Prepare!

*Note:  Most of the rest of the Harmony readings will be pieced together like a puzzle putting the four Gospels together into one narrative.  I am copying the order from George W. Wright’s A Simplified Harmony of the Gospels (Holman Bible Publishers, 2001), but I am using the New King James Version.  Of course, you can also read the passages side by side separately if you prefer.

The Passage

Matthew 3:1-12; Mark 1:1-8; Luke 3:1-18

Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.

In those days John the Baptist came preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!"  For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, "Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You. The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight.' "  Every valley shall be filled And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough ways smooth; And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.' "

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 and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

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? "Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, "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. 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.

So the people asked him, saying, "What shall we do then?"

He answered and said to them, "He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise."

Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?"

And he said to them, "Collect no more than what is appointed for you."

Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, "And what shall we do?"

So he said to them, "Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages."

Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ [or] not, John answered, saying to all, "I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. "His winnowing fan [is] in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire." And with many other exhortations he preached to the people.

A Little Background

When we read Matthew 2:13-23 we talked about Herod, one of a dynasty of Herods that ruled during this time in history.  A tetrarch was one of four co-emperors which reigned under Roman authority.  There were four Herods that are mentioned during Christ’s life.  The Herod mentioned in Matthew 3:1 is Herod Antipas[1].  This description gives us an historical anchor and sets the stage for what will soon be happening.

When John was born, his father, Zacharias, prophesied about him under the power of the Holy Spirit.  John had a miraculous birth.  His mother was barren and well beyond child-bearing years.  God specifically arranged for John’s birth in this manner.  There is no question that he was sent by God for a specific purpose—to fulfill the prophecies that stated God would send someone to prepare for the coming of the Messiah.  Here again are some of the descriptions of John’s task:

·         make ready a people prepared for the Lord

·         turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God

·         have the spirit of Elijah (a spirit like Elijah—this is not reincarnation)

·         go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways

·         give knowledge of salvation to His people by the remission of their sins

John the Baptizer was filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother’s womb (Luke 1:15).  From early in his childhood he lived in the wilderness (Luke 1:80).

What was John’s baptism?  When the priests came to minister at the temple (formerly the tabernacle), they had to go through a cleansing process.  The cleansing was necessary to wash off the literal dirt before coming to minister worship to the Lord, but it was also symbolic of the requirement of cleansing from sin.  The baptism that John did was leading the people to recognize their need for a cleansing heart change and an acknowledgment that they were publicly proclaiming their repentance.  But this was more than just religious ritual; it was accompanied by confession of sin.

Some Explanation

Today as well as in ancient times, dignitaries send advance teams to prepare for their arrival.  In fulfillment of Isaiah 40:3 and Malachi 3:1, John’s purpose was to prepare the way of the Lord.  Until this time, faithful Jews were focused on obeying the Law and looking for the promised Messiah who would deliver them from Roman occupation.  But God had told them that a time would come when the Law would be written on fleshy tablets of the heart (Ezekiel 36:26; Jeremiah 31:33).  The coming of the Promised One was not going to be what they were expecting.  Jesus’ kingdom would be in the hearts of believers, not a literal kingdom at that time.  It was necessary for the Jews to prepare themselves for this coming King by repenting.  This would require them to look inward and acknowledge their sin. 

There are several interesting metaphors or word pictures in this passage.  Make His paths straight...  When dignitaries traveled, they sent workers in advance to clear the way in the road.[2]  Stones strewn in the path were a danger to the carts and pack animals.  It was also dangerous for the travelers to wait for the way to be cleared.  They would be vulnerable to attacks of marauders as they waited. 

Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill brought low; the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough ways smooth...  This is another use of word pictures to describe the effect of Jesus’ coming.  Valleys shall be filled—empty hearts and those who have been abused will find their hearts filled and heads lifted up to Jesus.  Mountains and hills will be brought low—the proud and haughty will be made humble.  Crooked and rough ways will be made straight and smooth—kindness and love will replace deception and harshness.  These promises are fulfilled directly in the Lord Jesus Christ.

