Category: Bible Study

Matthew 5:17–20

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. ¹⁸ For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. ¹⁹ Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. ²⁰ For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

People often discuss this passage. They very often understand it wrongly. It is vital to study it well. Then we can be sure about what it means.

Jesus is explaining how He will fulfill the Law for us. He is showing us how we should understand it. He explains how we can know its meaning.

Jesus said that His teaching agreed with the whole of the Old Testament. But, the teaching of the religious leaders was very different. Jesus said that their teaching did not agree with the Old Testament.

We need to know what the Jews meant by ‘the Law’. It referred to the laws that were in the first 5 books of our Bible. These are Genesis to Deuteronomy. The ‘Prophets’ meant the next group of books. They are the books of Joshua to 2 Kings. (But Jews do not include Ruth in this section.) This group also includes Isaiah to Malachi (but not Daniel). The other books of the Old Testament were called ‘the Writings’.

However, the words ‘Law and Prophets’ usually apply to the whole of the Old Testament. He taught that He would never destroy any of the Old Testament teachings. He said, I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.’ He was not adding to them. He was not putting anything in their place. So, Jesus claimed two things. First, the whole of the Old Testament spoke about Him. Second, He completely obeyed all of the Old Testament.

Jesus spoke Aramaic. The Old Testament was in Aramaic and Hebrew. Both these languages have the same alphabet. Jesus spoke about the smallest letter of the alphabet. He also spoke about the smallest part of a letter (verse 18). In this way, Jesus taught that he would not change any of the Old Testament. There has been much discussion on one word. This word is ‘until’ in verse 18. But, the word just emphasizes something that is permanent. Jesus taught that the Old Testament is permanent. It does not change.

Jesus explained the meaning of ‘righteousness’ (to be and to do what is right).

Jesus answered another question. It was, ‘What is real righteousness?’ There were two groups of religious teachers. There were the teachers of the Law (the scribes). Also there were the Pharisees. To them, it was most important to obey all the Old Testament Law. This was what they taught. They wanted to obey all of God’s laws. Jesus knew this. (This explains his words in verse 19.)

But, they did not understand two big things about the Law.

First, it put a lot of weight in ceremonies. To obey God’s Law on the outside of themselves was most important to them. They did not tell people to obey God because they loved Him. This was the reason for what Jesus said in verse 20. Real ‘righteousness’ is greater than the righteousness of these men.

The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees added many rules. This meant that they never noticed great lessons in the Old Testament. Sometimes, they even denied these truths. Jesus discussed this particular bad habit in detail. He did this in verses 21–48.

In these verses, Jesus taught about standards. There was the standard of ‘righteousness’ in the Old Testament. God would accept men and women by this standard only. There was the standard of behavior. God expected this standard from citizens of his kingdom.

Jesus knew that nobody could obey all the Law. (That is, no person except Himself could obey it all.) That was the reason that He became a man. There was a problem with the two groups of religious teachers. They thought that they could do things that would please God. And God would accept them because of what they did. Jesus’ teaching showed that this was not true. Nobody could ever do all that God requires. Nobody could ever obey all God’s laws. But God looks for people who love Him. They ask for His help to obey His Law.

Questions

1. Do you have the same interest as Jesus had in the Old Testament? If you do not, what is the reason for this? Decide to read at least a part of each Old Testament book. Then, write a plan to do this in the next 12 months.

I am writing an ebook that covers many of the Bile stories of the Old Testament. Keep coming back for updates

2. Should our churches teach the laws of the Old Testament? Or, should they teach Jesus’ own way of life and behavior? What are the differences?

3. Think about the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees. In what way are non-Christians like them? Do they understand the Law in a similar way? Explain this. Do you think that people in your church are like this too?

A couple years ago, at a Sister Night Conference, my friend, Tricia Wright, Coined the phrase , “Pass The Salt.” As Christians we are called to bring others to Christ by our actions. Too often we get caught up in focusing on the faults or actions of others. We need to be reminded to be more salty, thus pass the salt.

