Yeshua The Coming King (YTCK). Introduction To Matthew

I. Yeshua The Coming King (YTCK)

II. Matthew’s Gospel.

A. The Gospel of Matthew has commonly been considered one of the most important books of the New Testament, and properly a gospel to be placed first in the New Testament. Although the order of the books came from human choice rather than divine inspiration, this gospel, a bridge between the Old and New Testaments, fittingly introduces the books that follow. Matthew deals primarily with the life of Jesus Christ as fulfilling Old Testament prophecies relating to the coming King, and, on the other hand, it explains why the prophecies relating to the kingdom of Christ on earth are delayed in fulfillment until the second coming. Anyone desiring to master the New Testament may, accordingly, well begin with the gospel of Matthew, which fulfills the divinely intended purpose of being an introduction to New Testament truth.

B. History uniformly testifies that the first gospel was written by Matthew, one of the twelve disciples. All of the early copies of Matthew are headed by the phrase “according to Matthew,” and the testimony of the early Fathers is unanimous on the authorship of this gospel.

C. The authorship and authenticity of the gospel, however, are complicated by two factors: 

1. the question of whether Matthew is a translation of an earlier Hebrew work; 

2. the question of whether Matthew is heavily indebted to the gospel of Mark for most of his facts. The genuineness of the gospel, however, is not questioned except by some liberal critics.

D. The early church Fathers refer to a book of “The Sayings” (Gr. ta logia) written in contemporary Hebrew (Aramaic) by Matthew and supposedly translated by an unknown translator into the gospel of Matthew. Although this explanation of the gospel of Matthew is questioned by many capable scholars today, it seems to have been held by such early Fathers as Papias, who is quoted by Eusebius, and supported by others such as Irenaeus, Epiphanius, Origen, Jerome, and later Fathers, such as Gregory Nazianzen, Chrysostom, Augustine, and others.

E. Papias, bishop of Hierapolis in Phrygia early in the second century, is quoted by Eusebius in the middle of the second century to the effect that Matthew had written the sayings of Christ in Hebrew. Papias does not seem to be aware of a Greek gospel. Irenaeus affirms that Matthew was written in Matthew’s native Hebrew tongue, in connection with his preaching to his own people. Jerome also refers to this Hebrew version, affirming that it was the first gospel to be written and that he was uncertain as to who translated it into Greek. Based on these early traditions, there has been speculation as to whether these sayings in Hebrew, which are now lost, form the entire gospel, or whether it was merely the basis of it. Also, the concept that it is translated from Hebrew into Greek by an unknown translator raises questions about the inspiration of the Greek text.

F. The testimony of the early Fathers has some minor contradictions but is uniform on the existence of such a Hebrew version of the gospel. Although the opinion of the early Fathers is considered to have some weight, many twentieth-century scholars question whether the story is accurate. An examination of the Greek gospel of Matthew does not substantiate the idea that it is a translation, as there are none of the characteristics of a translated work. For instance, the gospel of Matthew uses a number of original Aramaic terms which are left without translation. These would be intelligible to Jewish Christians, but if Matthew was translated from Aramaic into Greek for the benefit of Gentile Christians, these terms would require an explanation. The fact that the terms are not translated tends to prove that the gospel of Matthew was originally written in Greek, even though intended for an audience that also understood Aramaic. Lenski, who gives an exhaustive list of the various arguments, concludes, “But these few instances are scarcely sufficient to convince the thoughtful reader that Matthew’s Gospel as we now have it is a translation and not an original production.”

G. Almost invariably, modern writers who claim that the Greek version of Matthew was a translation of an earlier Aramaic work do not accept the concept that Matthew is the inspired Word of God and usually question whether Matthew wrote it at all. For instance, The Anchor Bible, after long discussion which leaves the whole question in uncertainty, states, “The reader has already been warned that there are no firm conclusions to be drawn as to the authorship of our present gospel of Matthew.”

H. Conservative scholarship has agreed that whether or not there was an earlier Hebrew version, the present Greek version was Matthew’s own work and that it is the inspired Word of God. Whatever earlier materials Matthew may have produced in his native tongue, the point is that the Greek gospel was inspired of God and bears the authority of being the Word of God.

