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Let's get through chapter 3 and 4 of Matthew today. Y 'all ready? Here we go. Pastor Josiah at Witten Baptist Church. We're doing our Sunday night Bible study through Matthew. If we get through chapter 3 and 4 today, we'll be mostly caught up with the in-person Bible study here in Memphis, Tennessee.
As y 'all know, I tried to make this online one go inline as much as possible with the in-person Bible study on Sundays. You can't replace what you get in person and the interaction, but I try to do the best I can, especially for those of you who don't live in Memphis.
Okay, and for my people to go back and watch and recap. All right, chapter 3 and 4 of Matthew, and this starts a new section, section 2, as I call it, of the book of Matthew. We got to do John the Baptist ministry, the baptism of Jesus, the temptation of Jesus, and Jesus beginning his public ministry.
But first, we got to do the Greek of the week. Yes, the Greek of the week, and the Greek word for this week is... KERUSO. Repeat after me. KERUSO. KERUSO. And it means to preach, to herald, to proclaim.
Used 61 times in the New Testament, three times just in this section of Matthew, nine times overall in the book of Matthew. As it's been stated before biblically, KERUSO, preaching is proclaiming the truth, teaching didache, teaching is didactic.
It is explaining the truth. Preaching is proclaiming the truth, teaching is explaining the truth. Explaining, ex, take out, plain, taking out the plain meaning of the text. All right, and we start with an introduction to our guy, John the Baptist.
Now, a reminder, Matthew is not writing chronologically. That's going to matter when we get to the end of this section. Here we have John the Baptist, who we hear about his birth story in the Gospel of Luke.
But here, Matthew jumps right in. Remember, all four gospel writers talk about John the Baptist, and they all quote from the book of Isaiah, saying that the book of Isaiah is fulfilled by John the Baptist, Isaiah chapter 40, verse 3.
Let's read just the first few verses of Matthew chapter 3. In those days, John the Baptist, or John the Baptizer, came, look at our word guys, KERUSO, KERUSON here, preaching, there's our Greek of the week, you can see it on the right side of your screen there, KERUSO.
He came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and what did he preach? What did he proclaim? Repent, the first word out of his mouth, repent, for the kingdom of God, kingdom of heaven is at hand. Okay?
It has come near. I want you to remember that phrase right there, repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand, kingdom of heaven is at hand here in Matthew, I should say. Okay? This is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, The voice of the one crying in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
Now, just a little Christological side note for you, this quote from Isaiah 40, and you'll see on the Greek section over here, they put it in italics and set it off, so you know it's a quote from the Old Testament.
Prepare the way of the Lord, KERUSO, KERUSO here. Remember that originally in Isaiah 43, it says prepare the way of Yahweh. Why is that important? Because all four gospel writers cite John the Baptist as fulfilling this prophecy.
John is the voice crying out in the wilderness, prepare the way of Yahweh. But John wasn't preparing the way of Yahweh, was he? The covenant name of God? He's preparing the way of Jesus. Oh, that's right.
Jesus is God. God has always existed as one being in three persons. Jesus is Yahweh. Now, John wore a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt found around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.
Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, and they baptized him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to the baptism, he said to them, you brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come, bear fruit in keeping with repentance.
Do you not see this as a common theme in the New Testament? A good tree bears good fruit, a bad tree bears bad fruit. If someone claims to be a Christian, it is not producing the fruit of the Spirit. They're not a Christian.
Don't presume to yourself saying, we have Abraham as our father, for I tell you, God's able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. So in other words, the attitude of the Pharisees and of the Jews of the day may have been, well, God made promises to Abraham's children.
We're Abraham's children, so we can do whatever we want, and God has to fulfill his promise. And God's answer through John's baptism is, no. I will fulfill my promise to Abraham, but it doesn't have to be through you.
I'll kill you in judgment, and I'll raise up these stones to make up children for Abraham so I can keep up my promise. Don't presume, because I made a promise to Abraham's descendants, that you have no responsibility to believe and obey.
John the Baptist continues to say, even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree, therefore, that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown in the fire. I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry.
He'll baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. This is Jesus he's talking about. His winnowing fork is in his hand. He will clear his threshing floor. It's his threshing floor. He will clear his threshing floor, and he will gather his wheat in a barn, but the chaff will burn with unquenchable fire, the Bible says.
He will gather his wheat in a barn, but the chaff will burn with unquenchable fire. We know that from last time that Jesus' family moved up north into the Nazareth area, into the Galilean area, and he came down.
He came to Jordan to be baptized by John, so Jesus has left Galilee. And of course, and I'll fast forward for a minute, John's like, why would I baptize you? I need to be baptized by you. Jesus said, let it be so for now.
