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Verses 1-12 give a record of John's preaching of repentance; verses 13-17, of Jesus' being baptized.
When we come to Matthew 3, a problem arises because of different views concerning the kingdom of the heavens. In studying the Word of God, first we must reject our preconceived ideas; second, we must have the Lord's view. Therefore, in Ephesians 4:14 Paul said that we should not be "carried about by every wind of teaching." We should not view the Word of God according to man's preconceived ideas, nor should we follow men by simply repeating what they say. Concerning the kingdom of the heavens, the Lord promised that it will be revealed to infants (Matt. 11:25).
In verse 1, the work of John the Baptist began. Was the beginning of his work the beginning of the dispensation of the gospel? When did the dispensation of the gospel begin? In order to know the beginning of the dispensation of the gospel, we first need to know who ended the dispensation of the law. If the dispensation of the gospel began with the work of John, then what he preached does concern us. Otherwise, it has nothing to do with us.
Some people say that the dispensation of the law ended at the cross. If so, the dispensation of the gospel is after the cross. Romans 10:4 says, "Christ is the end of the law." This verse cannot be quoted as a basis to say that the dispensation of the law ended at the cross, because it refers to the requirement, not the dispensation, of the law.
John's work is the beginning of the dispensation of the gospel. This is based on:
(1) Matthew 11:13 and Luke 16:16: According to these two verses, we can see that the law and the prophets ended at the appearing of John, that is, at the beginning of his work, not at his death. John belonged to the dispensation of the law, but what he preached was grace and not doctrines of the dispensation of the law.
(2) Acts 10:36-37: The announcing of the Lord's gospel of peace began "after the baptism which John proclaimed."
(3) Acts 13:23-27: The repentance proclaimed by John (v. 24) is "the word of this salvation" (v. 26).
(4) Mark 1:1: "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ." By reading through verse 10 we know that the " beginning" began with the preaching of John the Baptist.
(5) Luke 4:17-21: Verses 18-19 show that the gospel is referred to. "Today" in verse 21 indicates that the dispensation of the gospel had begun. When the Lord spoke this word, the dispensation of the gospel had already begun.
(6) John 4:23: "An hour is coming, and it is now." This indicates that the dispensation of the gospel had begun when the Lord spoke this word.
(7) John 5:25: "An hour is coming, and it is now, when the dead will hear...." What the dead hear are things of the dispensation of the gospel, which the Lord said "is now."
According to Mr. Pember, the Greek word rendered hour in John 4:23 and 5:25 is used for age. "An age is coming" indicates that after the dispensation of the law, another dispensation is coming.
The views of different schools concerning the beginning of the dispensation of the gospel are as follows: (1) The gospel began with John's work. (2) The gospel began at the time of the Lord's crucifixion. (3) The gospel began with the descending of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. (4) The gospel began with Stephen. In Acts 3:21 the Lord waited for Israel to repent. In 7:56 the Lord stood up, but Israel rejected Him, so the preaching of the gospel was turned to the Gentiles. This is the argument of those who take this view. (5) The gospel completely went to the Gentiles after Acts 28. (6) The gospel began from the book of Ephesians. The argument of this school is that it was at this time that the mystery was made known to the apostles. Therefore, baptism and bread breaking are not necessary because they belong to the Jews. Those who take this view think that everything is predestinated and is heavenly. They care only for three books: Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians.
What kind of work was John's work? John was there doing the work of preparation. Although the dispensation of the gospel had already begun, John was doing the work of preparation (Matt. 3:3). He proclaimed, "Repent, for the kingdom of the heavens has drawn near" (v. 2). What does the kingdom of the heavens refer to? Does it refer to the kingdom of the Messiah, prophesied by Daniel and Ezekiel, which the Jews are expecting? Scofield defined the kingdom of the heavens as the Messiah's rule over the earth and the time of the restoration of David's throne. Is this scriptural? Did John and the Lord say at the beginning that Christ comes to establish the kingdom? Scofield also said that when the Lord came to the earth, had He not been rejected by the children of Israel, He would have established the kingdom on the earth. "The kingdom of the heavens has drawn near" — this was preached by John, by the Lord Jesus, and by the disciples.