Matthew 5:13–16

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Jesus explained a Christian’s role in an unbelievers world. He tells us we are salty and a light.

Salts main use is to stop things from going bad. People will become morally rotten without this ‘salt’. The world’s history shows that this is true. There has been a big change in nations and peoples. This has been when real believers have been most noticeable.

When you rub salt into something, you cannot see it. But it still stops things from going bad. You cannot see it, but it still works. Jesus taught that steady disciples can prevent the growth of sin. They can have a powerful effect, even if people cannot see it.

There should be nothing in salt to spoil it. If there is, the salt will not be useful. Real disciples should be like salt in this way. They will keep away from anything that would spoil. Believers will want only what God wants. They will desire only God’s honor in everything. This does not mean that there would be no contact with non-Christians. Disciples can only be like salt if they have contact with non-Christians!

  Salt stops things from going bad, as we saw above.

Salt gives flavor. Steady disciples will have a good quality of life. Other people will not have it. They will see these disciples being joyful, when everything seems to be dreadful. They will wish that they could do the same.

Salt prevents the growth of things that cause disease. Real disciples will try to be pure in every part of their lives.

There is something else to consider. If something spoils salt, it cannot be useful. It even has bad results. If salt gets into the ground, it will stop growth. So, disciples like this are a bad example to other people.

Then, there was a most serious matter. Read Matthew 5:13. Jesus’ words mean that bad salt cannot become salty again and is thrown out and trampled upon. They teach that a real disciple’s life is always of some use. Even in the end. In the Bible times salt that lost its flavor was tossed out onto the roads to keep weed and grass from growing over the road.

Then, Jesus spoke about light. He said, ‘You are the light of the world.’ Real disciples cannot hide that fact. It will show in the way that they live. It is not just their words. It is not just their ‘good deeds’. It is the way in which they do these actions. It is the way in which they say these words. Their lives should be right. They should be beautiful and attractive. They should give honor to God only.

Questions

1.Jesus described the life of a real discipline. This life shows people about God. It cannot avoid doing that. How much do you think that this is true of you? How might you improve?

2. Should people in churches today practice ‘good deeds’? In what ways do you think that they should do this?

3. ‘Good deeds’ cannot save people from their sins. How can we tell people this fact?

Being a Christian ain’t easy. You are going to have people that look down on you, call you names like: bigot or small-minded, be rude to you and at times condemn you for your beliefs. God tells you it is going to be hard at times. However, it won’t last forever.

Matthew 5:10–12

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

¹¹ “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Jesus emphasized that there would be persecution. He showed how the believer could find comfort at a time like that. The beatitudes all start with “Blessed.” The first sections of the beatitudes are pretty simple or easy things to feel blessed about. The last two here can seem hard or nearly impossible to feel blessed during these things. We live in the world and many other people in the world do not believe. These verses give us a reason to feel blessed in these situations.

There will always be persecution for real believers. Jesus taught this. He emphasized the fact in three ways:

Persecution is the evidence that shows that a person is a citizen of God’s kingdom. Jesus says ‘when’ not ‘if’ persecution will happen.

History proves that persecution is going to happen.

Here, Jesus was speaking about a certain type of persecution. It is when people say bad things against you. All believers must experience it at some time. This is the least form of persecution. Many Christians experience much worse percussion than this.

When we experience persecution because of our beliefs, it is because our behavior. Jesus called these things persecution. Today, non-Christians may laugh at those who practice love. They may call people week when they are ready to forgive. There are Christians at work. They will want to work all day. They will refuse to tell lies. These things may cause other people to laugh or look down on them.

Jesus tells us that we must not just continue. There is something more. When there is persecution, we must rejoice and be glad! There are three reasons for this.

It gives us evidence that we really are Christians.

It helps us to be more sure that we are God’s children.

It means that we will have a reward one day. The reward then will be much greater than any suffering that we have now.

