Week 1: Jesus Beginnings (Matthew 3:1-17) Discussion Questions 1. How do feel about repentance? Why do you think a lot of people think it s a bad word or unpleasant topic? Read Matthew 3:1-12 2. As you look over the first two chapters of Matthew, what are the various clues that indicate something big is about to happen? If you have time, you especially might like to look at Matthew 1:24; 2:2; 2:6; 2:15: 2:18; and 2:23. 3. Why is repentance so much a matter of the heart? Can you give an example from your own life? 4. What does it actually mean for John to be preparing the way for the Lord, making straight paths for him? What is the significance of this prophecy (cf. Isaiah 40:3)? 5. How do we prepare the way for the Lord today? 6. If you had to explain repentance to someone who had no experience of Christianity, what would you say? 7. John was quite gruff with the Sadducees and Pharisees. Why was this the case? 8. How does this passage show us what repentance is really about? (You might like to discuss the difference between confession and repentance.) 9. Is repentance still relevant to us today? How about to you? (You might like to think personally not necessarily sharing of areas in your own life that require repentance.) Read Matthew 3:13-17 10. How does the voice from heaven affirm Jesus true identity? 11. What was the nature of John s baptism? Why was it so significant that people from all places (especially Jews) were receiving this baptism? 12. Why did Jesus submit himself to this baptism of repentance? How does this set an example of obedience for us to follow? 13. How does Jesus baptism foreshadow the cross (cf. Mark 10:38 and Luke 12:50.)? 14. How is the baptism by water that we receive, act as an outward and visible sign of what God is doing with us with his Holy Spirit? 15. How can we encourage each other to prepare through repentance? St Bart s Anglican Church Toowoomba
Talk 1/4 (Jesus Beginnings): 05/01/14 Jesus Beginnings Jesus the Son by the Rev d Adam Lowe INTRODUCTION \\ A CRESCENDO TO THE WILDERNESS This is a passage full of surprises. In the Gospel of Matthew there s been an incredible build up to this point. Like a snare drum roll getting louder and louder until this peculiar fellow - John - bursts onto the scene. Sometimes we can be so distracted by the odd-choice of clothing and questionable diet of locusts, that we miss what s going. So far in Matthew we ve had A genealogy - telling us that the Son of David - the long awaited Messiah is arriving; A miraculous pregnancy; An amazing birth narrative; Angels with all the works, An escape to Egypt, And the return to Nazareth. Matthew (in just two chapters) has been telling the reader over and over again, by pointing to OT prophecy (1:24; 2:2; 2:6; 2:15; 2:18; 2:23), that the time has arrived. It s like Matthew is telling us: hey, wake up, don t miss what s about to happen. 2
1. PREPARE TO RECEIVE \\ OVERVIEW The past and future are about to come rushing together as the true identity of the Messiah, Jesus, is revealed. And you d better not miss it. Prepare to receive the Son of God. That s what we re going to look at today. Prepare to receive, the Son of God. And when it comes to (the first part) preparing to receive the Son of God, there s two things we need to know and it all comes down to the nature of repentance. Sometimes, because repent is viewed as such a churchy or judgmental word, we can decide just to leave it by the side and never really talk about it. Don t bring that up - it all sounds a bit off-putting. But actually, the option to repent is beautiful. It s a beautiful opportunity to prepare our hearts in an authentic way that s reflected by change in our lives. It s about making way in our heart for an eternal king who loves us and has died for us. Repentance is central to the message of Jesus. Without the opportunity to repent, there s no way a person can respond to the good news and become a member of the Kingdom of Heaven. And so John, bursts onto the stage to prepare the way through repentance. Repentance prepares our hearts. 3 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near. This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: A voice of one calling in the desert, Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. (Matthew 3:1-3) 1A: Repentance Prepares our Hearts (vv.1-6) So here s John standing in the River Jordan, bringing all sorts of memories to mind. This is very significant place in the life of God s people. Jacob crossed it; Elijah and Elisha walked on it (2 Kings 2:8; 2:14); and Naaman was healed in its waters. After the long and hazardous journey from slavery to the Promised Land, the Jordan was and is like a beacon of freedom which represents the final step. And now Matthew identifies John as the one who Isaiah had prophesied would prepare the way for the Lord. A voice of one calling: In the desert prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. (Isaiah 40:3) 4
And how is John preparing the way? Through a baptism of repentance. And everyone was there. People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River (Matthew 3:5-6) This really is quite odd. Prophets like John are very rare - in fact they ve been extremely rare in Israel for some 400 years. And the baptism he offers is shockingly new. {B} Baptism in Judaism up to this point was administered to outsiders to Gentiles (they would bath, the males would be circumcised, and then a sacrifice would be made). Yet here, baptism is given to Jews - emphatically declaring that their heritage can t save them. This isn t a self-administered baptism like a proselyte baptism was - no, this is something you have to receive. And this was a baptism which acknowledges that there would be a time of judgment and so you submit yourself to that. The river was a picture of the judgment and mercy flowing from God s throne. It s all about turning hearts to God, and making room for God in our lives. That s what repent really means, to do a 180. It s more than simply saying sorry/confessing. It means 5 to turn from that which you previously gave your allegiance, and instead turn to God. It means to actually stop doing the things for which are sorry, or start doing the things that we re sorry that we don t do. Repentance requires action. In ancient Palestine, roads were pretty basic - simply tracks on hardened earth except for the occasional royal highway built by some King in order to declare themselves as important. But when a King was going to visit, a call went out, and all the people went out to the roads and prepared them so that they could arrive. John is doing the same thing here. But he s not calling people to prepare a physical road, he s asking them to prepare their hearts. Jesus is why way and our hearts are the route through which God enters our lives. John s saying: It s time to welcome the Messiah who is God. Are you ready to receive him. That s why John never points to himself - he s but a voice. He points to the one for whom we are preparing. Over and over again when we read the Gospels, we see that the condition of the heart is was matters. Many come and hear Jesus, even believing that he is the Messiah, but because their hearts are hard they walk away from him. 6
