Matthew 5:4

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Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Matthew 5:4

Today, we return to our study of the Sermon on the Mount. Specifically, the first twelve verses of Matthew 5 are known as the Beatitudes while Matthew 5-7 are known as the Sermon on the Mount. Beatitude means blessed. The word blessed describes those who are being granted the ability to see the futility of the deception levied upon man in the Garden of Eden. It also grants the believer in Christ the ability to see the wisdom of God's description of things. This is transcendent because the greatest temptation of all is to try to look good without being good.

In the previous verse, in Matthew 5:3, we read, "Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." The Beatitudes describe the process involved in the changing of the human heart with reference to God. When we recognize that our sin is the result of being deceived by the enemy of God and that it is a violation of what God has said is true, we naturally mourn over our sinful condition. This is the content of today's second step involved in the changing of our hearts in reference to God. 

This blessed condition enables the believer in Christ to recognize the waywardness of the way of the evil one. The word translated "mourn," speaks of grieving over our spiritual poverty with reference to God. This is the type of grief that takes hold of a person and it cannot be ignored. This is why in Matthew 4:17 the Lord Jesus told the people to "repent because the kingdom of heaven was at hand."

Mourning over our sin is not natural for fallen man. It is, in fact, contrary to the whole structure of the fallen human expectation. The pleasure madness, the drive for amusement, entertainment, thrills, the mania that seeks the next high, the love of money, the energy and enthusiasm expanded in living it up are all products of the deception of the evil one. All of those things are an expression of the world’s aim to avoid mourning over their sin. This mourning over sin condemns the shallow and superficial approach to this life that was offered to us through the serpent in the Garden of Eden. This mourning introduces us to real life, the kind of life that transcends this world. When we get to the point of recognizing our utter bankruptcy before God due to the fact that we are under the rule of the devil, we will naturally mourn the fact that we are hopeless and that we desperately need God's help.

There are nine different Greek words used in the New Testament to describe mourning. Man’s history is a story of tears and sorrows. Here, the Lord Jesus taught those gathered on that mountain of Godly sorrow. According to 2 Corinthians 7 this is the sorrow that produces repentance which ushers in blessing and comfort into our soul from God. Those who mourn over their sin are those who are shamed beggars before God because they have absolutely no capacity to help themselves, and they know it. They are absolutely destitute spiritually, and they can only beg God for His grace and His mercy. These are the only ones who enter the kingdom, those who enjoy the comfort of God. Entrance to the kingdom begins with an overwhelmingly helpless feeling of spiritual poverty and bankruptcy of soul. And, friends, that never changes. We never get past this feeling of helplessness apart from God.

The only right and acceptable response to God when we realize that we are hopeless before Him is to admit it and repent from the self life that got us into this mess in the first place. The Prodigal Son in Luke 15 did it right. After he had left his father and wasted all of his blessing, he ended up working as a feeder of pigs. Since he had no food to eat, he ate what he fed the pigs. He was the son of a preeminent and wealthy father, yet he ate pig slop. This, of course, was the result of having lived a destructive life of rebellion. When he came to himself and saw what his rebellion produced in his life, he went home and said to his father, "I have sinned against you and I am not even worthy to be called a son." The Prodigal Son came back home bankrupt spiritually. He came back as a humbled and repentant failure. And, that was when his father embraced him, took him in, and blessed him.

In Psalm 51:17 King David wrote, "A broken and a contrite heart you will not despise, O God." God never rejects the broken who cry out to Him for help. This is how we come into the kingdom when we are ready to stop believing the lie of the devil and we mourn over our deceived condition and we reach out to God for help. And, this isn’t a momentary phase, this is our way of life. We come into God's kingdom mourning over our sin, and for the rest of our time on this earth we mourn over our sinfulness not to gain God's acceptance but because we have His acceptance through the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Once we get to this place in our lives where we mourn in this manner, God promises that we will be comforted. Mourners are not joyfully happy because they mourn, they’re joyfully happy because their mourning has been comforted. There’s no happiness in the sorrow of this world. This world mourns but they never get any real comfort because this type of comfort is the product of God's forgiveness. Having confessed our sin, we have come to know God's complete forgiveness. Only those who mourn over sin know true forgiveness. And, the most comforting reality of all realities is to know that all our sin is forgiven in Christ. 

When we improvised to the sound of the destructiveness of our sin and we do not mourn our sin, we missed out on God's forgiveness. It is only from the posture of mourning that we begin to understand that sin tramples on God’s law, that it slights His love, and it robs us of God’s image. The answer, of course, is the ability to see that our sin is against God and to get to the place that we mourn over this condition. This is the soil that produces good fruit. God invites such to come with our brokenness, realizing we can bring nothing to the judgment seat of God. Such mourning directly leads to the comfort of believing. Since the Lord Jesus has fulfilled the law and we have believed that His death on the cross procured our forgiveness before God, we now know the ultimate comfort, the forgiveness of God that renders His comfort.

Matthew 5:1-3

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1 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: 3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." ~ Matthew 5:1-3

Today, we transition into Matthew 5 where we find the Lord Jesus up on a mountain with His disciples. Although the previous chapter ended with a great multitude following the Lord Jesus from all over the region, today's passage didn't happen immediately after the events of Matthew 4. As mentioned earlier, Matthew is not always chronological. There is perhaps a four month period of time between Matthew 4 and Matthew 5. Matthew 5-7 is known as the Sermon on the Mount, whereas Matthew 5:1-12 is known as the Beatitudes. 

This first sermon of the Lord Jesus gives us the process whereby our hearts find allegiance with the Lord Jesus. Then we must understand the difference between our relationship with God and our fellowship with God. Our relationship with God is based solely and only upon the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. It is only the Lord Jesus who makes us and maintains us right in the eyes of God. Our fellowship with God speaks of our intimacy with Him. The Bible refers to this as “walking in the Spirit." There is no fellowship when the heart isn't engaged. This is where this process of a changed heart comes into the equation.

In v.1 of today's passage we read, "And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him." 

Once atop the mountain, the Lord Jesus sat down and assumed the standard form of teaching at that time. After the Lord Jesus seated Himself, His disciples came to Him to hear His teachings which had become their practice. This is the first usage of the word "disciples" in the New Testament. It speaks of someone who is becoming skilled at learning. This is why the Lord Jesus makes the truth sometimes hard for us to discover. He knows that when we are easily given things and we have no skin in the game we will take it for granted and it will not mean that much to us. So, He commands us to seek with all of our hearts for when we do we will become skilled at learning and then we will discover treasure that we had no idea existed.

Here, the Lord Jesus saw this mass of humanity coming up the mountain. When He saw them, as always, His heart was moved for them. When He saw them hungry, He gave them food. When He saw them spiritually hungry, He fed them with the truth. Later in Matthew 9:36 we will see that "When Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd."

In v.2-3 of today’s passage we read, "2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: 3 'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.'"

Nine times in this chapter we see the word "blessed” employed. This word was used of the Lord to teach us about that which brings us true happiness and joy. He wasn’t teaching about the world’s type of happiness which is conditional and based upon circumstances. The Lord Jesus was teaching about true happiness which is determined by being made right with Him. This type of happy joy is an inner settled joy that reminds us that everything will be alright no matter the circumstances. It is a gift sent from God to the one who desires to be defined by Him.