Questions

1. Think about your own life. You may have told someone that you are a Christian. People made things hard for you because of this. What things in this passage could encourage you?

2. Have non-Christians caused difficulties for your local church? If they have, why was this?

3. The Church is under attack and persecuted much more today than 50 years ago. Why do you think that this is true?

The quality of a person’s life will show if they are a disciple. I don’t mean the amount of possessions, popularity or the size of their bank account. I mean the true quality of their life; who they are, how content they are and how fulfilled they are. Jesus was speaking about the character of a real Christian.(v. 1-6) Now Jesus emphasized the character of a person will show in how he or she behaves.

Matthew 5:7–9

⁷ Blessed are the merciful,
    for they will be shown mercy.
⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart,
    for they will see God.
⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers,
    for they will be called children of God.

Who show mercy

Mercy means to not get a punishment you deserve. A criminal may “Throw themselves on the mercy of the court.” Begging for the court not to give them the punishment they deserve.

Christians know God’s love and mercy. Jesus teaches us that we should show the same things. When we show mercy, it shows that we have received it ourselves. Only then can we expect God’s mercy for us.

The pure in heart

Verse 8 is most important. It tells us what to do. We must be pure of heart if we want to enjoy God in this life. This is the most important of all. We must be pure of heart and the only way we can be pure is to be covered in the blood of Christ. Which is to be Saved. For they shall see God. Ya’ll know those who are saved will see God.

peacemakers

This type of peacemakers does not only mean the end of war or lawlessness. To be at peace meas to be complete. There is nothing to cause a lack of agreement. They have nothing missing . To have satisfaction, and joy. This Peace comes from knowing Christ and His Gospel of Peace.

So, what do ‘peacemakers’ do? They work hard to cause this kind of peace. They encourage the spread of God’s word. They preach, teach, witness and spread the gospel through the gifts God gave them.

People should see ‘peacemakers’ at work everywhere. They should be trying to bring the gospel of peace in a family. They should be active in the church. They should be working to spread the peace in the world.

These people are following the model of their Father. (Read Hebrews 13:20 and 2 Corinthians 5:20.) They are following the model of their Savior (Jesus). (Read Philippians 2:1–11 and Colossians 1:20.) God will call these people His children. Everyone will know that these people belong to God.

These verses emphasizes a most important Christian truth. It happens when a person really believes. A great change takes place. There is a reason for this. God gives His Holy Spirit to every Christian. The Holy Spirit helps him or her to live a life that will please God.

Questions

1. The Holy Spirit is active in your life. What evidence of this is of most value to you? Is it the evidence that Jesus would most love to see?

2. What ambitions do the people of God have today? It should be the desire to be pure of heart. It should also be the desire for peace. What do Christian people today often put in place of these things?

3. Non-Christians notice the lives of believers. The Holy Spirit is in them. There should be evidence of this. What would help people most to become Christians today?

The next section of Matthew is the Sermon on the Mount. The Beatitudes are probably one of the most famous parts of this sermon. I have broken them up into three lessons, attitudes and actions. Christians that desire to be true disciples of Christ should strive for these attributes daily. They will desire to have a humble trust in God,depend on God for everything, and be gentle and holy.

Matthew 5:1–6

 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, ² and he began to teach them.

The Beatitudes

He said:

³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
⁴ Blessed are those who mourn,
    for they will be comforted.
⁵ Blessed are the meek,
    for they will inherit the earth.
⁶ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
    for they will be filled.

Matthew describes the setting of the sermon in verses 1–2. Jesus began his sermon by explaining what a genuine disciple of Christ should be like. Each statement began with Blessed.

The poor in spirit

This does NOT mean those whose spirits have lost hope, those who do not have God’s Holy Spirit or those who do not have spiritual understanding. It means those people who recognize that they cannot please God by themselves and are trusting in God for everything. Theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven because you have to come to God with this attitude when you are saved.