I. The early Fathers are quite clear in their testimony that Matthew was the first gospel to be written and was followed in order by Mark, Luke, and John. This is the order which is observed in the Scriptures as now published. Some today, however, prefer the order of Matthew, Luke, Mark, and John. Modern liberal scholarship, however, is generally united that Mark’s gospel was first and that Matthew had Mark before him when he wrote the gospel. W. C. Allen, representing the liberal point of view, states, “Almost the entire substance of the second Gospel has been transferred to the first.” William R. Farmer, however, although a liberal critic, holds to the priority of Matthew, a conclusion based on extensive research.

J. Many conservative interpreters, like R. C. H. Lenski, generally hold with the early Fathers that Matthew was first, but the question remains open even among conservatives.

K. A theory also advanced by many scholars that both Mark and Matthew had a common source of written material called Q (Ger. Quelle, source) also is rejected by many conservative expositors. After all the discussion and various views are considered, the monumental and original character of the gospel of Matthew stands out. Even “Allen,” who holds so strongly to the early writings of Mark, has a long list of materials in Matthew which are not found in Mark.

L. Actually, while many similarities between the synoptic gospels exist, the proof that one is dependent on the other is not convincing, as there are so many variations. The gospel of Matthew has many evidences of being written independently, both in the order of the narrative and in the addition and subtraction of details. However, the inspiration of Matthew would not be affected if he had chosen to use some of Mark’s material, if Mark was written earlier. Matthew probably wrote his gospel in Greek some time before the fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., and possibly as early as 44 A.D., during the persecution of Agrippa I.

M. More important than discussion on the sources of the gospel is its self-evident unique character which has caused this gospel to be placed first in the New Testament. Its position is assured because its subject matter serves as a bridge between the Old and New Testaments. Matthew’s purpose obviously was to demonstrate that Jesus Christ was the promised Messiah of the Old Testament, that He fulfilled the requirements of being the promised King who would be a descendant of David, and that His life and ministry fully support the conclusion that He is the prophesied Messiah of Israel.

N. The gospel of Matthew, accordingly, presents Christ’s royal genealogy and the early recognition that He was indeed the King of the Jews. These historical materials are followed by the Sermon on the Mount, stating the moral principles of the kingdom, given more extensively in Matthew than in the other gospels. The theme is continued by presenting the sayings and the miracles of Christ as His credentials prophesied in the Old Testament.

O. Having laid this broad base, Matthew then proceeds to account for the fact that Christ did not bring in His prophesied kingdom at His first coming. The growing rejection of Christ, His denunciation of the unbelief of the Jews, and His revelation of truth relating to the period between the two advents (Mt 13) serve to support this point.

P. Beginning in Matthew 14, the growing line of rejection leads to the Olivet discourse in Matthew 24 and 25, describing the course of the age between the two advents, with special reference to the great tribulation just preceding His second coming to the earth. Having set forth the rejection of Christ in the context of ultimate glorification, the gospel of Matthew then records the facts of His death, resurrection, and post-resurrection ministry.

Q. As a whole, the gospel is not properly designated as only an apologetic for the Christian faith. Rather, it was designed to explain to the Jews, who had expected the Messiah when He came to be a conquering king, why instead Christ suffered and died, and why there was the resulting postponement of His triumph to His second coming. The gospel of Matthew, with its many quotations from the Old Testament, is the proper platform on which the later books of the New Testament were erected. The magnitude of Matthew’s contribution as he wrote, guided by the Spirit of God, fully justified the attitude of the early church, which regarded Matthew as the most important gospel and its contents as fundamental to the Christian faith.

