Matthew 3

Matthew Henry

Matthew 3:1-12

John the Baptizer.  When I was a kid he seemed like some strange old hermit that ate really gross things and was completely crazy.  While not completely inaccurate, this is not a very fair portrayal of the man that God chose to prepare the way for His Son.

Matthew says very little about John, but Luke covers him better if you are unfamiliar with him.  Of all the prophets that came during Old Testament times, Elijah was considered the greatest by the Jewish people.  When it was prophesied that another Elijah would come, I am sure that many of the Jewish people imagined the scene on Mount Caramel and were excited to meet him.  And then John showed up.  He was not what they were expecting, but they still knew that he was different than the Pharisees and Sadducees.

The biggest difference was not his clothing, it was his preaching.  He was not preaching that the Kingdom of God would someday come, he was saying that it was here!  The religious leaders of that day wouldn't dare make such a claim.  In fact, they made the trip to go see him and try and figure out what was going on.  He didn't give them the respect they were used to, that is for sure.

When considering his clothing and appetite, it does begin to make sense.  He wore clothing that was tough and easy to find, even if it wasn't fashionable.  His found was allowed by the Law, but could be found around him in nature.

Also, I always pictured him in a desert, but wilderness and desert are different.  First, if there was water to baptize, then it was not a barren wasteland.  Second, when he took his ministry to the Jordan, we know that is not a barren area.  He preached in the country side.  This means that he was not preaching in Omaha, but was in Fremont, Wahoo, or even Hooper.  I personally find this encouraging.  Not everyone is called to minister to the large cities.

When looking at the big picture, I am guilty of being more like the Pharisees than John the Baptist.  I live life by a set of rules and guidelines and not with the truth that the Kingdom of God is at hand.  Living in light of this would be a completely different lifestyle for me.  I need to remember this in my daily business and not get caught up in my kingdom.

Matthew 3:13-17

What a sight!  Seeing as John probably had a decent sized crowd, can you imagine being there for that?  Also, what humility!  This was a man that truly understood his calling and also his place in the universe.  He wasn't the main attraction, he was just the preview.  With my pride and arrogance, I doubt that I would be able to do the same.  He is a far greater man than I will ever be.

When I read this, I thought, what would it mean to me to hear God say that he was well pleased with me?  Most days I have enough guilt for my sins that I can not even imagine that God would ever be pleased with me.  I fall short of my calling frequently.  How could God ever be pleased with me?

But I do know one thing.  Christ's blood has washed me clean.  When God looks at me, He does not see the sins and failures.  He sees one that His Son died for.  Christ died so that I may live.  Now, I must die to myself so that I can live for Him.  I need to die to my pride and selfish ambition and live as one that has received His grace.

If we have truly been called to repentance and accept Christ's sacrifice on our behalf, we can rest assured that God does not view us as He used to.  He sees His "beloved Son, in whom [He is] well pleased."

Prayer

Lord, I desire to have Your Kingdom come, now as it is in Heaven.  I desire to not just see converts, but disciples.  I want to see people living with Kingdom mentality.  The only place I can start is with myself.  Lord, I am sorry for not living in light of Your Kingdom.  I repent of my pride and turn to You and Your ways.  Your ways are greater than mine.

I am a sinful man that deserves Your wrath.  I do not deserve the grace and favor that You show me through Your Son.  While I rest on the promise that You will remove my sin from me as far as the east is from the west, I know that I will continually fall short, and must continually return to the Cross in repentance and humility.  I am incapable of living up to the standard of Your Holiness.  You are holy, and I am not.  You are God alone.  There is none like You.

Today, show me how to live for Your Kingdom and not my own.  I want to live with a Kingdom mindset.  I cannot do it without Your guidance.  Amen.