It's fitting to fulfill all righteousness. And then he consented. And when Jesus was baptized, I'm still working on my Greek pronunciation, immediately he went up from the water. Guys, look, can we not be silly here?
I'm not saying this is a life or death situation as far as Christianity is concerned, but come on, guys, do you really think that Jesus walked all the way to the Jordan River to get sprinkled on his head?
The Bible says baptizo means to immerse. And it says right here, he went up from the water. So Jesus was immersed. There's no question about it. And behold, the heavens were open to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him.
John the Baptist in John says he saw this too. So apparently it was visible to more than just Jesus. And behold, a voice from heaven said, this is my beloved son with whom I am well pleased. We have the triune God right here.
We have the father in heaven. We have the son in the water and we have the spirit descending like a dove coming to rest on Jesus. So I want you to pay attention to this next part. And that's a zoom through chapter three as we begin chapter four.
The typology. Now, typology is greatly abused by many commentators today. They over spiritualize every text and they try to see things that aren't there to make the Bible more exciting. Because the Bible is exciting enough.
You don't have to trump it up. Proper hermeneutics, the Holy Spirit's inner testimony, enlightening of us makes it exciting. Psalm 19 says the law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul, enlightening the eyes, rejoicing the heart.
But here, Matthew gives us permission and actually the inspired commentary of some Old Testament passages. We remember from last time Matthew quotes Hosea 11 one, where Hosea is talking about Israel being called out of Egypt.
And Matthew says that is finally fulfilled by Jesus. When Jesus goes to Egypt for a few weeks to hide from Herod and he comes out of Egypt and it's to fulfill Hosea, which says out of Egypt, I've called my son.
Hosea had no had nothing in mind to messianic about that. I don't believe he did. But as with many prophecies in the Old Testament, there is a near fulfillment and a far fulfillment. And so therefore, out of Egypt, I've called my son applies.
Matthew applies, inspired by the Holy Spirit to Jesus. Now, we're not allowed to typologize any passage in the Old Testament we want. But when a New Testament writer gives us permission, well, I guess you could think of it one sense, gives us the command to see it that way we're supposed to.
Why am I saying all this? Well, because the typology here in Matthew is clear. Israel is the people of God. Jesus is the son of God. What does Israel do? He calls them out of Egypt. The Bible says they pass through the water, the Red Sea, and then they wander in the wilderness for 40 years.
OK, ready? Jesus is called out of Egypt. And then Matthew skips his childhood. So the next chapter is he passes through the water, baptism. And the next chapter is he wanders, is tempted, is tested in the wilderness for 40 days.
Now, what's amazing is the Bible says, the Bible says explicitly, I'll find it for you here, that Jesus, as Jesus was led by the spirit in the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. In the same way, in the same way.
Oh, man, I didn't write it down today. Oh, man. Oh, yeah. Deuteronomy 8 .2. God says that he led the Israelites into wilderness in order to test them. Well, so Jesus here is led into the wilderness. To be tempted by the devil.
After fasting 40 days and 40 nights. I have a member of my church who once fasted for 21 days. It's amazing to me. After fasting 40 days and four nights, he was hungry, obviously. And the tempter, the tempter came and said to him, if you are a son of God, if you are a son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.
But he answered. It is written. It is written. Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. The devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple.
And he said, if you are a son of God, throw yourself down for it is written. He'll give his angels concerning you. He will command his angels concerning you. And on their hands, they will bear you up lest you strike your foot against the stone.
Now, here's what's cool. Tell you what? Let me just take you there real quick to Satan is quoting Psalm 91. Make sure I got. Yeah. Psalm 91. Watch this. Let's just go there for a minute. Psalm 91. And what you'll see is Satan is not misquoting the passage.
He's just not putting it in proper context. Satan is telling Jesus to jump off the pinnacle of the temple. Because his angels will take care of you. Well, that's not the context here. Starting in verse 9.
Because you have made Yahweh your dwelling place, the Most High, who is my refuge, no evil shall be allowed to befall you. No plague shall come near your tent. He will command his angels concerning you, and he will guard you in all his ways.
On their hands, they will bear you up lest you strike your foot against the stone. It's interesting Satan didn't quote the next verse here. You will tread on the lion and on the adder, the serpent, the snake, the young lion and the serpent, you will trample underfoot.
Satan didn't like that part because he remembers Genesis 3 .15. Where though the serpent bruises the heel of Christ, Christ crushes his head. Now, Satan did not misquote this passage. What he did was take it out of context.
The context in Psalm 91 is not to jump off buildings and take unnecessary risk because God said he will save you. That's not the context. The context is he will protect you from your enemies. He will deliver you because he promised so.
Especially to those who are faithful. The people who have made the Lord his dwelling place. The people who have made him their refuge. So anyway, not a matter of Satan misquoting, a matter of Satan taking out of context.