The very last message given by God at the end of the Old Testament is found in Malachi 4:6 which reads, "And 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." The Old Testament ends with the word curse. 

When the Lord Jesus came on the scene He came to confront among many other things a society that was full of religion. The Lord Jesus came to dismantle religion which to this day emphases the external. The Lord Jesus came to tell us that it is about God gaining control of our heart. This is the whole basis of the Sermon on the Mount. It’s inside, not outside. It’s not about outside rituals, it's not about philosophy, it’s not a building, it’s not about activism, it's about what is going on inside of our hearts.

When the Lord Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,"  He was getting at the idea that His inner happy joy would rule the heart of the one who has come to the end of himself. This idea of "poor" describes one who understands that He is bankrupt before God. In the financial world there is chapter seven bankruptcy and there is chapter eleven bankruptcy. When one declares chapter seven bankruptcy, it means his business, as it has been known, is over, it is dead never to be reopened. Whereas chapter eleven bankruptcy the business is able to pay some of its debt but it will stay in business, although weakened. When the Lord used this word "poor" He was describing those who see themselves as chapter seven bankrupt. Those who declard chapter seven bankruptcy have come to the realization that they have absolutely no assets before the Lord. They understand that there is no hope unless God be merciful.

So, in order to enter the kingdom of heaven, we have to come humbly. We cannot discover the rule of God in our hearts if we remain proud because the word "poor" literally means poverty-stricken. It speaks of abject poverty. Destitute would be a better term. In the classical Greek, this word described a person who had one hand over his face not to be recognized by the crowd and the other hand would have been held out for help. This one thinks to himself, "I'm so bankrupt, I have no resources in and of myself."  That's how we enter the kingdom. Nobody enters into a personal relationship with God if he proudly asserts that he has somehow earned it. The poor understand that old hymn, "Rock of Ages” which says, "Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to thy cross I cling." 

Matthew 4:23-25

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23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. 24 Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them. 25 Great multitudes followed Him—from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan. ~ Matthew 4:23-25

Today, we conclude our study of Matthew 4 where the Lord Jesus Christ has begun His ministry and has begun to call His disciples to follow Him. The previous passage included the note that Andrew and Peter had not only responded to the call of the Lord Jesus to be saved, they also responded to His call to be His disciples. Two others, James and John joined them. There is a clear difference between the call to believe unto salvation and that of the call to be a disciple. 

In v.23 of today's passage we read, "And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people."

Five times in today's passage the word "all" is used. We have often heard those who would ask the question, "What about all those who have never heard of the Lord Jesus?" This question assumes that God is much smaller than He truly is. It also assumes that God is unfair. But, a careful study of the Word of God reveals that everyone has heard of the God of the Bible through His creation and their conscience. For those who respond to the general revelation of God through creation will be given more revelation and that additional revelation may usher them into a personal relationship with God. This will happen only when they repent of themselves and they believe on the Lord Jesus for salvation.

The words "teaching" and "preaching" and "healing" in v.23 describe the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. The word "teaching" is used almost one hundred times throughout the Bible. It literally means "to cause to learn." I've heard it said, "Never let your education get in the way of your learning." While learning is a lifelong process of gaining knowledge, skills, and behaviors through experience and information, education involves a structured approach to learning that involves the passing down of knowledge, values, and skills from one generation to another. All too often education lacks the heart needed to utilize the learning that has taken place. Although the Lord Jesus went to the synagogues to teach many, His teaching was more about learning than it was about educating. Like the synagogue, education can be so sterile that it prevents the truth from impacting the heart. This is a large reason why the Lord Jesus taught predominantly using metaphors and parables. He knew that one must seek in order to find.

In the synagogue, the Lord Jesus preached or "proclaimed the gospel of the kingdom." The word "gospel" found 76 times in the New Testament means the announcing of the good news. The good news means the Messiah had arrived and He was going to usher in His kingdom which is what brings true freedom to our souls. As we will see, Matthew expanded the information delivered in v.23 in chapters 5-9 of his gospel account.

"Galilee," you will remember means "roll away." As such, it signifies freedom, as if a burden has been rolled away from us. Thus, Galilee means "freedom." It was at this point in time that the Lord Jesus delivered His good news of His victory over sin. As a demonstration of His victory "the Lord Jesus healed all kinds of sicknesses and all kinds of diseases among the people." The word translated "healed" literally means "therapy." It gives the idea of restoring a person to a better condition. 

In v.24 of today's passage we read, "Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them."

The ministry of the Lord Jesus was being carried out throughout all Galilee and He during that time cured all who came to Him who had some kind of a physical or spiritual malady. Because of this, His fame became known beyond all Galilee. So convinced were the people of His power for healing that they brought Him all those who were sick. How striking this must have been, especially due to the fact that all of the people brought to Him those who were broken in body or in mind and He were restored through His healing touch. The power of the Lord Jesus to accomplish these things validated His power over the diseases that the people struggled with.

In v.25 of today's passage we read, "Great multitudes followed Him—from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan."

Great multitudes followed the Lord Jesus from Syria to Jerusalem to beyond the Jordan River, a distance of over 120 miles. The people who followed Him were not just a crowd, as if from the local village, but from all over the area. The travels of these who followed the Lord Jesus included a very long walk through some of the most arduous areas. These people followed the Lord Jesus tirelessly because they saw Him as their only hope. The Lord Jesus came not to destroy the law, but to fulfill it. This means He voluntarily placed Himself under the law and He lived it out perfectly, sustaining the truth every day that He was on this earth. And, He did all of this having never violated the truth, He never sinned. The Lord Jesus fulfilled the law on the behalf of all who were unable to do so on their own. And as the Scriptures tell us over and over, "Everyone who calls on the Lord will be saved."

Matthew 4:18-22

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18 And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 19 Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." 20 They immediately left their nets and followed Him. 21 Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him. ~ Matthew 4:18-22

Today, we continue our study in the gospel according to Matthew where the Lord Jesus is beginning His ministry. With this, in today's passage, the Lord called four men to be His disciples. I find it most interesting that the first four disciples of the Lord Jesus were fishermen. As we will see, being the disciple of the Lord Jesus radically changes our lives. This change only comes about as we choose daily to render control of our lives to the Holy Spirit. It is one thing to know the truth in our minds, but it is quite another to know it in our hearts. The late Howard Hendricks once said, "We teach what we know, but we reproduce what we are."

In v.18 of today's passage we read, "And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen."

It was at the Sea of Galilee that the Lord Jesus began His ministry. If the committee on evangelism at that time would have made a recommendation to the Lord Jesus as to where He should have started His ministry, they would have undoubtedly suggested Jerusalem. But, not so with the Lord Jesus whose ways are often the exact opposite of ours. When the Lord Jesus began His ministry, He told the people to reconsider their ways because the kingdom of heaven had come to visit them. It was also at that same time, the Lord Jesus called two other brothers, Simon Peter and Andrew to follow Him as His disciples. This was their second call from the Lord Jesus. The first call was issued to them in John 1. His initial call to these two was for salvation. This call in today's passage was for discipleship. Having said that, there is a clear difference between our call to believe on the Lord Jesus for salvation and the call of the Lord Jesus to be His disciple.