Friends, let me ask you - is your heart ready. We can so easily hold onto sin. We can so easily hold onto being the boss of our own lives, that we close our hearts to God. We can choose other things - like money - to rule us, instead of the creator of the universe. We can say to God, I ll be the judge thanks, and in doing so reject his mercy. 1B: Repentance Changes our Lives (vv.7-10) Repentance prepares our hearts for him, and if you want to see what real repentance looks like, we just need to look at verses 7 to 9. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: You brood of vipers Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. 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. (Matthew 3:7-10) Why is John so gruff with the Pharisees and Sadducees? Because their repentance is inauthentic - it lacks fruit. They thought their religious observance or pedigree was enough. But the point is, it s not. Orthodoxy is not enough, to be a descendent of Abraham is not enough. To try and be really good is not enough. The only thing that will 7 suffice is true repentance. And the fruit of true repentance is changed lives. It doesn t mean we get it perfect, but change should be evident. I mean, I m sure you ve all be on the reception of an inauthentic apology When someone says sorry but actually has no intent to change, the apology is almost meaningless. True repentance, means a complete change of mind, turning to God, and living lives in accordance with that. 2. THE SON OF GOD \\ OVERVIEW So repentance is how we prepare to receive, but to whom do we turn our lives? Simply: The Son of God, Whom God Loves. 8
2A: The Son of God So first, the Son of God. If there hasn t been enough surprises, it is particularly startling to see Jesus - whom was without sin - be receiving a baptism of repentance. Huh? How can the one without sin repent? This isn t just surprising to us, the complete inappropriateness is obvious, especially to John who has already indicated that he s not worthy to even carry Jesus sandals. Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me? Jesus replied, Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness. Then John consented. (Matthew 3:13-15) Jesus didn t need the baptism of repentance - John needed the baptism of fulfilment that Jesus has come to bring - yet, Jesus submits himself to this to fulfil all righteousness. {B} His submission to baptism is part of his life of obedience. His submission to baptism foreshadows his baptism on the cross. 9 In fact, Jesus himself in both Mark (10) and Luke (12) refers to his crucifixion as his baptism. This is amazing new for us. It means that we have a Saviour who was born as a baby with a price on his head. A Saviour who humbly stands before John asking for baptism, alongside those who need to repent. A Saviour identifying not with the power which is his, but with the people who are facing judgement and need to repent. In the past, so many kings had proved very disappointing sons. But there was always the expectation that one day that would not be the case. That one day God would bring a Messianic son, a ruler who was worthy to inherit David s throne. And here he is. 2B: Whom I Love But he s not only messianic son, but also suffering servant. 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 lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. (Matthew 3:16-17) 10
The voice from heaven means that the long silence from heaven has been broken. The rabbis believed that when the last of the prophets died (Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi) the Holy Spirit vanished from Israel. But now, with the direct speech from God, an age of fulfilment is dawning. This is the day the prophets had longed dreamed, as already alluded to by John, when the Spirit would be poured out and law written on hearts. But the phrase this is my Son, whom I love also reminds us that God s chosen servant who will bring us back to him, is destined to suffer. Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations. (Isaiah 42:1) Here is the Son of God. He has strength and authority AND is also humble and obedient. He is the who rules, AND gives his life for his followers. {B} 11 CONCLUSION \\ OVERVIEW Jesus brings a new baptism. More than just a baptism of repentance of John. But it is the very baptism that John foreshadowed, a baptism of fire. Baptism literally means to submerge or overwhelm. It is precisely the word that was used to describe of a boat that sinks because it is overwhelmed by water. We see that in the book of Acts with the coming of the Holy Spirit, drenching the disciples. And we ve seen that ever since, every believer who genuinely loves Jesus as Lord and Saviour, is drenched, is overwhelmed with the Holy Spirit. Friends, because of Jesus, this is what we are recipients of. When you follow Jesus, you are bound to his death and his resurrection. When you follow Jesus, you have been baptised with the Holy Spirit who empowers, equips, purifies, strengthens, inspires, convicts, and transforms. 12
If you follow Jesus and have been baptised water, you ve received an outward and visible sign with water of Jesus baptism of the Spirit. And if you haven t yet been baptised and follow Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, then we ought to talk. 2000 years ago the way to prepare for the Lord was to repent. Friends, that is still the case today. We must with the help of the Holy Spirit, examine our lives and continue to repent. That each of every day we grow in our likeness of Christ for his glory. The Kingdom of Heaven is near. Repent and believe the good news. Prepare to receive the Son of God. 13