Those who mourn

People who mourn are not just those who are sad, but it also includes those who grieve over sin. Not just their own sin, but others sin as well. Those who mourn over sin will be comforted . They will confess and repent of their sins. So, they will be forgiven and comforted. They will feel a lightness and since of relief.

People who are meek

Meekness is often seen as someone who is a push over or gentle and nonthreatening. While some of these characteristics are true, not all are correct. Meekness is restrained power. Someone who could be a threat but chooses to be gentle, loving, quiet and subservient. If you know my husband Daniel, you will know that he is the defection of meek.

Jesus was describing people who were subservient to God. They obey His words. They let God’s will control them. They are completely loyal to the purposes of God. One day, all God’s people would live in a new heaven and a new earth. Here, Jesus was talking about this great truth of the Bible.

Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness
(The word righteousness means to be ‘right’. It also means to do what is right.)

People who want to do right more than anything else. To hunger and thirst is a deep desire, a spiritual growling stomach, to know more and to do what is right. These people crave prayer and Bible study. They long for a fulfilled relationship with God. This is a vital(I need it)desire.

They will be filled. Those that desire to know more and study, pray and spend time with God are granted the wisdom and understanding to grasp the Bible and its message.

The truth of this teaching requires a lot from us. It can frighten us. So often, we are not like this at all. But, there is comfort for us too. We may have failures. But we just need to keep close to God and to Jesus Christ. We must desire what is best in our lives. Then, God will certainly bless us.

Questions

1. What do these verses teach me? How can they help me, as a disciple of Jesus?

2. There is much talk in the church today about celebration (a happy time). But, people should be sad about sin too. How can both these things be in the local church?

4. What effect should Meek people have on the church and on the world? There are people who live for God. What effect should their lives have on the church and on the world? Can you think of any examples?

Matthew 4:12–25

When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee. ¹³ Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— ¹⁴ to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:

¹⁵ “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
    the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan,
    Galilee of the Gentiles—
¹⁶ the people living in darkness
    have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
    a light has dawned.”

¹⁷ From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

Jesus Calls His First Disciples

¹⁸ As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ¹⁹ “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” ²⁰ At once they left their nets and followed him.

²¹ Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, ²² and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

Jesus Heals the Sick

²³ Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. ²⁴ News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them. ²⁵ Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.

Jesus’ special public work began. He taught and he healed people. These things showed who he was. We shall think about what people’s reactions to him should have been.

John the Baptist’s work ended. Then, Jesus’ work began. He worked mostly from a small town, Capernaum. It was a special place in Galilee. It was important to Matthew. This was because in the Old Testament, Capernaum belonged to Zebulun and Naphtali. These were two of the 12 tribes of Israel. Isaiah spoke about them in Isaiah 9:1–2.

This place was in the north of Israel. For centuries, the people who lived there had had very hard times. There had been political trouble, military trouble and constant attacks from their enemies. The words of Isaiah’s prophecy showed this. But he promised one day, they would be the first to benefit. They would have light instead of darkness.

The Bible often uses the word ‘light’. There are two other special uses for the word. It reminds us about the knowledge of God. It also reminds us about the fact that God is present. Matthew believed that this prophecy had now come true. It was happening as Jesus began his work. He declared the start of the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus’ words are in verse 17. They are like John’s words. Jesus made it clear which people had hope. They were people who knew they had sinned against God. They knew that they deserved his punishment. But they turned to him with repentance. There was such good news for them. This could be true for the people of Galilee. It did not matter that they were poor. They were suffering much. They were anxious. Their needs were great. But, the good news was still for them.

The first disciples

At this time, Jesus asked 4 men to join him. They were Peter, Andrew, James and John. There was a custom in Israel at that time. Disciples would gather round a teacher. But, Jesus was different. He called the men to him. He expected them to follow him. This clearly showed that he had authority.

But Jesus was not like a teacher who is at school. He was not giving information to students. They followed him. This meant that they were joining him in the work. That work was to call men and women to repent. They must call them to believe in God too. To these 4 men, it meant that they must leave their jobs. Their work for Jesus must be more important than their families. It could be the same for us today. Jesus deserves the best.