In v.19 of today's passage we read, "Then He said to them, 'Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.'"

To be the disciple of the Lord Jesus is to be a fisher of men. The choice of the Lord Jesus had been made, and the disciples were given the opportunity to respond to the call of the Lord Jesus to be "fishers of men." This idea of fishers of men is not first found here in this passage. Rather, it goes back to Jeremiah 16 where the Lord judged Israel for its sin and then promised restoration. Even in the Old Testament, the idea of Gentiles coming to the Lord was clearly stated. The Lord Jesus used the fishers of men terminology as a metaphor for what these men would eventually do. 

In v.20 of today's passage we read, "They immediately left their nets and followed Him."

The first four disciples responded rather immediately at the request of the Lord Jesus for them to leave their nets and to follow Him. This is the first use of the word translated "nets" in the Bible. According to John 1:35-42, these four men heard the teachings of the Lord Jesus and they followed Him after He called them to do so.

In v.21-22 of today's passage we read, "21 Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him."

After the call of Peter and Andrew came the call to James and his brother John. Then, according to Luke 5, the Lord Jesus came along when the disciples had finished fishing, which was another call to them to follow Him as disciples. This call was made when the Lord Jesus stood by the Lake of Genessaret which is a lake on the Sea of Galilee. The Lord Jesus saw two boats by the lake, and the fishermen were gone out of them. He entered into Simon’s boat. It was then that He said to them, "If you want fish put your nets down where I say, and you’ll get fish." Of course, they caught so many fish they had a hard time pulling their nets ashore. The point was this: Without the Lord Jesus, we cannot catch men. 

Here, we are introduced to two more disciples, James and John. The name James comes from the name Jacob which is derived from the word "heel." The name "James" was based on the birth of Jacob in Genesis 25 where he grabbed the heel of his brother during birth. The name John means "to show favor" or "grace." James and John were in a boat with their father and they were "mending their nets." Every person who has ever believed in the Lord Jesus had a calling. Once we believed, God saved us. Our calling, initially, was to enter into a personal relationship with God. Then we are to get to know Him and in time we will make Him known to others. 

By the way, this James was the son of Zebedee. There was another disciple named James, the son of Alphaeus, also known as James the Less. Later on, James, the half-brother of the Lord Jesus, became a believer after His resurrection. He wrote the book of James and he became one of the leaders in the church at Jerusalem. So, there are three James we have to keep in mind as we study the Bible. In today's passage, this was James the fisherman, the brother of John who wrote the Gospel of John, the epistles of John and the Book of the Revelation. 

James and John were the sons of Zebedee. Later, the Lord Jesus referred to them as the sons of Thunder, because they were hot heads. There was a point in time during the ministry of the Lord Jesus while on this earth that these two suggested to Him that He let them call fire down from heaven and destroy all the Samaritans because they were unbelieving and wicked. James and John grew up as the tough kids on the block. These two were miraculously changed over time as they followed the Lord Jesus and they became effective makers of disciples over time.

Matthew 4:12-17

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12 Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee. 13 And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: 15 "The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: 16 The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned." 17 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." ~ Matthew 4:12-17

Today, we continue our study of Matthew 4 where we last saw the Lord Jesus being ministered to by angels after His temptation at the hands of the devil. Having embraced the humility needed to obey the Father and the Holy Spirit through His baptism and His temptation, the Lord Jesus illustrated for us the rest that is only found by you and me in Him. He said in Matthew 11:28, "Come unto me all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." The rest is literally coming to the end of ourselves and relying upon Him similar to how He was dependent upon the Father and the Holy Spirit.

In v.12-15 of today's passage we read, "12 Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee. 13 And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: 15 "The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles."

It appears that it was at the time that John the Baptist was arrested that the Lord Jesus traveled back to Galilee. But, a chronological study of the four Gospels reveals it didn't happen exactly as Matthew presents it. After the Lord Jesus had ministered for some amount of time in Judea, and after he had called Peter, Andrew, Philip and Nathanael to be His disciples and after the wedding at Cana and after meeting the woman at Jacob's well and after meeting with Nicodemus, and after many other happenings, it was then that John the Baptist was imprisoned that the Lord Jesus returned to Galilee. 

Some believe the Lord Jesus made two visits to Galilee while others believe this visit corresponds with the visits He made in Luke 4, Mark 6, and Matthew 13. As noted previously, Matthew's gospel isn't all together chronological. And, even though the chronology isn't right, it does not change the truthfulness of the narrative or the truthfulness of what is being taught. As noted by Matthew, when the Lord Jesus returned to Galilee, He passed by Nazareth and went to Capernaum. The distance between Nazareth and Capernaum is about forty miles.

The reason the Lord Jesus went to Capernaum is discovered in the meaning of its name. Capernaum gives the picture of one who is comforted. As the base for the ministry of the Lord Jesus, the name Capernaum provides for us a beautiful parallel to the rest we have through the Lord Jesus and His work. Of this location, Capernaum "bordered Zebulun and Naphtali." I find it very instructive that Zebulun means "Glorious Dwelling Place" and Naphtali means "My Wrestlings." As will be seen, His move to Capernaum was a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. Because of the innumerable prophecies that have been fulfilled, we can rest on the word of God. God had spoken and what He had said came about and will always come to pass. Thus, it proves that He is fully in charge of the future as it unfolds and we can rest in that fact.

In v.16-17 of today's passage we read, "16 The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned. 17 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.'"

Isaiah’s prophecy concerning the coming great Light began with the words, "The people who sat in darkness." These words explain the situation described in the previous verse. Years before the Lord Jesus came to earth, the Assyrians had come in and conquered the land. In doing so, they removed the northern ten tribes for their faithless conduct before the Lord. In place of them, pagans from around the Assyrian empire arrived. They worshiped all the gods of their homeland, bringing great spiritual darkness as they did so. Israel's lack of worship of the Lord God was the foundation of their loss of freedom which continued throughout the years that followed. 

Notice the use of the present participle, sitting. The people who once walked in the light were stuck. But when the Lord Jesus Christ came, the people "have seen a great light." Thus, the words of Isaiah came to fruition. Without the spiritual life of the Lord Jesus Christ, all people are destined for an eternity in Hell. This is what the Lord Jesus came to change. He came to give light and life, bringing us out of the spiritual darkness in which we lived and from the physical death that everyone suffers because of it. 

The baptism and the temptation of the Lord Jesus had passed. Then, the imprisonment of John the Baptism was noted, which was immediately followed by the Lord Jesus fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy. Matthew was used of God to give us a logical step-by-step unfolding of the narrative in relation to the coming of the Messiah. With that, the Lord Jesus was now on full display. His next message would dovetail with that of John the Baptist which was: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

Repentance is to come to the end of the self-life that was offered to us by the devil in the Garden of Eden. Perhaps more importantly, repentance means that we come to the Lord Jesus so that He can be our Savior. The first part of repentance renders a change of mind while the second part renders a change of heart. This is why the Lord Jesus would later say, "I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance."

