Matthew 3
3
1Some time later John the Baptist appeared on the scene, proclaiming in the Judean desert, 2“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has arrived!”#3:2. “Has arrived.” The verb used here is in the perfect (i.e. past) tense, indicating the event has already happened. The word itself means “to approach,” or in older language, “draw near.” However, if something “has approached” then it “has arrived.” Also in 4:17, 10:7. 3He was the one Isaiah spoke about when he said, “A voice is heard crying out in the desert, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord. Make the paths straight for him.’”#3:3. See Isaiah 40:3.
4John had clothes made of camel hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts#3:4. Probably locust beans. and wild honey. 5People came to him from Jerusalem, all of Judea, and the entire Jordan region, 6and were baptized in the Jordan River, publicly admitting their sins.
7But when John saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to be baptized, he said to them, “You vipers' brood! Who warned you to run away from the coming judgment?#3:7. Literally, “wrath.” 8Show by what you do that you have truly repented,#3:8. Literally, “Produce fruit worthy of repentance.” 9and don't presume to say proudly to yourselves, ‘Abraham is our father.’ I tell you that God could make children of Abraham from these stones. 10In fact the ax is ready to chop down the trees. Every tree that doesn't produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.
11Yes, I baptize you in water to show repentance, but after me is coming one who is greater than I am. I'm not worthy even to remove his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 12He has his winnowing tool#3:12. Used after harvest to separate the grain from the chaff. ready in his hand. He will clean up the threshing floor and gather the wheat into the storehouse, but he will burn the chaff with fire that can't be put out.”
13Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. 14But John tried to change his mind. He told Jesus, “I need to be baptized by you, and you come to me to baptize you?”
15“Please do so, because it's good for us to do what God says is right,” Jesus told him. So John agreed to do it.
16Immediately after he was baptized, Jesus came out of the water. The heavens were opened, and he saw God's Spirit like a dove descending, landing on him. 17A voice from heaven said, “This is my son whom I love,#3:17. Or “This is my son, the beloved one.” who pleases me.”
Currently Selected:
Matthew 3: FBV
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com
Matthew 3
3
John the Baptist Prepares the Way
1 # For ver. 1-12, see Mark 1:2-8; Luke 3:2-17 In those days #John 1:6, 7 John the Baptist came preaching in #Josh. 15:61; [Judg. 1:16]the wilderness of Judea, 2#ch. 4:17; Mark 1:15 “Repent, for #ch. 10:7; Dan. 2:44; [ch. 6:10]the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”#3:2 Or the kingdom of heaven has come near 3For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said,
#
John 1:23; Cited from Isa. 40:3 “The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
#
Luke 1:76
‘Prepare#3:3 Or crying: Prepare in the wilderness the way of the Lord;
make his paths straight.’”
4Now John wore #2 Kgs. 1:8; Zech. 13:4; [Heb. 11:37] a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was #Lev. 11:22 locusts and #1 Sam. 14:26wild honey. 5Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, 6and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, #Acts 19:18confessing their sins.
7But when he saw many of #ch. 23:13, 15 the Pharisees and #ch. 22:23 Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, #ch. 12:34; 23:33 “You brood of #Ps. 140:3 vipers! Who warned you to flee from #Rom. 5:9; Eph. 5:6; Col. 3:6; 1 Thess. 1:10the wrath to come? 8Bear fruit #Acts 26:20in keeping with repentance. 9And do not presume to say to yourselves, #John 8:39 ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from #[ch. 4:3]these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 10Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. #ch. 7:19; Luke 13:7, 9; John 15:2, 6Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
11 #
John 1:26; Acts 1:5 “I baptize you with water #Acts 13:24; 19:4 for repentance, but #John 1:15, 27; 3:30, 31; Acts 13:25 he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you #John 1:33; Acts 11:16 with the Holy Spirit and #[Isa. 4:4; Mal. 3:2, 3; Acts 2:3]fire. 12His #Isa. 30:24 winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and #ch. 13:30 gather his wheat into the barn, #Mal. 4:1 but the chaff he will burn with #Mark 9:43, 48unquenchable fire.”
The Baptism of Jesus
13 # For ver. 13-17, see Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21, 22; [John 1:32-34] Then Jesus came #ch. 2:22from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14#[John 13:6]John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, #Acts 7:56 the heavens were opened to him,#3:16 Some manuscripts omit to him and he #John 1:32, 33; [Luke 4:18, 21; Acts 10:38]saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17and behold, #John 12:28 a voice from heaven said, #ch. 17:5; 2 Pet. 1:17; [Ps. 2:7; Isa. 42:1; Eph. 1:6; Col. 1:13; 1 John 5:9]“This is my beloved Son,#3:17 Or my Son, my (or the) Beloved with whom I am well pleased.”
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Sign up to receive news and updates about the ESV: