them in that need. He thoroughly identifies Himself with them when He says, "Thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness.”
It is so precious to us to find that at the moment He is taking the lowest place, the Father pays Him the highest honor. "He that humbleth himself shall be exalted." Never before do we read of the heavens being opened except in vision (Ezek. 1:11Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. (Ezekiel 1:1)), but now there was an object worthy of their opening on the earth. They were opened to Him, and the Holy Spirit descends upon Him in the form of a dove.
He who was gentleness itself was anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power-without a sacrifice like the High Priest of old-in token of the perfection of His person. We are anointed-like the priest's sons after the sacrifice (Lev. 8:3030And Moses took of the anointing oil, and of the blood which was upon the altar, and sprinkled it upon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon his sons' garments with him; and sanctified Aaron, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons' garments with him. (Leviticus 8:30)) in token of the perfection of His work. At the same time the Father's voice is heard proclaiming His absolute delight in the Son who had always displayed His glory. Thus Father, Son, and Holy Spirit participate openly in the entrance of Jesus on His ministry.
In conclusion, consider the fourfold opening of the heaven as Scripture records it:
1. In Matthew we find the heavens opened to gaze down on Him on the earth.
3. In Rev. 19 we find them again opened to allow Him to come forth to execute vengeance on His enemies.
4. In John 1:5151And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man. (John 1:51) we see them again opened to gaze on Him. Peace having been proclaimed, the angels wait on Him to do His bidding. As Son of man, He has then set up His kingdom and His will is done on earth as in heaven.
Words of Truth