Matthew 4:8-11

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8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to Him, "All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me." 10 Then Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.'" 11 Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him. ~ Matthew 4:8-11

Today, we return to our study of Matthew 4 where we find the Lord Jesus in the middle of a shakedown at the hands of the devil. This shakedown took place on the heels of the baptism of the Lord Jesus. The point of this shakedown at the hands of the devil was to try to rob the Lord Jesus of the blessing that the Father in heaven had just granted Him at His baptism. You'll remember the words of the Father, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Any time the Lord richly blesses us, we should never be surprised that the enemy will be promptly poised to try to steal that blessing from us. The devil usually tries to accomplish this by tempting us to worship him indirectly by worshipping ourselves.

In v.8 of today's passage we read, "Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory."

The temptation of the Lord Jesus at the hands of the devil had three parts and at the end of each, the Lord Jesus shut down the devil by citing Scripture in its proper context. Still determined to hold onto his kingdom, "the devil took the Lord Jesus up upon a mountain." Throughout the Bible, mountains are synonymous with a large but centralized group of people. Since Matthew wrote this account to a Jewish audience, this mountain is typological of the gentile nations of the world. The word translated "world" clearly reveals that it refers to the people of the world. So here, the devil tempted the Lord Jesus with the nations which were brought before Him in that instant. As a result, the Lord Jesus was given the chance to exalt Himself and be exalted by the nations without having to go through the intense and immense pain of the cross.

In v.9 of today's passage we read, "And he said to Him, 'All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.'"

The word "kingdom" in the previous verse is the word from which we get our English word "economies." The devil offered the economies of this world to the Lord Jesus in exchange for His worship. The devil appealed to the potential greed that he wrongfully thought was in the Lord Jesus. Since the devil had arrested authority over this world from Adam in the Garden of Eden, he had the right to pass on the authority of those things to whomever he wished. In bowing to the devil, the Lord Jesus would have sinned against His Father. Therefore, if it had happened this way, God Himself would have failed to conquer sin and death on the behalf of sinful man. 

The fall of man in the Garden of Eden brought about the knowledge of good and evil, and thus the need of man to have a personal relationship with God was initiated. Death came through Adam’s rebellion, paradise was lost, and man has continued in a fallen world since then. Once man gained the knowledge of good and evil, it was a must that he have a personal relationship with God in order to avoid the deceit of the devil. Since the Lord Jesus whipped the devil in every possible way, we can now know God and His wisdom. When God created man and allowed him to be approached by the devil in the Garden of Eden, He knew that allowing man to fall was the best path to a personal and an eternal relationship with Himself. In sending the Lord Jesus to earth, a right relationship with God has now been restored for those humble enough to seek Him. 

In v.10 of today's passage we read, "Then Jesus said to him, 'Away with you, Satan! For it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.'"

The Lord Jesus had been tempted three times. Through each temptation the devil had a goal of getting the Lord Jesus to sin. Through the first two temptations the devil tried to get the Lord Jesus to question His Father's provision and protection respectively. Through the third temptation the devil's goal was to get the Lord Jesus to question His Father's promises. But, the Lord Jesus resisted the temptations, prevailing where Adam had failed. 

After His victory over the devil, the Lord Jesus instructed Satan to leave Him. This is, incidentally, the first use of the word "Satan" in the New Testament. It is derived from the Hebrew word which means adversary. Along with His dismissal of Satan, the Lord Jesus again quoted Scripture. He, yet again, relied on the words of God to defend Himself against the temptations levied against Him. This time, the Lord quoted Deuteronomy 6:13.

In v.11 of today's passage we read, "Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him."

The Lord Jesus commanded Satan to depart from Him, and he did. Even though the devil had been defeated, he was not destroyed. Once the devil departed, the angels came and ministered to the Lord Jesus. This is the first use of the verb "ministered" in the Bible. All this gives us great assurance that our God is always with us and He will never leave us alone. In the middle of all our trials we can be assured that He is forever with us, even though we may have the most difficulty seeing Him, we can be assured that He is with us.

The early Native Americans had a unique practice of training their young braves. On the night of a boy’s thirteenth birthday, after learning hunting, scouting, and fishing skills, he was put to one final test. He was placed in a dense forest to spend the entire night seemingly alone. Until then, he had never been away from the security of His father. But on this night, he was blindfolded and taken several miles away. When he took off the blindfold, he was in the middle of a thick woods and he was terrified! Every time a twig snapped, he visualized a wild animal ready to pounce on him. After what seemed like an eternity, dawn broke and the first rays of sunlight entered the interior of the forest. Looking around, the boy saw flowers, trees, and the outline of the path. Then, to his utter astonishment, he beheld the figure of a man standing just a few feet away, armed with a bow and arrow. It was his father. He had been there all night long seemingly by himself. This is the point behind our long dark nights we know to be our trials, to be convinced that no matter how dark the night our Father in heaven is with us. This in turn trains us to learn to see God with our hearts rather than just our eyes.

Matthew 4:4-7

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4 But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" 5 Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: 'He shall give His angels charge over you,' and, 'In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.'" 7 Jesus said to him, "It is written again, 'You shall not tempt the Lord your God.'" ~ Matthew 4:4-7

Today, we return to our study of Matthew 4 where the Lord Jesus is in the wilderness, having been driven there by the Holy Spirit. In the previous verses, on the heels of going 40 days and nights without food, the devil tried to prompt the Lord Jesus to turn the stones into bread. The enemy is always ready to attack when we are most vulnerable and at our weakest point. The cohorts of the devil will always tempt us in the area where we struggle the most. We do well to stay away from those areas where we know that we are weak and we could easily be tripped up.

In v.4 of today's passage we read, "But He answered and said, It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'"

In this first temptation, the devil was trying to get the Lord Jesus to question God's provision. The devil, trying the deceive the Lord Jesus, asked Him, "Since You’re the Son of God, what are You doing being hungry?" In response, the Lord Jesus demonstrated the utter necessity of being defined by God. While the devil tried to trip Him up, the Lord Jesus remained on firm ground by simply shrouding Himself in the truth. Here, the Lord Jesus quoted a portion of Deuteronomy 8:3 which reads, "So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord."

The book of Deuteronomy came at the end of Israel's forty years of wandering in the desert as they prepared to enter into the promised land. Likewise, the Lord Jesus quoted this verse at the end of His forty days of testing in the wilderness. Just as humility defined the Lord Jesus before winning this battle with the devil so must humility be welcomed into our souls if we are to be successful over the calculated onslaughts of the enemy. The key for us being humble is to be defined by the Lord. We are defined best by Him when His word is being obeyed by us. Interestingly, the very first words that proceeded out of the mouth of the Lord Jesus after He began His ministry rested on the absolute authority of God's Word. 

Notice that the Lord Jesus didn’t argue with the devil. He didn’t even respond to the devil's affirmative declaration that He was the Son of God. Instead, He quoted that which is substantive and true. He knew He was in a battle of cultures, that of the evil one and that of His Father in heaven. We, today, are involved in the same battle. This is why we must be defined by God's word. When this is the case, we will resemble Him. In this case we will grant safe haven in our souls to humility which is the couch that enables us to be defined by God best. And, similar to how food sustains our bodies, the Word of God sustains our being. 