Matthew chapters five through seven are concerned with the law of the kingdom of the heavens; chapters eight and nine are on the Lord's healing; chapters eleven and twelve cover the Lord's being rejected; and chapter thirteen is concerned with the mysteries of the kingdom. Some say that because of Israel's rejection, the Messianic kingdom has been moved to the millennium and has therefore become a kingdom of mystery. (Between chapters twelve and thirteen there is the church.) But if the Lord came to establish the kingdom of Messiah, why would the Jews reject Him? Does not John 6:15 record that they intended to come and take Him by force to make Him King? If at that time the Lord came to establish the kingdom of Messiah, then the Lord would have come to rule and not to suffer death. If the kingdom of the heavens is the kingdom of Messiah, then the cross would have been merely an expedient way to take care of certain unexpected changes, for it seems that the Lord had to put aside the kingdom and set up the way of salvation through the cross because of the Jews' unwillingness to receive Him. However, the death of Christ was foreordained by God before the foundation of the world. Peter said that Christ first suffered and then received the glory (1 Pet. 1:11). The Lord Himself also said the same thing (Luke 24:26).
Matthew 1 and 2 show us that the Lord is related not only to the Jews but also to the Gentiles. (The millennium consists of two parts: one is the kingdom of the heavens and the other, the kingdom of Messiah. The kingdom of the heavens pertains to the Lord's relationship with the believers, which is spiritual; whereas the kingdom of Messiah pertains to the Lord's relationship with the Jews, which is physical.) Does Matthew 3:2 speak of the kingdom of the heavens as the kingdom of Messiah? It begins by saying "Repent." This is the first word spoken in relation to the kingdom of the heavens. Therefore, it shows that the kingdom of the heavens is not physical but spiritual and heavenly. The kingdom of Messiah will rule the nations with an iron rod, and it will not be concerned with the matter of repentance. Moreover, the kingdom of Messiah will come with power and great glory. However, 3:3 says, "Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight His paths." This means to prepare the hearts of men and turn them to Jehovah.
Verses 4-12: This section is a word spoken by John and, of course, is related to the drawing near of the kingdom of the heavens. From this portion we see the nature of the kingdom of the heavens.
(1) It has nothing to do with the Jews: "Do not presume to say within yourselves, We have Abraham as our father" (v. 9). (2) It must be an organized entity whereby people can flee from the coming wrath (v. 7). (3) It requires holy and righteous conduct (v. 8). (4) Whoever does not have a relationship with the kingdom of the heavens will be cast into the fire (v. 10). (5) For people to be baptized is for them to believe in the One who is coming (v. 11). Hence, believing in the Lord is the initiation. (6) How is this Christ related to the kingdom of the heavens? (a) At the beginning of the kingdom of the heavens He baptizes people in the Holy Spirit, and (b) at the end of the kingdom of the heavens He will baptize people with fire (vv. 11-12).
There is a great difference between the kingdom of the heavens and the kingdom of Messiah, and the proof is as follows:
Matthew 13:11 says that the kingdom of the heavens is a mystery, which was not understood by men but is now revealed.
In 13:16-17 we see that the truth concerning the kingdom of the heavens is not in the Old Testament. Therefore, the prophets of old could not see or hear it. In 13:35 it says, "I will utter things hidden from the foundation of the world." The things hidden from the foundation of the world are the mysteries of the kingdom of the heavens. By this we can see that before this time no one knew about the mysteries of the kingdom of the heavens. However, the kingdom of Messiah was known to men such as Balaam, Isaiah, and Daniel.