YTCK (Yeshua, The Coming King) – Introduction

YTCK (Yeshua, The Coming King) – Introduction

This article is the first of a series of articles that will to Christ, Messiah, Yeshua, Jesus, that relate to His being the Coming King. These articles are written consistent with the series of articles that relate to “The Coming Kingdom,” that are being written on my Eternity blog. The category of these articles will be YTCK. The reason for choosing the name, “Yeshua,” is that at the time of Christ being on earth; there was no letter “J” in either the Hebrew of Greek alphabets. Therefore, no one who was present with Christ would have addressed Him, as Jesus. Neither, would anyone have referred to God as, “Jehovah.” “Yeshua” would have been the identifiable name of God the Son. “Yahweh” would have been the identifiable name of God the Father.

I. The Offices of Christ. Those offices as overviewed by the Old Testament men of God. 

A. The prophet, an individual who represented God before man. A prophet exercised: 

1. Hindsight. He knew the secrets of the past. Moses wrote of man’s creation, his fall, the universal flood, and other early events that transpired centuries before he himself was born in Egypt.

2. Insight. He knew the problems and needs of the present. Prophets like Isaiah, Amos, Joel, Jeremiah, and others thundered out God’s wrath against the sin and decay of their times. 

3. Foresight. He knew the secrets of the future. Daniel wrote of the coming Tribulation, and Ezekiel described the glorious Millennium. 

B. The priest, an individual who represented man before God. Qualifications of the priesthood were: 

1. He must be taken from among men, a man with compassion for other men “For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins: who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are going astray; for that he himself is also subject to weakness” (Heb. 5:1-2). 

2. He must be chosen by God “And he spoke unto Korah and unto all his company, saying, Even tomorrow the Lord will show who are his, and who is holy; and will cause him to come near unto him: even him whom he has chosen will he cause to come near unto him” (Num. 16:5). “And no man takes this honor unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron” (Heb. 5:4). 

3. He must be consecrated to God “They shall be holy unto their God, and not profane the name of their God: for the offerings of the Lord made by fire, and the bread of their God, they do offer: therefore they shall be holy” (Lev. 21:6). 

C. The king, an individual who ruled for God:

1. He was to come from the tribe of Judah “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh (Messiah) come” (Gen. 49:10). 

2. He was to come from the seed of David (2 Sam. 7:8-17; Psa. 89:3-4) “I have made a covenant with my chosen (Israel, Deu 14:2)), I have sworn unto David my servant, your seed I will establish for ever, and build up your throne to all generations. Selah” (Psa. 89:3-4). (Those offices as occupied by the New Testament Son of God.) 

AA. The prophet. The requirements involved. 

1.Our Lord fulfilled this office as was predicted concerning Him by Moses: “I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto you, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him” (Deut. 18:18). Some 14 centuries later the Pharisees demanded to know from John the Baptist if he was this prophet (see John 1:21-23). As a prophet, our Lord demonstrated: 

(a) Hindsight – He knew the failures of the Samaritan woman (John 4:16-18). 

(b) Insight – He knew the fears of the disciples (John 14:1-3). 

(c) Foresight – He knew the fate of the temple (Matt. 24:1-2). 

2. The recognition involved. Christ was looked upon as a prophet by many during His earthly ministry. 

a. By the Samaritan woman: “The woman said unto him, Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet” (John 4:19). 

b. By the people of Galilee “And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God has visited his people” (Luke 7:16). 

c. By the crowd in Jerusalem: “And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee” (Matt. 21:11). “Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet” (John 7:40). 

d. By his enemies: “And when they had blindfolded him, they struck him on the face, and asked him, saying, Prophesy, who is it that struck you?” (Luke 22:64). 

e. By the two disciples on the Emmaus Road: “And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people” (Luke 24:19). 

BB. The priest. He met the requirements for the priest’s office. 

1. He was taken from among men “For he did not take on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham” (Heb. 2:16). “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15).

 2. He was chosen by God “And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: and a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matt. 3:16-17). (See also Matt. 17:5.) “And no man takes this honor unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. So also Christ did not glorify himself to be made high priest; but he that said unto him, You are my Son, to day I have begotten You. As he says also in another place, You are a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec” (Heb. 5:4-6). 

3. He was consecrated to God: “And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon you, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of you shall be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35). “For such a high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens” (Heb. 7:26). 