In v.5-6 of today's passage we read, "5 Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to Him, 'If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: 'He shall give His angels charge over you, and, 'In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.'"

With this second temptation the devil was trying to get the Lord Jesus to question God's protection. It is not until we are truly vulnerable with God that we will truly know God's protection. I find it amazing that the Lord Jesus allowed the devil to take Him up to Jerusalem and stood Him on the pinnacle of the temple. This was the next step involved in dismantling the stronghold that the devil had established over sinful man. And, in order to free us the Lord Jesus had to engage with the enemy and then defeat him. This is something you and I cannot do, only the Lord can do this. This is why our weaponry mentioned by the Apostle in Ephesians 6 describes in detail the Lord Jesus Himself.

With that, we read next, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down." Again, this is a first class conditional sentence revealing that the devil knew the identity of the Lord Jesus as the Son of God. While standing on such a high spot, the enemy appealed to the pride that he wrongfully assumed was in the Lord Jesus. This is why this temptation didn't accomplish its desired end. Interestingly, the devil quoted a portion of a messianic passage found in Psalm 91:11 which reads, "For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways." But the slithery one did not cite all of the verse. This was not enough to trip up the Son of God. The devil left out the words, "to keep You in all Your ways" and then went on to quote all of Psalm 91:12. The devil wasn't convinced that the ways of the Lord Jesus were the ways of God, but they were and they are evermore. The devil was trying to deceive the Lord Jesus which was impossible. The devil tore a verse out of its context to make a point that was not supported by the surrounding context. This is how the enemy works and if we are not well versed in the Bible, we are in danger of being deceived ourselves.

Also, the Lord Jesus could have come off the pinnacle of that temple and perhaps He would have been immediately accepted by the people but He didn’t come to this earth to be accepted, He came to die. He came to be rejected. He didn’t come for a popularity contest, He came to be killed so that our sin could be atoned for once and for all. What an unbelievable story which when believed establishes us firmly into the family of God. And, nothing, not even our sinfulness can change that.

In v.7 of today's passage we read, "Jesus said to him, 'It is written again, 'You shall not tempt the Lord your God.'" 

The word "again" here is really important. Here is discovered the secret behind our defense against the distorted tactics of the enemy. Only as we enter into the unity of Scripture, as it balances, completes, and explains itself, are we alarmed to the error and deception of the devil. Thus, we must continue to learn the Scriptures so that we can battle with it. In a subtle moment of instruction, the Lord Jesus countered the devil with another verse in its proper context. 

The Lord Jesus refused to tempt the Lord God because faith which depends on the extraordinary isn’t faith at all. If we can’t believe without the extraordinary, then we don’t understand the purest definition of faith. Faith that doesn’t believe without the extraordinary isn’t faith, it’s doubt looking for proof and most often it is looking in the wrong place. 

So, the Lord Jesus refused the way of the extraordinary, and He trusted His Father in every way. This is the way, this is the truth and this is the life that we all have longed for since our beginning. A.W. Tozer once brilliantly said, "True faith rests upon the character of God and asks no further proof than the moral perfections of the One who cannot lie."

Matthew 4:1-3

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1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. 3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread."  Matthew 4:1-3

Today, we transition in our study of Matthew to chapter 4 which begins with the temptation that the Lord Jesus Christ endured at the hands of the devil. As was necessary at the baptism of the Lord Jesus, we will see that humility was much needed as He was tempted by the devil in the wilderness for those forty days and night. 

In Proverbs 22:4 we read, 

"Humility is the fear of the Lord; 

its wages are riches and honor and life." 

When we fear the Lord, it doesn't mean that we are scared of Him. Rather, it means that we have remembered that God alone is all-powerful and it is out of that understanding that we acknowledge that only He deserves all glory and all honor. The fear of the Lord reminds us that we should not hold ourselves in the same light or position that God righteously deserves. Amazingly, this is what the Lord Jesus did in relation to the Father and the Holy Spirit during His baptism and His temptation.

Matthew's choice of the word "Then" at the beginning of v.1 reveals that this passage is not to be disassociated from the previous passage where the Lord Jesus was baptized by His cousin John the Baptist. He knew that His baptism was to fulfill all righteousness. In the Law of Moses, God put forth precepts to be followed. Those precepts included following the words of God’s prophets who spoke on His behalf. The Lord Jesus came to heed the call of the prophets who spoke on the behalf of the Trinity. In His baptism, the Holy Spirit came upon Him and the voice of the Father acknowledged that the Lord was His Son and that He stood approved by Him. With that, the Lord Jesus began His ministry, steeped in humility. 

In v.1 of today's passage we read, "Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil."

I find it most interesting that the ministry of the Lord Jesus began with a time of testing at the hands of the devil. Matthew informs us that the Lord Jesus was "led up by the Spirit into the wilderness." According to Mark’s gospel the Holy Spirit drove the Lord Jesus into that desolate desert. It is so hard for our fallen human minds to understand but the Lord Jesus was a real human being, which means He grew spiritually by learning to be dependent upon the Holy Spirit. The Lord Jesus demonstrated to us by being led by the Holy Spirit that He needed to be empowered from day one with and by the Holy Spirit. Every major facet of the life of the Lord Jesus was a Spirit event, so much so that we need to see that the more Christlike we become, the more Spirit-led we will be. 

The Lord Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the "wilderness"  which throughout the Bible is seen as the place of testing. The arena of Judea that the Lord Jesus was led was especially barren, and walking through it, even for a day, is challenging for the mind and the body. The testing the Lord Jesus endured was incredibly intense, and His reliance upon God was absolutely paramount. Humility was a must for the Lord Jesus for as we will see, it was the goal of the evil one to interest Him in pride.

The word "devil" literally means "slanderer." This word is not a name, it is a description of the one who lives to expose us to his posture which is pride. Again, it was of utmost importance that the Lord Jesus embraced humility by being led by the Holy Spirit because the goal of the enemy was to trap Him with pride. The Lord Jesus was daily armed by God through His humility. At His baptism the Lord Jesus humbled Himself before the Father and during His temptation in the wilderness He humbled Himself to the leading of the Holy Spirit. These two events served to determine who would define the Lord Jesus in advance of His ministry.

In v.2 of today's passage we read, "And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry."

The Lord Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert where He was to be tested by the devil. And then, "He fasted." The word translated "fasted" describes a period of self-denial to meet a set of divine purposes, primarily to show believers the utter necessity of dependence upon God. And, it was during His time of fasting that the miraculous nature of the Lord Jesus was placed on prominent display. And, God miraculously sustained Him as He submitted Himself to the Father and the Holy Spirit. This was of utmost importance because through His testings the Lord Jesus fulfilled all of the law and the prophets, being sustained by the power of God through the Holy Spirit.

In v.3 of today's passage we read, "Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, 'If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.'"

The Lord Jesus fasted for forty days and forty nights. This obviously made Him hungry. The Lord Jesus was tempted in three ways that practically mirror what happened with Adam in the Garden of Eden, as we will see. The devil began the temptation with, "If You are the Son of God." Since this portion of the sentence was written as a first class conditional sentence, it is best translated, "Since You are the Son of God." The devil fully acknowledged the Lord Jesus to be the Son of God and he approached his work based on that premise. And so, the devil continued with "speak, that these stones become bread." 