Now we come to the last three verses of the chapter. They describe the nature of Jesus’ special public work. Jesus did three things.

He taught the truths of the Bible. He would go as a visitor to the synagogue. Priests would invite him to speak.

He declared the good news. It was about the kingdom of heaven.

He healed many people. These actions taught three things.

  They confirmed Jesus’ message.

They showed that he was the Messiah. The*prophets had spoken about him.
                      

  They proved that God’s kingdom had begun to arrive.

The life and the work of Jesus disturbed many people. It also caused excitement. That was in Galilee. But it was true about other places too. This is not a surprise.

Questions

1. Jesus invited the first 4 disciples to follow him. Study their reactions to Jesus. What do you think that you should learn from these disciples? They left their jobs and their families. Does Jesus usually expect us to do the same? If not, how do we know when we should do this?

2. Christians should bring people to Jesus. They should then teach them how to follow Jesus. Read this passage again. What can we learn about how we could do these things?

3. Verse 16 describes certain people. Where might we find them today? Other people think that religion is something bad. To them, it is like going into the dark. How can we help them to find Jesus as the ‘light’?

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We as Christians are tempted by Satan on a regular basis. We sometimes forget that Jesus was also tempted and resisted temptation. We know that Jesus had no sin, so being tempted is not a sin, it is giving in to the temptation that is the sin.

Matthew 4:1–11

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. ² After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. ³ The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

⁴ Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

⁵ Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. ⁶ “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
    and they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

⁷ Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

⁸ Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. ⁹ “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

¹⁰ Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”

¹¹ Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

Jesus is the Son of God. God showed this to everybody. He did this at Jesus’ baptism. Satan was intimidated by this. So much so, he tempt Jesus.

Jesus was ready to identify with all the needs of sinners. (Matt 3:13–17.) He had the same temptations as we have. Jesus suffered like us too. But his temptations were special. The devil was testing a fact that Jesus was the ‘Son of God’. Notice when these events happened. It was just after a great experience.

It can be the same for us. We may have a great spiritual experience. We may have a great success against Satan. Then, it can be hard to deal with another temptation.

Jesus went to the place where he would have his great test. Matthew said that God’s Holy Spirit took Jesus there. It was part of God’s plan for Jesus. He would be ‘perfect by the things that he suffered’. (Read Hebrews 2:10.) God often uses the temptations that come into our lives. It can be his way to make us grow in our Christian lives. Matthew emphasized it. God allows the devil to tempt us. But, when evil attracts us, that is the devil’s work.

Satan did not just tempt Jesus at the end of 40 days. (Read verses 2–3.) He tempted Jesus for the whole period. (Read Luke 4:1–13.) There was no ejector seat from his temptations. Often, the same is true for us.

Let us think about the first temptation. The devil seemed to be referring to 3:17. There, God confirmed that Jesus was his Son. Satan was trying to spoil Jesus’ confidence in these words. ‘If’. He wanted Jesus to test the truth of God’s words.

The devil had used this method before. He tried to bring doubts into Eve’s mind. (Read Genesis 3:1–6.) There, in the garden, Adam and Eve failed the test. Here, Jesus passed the test. He was confident in God. He trusted God and his word. He reminded the devil that all people must respect God. So, Jesus said words from Deuteronomy 8:3. The devil’s methods do not change. They are the same today. The way to overcome the devil does not change either!

The next time, Satan said something from the Bible. (Psalm 91:11–12.) He wanted Jesus to test God’s word. Satan’s test was on the roof of the Temple. So, surely God would look after his Son. He was able to help too. There could not be a better place. Jesus could do something wonderful. Then a crowd of people would follow him!

Jesus answered the devil in the same way. He used the Bible. Jesus knew Psalm 91. There, God promised to protect his children. But Jesus said words from Deuteronomy 6:16. Jesus knew the Bible. He understood its correct meaning too. In this way, he overcame the devil. The lesson for us should be clear.