4. He performed the responsibilities of the priest’s office. He offered himself upon Calvary “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man” (Heb. 2:9). He prayed (and prays) for His people (John 17; Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:25) “I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through Your truth: Your word is truth” (John 17:15-17). “Who is he that condemns? It is Christ that died, yes rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us” (Rom. 8:34). “Therefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever lives to make intercession for them” (Heb. 7:25). He blesses His people (Eph. 1:3; 2:11-22) “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Eph. 1:3). 

CC. The king. He will fulfill the office of the king:

1. He comes from the tribe of Judah. 

2. He comes from the seed of David “And one of the elders said unto me: Do not weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof” (Rev. 5:5). 

II. Jesus was a prophet. He is a priest. “He shall be the King of kings and Lord of lords when He comes (Rev 19:16).” This is the reason that God, in the Old Testament, pronounced judgment upon men like Saul and Uzziah, who were both kings and who both usurped the office of the priest. There is only one man in whom God is going to entrust these offices of prophet, priest, and king. This man, Jesus Christ our Lord, the mediator between God and man. So, to summarize His three offices: 

A. His role as a prophet began at the River Jordan and ended at Calvary. 

B .His role as a priest began at Calvary (where He offered up Himself), and continues today in heaven (where He prays for His people), and will end at the Second Coming. 

C. His role as a king will begin at the Battle of Armageddon (Rev 19:17-21) and continue through the Millennium (Rev 20:1-10). 

Ezekiel Introduction

I. Ezekiel Introduction.

The events that are recorded in Ezekiel cover a period of twenty-one years (595 B.C. – 574 B.C.)

II. Background.

1. The era through which Ezekiel lived was one of great change in the land of Israel. It was an era that saw Babylon’s rise to power, the destruction of Jerusalem and the captivity of God’s people in a foreign land. All these events had an effect on Ezekiel’s personal life and on the work that God called him to do.

2. Readers should be familiar with the history of the period in order to understand the man Ezekiel and the message he has preserved in his book.

III. Details.

A. Judah conquered by Babylon.

1. More than a century before the time of Ezekiel, Assyria had destroyed the northern kingdom Israel and scattered the people in foreign lands. The days of Ezekiel’s childhood coincided with the last days of Assyria’s power. In 612 BC Assyria was conquered by Babylon, who went on to defeat Egypt at the Battle of Carchemish in 605 BC. With this victory, Babylon became the master of all the nations in the region, including Judah (2 Kgs 24:1a, 7; Jer 46:1-2).

2. The Babylonian conquerors allowed the Judean king Jehoiakim to continue reigning in Jerusalem, but they placed a heavy tax on Judah. They also took captive to Babylon a small number of intelligent young men whom they chose from the leading families of Jerusalem. One of these was Daniel (Dan 1:1-6).

3. After submitting to Babylon for several years, Judah rebelled (2 Kgs 24:1b). Babylon refrained from taking direct action against Judah until the time was suitable. Then, in 597 BC, its armies returned and attacked Jerusalem. At the time of this attack Judah’s worthless king Jehoiakim died and the eighteen year old Jehoiachin came to the throne. When, after reigning only three months, he saw that Jerusalem could not withstand the Babylonians indefinitely, he surrendered. All the nation’s best people were carried off to Babylon, among them the young man Ezekiel. Only those whom Babylon did not want were left in Jerusalem, and over these the Babylonians appointed Zedekiah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, as king (2 Kgs 24:8-7).

4. With all Judah’s most capable administrators now captive in Babylon, Zedekiah was left with an inexperienced government. Few of his advisers were politically or spiritually mature, and they persuaded the weak king to seek Egypt’s help in rebelling against Babylon. The prophet Jeremiah opposed this policy untiringly, for he saw that it would lead only to the horrors of siege and destruction. He advised Judah to accept its fate as God’s will and submit to Babylon (2 Kgs 24:18-20; Jer 21:1-10; 27:12-22; 37:6-10).

5. Ignoring Jeremiah’s advice, Zedekiah rebelled against Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar’s armies returned, and through a cruel siege that lasted a year and six months they crushed the rebellious city. This was the end of Jerusalem (587 BC). The city and its temple were destroyed and many of the people taken captive. Only the poorest of the people were left in the land, along with scattered villagers in country areas (2 Kgs 25:1-12).