Here, the tempter tested the humanity of the Lord Jesus, not His deity. This is so very important for us to understand given the fact that Adam had forfeited his rights to the devil while in the Garden of Eden. In Hebrews 4:14-16 we read, "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

When he successfully tempted Adam, the devil gained possession of the authoritative rights of mankind to this earth by causing Adam to sin. After the Lord Jesus, the Man, prevailed over the devil, the rights of mankind were restored. It was of utmost importance that the Lord Jesus overcame these temptings of the devil because by doing so, there was the transferring of the rights that God originally gave to man. If the Lord Jesus, however, had relied on His deity to overcome the works of the devil, there would be no transfer of the rights. Sin is what necessitated the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ. His state as a Man was challenged by the enemy during those forty days and nights. It happened this way so that the Lord Jesus, the man, could restore the dignity of man which had been lost so long before.

In Matthew 3:17 we heard the voice of God the Father from the heavens audibly proclaim that the Lord Jesus was the Son of whom He had approved. Looking around at all of the stones in His extreme hunger, it was an enormous temptation for the Lord Jesus to appease Himself by using His divine power to satisfy His human needs. But it would have marred the entire purpose of His incarnation had He given in to the temptation. When He resisted the temptations, the Lord Jesus was well on His way to provide salvation for all willing of heart to embrace the humility that is required for us to be saved. The Lord Jesus earned our right and ability to embrace the humility to be saved.

Matthew 3:13-17

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13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. 14 And John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?" 15 But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he allowed Him. 16 When He had been baptized, Jesus came 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 alighting upon Him. 17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." ~ Matthew 3:13-17

Today we complete our study of Matthew 3 where we have been introduced to the older cousin of the Lord Jesus Christ, John the Baptist. John was the voice crying out in the wilderness preparing the way for the Messiah to come to Israel. Previously, John warned his hearers of the impending doom spoken of by the Old Testament prophets. John's message was that of repentance. His goal was to get the people to see that their sin was not permanently atoned for and they needed a Savior. It was John's God-given job to point the people to the Lord Jesus Christ whom he identified as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

In v.13-15 of today's passage we read, "13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. 14 And John tried to prevent Him, saying, 'I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?' 15 But Jesus answered and said to him, 'Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.' Then he allowed Him."

The baptism of the Lord Jesus performed by John the Baptist was a public event for anyone there to see. The Lord Jesus Christ departed from Galilee to begin His ministry "at the Jordan River." The Lord Jesus came to John "to be immersed by him." From that point on, the Messiah would become the central point, the focus of God would be on the Lord Jesus who fulfilled everything requirement in the Old Testament to procure man's salvation. This made the Lord Jesus the Savior of all who would believe on Him.

When the Lord Jesus came to John to be baptized by him, John tried to prevent Him from being baptized because John's baptism was a baptism of repentance and John knew the Lord Jesus had no need to repent for He had never sinned. In addition, John, despite being the prophet of the Lord, realized his unworthiness to baptize the Lord Jesus. John knew that he was just a sinful man, therefore he was acutely aware of his need to be baptized by the Lord Jesus. 

John ended up baptizing the Lord Jesus which marked the beginning of His ministry at age thirty. The baptism of the Lord Jesus was part of what He did for His people to be declared righteous by God. Without His baptism sinful man's ability to repent from his sin and turn to God would be impeded. Just as on the cross the Lord Jesus received the punishment of our sin, so, in His baptism, He represented before God the very sinful people whom He came to save.

For years it was inculcated into the Jewish culture to confess their sins at the temple, taking along a sacrifice as mandated by the Law of Moses. They went to the priests who ministered the law before God. The system was designed for this by God, and it was brought forth through the hand of Moses. Along with any individual confessions of sin, there were various sacrifices each day, month, and year. On the Day of Atonement, all the people were to refrain from work and to afflict their souls. There was nothing in the law that said, "When the Messiah comes, He will be exempt from the statutes, rules, and ordinances of the law."

John was called as a prophet and his message was to call the people to turn from their wicked ways and redirect their lives to be defined by God. Rote observance of the rituals of the temple did not change their hearts toward God. However, they were required by the law and the people were to submit to them. These were all ministered by the priests. John was of the priestly class, being a son of Zechariah. Since the Lord Jesus was required to observe the rules and rituals of the law, and since God had called John to supplement those rules and rituals with the people’s inward reconsideration of their sinful condition through baptism, then it was right for the Lord Jesus to be baptized by John.

On the Day of Atonement, the Lord Jesus had no need for atonement, but being born under the law, He had a need to observe the day accordingly. With John’s baptism, the same need existed to fulfill all righteousness, meaning those things which God had ordained had to be upheld. A true prophet of God under the law was called forth to do the will of God in accordance with the law. All righteousness demanded that the Lord Jesus enter into John’s baptism regardless of His sinlessness.

In v.16-17 of today's passage we read, "16 When He had been baptized, Jesus came 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 alighting upon Him. 17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.'"

The purpose of baptism was a symbolic thorough cleansing from one’s past. Only immersion provides the proper symbolism for this teaching. The meaning of baptism in the Greek means "to immerse." The Lord Jesus went to John who immersed Him in the Jordan River. From there the Lord Jesus then ascended out of the Jordan. "And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.'" According to John's Gospel, at that point John saw the Spirit of God descending upon the Lord Jesus as a dove and alighting upon Him. Thus, this event signified to all that the Lord Jesus was the coming Messiah. When the Holy Spirit descended upon the Lord Jesus, His earthly ministry began. 

As noted when the Lord Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan River, the Father spoke from heaven. This was the first of three times that the voice of God was heard in this way. The other two instances happened at His Transfiguration and again during the week of Passion. With His words the Father  proclaimed that the Lord Jesus was His Son sent to earth from heaven. In Matthew 1:18 God had already said the Lord Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit thus He was His Son.

Finally, the voice from the heavens declared, "in whom I am well pleased." This was an audible and a legal approval from God the Father to the Lord Jesus. In this case, God formally sent forth His Son to accomplish the redemption of all sinful man. The Lord Jesus was the chosen instrument to overcome the works of the devil and to restore sinful man to Himself. As everything reproduces after its own kind, it is understood that the Lord Jesus is thus God and Man. Here, we see that the Lord Jesus is the Son of the Father in heaven. The voice of the Father is not the same manifestation as that of the Spirit because the Spirit descended upon the Lord Jesus and yet the voice was heard from the heavens. 

This passage reveals with clarity the Trinity. Even though the Bible never uses the word Trinity, here, it was on clear display for all to see. The baptism of the Lord is notable because through it He identified Himself with sinful man even though He never once sinned. The Lord Jesus was baptized so that all righteousness might be fulfilled. That means His baptism symbolized the sinners’ baptism into His righteousness, dying with Him and rising free from sin and able to walk in newness of life. His perfect righteousness would fulfill all the requirements of the Law for sinners who could never hope to do so on our own.

