[And He Walks With Me] Matthew 3
2 The Greek word rendered repent meant “to change one’s mind for better, heartily to amend with abhorrence of one’s past sins.”[143] The basic concept was that, if one changed the way they thought – from hostile to God to friendly to God – then one’s behavior would follow suit. It does not mean that one’s behavior will be immediately reformed, but it does mean that they will be diligently reforming.
3 The quote is from Isaiah 40:3 and refers to the common practice in the ancient world of sending an advance team to a city where the king was set to visit. In an age when travel times were measured in months, the advance was expected to ensure the road was straight, smooth, and wide enough for the king’s entourage to pass. The same concept can be applied to the Christian’s life: it we are expecting the arrival of Christ, the King of kings, then we should ensure that our lives are without sin.
4 Like many Old Testament prophets, John dressed, ate, and behaved differently than the culture. A camel-hair garment would have been quite functional in the hot, dry climate of the Jordan River valley. A camel’s coat includes outer guard hairs and a much softer undercoat. The guard hairs can be used to create a waterproof coat, and the soft undercoat is popular for premium textiles. It is known for softness and insulative value, making it a comfortable but also functional material for John’s garment. Locusts were considered kosher in Jewish law (see Leviticus 11:22), and because they were readily available, they did become a common source of nutrition for poor people and people living in the wilderness. They were often dipped in honey, which was another source of nutrition in the wilderness. The point is that John wore simple, functional clothing and ate what was available rather than demanding special privileges as a spiritual leader.
5-6 John’s distinct way of life and bold message attracted attention. Our message and way of life must be aligned if we are to expect to have an impact on the culture around us.
7-10 The Sadducees were the professional clergy of the day, including the priests who worked in the temple at Jerusalem. They embraced the Pentateuch but rejected most of the rest of the Old Testament. They did not believe in resurrection. Interestingly, because they were the older of the two groups, they were considered conservative. Pharisees were well-to-do businessmen who embraced everything that we know as the Old Testament. They were particularly meticulous in their study and observance of the Mosaic law. Their willingness to embrace the prophetic books and their devotion to every detail of the Mosaic law was considered liberal in Jesus’ day. Because they were not professional clergy tied to the temple, Pharisees could be found wherever Jews were found in the diaspora. They were often described as “synagogue leaders.” Both Sadducees and Pharisees were included in the Sanhedrin, which served as a largely autonomous ruling council for Jews in Palestine. However, they did not like each other because of their drastically different approaches to Scripture and law. The fact that they came together to John’s baptism, then, should be seen as an alliance of expediency: these intractable enemies worked together against the common threat of John the Baptist.
John’s message for the Pharisees and Sadducees was markedly more harsh than for normal people. This harshness was rooted in the widespread perception that these religious leaders were, in fact, condescending hypocrites. There are few things that God detests more than a person who claims to love and follow him but does not.
11 Baptism was not uncommon among first-century Jews. Gentiles who converted to Judaism were baptized as proselytes. The unconventional bit of this verse is that John was baptizing Jews. They were God’s people, bearers of God’s law. Therefore, it was assumed that they did not need to repent, much less be baptized.
Removing a person’s sandals was a job typically reserved for the lowest servant in the house. Because the most common mode of transportation in the first century was walking, feet were always covered in dust and mud. Because beasts of burden (e.g., donkeys, horses, camels) were also common on the roadways, and because there was no indoor plumbing, that mud often included feces, urine, etc. For John to say he is not worthy to remove his sandals, then, was a statement of profound humility.
John’s prediction that the coming Christ will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire foreshadows Pentecost in Acts 2, when the Holy Spirit came upon the church with what appeared to be tongues of flame. John suggests that water baptism is of limited usefulness, but the Spirit baptism provides true purity and power.
12 Again, John suggests that Christ will initiate a great sifting. The winnowing shovel was used to toss harvested wheat stalks into the air on a threshing food. The wind would separate the grain from the stalk, and the heavier wheat would fall to the ground while they chaff would be blown away. The two parts would then be picked up, with the wheat going to the barn while the chaff was burned in a fire. The point is that, while hypocrites and authentic saints may grow up together in the church, hypocrites will eventually, inevitably, be removed and burned.
13 John had no problem baptizing anyone else, but when Jesus arrived, he hesitated because he recognized Jesus as the greater one who was coming after him (vs 11).
16-17 We have here a clear instance of the Trinity. Jesus, the Son of God, was standing in the water when the Spirit of God descended upon him in the form of a dove and a voice from heaven, the Father, was heard. It is clear here that the three Persons of the Trinity are distinct and yet so completely intertwined with each other that they could still be called One (e.g., Deuteronomy 6:4).
[143] “G3340 – metanoeō – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (kjv)”, n.d.