B. Ezekiel in Babylon.

1. Many of the people taken captive to Babylon in 597 BC expected that soon they would return to Jerusalem. Ezekiel, who was one of these captives, no doubt shared their hopes. He was a young priest (Eze 1:3) and was probably looking forward to the day when he would serve in the temple in Jerusalem. Any such hopes were destroyed when he heard from Jeremiah’s letter to the exiles that they would spend the rest of their lives in Babylon (Jer 29:1-10). God told Ezekiel that his work was to be as a prophet in Babylon, not as a priest in Jerusalem. Ezekiel began his prophetic work five years after arriving in Babylon and it lasted at least twenty-two years (Ezek 1:2; 29:17).

2. In the early days of his preaching, Ezekiel denounced the sins of Jerusalem and announced the city’s coming destruction. He made it clear that the peoples’ present suffering, whether in Jerusalem or in Babylon, was a fitting judgment from God. He warned that for those left in Jerusalem worse was to come, for the city would be destroyed and the temple burned down when the Babylonians invaded the city for the third and final time (Ezek 4:1-2; 5:12; 6:1-7; 7:5-9).

3. Ezekiel’s hearers at first rejected his message, claiming that his announcements of the destruction of Jerusalem applied to a future generation, not to them (Ezek 12:27-28). A few years later, when news reached the exiles that Jerusalem had fallen as Ezekiel had prophesied, the people were forced to acknowledge that Ezekiel was a true prophet who knew God’s mind. They started to listen to his teaching, though few genuinely changed their ways (Ezek 33:21, 30-33).

4. Nevertheless, Ezekiel was encouraged to move ahead to his main task, which was the spiritual preparation of God’s people for the new age God had promised them. He looked forward to the day when God’s people, cleansed inwardly from their sin, would worship him truly from the heart and serve him in loving obedience.

C. Life of the exiles.

1. When taken captive to Babylon, the Jews were not locked up as if in prison; they were placed in various settlements around the country and put to work as unpaid laborers for the Babylonian government (Ezek 3:15).

2. Though they were often treated harshly by their Babylonian overseers (Ps 137:1-6), the captive Jews were allowed a measure of freedom to live their family and communal lives in these settlements as they pleased (Jer 29:4-7).

D. Characteristics of Ezekiel’s prophecies.

1. Although he lived in a foreign country, and had no chance of serving in God’s temple, Ezekiel retained his interest in the proper functioning of Israel’s religious system. He had been trained for the priesthood, and his book shows the priest’s concern for detail in matters relating to the temple and its services. The exactitude of Ezekiel the priest is further seen in his practice of carefully dating his messages. He usually dated these according to the year of the exile of King Jehoiachin, which was also the year of his own exile.

2. Probably the best known characteristic of the book of Ezekiel is its symbolism, something that was naturally of interest to a priest. The interpretation of this symbolism is complicated by the fact that Ezekiel was such an unusual person. He seems to have possessed abnormal mental powers and was able to have unnatural visions. He had a vivid imagination and was emotionally sensitive. He often acted in the strangest manner. All this makes it difficult to understand his book, and encourages caution in interpreting his visions and actions.

E. Outline.

1. The call of Ezekiel. 1:1-3:27.

2. Judgment against Jerusalem. 4:1-7:27.

3. The sins of Jerusalem. 8:1-24:27.

4. Judgments against foreign nations. 25:1-32:32.

5. Return to the Land. 33:1-39:29:

6. The new age. 40:1-48:35.

John 3:1-21 (UASV)

Conversation with Nicodemus

1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. ² This man came to him at night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you have come from God as a teacher, for no one is able to perform these signs that you perform unless God is with him.” ³ Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly I say to you, unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” ⁴ Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter into the womb of his mother for the second time and be born, can he?”