When does the kingdom of the heavens begin? From Matthew 13:24 and 30 we see that it begins with the sowing of wheat and ends with the harvest. Therefore, the kingdom of the heavens is this age. In Matthew 16:13-19, "this rock" in verse 18 refers to Peter's confession earlier in this portion. Verse 19 mentions "the keys of the kingdom of the heavens." Here, in the original language "keys" is plural, and they are for opening the doors. These keys were used to open the doors on the day of Pentecost and in the house of Cornelius to bring in the Jews and the Gentiles. By this we can see that the church and the kingdom of the heavens begin at the same time. The building of the church was at Pentecost. The kingdom of the heavens is related to men, whereas the church is related to the Lord. It is the Lord who gives life. The church receives position and grace. The church is our position, whereas the kingdom of the heavens is our responsibility.
According to its nature, the work of John the Baptist is definitely of grace. The message preached by John concerning the Lord is as follows: (1) John 1:29: "the Lamb of God" and (2) Matthew 3:11: "He Himself will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and fire." One is concerned with the Lord's bearing our sins, and the other is related to the Lord's baptizing in the Holy Spirit and judging the unbelievers in the future. In Luke 1:67-79, Zachariah's prophecies include the following: "to give knowledge of salvation to His people by the forgiveness of their sins" and "to guide our feet into the way of peace." This is the message that John would preach later on. Matthew 21:32 mentions "the way of righteousness"; this is in contrast to "the way of peace" mentioned in Luke 1:79. John tells people to (1) repent and (2) be baptized; this is in contrast to what the Lord does, which are: (1) to bear people's sins and (2) to baptize people in the Holy Spirit and fire.
In Greek, to repent means to regret. This causes people to stand in the position of sinners. Regret is linked to confession, for when a person recognizes his position, spontaneously he will confess his sins. Baptism signifies death and resurrection. When John was asking people to be baptized, he was telling them, in effect, that they ought to die and be resurrected. John told people to believe in the One who was coming. Therefore, John's work was for the preaching of the gospel and not for the kingdom of Messiah. John used the word "kingdom" only once (Matt. 3:2). Furthermore, he did not say that the Lord would be King. He said that the Lord is the rising sun, the Bridegroom, the Lamb, and the One who baptizes people in the Holy Spirit. For the Lord to be the Lamb and to baptize people in the Holy Spirit, He needed to die and be resurrected. The baptism ministered by John shows forth the things to be accomplished. This shows us that when the Lord came the first time, it was absolutely not for the establishing of the kingdom of Messiah. In Acts 15:13-16 we can see that verse 14 refers to the church; "after these things" in verse 16 means after the church in verse 14; "the tabernacle" denotes the kingdom of Messiah; and "a people" denotes the church. This shows that it was not until after the church that the kingdom of Messiah, the tabernacle of David which has fallen, will be established.
In Acts 11 Peter acknowledged that the gospel began with John the Baptist, and in Acts 13 Paul also acknowledged the same thing. Apollos did not have a thorough knowledge concerning this. He knew only the first part, which was the baptism of John, but he did not know concerning the things that the Lord had already acknowledged. Therefore, Priscilla and Aquila took him to themselves to help him.
John's purpose was for people to believe in the One coming after him. He preached the gospel (Acts. 19:4), except that he preached it before the Lord's death. Therefore, after the Lord accomplished redemption, what John preached had to be repeated. Peter and Paul did not overturn John's work.
Luke 3:7-14:This group of people had repented and sought to flee from the coming wrath. Therefore, in verses 11-14 John could tell them what they should do. In the four Gospels, John the Baptist was the only one who preached the substitutionary death of Christ.
Verse 1:"Now in those days John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the wilderness of Judea." The emphasis of the Lord's work is different from the emphasis of John's work. John stressed repentance because he came to prepare the way of the Lord. Therefore, he stood in a position against the world.
John took the wilderness as his home and the city as his inn, whereas the Lord took the city as His home and the wilderness as His inn. John came that people might weep, whereas the Lord came that people may dance (Matt. 11:16-19). A complete salvation is first to weep and then to dance. In other words, repent and believe. John caused people to weep; therefore, it was as if he put on sackcloth in mourning. On the other hand, the Lord causes people to dance; He provides the music. The position in which John stood demonstrates that the people in the world are not right. John preached first in the wilderness of Judea because salvation is of the Jews (John 4:22).