Then there was probably a vision. (This is like a dream, but the person is often awake.) The devil showed Jesus ‘all the kingdoms of the world’. He was able to do this ‘in a moment of time’. (Read Luke 4:5.) But, the test was still very real. The devil offered power on earth to Jesus. This was instead of spiritual authority.

But, there was a price for this power. Jesus must accept Satan as his spiritual leader. He must worship Satan. Jesus knew Satan’s purpose. Again, Jesus said words from the Bible. (The words are in Deuteronomy 6:13.) God is the only one whom people must worship. Then the devil left Jesus (verse 11). The devil will leave us too. (Note: Luke 4:13 reminds us of another fact. Satan ‘went away to wait until a better time’. For us too, the same thing will happen. Satan will come back.)

Questions

1. How well do I know my Bible? When the devil tempts me, could I answer him in the right way? (Write down any verses that would help you. There will be many of them. So, you could do this for a long time.)

2. Jesus had the same sort of tests that we have. How should this help us with temptations (when someone or something is tempting us to sin)?

3. What does this passage teach about the spiritual battle?

4. How does this passage explain the world in which we live?

Jesus is God. He baptizes with the Holy Spirit. But Jesus still wanted John to baptize him. Jesus has no need for salvation because he is God. So I’ll say it again Baptism will not save you.

Matthew 3:11–17

“I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹² His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

The Baptism of Jesus

¹³ Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. ¹⁴ But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”

¹⁵ Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.

¹⁶ As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. ¹⁷ And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

The crowd believed that John was a prophet. But John told them that he was like a slave. In ancient Israel, this had a certain meaning. It was a slave’s task to carry his master’s shoes. Then John made another claim. It was even more surprising. The Old Testament says that God is ‘the greater or more powerful one’. (Read Daniel 9:4 and Jeremiah 32:18.) The Old Testament promised that God’s Christ (the Messiah) would come. John said that this Messiah would be God! He would not be just a man, as John was.

John’s work was different than Christ. Christ (the *Messiah) would baptize with the fire of the Holy Spirit. We cannot live a life that pleases God by ourselves. We do not have the power to do it. But, the Christ would provide that power.

What John had said finally came true. It was on the Day of Pentecost. (Read Acts 2. It will explain about the Day of Pentecost.) From that day, God gave the Holy Spirit to all his people. His work showed in their lives. Every day, there was repentance. Every day, they became more holy. But, there is something else about Jesus’ baptism of fire. If it did not make holy, it would burn. (Read 3:12.) Jesus came to bring life. But, there will be people who refuse him. They will know him as judge one day. John 3:16–21 teaches a similar lesson.

John did not think that he should baptize Jesus. John was a sinner. Jesus was not a sinner. But Jesus insisted on baptism. He was willing to share this with sinners. He was willing to take their punishment. His gentle reply in verse 15, may suggest this.

But, the most important part of this section is in verses 16 and 17. The dove (a bird) was a sign in the ancient world. It was a sign of moral goodness and kindness. But something was more important. The Spirit came on Jesus in a way that people could see. This meant that Jesus was now ready for his work.

Something even more wonderful happened next (verse 17). God the Father spoke. He declared that Jesus was the Son of the Father. Jesus was God. This man was the Christ (Messiah). He was the man about whom John spoke. God is holy. He must hate and judge sin. But, he is also the God who loves. Because he loves, he sent his Son to save people. God was very pleased with the work that Jesus was going to do.

There is one final detail in this section. It is in verses 13–17. We learn that the Father was pleased with the work of the Son. The Spirit came to help Jesus with his work. So, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit were working together. They were working to save sinners. They still do this same work today. This is very wonderful.