A Physical and Natural Illustration

⁵ Jesus answered, “Truly, truly I say to you, unless someone is born from water and spirit, he is not able to enter into the kingdom of God. ⁶ The one having been born from the flesh is flesh, and the one having been born from the spirit is spirit. ⁷ Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘It is necessary for you to be born again.’ ⁸ The wind blows wherever it wants, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from and where it is going. So is everyone having been born from the spirit.”

The Humbling of Nicodemus

⁹ Nicodemus answered and said to him, “How can these things be?” ¹⁰ Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? ¹¹ Truly, truly I say to you, we speak what we know, and we bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony! ¹² If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe; how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? ¹³ And no one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of man. ¹⁴ And just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of man must be lifted up, ¹⁵ so that everyone believing in him will have eternal life.”

Summary of Salvation and Judgment

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, in order that whoever believes in him will not be destroyed but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world in order that he should judge the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. ¹⁸ The one who believes in him is not judged, but the one who does not believe has already been judged, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. ¹⁹ And this is the judgment: that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light, because their works were wicked. ²⁰ For the one who practices wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, so that his works may not be exposed. ²¹ But the one who practices the truth comes to the light, in order that his works may be revealed that they are accomplished in God.

John 2:18-25 (UASV)

Ignorance of the Jewish Leaders

¹⁸ So the Jews answered and said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?” ¹⁹ Jesus answered  and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” ²⁰ Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” ²¹ But he was speaking about the temple of his body. ²² When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

Insincerity of the Jewish People

²³ Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. ²⁴ But Jesus himself was not entrusting himself to them, because he knew all men ²⁵ and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.

John 2:1-12 (NASB 1995)

Miracle at Cana

1 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there; ² and both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. ³ When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus *said to Him, “They have no wine.” ⁴ And Jesus *said to her, “Woman, what does that have to do with us? My hour has not yet come.” ⁵ His mother *said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” ⁶ Now there were six stone waterpots set there for the Jewish custom of purification, containing twenty or thirty gallons each. ⁷ Jesus *said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” So they filled them up to the brim. ⁸ And He *said to them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.” So they took it to him. ⁹ When the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter *called the bridegroom, ¹⁰ and *said to him, “Every man serves the good wine first, and when the people have drunk freely, then he serves the poorer wine; but you have kept the good wine until now.” ¹¹ This beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.

¹² After this He went down to Capernaum, He and His mother and His brothers and His disciples; and they stayed there a few days.

John 1:35-51 Jesus’ Public Ministry; First Converts

Jesus’ Public Ministry; First Converts

³⁵ Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples, ³⁶ and he looked at Jesus as He walked, and *said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” ³⁷ And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. ³⁸ And Jesus turned and saw them following, and *said to them, “What are you seeking?” They said to Him, “Rabbi (which translated means Teacher), where are You staying?” ³⁹ He *said to them, “Come, and you will see.” So they came and saw where He was staying, and they stayed with Him that day; it was about the tenth hour. ⁴⁰ One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. ⁴¹ He first *found his own brother Simon and *said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which translated means Christ). ⁴² He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John; you shall be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).

⁴³ The next day He decided to go to Galilee, and He *found Philip. And Jesus *said to him, “Follow Me.” ⁴⁴ Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. ⁴⁵ Philip *found Nathanael and *said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses wrote in the Law, and the prophets also wrote: Jesus the son of Joseph, from Nazareth!” ⁴⁶ Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good be from Nazareth?” Philip *said to him, “Come and see.” ⁴⁷ Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and *said of him, “Here is truly an Israelite, in whom there is no deceit!” ⁴⁸ Nathanael *said to Him, “How do You know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” ⁴⁹ Nathanael answered Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel!” ⁵⁰ Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” ⁵¹ And He *said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

John 1:19-34

The Testimony of John

¹⁹ This is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent to him priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” ²⁰ And he confessed and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” ²¹ They asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” And he *said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” ²² Then they said to him, “Who are you, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?” ²³ He said, “I am a voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.”

²⁴ Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. ²⁵ They asked him, and said to him, “Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” ²⁶ John answered them saying, “I baptize in water, but among you stands One whom you do not know. ²⁷ It is He who comes after me, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” ²⁸ These things took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

²⁹ The next day he *saw Jesus coming to him and *said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! ³⁰ This is He on behalf of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’ ³¹ I did not recognize Him, but so that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing in water.” ³² John testified saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. ³³ I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’ ³⁴ I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God.”

