Nazarene Commentary 2000©

21^st Century Paraphrase of the Hebrew Scriptures© –
21^st Century Version of the Christian Scriptures© [NCMM]

Locate verse: Type a verse reference like 'Romans 10:9' or abbreviated 'Rm 10:9'. By just typing the verse one can jump to the corresponding verse on the active page (only works if the current page displays a chapter). If a chapter and a verse is entered without a book, the current selected book is assumed. Providing only the name of a book will bring one to the chapter index of that book. Examples (without the quotes): '1 Tim 3:16', 'Rv 1:8', 'Matthew 5', '3:16', '8', 'Phm'.

THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER THREE:
THE BEGINNING OF THE NAZARENE’S MINISTRY

Matthew 3:1-6 – A Wilderness Baptist Prepares the Way

|| Mark 1:1-6; Luke 3:1-6, 12-14

MT3:1 But in those days 118 John the Baptist 119 came from the Judean wilderness, 120
118 Those days: Luke gives the precise timing by paralleling these activities with several contemporary rulers and priests (Luke 3:1ff). It was the year 29 AD.
119 John the Baptist: The prophet from the desert is mentioned 150 times in the Christian Bible. The name “John” means “Yah Favors.” Jesus ranks him equal to any of the greatest people in the Bible (Matthew 11:11, 12). Jesus compares him to the prophet Elijah.
120 Wilderness: BER: the Judean desert.
MT3:2 preaching, “Repent 121 for the Realm 122 of Heaven has drawn near. 123
121 Repent: Repentance is a key word in the Bible. It means to “change the mind” or “feel sorry” for sins. The word group occurs 70 times in the Bible with the first at Job 42:6 and most often in Luke, with Revelation second. John’s call to repentance was regarding sins against the Mosaic Law.
122 Realm: The Greek is BASILEIA and is often translated “kingdom.” MOF: Reign of heaven. The word occurs 366 times, first at Genesis 10:10 and most often in Daniel and then Matthew. The word may mean the seat of government, that is the king, or source of the authority. It may also mean the realm, territory or domain of the King. Here John has in mind the future manifestation or appearance of the Messiah Jesus, the “king of Israel.” “Kingdom of heaven” (Matthew) or “kingdom of God” (Luke) is used most often by the Nazarene to mean the “realm of profession” or the Church (Compare the parables in Matthew 13).
123 Near: Usually the word “near” means within hours or days. John has in mind the coming of Messiah as the future King of Israel.
MT3:3 For this is the One spoken of by Isaiah 124 the prophet, saying, ‘A voice of one crying out in the wilderness, “Make ready the Way of YHWH – make straight His roads.”’” [Isaiah 40:3]
124 Isaiah: The quote is from Isaiah 40:3 and leans toward the LXX though paraphrases a bit.
MT3:4 But this John dressed in camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist and hips. His food was locusts 125 and wild honey.
125 Locusts: A common food of Middle Eastern nomads. GDSP: dried locusts; BECK: grasshoppers. John is very austere if not ascetic.
MT3:5 Then Jerusalem and all the Judeans 126 and all the country along the Jordan came to John,
126 All the Judeans: John’s preaching has a wide impact among the Jews.
MT3:6 and they publicly confessed their sins 127 and John baptized 128 them in the Jordan river. 129
127 Their sins: That is sins against the Mosaic Law. These are all Jews.
128 Baptized: The word (BAPTIZONTO) means “immerse” or “submerge” (RHM) and always occurs where there is “a large body of water.” The word group occurs over 100 times. There are two water baptisms in the Christian Bible: that of John the Baptist for Jews (Acts 18:25; 19:3) and Christian baptism into Nazarene discipleship. “Baptism” is connected to salvation (1 Peter 3:21). There is a baptism into God’s spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13; John 3:3-5). There is a baptism into Christ’s leadership (1 Corinthians 10:2). There is a baptism into the life course as a disciple (Mark 10:38). There is a baptism into death (Luke 12:38; Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:12). Baptism is a fundamental teaching (Hebrews 6:2). Jesus commanded his eleven apostles to go and baptize people of all nations (Matthew 28:18, 19).
129 Jordan river: To this day many pilgrims journey to be baptized in the Jordan.

