Monday: Jesus’ Baptism
The appearance of John the Baptist must have sent ripples of excitement throughout the region. Here was someone who looked like the prophet Elijah (Matt. 3:4, 2 Kings 1:8). He was the first prophetic voice the people had heard in 400 years.
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God had never been silent for so long before. Now He was speaking to the people once again. Obviously something significant was about to happen.
Read Matthew 3:7-12. Why would John the Baptist connect themes of judgment-the wrath to come (Matthew 3:7), the axe laid to the root of the trees (Matthew 3:10), thoroughly purging the threshing floor (Matthew 3:12), and burning chaff in unquenchable fire (Matthew 3:12) in his introduction to the Messiah?
The people thought they were living in the last days. They saw John come from the wilderness and encourage them to pass through the waters of the Jordan through baptism. This was a bit like a new Exodus, and getting wet (rather than walking across a dried-up riverbed) was necessary for cleansing and readiness for the new Promised Land, with the Messiah Himself leading them from victory over the Romans to the ushering in of God’s eternal kingdom spoken of by the prophets. At least that is what many people had thought.
But neither John nor Jesus was leading a political movement; it was a salvation event. The explanation by Luke of what John was doing is a quotation from Isaiah, describing the way God would prepare a road for the exiles to return to the Promised Land (Luke 3:3-6). Jeremiah explains the reason for making that special road: to make it manageable for society’s most vulnerable-the blind, the lame, the pregnant, mothers with toddlers-and for all others who desired to return to the Promised Land to be able to do so (Jer. 31:7-9). No wonder the people flocked to John; their hope was kindled that they, too, could be ready for the great day of God, soon to be upon them.
It came, however, in a way that most of them didn’t expect, not because they hadn’t been told, but because they didn’t understand the meaning of the Scriptures (Luke 24:25-27).
Faithful people had deep misconceptions about the nature of the Lord’s first coming. How might faithful people in the last days avoid having deep misconceptions about the nature of His second one?
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I would suggest that part of John's reference to "the wrath to come" (Matt 3:7) was the looming/impending destruction of their religion.
"Seventy weeks" had been determined (or allocated) to the Jewish "people" and to their "holy city" (Dan 9:24). The critical time was about to come upon them (i.e. the public ministry of the Son of Man was about to open,) and their time of opportunity was rapidly drawing to a close. John referred to the fact that the whole tree was in danger of being cut down.
Jesus would die in the middle of the last prophetic "week" (of the 70 weeks). But the Jewish people would have another 3 1/2 years of opportunity beyond even that.
In A.D. 34 the "70 weeks" ended, and their time was over. The cutting down of the tree began at that point, and the tree finally fell in A.D. 70 when the Romans literally destroyed the Temple. The whole ceremonial system had, in many respects, centered on the Temple -- remove that building, and the entire system would cease.
The "wrath" associated with the Roman wars was horrendous. In "The History of The Jews" (by H.H.Milman), a break-down of the number of Jews killed in that campaign is given. It amounted to over 1.3 million people. When John spoke of the "wrath to come", there was a very real sense in which this was looming over the Jewish nation.
Hi Stewart. That is really profound. May God help us learn from past history for those who will not learn from the past are doomed to repeat it. See Romans 15:4. Blessings to all!
Chris, I believe you are right. We are told that Isaiah 51 "has a special application to those who are living in the last days" (EGW, in Review and Herald, 12/1/1896). In Isaiah 51, we read that the people of God will suffer "desolation and destruction" (vs 19), but also afterward see a deliverance from God (vs 22).
They were interested in earthly treasures as did Esau. The great salvation was not so much their interest. And by that they misunderstood the insight of the gospel
Thanks so very much for this enlightenment. I clearly understand the question now. May God continue, through his servants, to help us understand His word clearly.
Many people are of the belief that God and His word are no longer relevant. So they are making no effort to turn their lives over to Him so they can begin to gain much needed wisdom and guidance from His hand and heart.
How does today's reading relate to Jesus' baptism? Help me understand. Thank you.
Lisanne, I need help understanding it too.
It appears that today's reading does not relate directly to Jesus' baptism. It doesn't seem to deal with the actual event at the Jordan, but rather, with the role that John the Baptist played as Jesus' "fore-runner".
To me, the reading, and the title, are - perhaps not so much contradictory or conflicting - but incongruous (unequal). None of us, including our teachers, are infallible... Personally, I did find it somewhat confusing, but I feel it would be a mistake to magnify a perceived error such as this.
I like the manner with which you have put it Stewart. We are indeed able to learn something from the lesson nonetheless. Praise God.
It hurt to know that they killed God thinking that they were doing the right thing. Jesus told Pilate until this end I was born.
For Jesus didn’t need to repent or be baptized. He had no sin to repent of and no sin to be forgiven. And yet He is baptized. So if He’s not doing it for Himself, He must be doing it for those He came to save. For you and me. And what He’s doing is beginning the judgment that John talked about. Luke points to that in an interesting way by saying that when all the people were baptized, or after all the people had been baptized – as if Jesus is the culmination of all these baptisms – then Jesus is baptized. Once the water of the Jordan got good and dirty with all the sins of all those people, then Jesus stepped in – not to get clean, but to get dirty. Not to be forgiven, but to take the guilt of the sin of the world upon Himself. That He be judged for it instead of us. That He be condemned for it instead of us. That He pay the penalty for it instead of us.
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Thanks for the insight, you have really made things clearer. God bless you.
This shows us that he loved us even before we were created.for Christ to come and take our sins for us to have life he demonstrated the pain even before we could experience it he did not sin yet he was baptized he was tempted yet he conquered sin he did all this for us to show us that it is possible to live without sin.
Lisanne with your issue..... it is true about it not relating but what I suggest is,because Jesus was the center of the whole issue, that is why the caption was Jesus Baptism.
So what happened at His ( Jesus ) baptism is what they elaborated on.
God bless us all
My understanding of today's reading is that prophecy was being fulfilled but the central theme is that Jesus came to demonstrate to us how he will redeem us. All we have to do is to accept or reject him . He will impart his Holy Spirit in us. We are to make the choice to obey him, prepare our hearts & minds, repent & follow him.He will leave no stones unturned. Where their is sin, disease, death, wants & needs and evil practices, he will address those situations . He will provide for our physical needs.He even demonstrated to those who mourn in death that he can raise the dead. We see that with Lazarus & others. We often ask him for things and he gives us , even when we don't need it.The baptism of Jesus was a testimony of how he will change our lives.
If Christ did not go through baptism, would He have been crucified?
Faithful people had deep misconceptions about the nature of the Lord’s first coming. How might faithful people in the last days avoid having deep misconceptions about the nature of His second one? Through examining the scriptures daily. John 17:3 says "and this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou has send".