Matthew Chapter 3

The Introduction and Baptism of Jesus.

The Preparatory Ministry of John the Baptist – Matthew 3:1-12

For four hundred years since the close of the Old Testament, no prophetic voice had been raised in Israel. To be sure, God had spoken by angels to Zacharias and Elizabeth, to Joseph and Mary, and to the Magi, but no human voice had spoken for God, except that of the child Jesus in the temple (Lk 2:41-50). Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, came John the Baptist preaching in the wilderness of Judea (cf. Mk 1:1-8). Clothed in a long garment made of rough camel hair, bound with a leather belt, and eating locusts and wild honey, John’s garb was appropriate to his office and was similar to that of Elijah (2 Kg 1:8) and which, apparently, was the customary dress for prophets, even those who were false prophets (Zee 13:4). As Tasker points out, Matthew assumes that his readers are familiar with John the Baptist and does not give his background as Luke does (Lk 1:15-25, 57-80)

The message of John was like that of Elijah, as he heralded his exhortation to Pharisees as well as Sadducees and to all who came: “Repent; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” His role was that of a herald coming before the king. Matthew finds John fulfilling the prediction of Isa 40:3-5 , that there would be a voice crying in the wilderness to prepare the way before the Lord. Like the servants of a king who would smooth out and straighten the road in preparation for their sovereign’s coming, so John was preparing the way spiritually for the coming of Christ.

John’s message was a stern rebuke of the hypocrisy and shallow religion of both the Pharisees and the Sadducees. Unquestionably, he was attacking the established religion of his day and demanding sincerity and repentance instead of hypocrisy and religious rites. His call to repentance is backed up by the succinct announcement, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

What did John mean by “kingdom of heaven”? While the precise phrase is not found in the Old Testament, it is based on Old Testament terminology. Nebuchadnezzar, for instance, referred to God as the “King of heaven” (Dan 4:37 . Daniel had predicted that the climax of world history would come with the advent of the Son of man, who would be given an everlasting kingdom. This was likewise to be fulfilled by the prediction of Dan 2:44 that “the God of heaven” would “set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed.” Matthew, alone of New Testament writers, uses “the kingdom of heaven” and rarely uses “the kingdom of God,” which is often used in parallel passages in the other gospels and throughout the New Testament. Most expositors consider the two terms identical.

Although the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God are similar, there seems to be some distinction. The kingdom of heaven refers to that which is obviously in its outer character a kingdom from above (Ps 103:19). The kingdom of God is more specific and does not seem to include any but true believers who are born again (2 Sam 7:8-12; John 3:3-5). In Matt 13, the kingdom of heaven seems to include in its power of earth, both the good and bad fish caught in the net and the wheat and the tares in the same field, whereas Nicodemus is informed that the new birth is necessary to enter the kingdom of God (Jn 3:5). All agree that those in the kingdom of God are also under the power of the kingdom of heaven, however.

The kingdom of God will be established will be when Christ returns to set up the kingdom on earth, in fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecies and countless other passages of the Old Testament that picture a golden age, when the Son of David will reign over the entire world in righteousness and peace. Only the premillennial interpretation of the concept of the kingdom allows a literal interpretation of both Old Testament and New Testament prophecies relating to the future kingdom.

The ministry of John the Baptist signaled a spiritual crisis in Israel. Would they accept their King, or would they reject Him? The ministry of John the Baptist was to prepare the way by calling Israel to repentance.

The phenomenal success of John’s ministry is evident in the thousands that came out to see him. Estimating that between 200,000 and 500,000 must have responded to his call for repentance and baptism, Lenski, in keeping with his Lutheran concept of baptism, argues that the very numbers of those who repented make impossible baptism by immersion of all of them. He interprets baptism as referring to Jewish rites of washing rather than immersion. The number of those baptized, however, is not given in Scripture, nor is it confirmed by other evidence. And this issue of immersion versus affusion depends on the definition of baptism itself, that is, whether it is used in its primary sense of immersion or submersion, or in its secondary sense of placing in or initiation.