The baptism with the Holy Spirit

The phrase ‘baptism in the Holy Spirit’ is common today. It often refers to experiences after a person becomes a Christian. But, read Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33; Acts 1:5 and 11:16. These references are clear. They refer to the first experience of a Christian. The use of the word ‘baptism’ confirms this too. Ancient societies used this word. They used it for the ceremony when a person joined the society. So, it was about the beginning of a person’s decision to join.

So, ‘baptism with the Spirit’ is a New Testament phrase. It is one of the ways to describe a special event. It is the event when a person becomes a Christian. It emphasizes two things. First, God lives in a real Christian. Then, that person has what he or she needs for a holy, good life.

The Son of God

Many false teachings have come from these words. They do not mean that Jesus was not really God. They do not mean that he was born in heaven, some time after his Father. John 1:1–3 shows us that this is not true.

But, a son has the same nature as his father. A man is human. His children are human too. It is the same when the Bible speaks about ‘God’s son’. God is God and Jesus is the son. It means that he has the same nature as the Father. So, he is God! This was the claim that Matthew was making about Jesus here. Matthew’s readers would have understood this.

Questions

1. How would you describe Jesus to one of your friends?

2. The work of the Holy Spirit is vital to every real believer (Christian). How do the leaders of your church explain the Holy Spirit’s work?

3. Non-Christians need to understand the love of God in Jesus. How can you help them?

When you ask many people when they where saved, that start telling you about their baptism. Baptism is not salvation. Baptism is symbol or demonstration that you have been saved and you are following God’s Will. The waters of the baptismal will not get you to heaven, only the blood of Christ can do that.

Matthew 3:7-10

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? ⁸ Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. ⁹ And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. ¹⁰ The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

In Bible times, God spoke to his people by prophets. But there had been no prophets since the death of Malachi. That was in about 400 BC (Before Christ). The Jews believed that God would use prophets again. They thought that it would be when God’s kingdom came. People traveled a long distance to hear John. Many of these people recognized who John was. They obeyed his message.

When this happened, John baptized them. He put them in the water of the Jordan river. Baptism was a common ceremony in the ancient world. It was a sign, that showed that a person was clean from something evil Or, it showed that they were entering into a new society.

Many people wanted to do something about John’s message. Baptism was the way that they showed this. It was a sign. It showed that God had taken away their sin. John was preparing them for God’s kingdom. Jesus would start this kingdom. Later, Jesus’ disciples baptized people too. (Read John 3:22; 4:1, 2.) This also became a sign. It showed that people wanted to follow Jesus. It showed that they had entered his kingdom. (Read Matthew 28:18–20 and Romans 6:4.)

During John’s time there were two important religious groups. They were Pharisees and Sadducees. Members from both these groups came to John. They asked him to baptize them. We might think that this would make John happy. But he was angry. He did not believe that they had repented. They wanted God to accept them as his people. John emphasized the result of real repentance will always be a different life.

The same thing happens today. Many people believe that baptism alone makes them God’s people. But this is not true. First, people must repent of their sin and be saved. They must want to live in a way that will please God. They will obey God. Only then does baptism have meaning. It shows that repentance is real.

In verse 7, John dealt with the problem of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. The snake was a sign of wicked things to the Jews. A snake (serpent) first deceived humans. (He told a lie to Eve; and he made it seem like the truth.) This caused sin in the world. John said to the religious groups: ‘You are all like snakes.’ They would hate this description. But John wanted to get their attention. They were not being honest with themselves. They did not realize that they were in great danger of God’s judgement.

Read verses 9–10. John was saying God is very good to us. But this means that we have responsibility. He promises to save. But there is a rule. God will only accept people if they repent.

Pharisees and Sadducees

We do not know how these two groups began. But, we do know some facts about them. There were the Pharisees. They would not accept other cultures and customs. They felt that these things would stop them from being holy. The Pharisees insisted that people must be very careful to obey God’s laws. So, they added many extra regulations. They thought that these rules would help people. The rules would stop them from becoming ‘dirty’ with sin. Pharisees tended to be proud. They thought that they were very good people. They did not like those who did not have the same beliefs.