Verse 2:"And saying, Repent, for the kingdom of the heavens has drawn near." That the kingdom of the heavens has drawn near is a fact; therefore, men should repent. It does not say that you repent and then the kingdom of the heavens will draw near. Heavens in Greek is in the plural number; hence, it is the kingdom of the heavens. Why is it not the kingdom of heaven, but the kingdom of the heavens? It is because before the Lord died, and while Satan was in the air, there was never a kingdom that was ruled by the heavens. Only the kingdom that was brought in by God, being different from the kingdoms on the earth, is a spiritual kingdom that can be in fellowship with God.
Verse 3:"For this is he who was spoken of through Isaiah the prophet, saying, `A voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight His paths.'" Although John the Baptist was a prophet, he did not prophesy. Although he was the greatest among the prophets, he did not show off his greatness. He was merely a voice of man.
Why is the quotation in Luke 3:4-6 longer than that in Matthew 3:3? Because the Gospel of Matthew was written to the Jews, it mentions more of the things related to the Jews. Like Matthew, the Gospel of Luke also preaches Jesus Christ, but it mentions more concerning the things related to the Gentiles.
Verse 4:"Now this John had his garment of camel's hair and a leather girdle around his loins, and his food was locusts and wild honey." The focus of John's message was to make people repent. Therefore, he stood in a position against the people of the world. His food and clothing were all different from those of the people of the world. However, today's Christians should not imitate John. Concerning all the things on the human side, we should not be too different from the people of the world (this is not to say that Christians should be fashioned according to the world); the Lord behaved in the same way as men (Matt. 11:19).
Verses 5-6:"At that time Jerusalem and all Judea and all the surrounding region of the Jordan went out to him, and they were baptized by him in the Jordan River as they confessed their sins." This kind of baptism was not found in the Old Testament. The baptisms mentioned in Hebrews 6 refer to the washings in the Old Testament. John's baptism was to lead people to believe in the One coming after him. At that time baptism was a personal act; so also confession was a personal act. We should not use Matthew 3:6 as a basis for making confession of sins in public.
Verse 7:"But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, Offspring of vipers, who prompted you to flee from the coming wrath?" The Pharisees were self-proclaimed adherents of fundamental doctrines; actually, they were dead. On the other hand, the Sadducees did not believe in anything. Both the traditionalists and the modernists were offsprings of vipers and would end up in the same hell.
The self-proclaimed fundamentalists believed only in creeds; they did not know the power of God. Therefore, the traditionalists damage the church just as the modernists do. They were not only old but also dead, and they really did not know anything. The heritage of traditionalism may not be dependable.
Verse 8:"Produce then fruit worthy of your repentance." There is a need to produce fruits of repentance.
Verse 9:"And do not presume to say within yourselves, We have Abraham as our father; for I tell you that God is able, out of these stones, to raise up children to Abraham." The drawing near of the kingdom of the heavens has nothing to do with the fact that the Jews are the children of Abraham. What they need is repentance. Only by repentance can they become associated with the kingdom of the heavens.
Verse 10:"And already the axe is laid at the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not produce good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire." This is a test. This does not mean that a person is required to have certain good behavior; rather, it means that his behavior should be worthy of his repentance.
