The Way of Repentance Pronounced

Matthew 3:1-17

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying:

"The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
'Prepare the way of the LORD;
Make His paths straight.'"

4 Now John himself was clothed in camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him 6 and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, 9 and do not think to say to yourselves, We have Abraham as our father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. 10 And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

John Baptizes Jesus

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. 14 And John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?"

15 But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he allowed Him.

16 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. 17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

Just as it was written (Isaiah 40:3-5) long before Jesus Christ came into the world as a union of God and man and grew to the point of revealing Himself to the world, a prophet named John was sent before to prepare the way for Him.  This was actually Elijah in spirit and word (Malachi 4:5, Matthew 11:13-15, Luke 1:17) sent to prepare a straight path to and for the Messiah; straight for Him and His sheep as preparation for the people to hear Jesus by pointing them to turn from idolatry and immortality to God, which is repentance leading by faith to that narrow way of salvation in Jesus alone and no other path (Matthew 7:13-14, Acts 4:12) to reconciliation (Romans 5:11, 2 Corinthians 5:19) with God.  This John baptized those who had ears to hear that they might demonstrate their turning from sin to Him who was to come, a cleansing more than ritual to prepare the straight way of their hearts to Him as they confessed their sins, agreeing with God that their sins were seen as God does and then committing to turn away from them.  However, this invitation was for the sincere who had broken hearts and spirits (Psalm 34:18, Isaiah 57:15, 66:2) under sin’s load they carried, not for the self-righteous Pharisees and Sadducees who relied on their outward works in an attempt to please God and impress others.  He called them to real change of heart reflected in real changes of actions and not mere platitudes alone.  He reminded them that they cannot inherit forgiveness to salvation by their ethnicity or religious upbringing.  Without fruits of real demonstrable change there was no end but a certain judgment of fire which tests the soul and consumes the one relying on his or her own religious righteousness.  God can raise up His children from the least of mankind to Himself apart from these things of man’s own efforts to earn God’s favor.  Salvation belongs to the Lord alone and not to our desire or doing (Psalm 3:8, Revelation 7:10)!  In the end, God will separate the true seed of His children of faith and grace as a farmer threshes wheat by throwing it in the air and letting God blow away the chaff to be burned, a powerful warning to the self-righteous and assurance to those left standing in God’s grace.  When Jesus therefore came to John to be baptized as a man and shown to be divine by God’s Spirit shown resting on Him, the affirmation of His identity was confirmed with these actions and God the Father’s own attesting words, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."  This the way of repentance by faith was introduced and the path to the Savior was begun for His ministry and our deliverance from the wrath of God on our sin.  The gospel was being fleshed out for us as long predicted.  This was good news indeed!