Matthew 3-4
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Chapter 3
1 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea 2and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” – The first word of this prophet is “repent.” The first word of Jesus public ministry is “repent.’ Cf. Matthew 4:17. “Repent” in the original Greek is metanoia, meaning “to change your mind.
3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’” – Cf. Isaiah 40:3-5 and also Malachi 3:1.
4 John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey - Elijah also dressed like this (2Kings 1:8).
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? –
Pharisees: “separatists”; the legalists, the ritualists, out of them came the traditions of the Talmudic Jew; the oral tradition.
Sadducees: liberalists, rationalists, “reformed” (modernists, humanists) who denied the inspiration of the Word and didn’t believe in the resurrection.
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” - What did Jesus have to repent? He had never sinned (2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 4:15; 7:26; 1 John 3:5)! The answer is in the next verse.
15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented - If Jesus was to provide righteousness for sinners, He must be identified with sinners. Also, water baptism is symbolic of death. He entered into death for you and for me and then rose up out of it in triumph.
16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. 17And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” – Notice the Trinity: father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Deuteronomy 6: 4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. NIV
“one” – אֶחָדʼechâd = “ a compound unity.”
Chapter 4
1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil - The word “tempted” peirazein means simply “to try or make proof of.”
2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry – That is, He was starving to death.
3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread – More accurately: “Since You are the Son of God.”
4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” – Jesus answers with the Word of God – Deuteronomy 8:3.
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. - Pinnacle
Daniel 9: 27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him. NIV
6 If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” – The Devil quotes the Word of God back to Jesus intentionally inaccurate. This was Psalm 91:11-12. Satan left out an important phrase, “to keep you in all Your ways”. Signs will accompany those who are serving them, but we shouldn’t test the Lord by looking for danger.
Mark 16: 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” NIV
7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” – Cf. Deuteronomy 6:16.
9 All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” – Satan is “the god of this Age” (2 Cor. 4:4) and “the prince of this world” (John 12:31; cf. Eph. 2:2).
10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” – Deuteronomy (6:13 and 10:20)
15 “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—16 the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” - Isa. 9:1-2; Isaiah 42:6-7.
19 Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him – This was not Jesus’ first meeting with Peter and Andrew. Cf. John 1:35-42.
21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him – These four (Peter, James, John, and Andrew) are singled out by Matthew as an inner circle (Cf. Mathew 17 and Matthew 24).
24 the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them – “Seizures” lit. “moon struck.” Lunatic! (cf. Matt 17:14-21)
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