Matthew 3:7-12

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7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, 9 and do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. 10 And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” ~ Matthew 3:7-12

Today, we continue our study of Matthew 3 where the narrative has moved along about 26 years to the Jordan River where the cousin of the Lord Jesus, John the Baptist, was preaching a message of repentance and that the kingdom of God was at hand. Many of those who went out to hear John believed his message and were baptized by him in the Jordan River. Baptism is an outward declaration of an inward change of heart. In today's passage, Matthew, while speaking of John, turns our attention to what John had to say to the Jewish religious leaders.

In v.7-10 of today's passage we read, "7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, 9 and do not think to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. 10 And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."

The Jewish religious leaders in that day believed that since they were born Jewish, they were automatically included in the family of God. Since they believed it was about them, they taught the people that a literal obedience to the written law and to an unwritten tradition was a must for any Jew. It was evidence that they were in the family. But, no amount of goodness earns or maintains the acceptance before God. It is only through the Lord Jesus that we are made and maintained right with God. Since it is impossible for anyone to obey God perfectly, the "hypocrisy" of the Jewish religious leaders numbed their conscience toward the Lord and made them "incapable of repentance."

The religious leaders questioned John's authority, doctrine, intent, and theology. Since so many people were coming to him, the Jewish religious leaders saw John as a threat to their power. In response, John identified them as a "Brood of Vipers" akin to the serpent who introduced sin to man in the Garden of Eden. Brood means offspring. The Jewish religious leaders were the offspring of the serpent also called the devil. So, John "warned" the religious leaders of their phoniness. The word "warned" is a compound word signifying "to exhibit under the eyes." This word is only used six times in the New Testament. John used this hard hitting word to draw the attention of the religious leaders to the coming wrath of God which had been prophesied by the Old Testament prophets. 

The wrath of God is something that cannot be dismissed when the Bible is read. To sin is to miss the mark with God. In this, His judgment must be issued. The very holy nature of God demands judgement of sin. This is why the Lord Jesus had to ransom us through His death. The religious leaders saw no need for God's forgiveness and so they rejected God's provision for forgiveness and atonement of sin. For those who reject this free gift means that God's wrath, by default, remains upon them. The religious leaders of Israel were offered God's forgiveness through the atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ, but most of them rejected it. 

This is why John the Baptist challenged them to "bear fruits worthy of repentance." The word fruits is a metaphor used to describe that which comes from an individual to describe his essence. The Lord Jesus would later say that the state of a tree would determine the state of the fruit born by that tree. The point of John’s baptism was for people to reconsider their state before God, whether they were acceptable before Him or not. To the honest and humble, repentance was most necessary because they understood that no one can be good enough. For those who were baptized, they did so out of their honest reconsideration of their condition before God. The religious, on the other hand, were sons of the devil and were defined by the phony.

John’s words signified the impending judgment of God and every tree not producing good fruit would be cut down. John's message would be that which God used to point the people to the Lord Jesus for the forgiveness of sin. One thing we always notice about John the Baptist is that he always pointed people to his cousin. John knew that he was the forerunner to the Messiah. John knew that he was just the messenger and that the Lord Jesus was the message. 

Unbeknown by most, the Lord Jesus would be the antitype to all the lambs that were sacrificed since the Exodus in the Old Testament. And everyone who would turn to the Lord Jesus would be like the tree that produced good fruit. Interestingly, the trees mentioned in the Bible provide for us understanding. The fig, for example, consistently speaks of one's connection to God. The olive tree reminds us of the spiritual privileges that God gave to the people of Israel. The acacia tree is incorruptible, picturing for us the incorruptible Man and His work on our behalf, the Lord Jesus Christ. 

In v.11-12 of today's passage we read, "11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

John the Baptist had just told the religious leaders that any tree that did not bear good fruit would be cut down and thrown into the fire. Like all of the Old Testament prophets, John's calling was to get the people to repent from themselves and turn to God for forgiveness. John employed a metaphor that all in that day clearly understood. If a man had slaves, the lowliest job for the lowest slave would be to wait for the master to come through the door into the house. When he arrived, this slave would take his masters shoes off and then proceed to wash his feet. The Lord Jesus said of John, "Of all of the prophets, John the Baptist was the greatest," and yet, in his words John was unworthy to lift the sandals of the Lord Jesus. 

John next noted that the Messiah would "baptize them in the Holy Spirit." This baptism was of utmost necessity because without the indwelling Holy Spirit, there would be no connection for sinful man to God. For man to be restored to God, man's sin had to be atoned for and God's Spirit had to awaken his spirit to God. The baptism the Lord provides was compared by John with "fire" which describes the effects of accepting the Lord Jesus as our Savior through faith in His work on the cross. Even though we still live in these corruptible bodies, the purification that has come through believing the gospel is once and forever for the believer. That which was impure and which separated us from God has by the Lord Jesus been removed from us.  

John told the people that the Messiah would come with His "winnowing fan" in His hand. A winnowing fan was used to toss freshly harvested wheat into the air, where the useless chaff could be blown clear by the wind. The heavier wheat would fall back to the ground and be gathered up. In John's metaphor, the wheat represents those who repent and look to the Christ for salvation, while the chaff symbolizes those who reject Him. John declared that unbelievers will burn with unquenchable fire, referring to the eternal judgment of God's wrath mentioned by the Old Testament prophets. For the willing of heart, the Lord Jesus would earn and provide for them complete purification from sin. God Himself came to rescue sinful man out of our mess that we created in the Garden of Eden. The difference between the saved and those who are not is that the saved humbly and honestly express our need to God for His help and we have received from Him His salvation.

Matthew 3:1-6

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1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight.'" 4 Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him 6 and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins. ~ Matthew 3:1-6

Today, we transition into Matthew 3 where the fast forward button has been pushed and now we find ourselves witnessing the coming of the long awaited messenger of the Lord, John the Baptist. At the end of the previous chapter we learned that the Lord Jesus grew up in the Galilean city of Nazareth. According to Luke's gospel, John the Baptist was the cousin of the Lord Jesus. He was also the hinge between the Old Testament and the New, between the story of Israel and the story of the Lord Jesus Christ who came to enact the New Covenant.

In v.1-2 of today's passage we read, "1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 and saying, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!'"

The events in this chapter happened some years after the death of Herod the Great. It was at that time that John the Baptist came as the herald of the coming Messiah. The name John is a contraction of two Hebrew words meaning  "The LORD has been gracious." John came "proclaiming in the wilderness of Judea" a message of repentance from trying to make it through this life apart from God. John also came heralding the coming of the Messiah. 

John introduced the concept of "repentance" which literally means  "to exercise the mind to the point of observing and comprehending." Thus, repentance means "a change of mind." John's message of "repentance" signified a mental assertion that the thought process of the people had been incorrect and needed a change in the opposite direction. The emphasis in all of John's messages was on a change of mind. 

While many believe repentance is to feel sorry for sin, a more accurate understanding of this word is that we come to the end of depending on ourselves to get life right. Many, incorrectly use the word repentance in a manner that is synonymous with removing sin from our life. The concept of repentance has been so misapplied that it no longer means to reconsider but to repair through action, something that is impossible for sinful man. The problem with this is that it makes the idea of repentance one of "fixing our life of sin before God will accept us." This is not the biblical understanding of salvation. The process of salvation is to hear the word, believe it and through reconsideration of who the Lord Jesus is and what He has done, depend upon Him for our salvation. 