And Jesus rebukes him by saying, let's go back to Matthew 4. Jesus rebukes him again with scripture just like he did the first time. And he says, again it is written, you shall not put the Lord your God to the test.
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain, showed him all the kingdoms in the world and their glory. And he said to them, all of these I will give you if you fall down and worship me. Worship me.
Jesus said to him, be gone, Satan. For it is written, you shall worship the Lord your God. You shall only serve him. And the devil left him. Please notice when Jesus says Satan get out, Satan leaves. There is a level of in canonic theology of a son giving up, in one sense, his universal kingdom for a time.
At the same time, in reality, this is not Satan's to give because everything belongs to God. What Satan is offering him is an easy way out. Hey, I know you'll be restored with all your grandeur when you're done doing what you're going to do.
But I'll give it to you now. I'll give it to you now. Because Satan is trying to stop what he knows is coming. The wrath of God being poured out on Jesus for the sins of his people. And the defeat of Satan.
The devil left him and angels came and were ministering to him. God tested both Jesus and Israel. Israel failed the test. Jesus passed the test. Then Jesus starts his ministry. John has been arrested.
He goes back to Galilee. In leaving Nazareth, he went up and lived in Capernaum by the sea in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali. Another prophecy fulfilled here in Isaiah. Let's see if I can see which passage it is.
Isaiah 9, 1 and 2. People dwelling in darkness have seen a great light. Those dwelling in the region and the shadow of death on them, a light has dawned. Verse 17. Now pay attention. From that time. From that time.
So this is a continuation. This happens more than once. Jesus began to Caruso. To preach. And he says, repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Isn't that exactly the sermon that John the Baptist was preaching?
Because the Bible is consistent with itself. The same gospel message John the Baptist preached. The same gospel message Jesus preached. The same one Paul preaches. The same one Peter preaches. The same one John preaches.
The same one James preaches. The same faith that saved Abraham. The same faith that saved Paul. The same faith that saved Peter. The same faith that saves you and I. From that time on, Jesus began to proclaim the truth.
To preach saying, repent. Guys, I always love when people have some image of Jesus of being a white guy with blonde hair, blue eyes. And never would say anything that would harm anybody. Always spoke softly.
That's not the Jesus of the Bible. The first word out of his mouth is repent. Change. Turn away from there and head towards God. Change. God loves you just the way you are. No. God loves you in spite of the way you are.
And he loves you so much he calls you to change. While walking by the sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who's called Peter, and Andrew, his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.
He said to them, follow me and I'll make you fishers of men. Immediately they left their nets and followed him. Going on from there, he sees James and John, the sons of Zebedee. In the same way they were mending their nets, he called them.
They left their boats and followed him. This is a very short telling of the story. The whole story is seen in Mark. Where actually, they do leave and follow Jesus. Matthew leaves out some parts. Doesn't make Matthew wrong.
He just didn't emphasize. Where Jesus tells them to cast their nets to the other side. And they pull in a haul that's breaking their nets. And James and John go over there and pull it up with them. Matthew decides to leave that part out.
Doesn't mean that Matthew's wrong. Matthew just chose not to mention that part. His emphasis was, they left all that stuff and followed him. The father did not come, Zebedee. Just James, John, Peter, and Andrew.
By the way, this is not the first time Jesus has met Peter and Andrew. He's met them before. Andrew was following John the Baptist. And Andrew brought Peter to meet Jesus. You'll see that in John 1. All throughout Galilee, he starts teaching them synagogues.
Just like in Paul's mission trips. The first place Jesus normally goes when he goes into a new town is the synagogue. He goes into the church, if you want to think of it that way. Figures out what they're doing.
They know the community. Let's figure out what they're doing. He goes into Galilee teaching in the synagogues and proclaiming. Hey, preaching. Caruso. Proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction on the people.
His fame spread throughout all of Syria. And they brought him all the sick and those afflicted with various diseases and pains, oppressed by demons, those having seizures, paralyzed, and he healed them.
Great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis and from Jerusalem and Judea and from beyond the Jordan. We're setting up for the first big sermon in Matthew. The first great discourse. The Sermon on the Mount.
So, there is Matthew 3 and 4, rapid style. I hope that was somewhat of, I hope you learned something. Somewhat of a blessing to you. Because we are about to start the Sermon on the Mount. There it is right there.
And this section is three chapters long. See your Greek of the Week next time. All right, guys. Very well. Well, I love you guys. As always, download our app. We've got a survey on there we want everyone to take so we know what to teach next year.
There's links to giving there and podcasts and all that kind of stuff. So, please use our app. All right, guys. Love you. Bless you. And I will talk to you soon.