The Sadducees. They were very different. They believed the first 5 books of the Old Testament. They believed that only these books were God’s words. They had another main belief. Dead people could never come alive again. (The Pharisees believed that this could happen.) The Sadducees enjoyed power. To gain it, they were even willing to have lower standards. They were rich and powerful. The High Priest and his family were members of this group.

God’s anger

The Bible speaks about God’s anger. This does not mean that God has bad moods. He does not get angry for no reason. But God hates all that is evil. He hates all that is wicked. This is what God’s anger means.

This is why God’s anger must be against every human person. Nobody can ever live by God’s standards. (Ephesians 2:3.) People experience his anger in this life. (John 3:18, 36 and Romans 1:18.) But his main anger is for the future. (Ephesians 5:6; Colossians 3:6; 2 Thessalonians 1:8–9 and Revelation 14:10.) There is a connection with the return of Jesus. (Read Malachi 3:2–3; 4:1–5.) Men and women must really repent. They must trust Jesus. Only then can they escape God’s anger.

Questions

1. What importance does baptism as a Christian have for you?

2. What should the church expect in the lives of those who want baptism?

3. Do you think that modern speakers should ever speak as John spoke? (Read verses 7–10.)

4. John spoke with urgency. Do you have urgent concern in your life for the unsaved?

Have you ever seen a scraggly looking guy on the side of the road with a sign that says, “The End is near?” John the Baptist was this guy! He was a rough gut preaching in the wilderness saying exactly those words. As weird as it may seem to us, John the Baptist prepared the way of the Lord not by attacking the government or standing in the temple. John went to the people. He was out there preaching to the common man. In our terms he was pounding the pavement telling people to repent.

Matthew 3:1–6

 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea ² and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” ³ This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:

“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
    make straight paths for him.’”

⁴ John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. ⁵ People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. ⁶ Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

Matthew now spoke about later events. He did this just after he had told about Jesus’ birth. These events happened 30 years later. The time was just before Jesus started his public work.

Many Kings and great leaders usually sent someone ahead of them, a herald. A herald was to prepare for the arrival of the leader. Jesus was a king (2:2). He had a herald too. Isaiah foretold the heralding of Jesus by John the Baptist in 40:3–5, “A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare
    the way for the Lord;
make straight in the desert
    a highway for our God.
⁴ Every valley shall be raised up,
    every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
    the rugged places a plain.
⁵ And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
    and all people will see it together.

For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

The “Voice” is John and he would come before God himself came. Matthew said that the verses referred to John the Baptist. John went out into the places where there are people to listen! Note: Many prophets spoke about events in the near future. But they often suggested that these events could refer to something more. They pointed to much greater events. They would be a long time in the future. These verses in Isaiah are like this.

Repent!

John was a herald. Someone important was going to arrive. He was much greater than John. The herald’s task was to make sure that everyone was ready. This was exactly what John did. His message was very clear. Most people would not want to hear it. He called them to repent.

We may want to know what John meant by the ‘kingdom of heaven’ (3:2). It meant that God would establish His rule over the whole earth. The Old Testament often used the term ‘kingdom of heaven’. John said that this kingdom ‘is near’. God would act very soon. Men and women could enjoy God’s kingdom for themselves. But, they must be ready. They would not just arrive there. John emphasized this. They needed to do something. Most important, they must repent.

To repent literally means to turn away from sin. So not only do we need to confess our sins we need to stop doing them. God promised that He would give many good things. It would happen soon. But men and women must be ready. Jesus spoke the same message. ( Matthew 4:17.) But there was a difference. Jesus taught how these good things would come. They would come because people knew him. (Mark 1:15 and Matthew 13:16–17.) John promised good things. These good things began to arrive. They started when Jesus came.

1. How could your life show that you have repented? What evidence should you expect in your life?

2. Repentance is necessary. How does your church emphasize this when they tell the Good News about Jesus?

3. John spoke the truth to the people. How can we learn from his methods?