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism...  The Pharisees and Sadducees were religious groups/sects that dominated religious practice in Israel with harsh hypocrisy.  We “jump” into history with these passages about John the Baptizer, but it is apparent here that John has already had some run-ins with these men.  He says to them, “Brood of vipers, who told you to flee from the wrath to come?”  This is really harsh language coming from this man who is filled with the Spirit, but it is also a picture.  To clear a field to prepare it for planting, many cultures even today will burn its weeds and debris.  This will also rid it of vermin such as dangerous snakes.  John is using this agricultural practice as a picture, but he is saying it in sarcasm.  The fire of judgment is coming, but these leaders are not fleeing to the truth for refuge by repenting.  John’s preaching is flushing them out and exposing their hypocrisy.

And one more word picture... His winnowing fan [is] in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.  When wheat matures and is harvested, it has a shell around it called chaff.  This is somewhat similar to the dried covering on garlic, which has to be removed.  The dried wheat would be tossed into the air with a winnowing fork so that the chaff fells off.  The chaff is lighter, so the breeze separates it from the grain.  The heavier grain falls to the ground.  Chaff cannot be consumed by humans and so was worthless.  Later, it would be gathered up and burned.  The reference here is to Jesus.  He will separate the wheat from the chaff—true believers from false.  Or it can also refer to works done in true repentance as opposed to dead works (Hebrews 6:1; 9:14)

Observations and Insights

I think that it’s interesting that Jesus’ life is introduced to us by John the Baptizer.  We learn of John’s arrival in Luke 1 before we learn of Jesus’ birth.  Then in adulthood, again, we are introduced to John’s ministry before we see Jesus.  This is noteworthy because John is a forerunner of Jesus.  His calling was to prepare the way of the Lord.  It’s also significant because John’s life is a picture of the ministry or role of the Holy Spirit as we will see later in our study. 

John called the people to repentance.  The word repentance is metanoia meaning to change one’s mind.  How specifically are we to change our minds?  The context of the passage explains this clearly.  We are to confess sin and then prove our repentance by changing our lifestyles.  Don’t get the cart before the horse!  First comes a change of heart—recognition of sin; then comes action as proof.  Changing our behavior without recognizing the need in our heart becomes legalism.  This was part of the problem with the Pharisees.  They emphasized actions, but did not open their hearts to repentance.  John called them on it, “Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance...” 

John told the people that One was coming, Jesus, who will baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire.  This is a favorite verse quoted by Christians who define this baptism as one that brings spiritual fervor, manifestations or powerful ministry and preaching.  But we must look at the whole context here.  The verses following define the character of this baptism. John, filled with the Holy Spirit, and speaking as the Lord moved him, was proclaiming judgment that will come through the Holy Spirit (or Jesus—the distinction is not clear here, but understanding either would be correct.  (John 16:8-11 says that the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin righteousness and judgment).  He will separate the wheat and burn up the useless chaff with unquenchable fire.  The baptism of fire here is conviction.

Particularly as I watch current history unfold before me, I am tempted to complain and judge certain sinful activities that have now been normalized in our culture.  Absolutely we must denounce it and pray for our country to turn to the Lord.  But it becomes very convenient to see only the obvious moral decline of society without looking at my own besetting sins.  The repentant ones asked, “What shall we do?”  John’s response defined specific actions that showed heart change.  Even the hated tax collectors and soldiers responded.  It is the Pharisees who were silent. 

These descriptions of John’s ministry are not teaching that we are accepted by God for our good works.  We will see that salvation comes through faith in the Lord’s sacrifice for sin on our behalf.  But we are to prepare our hearts—clear out the stones—so that the King may do His purifying work.  May I, a simple sheep, be quick to ask the Lord daily to show me those things that need to be repented and purified.  May I also recognize that the answer will often be a fire, trial or obstacle that God desires to use to burn away the chaff.  I pray for a submissive heart that is quick to respond.

Next

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[1]Herod Antipas was Tetrarch of Gallilee; Archelus (son of Herod the Great) was Ethnarch of Judea.  Charts of the Gospels and the Life of Christ, Robert L. Thomas, Zondervan, 2000.

[2] The Land and the Book, William M Thomson, BakerBook House, 1973.