In v.3 of today's passage we read, "For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight.'"

John, the older cousin of the Lord Jesus, was the fulfillment of a prophecy spoken by Isaiah that there would be a forerunner to the Messiah. Understanding that, Matthew next wrote, "A voice of one hollering in the wilderness." John's message of turn from depending upon ourselves to turn to the Messiah whom we depend upon for our salvation was like the rebar of a newly paved street that would last on into eternity and beyond. 

Repentance is not a work we do to earn God's salvation. No one can repent and come to God for salvation unless God pulls that person to Himself. Repentance is something God gives and it is only possible because of His grace. No one can repent unless God grants repentance. All of salvation, including repentance and faith, is a result of God drawing us, opening our eyes, and changing our hearts. It is God’s patience and kindness that leads us to repentance.

In v.4-6 of today's passage we read, "4 Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him 6 and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins." 

John’s appearance and his food are equated here with his ministry. He came in the form of Elijah as a forerunner of the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. John came preparing the way for the messianic ministry of the Lord. His words were words of coming judgment. Everything about how John is described is given to show us hints of what has already been learned from a full study of the Old Testament. 

The people of Jerusalem, despite having all of the religious leaders in that area, were spiritually bankrupt and hungry and wanted to know God. It was evident to the people who heard John's message that he spoke on the behalf of the Lord. Thus they believed and evidenced that belief by being baptized in the Jordan River for all to see. The New Testament order is always "believe and be baptized." It is not the means by which we are made right before God, baptism is God's way of having us proclaim to all others that we have by believing in His Son become right with Him.

This is the first time the word "baptized" is used in the New Testament. It is a transliteration of the Greek word meaning "to submerge." Baptism signifies full immersion. John was immersing the people "in the Jordan River" who had come to repent of their sin and were crying out to God. The word Jordan means "death" which is what sin delivers to us. John symbolically prepared the people for the coming of their Messiah by submerging them in the waters of death. 

Baptism is merely an "object lesson" of how our sins were washed away by the blood of Jesus Christ. Both archeology and church history testify that immersion was the mode of baptism used in the early church. The symbolism is best pictured by immersion. According to Romans 6:3-4, it pictures the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. According to 2 Corinthians 5:17, baptism also pictures the believer's identification with the Lord Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection. Our baptism announces that the old us has passed away, behold, the new us has been raised to eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Matthew 2:19-23

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19 Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child’s life are dead." 21 Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee. 23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, "He shall be called a Nazarene." ~ Matthew 2:19-23

Today, we continue our study of Matthew 2 where we have been considering the three responses to the birth of the Lord Jesus: the faith of the Magi, the indifference of the Jewish religious leaders and the faer of Herod. In our last study, Matthew cited Jeremiah 31:15 which is a prophecy about the women of Bethlehem mourning for their children. With that now complete, Matthew points us to the next main event, the death of Herod.

In v.19-20 of today's passage we read, "19 Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, 'Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child’s life are dead.'"

Herod died in Jericho a horrible death whereby he suffered for years from chronic kidney disease which caused a rare infection that caused gangrene in his genitals. Josephus wrote that the pain of Herod's illness was so bad that it led him to attempt suicide by stabbing. His attempted suicide was thwarted by his cousin. Herod left three sons, and his kingdom was at his death divided between them. To Archelaus was given Judea, Idumea, and Samaria. To Philip was left Batanea and Trachonitis. And, to Antipas was given Galilee and Perea. Each of the three sons of Herod were also called Herod.

After Herod's death Mary's husband Joseph had another dream wherein God told him to return his family back to Israel. This time, however, it was outside of the land of Canaan. This proves God can speak to us anywhere at any time. It also proves that this story bears all the marks of a literal historical account, all designed to point us to the Savior of the sinful world, the Lord Jesus Christ. 

In v.21-22 of today's passage we read, "21 Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee."

Joseph had come a long way. He once was a man who was looking for a way to secretly divorce Mary but now he was perfectly obeying each revelation that God gave to him in his four dreams. Interestingly, from this point until Matthew 12, Mary will not be mentioned again. Even then she will be mentioned in passing. Clearly the Lord Jesus is the one we should be focusing upon. This is the consistent teaching throughout the Bible. The Lord Jesus shows up in all of its 66 books. 

In his book, Gospel Formed, Jeff Medders observes that in Genesis to Deuteronomy is discovered the foundation for the Lord Jesus. In Joshua to Esther is to be discovered the preparation for the Lord Jesus. In Job to the Song of Solomon is the longing for the Lord Jesus. In Isaiah to Malachi is the expectation of the Lord Jesus. In Matthew to John is the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus. In the book of Acts is the continued work and spreading of the fame of the Lord Jesus. In Romans to Jude is about living for the Lord Jesus. In the book of the Revelation is about the return, reign, and rule of the Lord Jesus.

By looking to the Lord Jesus, we will not look elsewhere. Thus, we will avoid idolatry, immorality, and all other types of sin. By looking to the Lord Jesus, we will be defined by Him. When we are found actively looking for Him in all things, we will be best positioned to make sense out of an otherwise chaotic and confusing life.

When Joseph and his family arrived back in Judea they learned that Herod's son Archelaus was now in power. Archelaus possessed a cruel and tyrannical disposition similar to his father. At one of the Passovers he caused 3,000 of the people to be put to death in the temple and city. For his crimes, after he had reigned 9 years, he was banished by Augustus, the Roman emperor, to Gaul, where he died. Through this final dream that God gave to Joseph, the Lord directed his steps to take his family to Galilee. As the Lord Jesus grew up in Nazareth, more prophecy would be fulfilled in and through his life. 

In v.23 of today's passage we read, "And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, 'He shall be called a Nazarene.'"

Nazareth was a small town, situated in Galilee, west of Capernaum, and not far from Cana. It was built partly in a valley and partly on the downward slope of a hill. According to John 4:46, Nazareth was a place, at that time, known for its wickedness. This man who grew up in Nazareth has fulfilled 300 Old Testament prophecies. That is enough for me to believe that He is the One all the Old Testament prophets pointed us to.

In Isaiah 9:1-2 we read, "1 Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon her who is distressed, as when at first He lightly esteemed the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward more heavily oppressed her, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, in Galilee of the Gentiles. 2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined." 

That light is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. His death and resurrection are at the foundation of the gospel. The prophecies that He fulfilled concerning His death and resurrection speak loudly to validate His message. According to Exodus 12:21-23, we discover Him as the Passover Lamb. In Exodus 12:46, we learn that none of His bones would be broken. In Leviticus 17:11 we were told that He would die and pour out his blood for the atonement of sins. In Numbers 21:9 we see that He would be lifted up. In Psalm 22 we were told that He would be forsaken and mocked and that He would thirst while on the cross and that mouth would be dry and that His hands and feet would be pierced. The Lord Jesus Christ has met every criteria to be the Savior of the world.