The more important question than the mode of baptism, however, is the meaning of the baptism of John. It is clearly not Christian baptism, as it does not signify initiation into the body of Christ; neither is it symbolic of a work of the Holy Spirit, as John himself refers to it as a work of Christ. It is rather a religious rite, signifying their confession of sins and commitment to a new holy life, such as was proper for Jews in the old dispensation.

The ministry of John the Baptist was very pointed. He challenged the prevailing Jewish concept that they were saved simply because they were descendants of Abraham. He declared that God is able to raise up children unto Abraham from the stones of the earth, certainly a dramatic picture of supernatural, spiritual resurrection. He declared that the ax is already in hand to cut down every tree that does not bring forth fruit. By this he meant individual Jews as well as Judaism as a dead ritual.

The climax of John’s thundering message was that he was only the forerunner. After him was to come a greater Prophet whose shoes he was unworthy to remove. This coming one would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire and would bring judgment on the nation like one who, in threshing, separates the wheat from the chaff. In thus describing Jesus Christ, John was speaking prophetically. Although he knew Jesus, as his mother, Elizabeth, was a cousin of Mary, at this time he had not identified Jesus as the Messiah, although he may have had some knowledge of His call as a Prophet.

In this third chapter of Matthew, three baptisms are mentioned: (1) that of John the Baptist, a baptism of repentance; (2) a baptism of the Holy Spirit, which would be brought and administered by Christ; (3) a baptism with fire. These should not be confused. The baptism of repentance, administered by John, was in preparation for the coming of Christ and was succeeded by the baptisms administered by the apostles. The baptism of the Holy Spirit was not initiated until Acts 2  and the day of Pentecost and symbolized entrance into the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:13 ). The baptism with fire seems related to the second coming of Christ, for only then will the wheat and the tares be separated and the tares, like the chaff mentioned by John the Baptist, burned with fire (cf. Mt 13:30, 38,  42, 49-50).

All of the baptisms signify initiation into a new situation of separation to God for the righteous or separation unto judgment for the wicked. The apt figure of the threshing floor, where the wheat and the chaff are tossed into the air with a wooden shovel to allow the wind to separate the two (the wheat falling to earth while the chaff blows away), is symbolic of the coming separation between that which is true and that which is false in religion.

The Baptism of Jesus – Matthew 3:13-17

All four gospels give the account of the baptism of Jesus (cf. Mk 1:9-11; Lk 3:21-22; Jn 1:31-34). When Jesus came to Galilee to be baptized by John, He was immediately identified, according to John 1:29, as “the Lamb of God, [who] taketh away the sin of the world.” John alone records the announcement after His baptism that Jesus was the one of whom John had been preaching: “This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me” (Jn 1:30). Matthew alone records John’s protest that Jesus did not need to be baptized, and John consents only when Christ says, “Thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness” (3:15). When Jesus was baptized, Matthew, along with all the other gospels, records how the Spirit of God descended like a dove upon Christ and how the Father’s voice from heaven identified Jesus, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

The tendency to identify the baptism of Jesus as one of repentance or as one similar to Christian baptism can be justified only on superficial connection. The baptism of Jesus Christ was unique, an initiatory right, setting Him apart to His role as Prophet, Priest, and King, and anticipating His death on the cross. No other, before or after, can share this baptism.

This chapter of Matthew is noteworthy, first, because Matthew passes over all the incidents of Christ’s childhood, including His appearance in the temple at age twelve (Lk 2:41-50). His presentation is thematic, not biographical. He is introducing Jesus as the Messiah King of Israel, fulfilling the anticipatory prophecy of the Old Testament and confirmed by the voice of the Father from heaven as God’s beloved Son. Those who accept this testimony must respond by worship and obedience.

Credits.

R. V. G. Tasker, The Gospel According to Matthew, Tyndale Bible Commentaries, p. 46.

R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. Matthew’s Gospel, p. 101.