This is the first post in a series titled “Messiah” adapted from a sermon series on the Gospel of Matthew preached at First Baptist Sulphur Springs, TX. This series follows an Advent sermon series you can watch here (click link).
Introduction
Four gospels tell the story of Jesus’ life and ministry. These ancient biographies comprise a full portrait of Jesus, with each gospel providing unique contribution:
In Mark’s gospel, Jesus is the Suffering Servant. There is an emphasis on action. It provides us with more miracles than any other gospel. Half of the gospel tells the Easter story of Jesus’ death and resurrection.
In Luke’s gospel, Jesus is the Savior of the world. There is emphasis on Jesus’ ministry to outsiders, outcasts, and the overlooked. Jesus is portrayed as the Savior of all people – Jew and Gentile.
In John’s gospel, Jesus is the eternal God. It is not a play-by-play of Jesus’ ministry but more of a work of theology. Through signs and “I Am” statements, the gospel shows Jesus to be co-equal and co-eternal with God, the Father.
In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus is the King of the Jews. There is emphasis upon Jesus’ teaching. It provides the connection between Jesus and Old Testament promises. Jesus is portrayed as Israel’s Messiah who fulfills Scripture.
This is series of posts is titled, “Messiah.” It is a study of Matthew’s gospel and will focus upon the beautiful promises of God which burst into reality in Jesus.
Jesus Brings the Kingdom of Heaven
The opening of Matthew’s gospel tells us, “This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah.” Messiah literally means “Anointed One.” Yet, it has a much deeper meaning than its literal translation.
Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies and promises.
Jesus is the One who provides peace, joy, hope, and love which we discuss at Christmas.
Jesus is the One who provides abundant life and eternal life which we discuss at Easter.
We’re told at the beginning of Matthew 3 that John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Jesus will soon repeat these very same words in Matthew 4:17.
The other gospels refer to the kingdom of God, but Matthew is the only to record “kingdom of heaven.” He does so 33 times! Matthew narrates Jesus’ ministry as the inauguration of the kingdom of heaven. As people encounter Jesus they are freed from bondage of sin, healed of diseases, delivered of evil spirits, and shown eternal life. Yet, across the gospel, Matthew clarifies that the kingdom is an “already but not fully” reality.
The kingdom of heaven arrived with the advent of Jesus, but it will reach its apex in a day to come. God’s people live in a state of tension between the already, the blessings we have in Jesus, and the not fully, the final glory we will share at Jesus’ second coming.
On one hand, we pray as Jesus instructed,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven. – Matthew 6:10
On the other hand, we await the day heaven comes to earth,
Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” – Revelation 21:1-4
Jesus brings the kingdom of heaven. How do we respond?
Repent!
John the Baptist arrived on the scene as a forerunner of Jesus the Messiah. Matthew states John is the fulfilment of Isaiah 40:3,
“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.’
He wore camel’s hair with a leather belt, just like the Old Testament prophet Elijah in 2 Kings 1:8. Due to the prophecy of Micah 4:5, many people expected Elijah to return before the Day of the Lord. Jesus, in Matthew 11:14, identified John as one who arrived like Elijah. His diet resembled that of desert dwellers and provided a flashback to the people of God wandering in the wilderness. John arrived fitting no one stereotype but fulfilled many prophetic themes.
His message? Repent. With a thundering voice, John demanded a new relationship with God. Repentance is a change of mind which leads to a change of life. It is turning from a life bent toward sin to a life bent toward God.
John’s message of repentance was immediately confronted by the Pharisees and Sadducees, two sects of Judaism. John called them a “brood of vipers” in Matthew 3:7, an expression of how these religious leaders spread poison to the people. He called them to “produce fruit in keeping with repentance.”
The Pharisees and Sadducees, at their worst, believed they were right with God if they kept ritually pure. Yet, they were missing repentance and the subsequent fruit from a life bent toward God. The Christian faith has no room for false conversion, hypocrisy, or lukewarmness.
John called them away from the safety net of proclaiming, “We have Abraham as our father.” He informed everyone who would listen that you are not secure based on a family tree or religious ritual. Jewishness could not save the Pharisees or Sadducees.
“The axe is already laid at the root of the trees” in Matthew 3:10 is a powerful Old Testament metaphor found in Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. It pictures the eminence of judgment. When God’s don’t repent and bear fruit, divine judgment is imminent. “The winnowing fork” in Matthew 3:12 is an allusion to passages found in Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, and Hosea to point to the day in which God will divide unbelievers from believers.
The Christian equivalent of “We have Abraham as our father” is “We have Jesus as our Savior.” With the profession “We have Jesus as our Savior,” we are delivered from judgement. With the profession “We have Jesus as our Savior,” we bear fruit in keeping with repentance as our lives are bent toward God.
In Matthew 3:6, the crowds who repented visibly demonstrated their new way of life with baptism. In Matthew 3:11-12, John points the crowds to Jesus. Both John and Jesus will preach repentance and use baptism and as an outward sign of repentance, but only Jesus will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. The phrase depicts a believer’s initiation into the body of Christ by the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Conclusion
What about me? Repent and Be baptized.
You are not God. But you were created by a holy God who calls you to seek him and obey him. Say “no” to your own desires and “yes” to the will of God. Enter the baptistry as a visible demonstration of your new life.
I’m already baptized, what about me? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.
Keep following Jesus. As the indwelling Spirit convicts you of sin – repent. Allow God to continually comfort you, encourage you, mold you, and shape you into the image of Jesus.
Jeff Gravens 