Matthew 3:4-6

Matthew 3:4-6

And John himself was having his clothing from hair of a camel and a belt made of leather around his waist.  And the food of his was locusts and wild honey.  Then Jerusalem and all of Judea and all of the neighboring place of the Jordan were going out to him.  And they were being baptized in the Jordan River by him while confessing their sins.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

You may wonder why it is that Matthew tells us about John’s clothing.  The answer is really simple.  Turn in your Bible to 2 Kings 1:8.  There you will find a reference to Elijah the Tishbite, whom the Jews consider the greatest prophet to have ever lived.  It was said that Elijah would precede the coming of God’s Messiah.  See Luke 1:16-17 for Luke’s greater explanation on this point and see Malachi 4:5 for the Old Testament teaching upon which this teaching is largely founded.  Matthew tells us about John’s clothing when he doesn’t ever tell us about other people’s clothing because he is making a theological point here.  He is telling us that John is the Elijah who will come before the day of the Lord.  Jesus can be the Messiah because Elijah preceded Him.

Have you ever thought about the description of John’s clothing as being evidence of a greater fulfillment of the Old Testament?  How does the fact that Matthew is likely writing to a largely Jewish audience help us understand the significance of this detail?

Second Thought:

We get the idea that John drew quite a crowd.  People from all over came to see him.  He was a spectacle to behold.  Not only did his appearance seem a bit strange, but as we’ll see over the next few days his teaching was also firm and pointed.  He would no doubt attract a crowd.  People would want to come and hear and judge for themselves what John was all about.  He was certainly a catalyst among the people.  No doubt he cause the religious leaders in Jerusalem a fair bit of concern.

Would you have gone out to see John and to see what all the commotion is about?  What might be the advantages of playing it safe and not going out to see John?  What are the advantages of participating in the spectacle and going out to see and hear John?

Third Thought:

As people came, they were baptized.  As they were being baptized, they confessed their sins.  Both of these are the natural consequences of the conviction of the Holy Spirit.  When the Holy spirit gets a hold on us, we should desire to be obedient and be baptized as we are commanded.  When the Holy Spirit gets a hold of us, we should desire to confess our sin so that we can work against its influence in our life.

How is the Holy Spirit at work in your life?  Where do you feel its conviction upon you?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 3:7-10