Verse 11:"I baptize you in water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is stronger than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He Himself will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and fire." This verse mentions three kinds of baptism: (1) the baptism of water, (2) the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and (3) the baptism of fire. The fire here refers to hell. In the original language the conjunction "and" indicates that the two terms that are conjoined should be treated in the same manner. Since "Holy Spirit" is interpreted literally, "fire" must also be interpreted literally. John said that the Lord "will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and fire" because at that time two groups of people were standing before him: one group belonged to the Lord and the other was not truly seeking the Lord. John's baptism could not differentiate them, but the Holy Spirit and fire could. Matthew 3:12 categorizes people into wheat and chaff. Some think that "fire" refers to the tongues of fire at Pentecost (Acts 2:3). If so, then the mentioning of "the Holy Spirit and fire" in Matthew 3:11 would be redundant and meaningless. In Matthew 3:10, 11, and 12 fire is mentioned three times. Since in the first time and third time "fire" refers to the fire of hell, how can "fire" in the second instance not refer to the fire of hell? This shows that at the beginning of the kingdom of the heavens, the Lord baptizes people in the Holy Spirit, and that at the end of the kingdom of the heavens, He will baptize people in fire (2 Thes. 1:7-8).
Verse 12:"Whose winnowing fan is in His hand. And He will thoroughly cleanse His threshing floor and will gather His wheat into His barn, but the chaff He will burn up with unquenchable fire." In Judea the threshing floor is slightly higher than the ordinary ground. The Jews used oxen to tread out the grain (1 Cor. 9:9). After the treading, they used the winnowing fan to blow off the chaff. A barn is not built in the field but near the house; hence, it signifies the world. Whenever the Bible mentions the harvest, it refers mainly to rapture and sometimes to resurrection.
Verse 13:"Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John to be baptized by him." The baptism of the Lord Jesus is not recorded in the Gospel of John, because there He is shown as God. All the other three Gospels do have the record of the Lord's baptism.
Verse 14:"But John tried to prevent Him, saying, It is I who have need of being baptized by You, and You come to me?" Only the Gospel of Matthew mentions John's preventing because Matthew shows that the Lord Jesus is the King.
Verse 15:"But Jesus answered and said to him, Permit it for now, for it is fitting for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness. Then he permitted Him." What does "righteousness" refer to? When a sinner goes into the water, he confesses that he is a sinner and therefore needs to be baptized. The Jordan River signifies the water of judgment. By going into the water, a sinner acknowledges that he deserves to be judged. The Lord did this so that there is the possibility for men to be saved. He fulfilled God's righteousness through His death and resurrection so that sinners might be saved. "Us" indicates that God is the Father of all the believers; the Lord included all the believers in Him.
Why was the Lord baptized right at the time that He began to work? This is to show us that as soon as the Lord began His work, He stood in the position of crucifixion and resurrection. In reality, He died and resurrected after He worked for three and a half years. But He wanted us to see that all His work on earth was done by Him in the position of death and resurrection. Therefore, He was baptized beforehand as a sign. On the one hand, this shows us that the Lord's work is a work of death and resurrection; this is the aspect of redemption. On the other hand, it shows us that all the Lord's work was done in the position of death and resurrection. This is also the principle of spiritual work. Self has three aspects: (1) will, (2) power, and (3) glory; they should all be put in the position of death.
Verse 16: "And having been baptized, Jesus went up immediately from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon Him." This proves that baptism is by immersion. "The heavens were opened." This is in line with the kingdom of the heavens. Once the heavens were opened, the Spirit of God descended. From this we see that the meaning of the kingdom of the heavens is none other than God and man having fellowship. The Lord's death and resurrection caused the heavens to open. The heavens can open only for death and resurrection. Since the Lord's death and resurrection is a fact, it requires only our believing. However, because it is also a principle, it requires also our obedience.
In mentioning the dove, the Bible refers to two things: (1) being gentle and (2) having eyes that can see only one thing at a time (for the dove's eyes are single). "The Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon Him" indicates that the Spirit of God descended upon the Lord to give Him power that He might do only one thing before God in His entire life, which was to do the will of God.
Verse 17:"And behold, a voice out of the heavens, saying, This is My Son, the Beloved, in whom I have found My delight." This is God's testimony. God so testified because (1) the Lord truly took the way of death and resurrection, and (2) God wanted to prove that the Lord went into the water for the sake of righteousness. (At that time, all the people were baptized only because of their sins; therefore, the heavens were silent. Only the Lord was baptized for the sake of righteousness; therefore, the heavens testified.)
