Matthew 3:16-17

Matthew 3:16-17

And after Jesus was being baptized He immediately went up from the water.  And behold!  The heavens were being opened and He saw the Spirit of God while descending as a dove coming upon Him.  And behold!  A voice out of the heavens while saying: “This is my Son the beloved.  In Him I took pleasure.”

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

You may have noticed an unusual word in Matthew’s Gospel that doesn’t appear as often as in the other Gospels.  This is the word “behold!”  Matthew uses this word quite a bit any time Matthew wants us to take note of something unique or special that is happening.  In the English, we often render the expression inert by ignoring it (as the NRSV, NIV, and the Holman Bible do) or sometimes we translate it as though it were a part of the story by saying, “and they saw.”  What Matthew is doing is a storytelling device.  He’s alerting the listeners of the Gospel to not miss the coming details.  It’s like a person saying, “Now, don’t miss this part” or “Listen to this very carefully.”

Why do you think Matthew uses this technique?  How does understanding how Matthew tells the story help us understand what Matthew thinks is of utmost importance?

Second Thought:

If we look at the two expressions of God here in this section we hear God quote the Old Testament.  “This is my Son, the beloved” is a quote from Psalm 2:7.  The Jews who were looking for the Messiah identified this portion of the Psalm as speaking about the Messiah.  Thus, when Matthew ties this Psalm to Jesus, the Jewish audience to whom He was writing would have immediately understood the claim that Jesus was God’s Messiah.

Why is it important to understand this passage not just as a passage telling us about Jesus’ identity but also a passage that looks forward to Jesus’ future?  Why did God send His Messiah to us?

Third Thought:

The other words that God says are, “In Him I took pleasure.”  This is a quote from Isaiah 42:1, which is another passage readily connected to Gods Messiah.  In the verses that follow the quote in Isaiah we hear God speak about Him placing His Spirit upon His Messiah.  In this we hear Matthew’s description come full circle.  We began this passage with a description of Jesus’ baptism and the Spirit.  Now Matthew explains this by identifying Jesus as the Messiah and directing his listeners to think about Isaiah and how God’s Messiah will receive God.  Matthew’s Jewish audience would not have missed these quotes and emphasis.

Why is it important to realize Jesus as having received the Holy Spirit upon Him?  How does this help us understand that He therefore has the power to send the Spirit on to theose who imitate Him?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 4:1-4