Matthew 3:7-12 – Opposition and Two Baptisms

|| Mark 1:7-8; Luke 3:7-11, 15-18

MT3:7 When John saw many Pharisees 130 and Sadducees 131 coming to the baptism he said to them: “Generation of vipers, who showed you how to flee from the coming wrath?
130 Pharisees: The name means “Separated Ones” and occurs 87 times: Matthew, 29, Mark, 12, Luke, 20, John, 20, Acts, 6. A prominent Jewish sect described by Josephus: “And so great is their influence with the masses that even when they speak against a king or high priest, they immediately gain credence.” [Jewish Antiquities, XIII, 288 (x, 5)] “They believe that souls have power to survive death and that there are rewards and punishments under the earth for those who have led lives of virtue or vice: eternal imprisonment is the lot of evil souls, while the good souls receive an easy passage to a new life.” (Jewish Antiquities, XVIII, 14 [i, 3]) “Every soul, they maintain, is imperishable, but the soul of the good alone passes into another body, while the souls of the wicked suffer eternal punishment.… [They] attribute everything to Fate and to God; they hold that to act rightly or otherwise rests, indeed, for the most part with men, but that in each action Fate co-operates.” [The Jewish War, II, 162, 163 (viii, 14)] Nicodemas was a Pharisee (John 3:1, 2; 7:47-52; 19:39). Paul was a Pharisee (Philippians 3:5).
131 Sadducees: The name occurs 16 times (Jewish Antiquities, XIII, 293 [x, 6]; XIII, 172, 173 [v, 9]) They did not believe in angels or the resurrection. They appealed to the wealthy. Jewish Antiquities, XIII, 298 (x, 6); XVIII, 16, 17 (i, 4); The Jewish War, II, 162-166 (viii, 14).
MT3:8 Therefore, produce fruitage 132 worthy of repentance.
132 Fruitage: True repentance (a change of mind; a sorrow because of sin) must be accompanied with some evidence of such. Paul lists some identifying fruitage (2 Corinthians 7:10, 11).
MT3:9 Do not be presumptuous 133 and tell yourselves, ‘Abraham is our father!’ I tell you that the God 134 is able to raise up Abrahamic children from these stones!
133 Presumptuous: See Deuteronomy 18:21-22.
134 The God: The Greek is HO THEOS.
MT3:10 The ax is already lying at the root of the trees. So every tree not producing good fruit 135 will be cut down and thrown in a fire.
135 Fruit: Compare John 15:2, 6. Twice John has exhorted these Jews to produce fruitage consistent with true repentance.
MT3:11 True, I baptize you people in water because of your repentance, but there is One who comes after me 136 – I am not worthy to remove his sandals – he will baptize in holy Pneuma 137 [Isaiah 44:3] as well as with fire. 138
136 One who comes after me: That is, the Messiah
137 Baptize in holy Pneuma: Possibly an allusion to Isaiah 44:3.
138 Fire: The Jews have two choices, that is two baptisms: spirit or the fire of destruction. See the next verse regarding this fire.
MT3:12 That One’s winnowing shovel is in his hand and he will completely clean up his threshing floor 139 and will gather his wheat into the storehouse, but the chaff he will burn up in an inextinguishable fire.” 140
139 Threshing floor: Possibly an illusion to Isaiah 41:15, 16.
140 Inextinguishable fire: Or, KJV: unquenchable; WMS: fire that can never be put out. A metaphor for everlasting destruction as in the case of the Second Death (Revelation 20:13, 14).

Matthew 3:13-17 – Jesus Declared God’s Son at His Baptism

|| Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21, 22; John 1:31-34

MT3:13 Then Jesus came to the Jordan from Galilee, approaching John to be baptized by him. MT3:14 But John tried to prevent him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you and yet you come to me?” MT3:15 Jesus replied and said to him, “Let it be this time for in this way it is proper for us to fulfill all righteousness.” 141 Then John stopped resisting.
141 Fulfill all righteousness: In order to “fulfill all righteousness” it is necessary to be baptized after our Lord’s example.
MT3:16 Having been baptized, and rising from the water, immediately, look! the skies 142 were opened up. Jesus saw God’s Pneuma 143 descending as if a dove 144 lighting 145 upon him.
142 Skies: Or, heavens. The Greek word OURANOI (heavens) is used in a variety of ways and judging from the context here where the dove flies down to light on Jesus it must be that atmosphere were birds fly (Genesis 1:7, 20).
143 Pneuma: Or, spirit; breath; wind. The force or pressure which emanates from God’s Mind. This is the “anointing” of Isaiah 61:1 (Luke 4:16). Compare also Isaiah 11:1-3
144 Dove: The bird Noah released from the Ark.
145 Lighting: Or, ALF: coming; KNX: resting. Here the Greek ERKHOMENON means arrived.
MT3:17 Look! a Voice 146 out of the Sky, saying, “This is my beloved Son 147 in whom I am well pleased.” 148
146 Voice: The first of three times the actual Voice of God is heard, each in the presence of Jesus. The same One who speaks at Psalm 2:7 and Psalm 110:4. As God spoke to the first perfect man, Adam, He now speaks to this second Man.
147 Son: We may suggest that the one here named Jesus becomes God’s “Son” in several ways: 1. Creation; 2. Birth as Perfect Man; 3. as spirit-begotten Child; 4. by resurrection; and, by enthronement in the heavens.
148 Well pleased: The language is very similar to Isaiah 42:1.

Mark Heber Miller