Matthew 3 – Introducing the Kingdom

The name of the Lord shines brightly through each verse of Matthew’s first two chapters; that name we hold hallowed as we pray and offer praise. Certainly, the whole of scripture is a revelation of God, but Matthew’s first two chapters seem to be especially focused on his work, providing the careful reader much on which to focus their mind as they pray, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.”

But, upon turning the page to Matthew 3, it seems that Matthew’s focus has changed. Matthew writes that John the Baptist began his ministry with the words, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew, the only one of the four Gospel writers to record these words, seems to be indicating a shift of focus from explaining that for which we are praying when we pray “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,” to an explanation of those things for which we are praying when we pray “your kingdom come.”

Without discounting any of the many interpretations of the phrase “the kingdom of heaven” or “the kingdom of God,” I would like to suggest that one of the best definitions, given the Lord’s Prayer, (Matthew 6:9-13), and the Sermon on the Mount, (Matthew 5-7), is God’s kingdom here and now on earth as we live and breathe; or, to put it in the time of the disciples, that kingdom there and then on earth as the disciples lived and breathed. It is with this definition of the “kingdom of heaven” that we move into the next section of Matthew, beginning in chapter 3, to gain a better understanding of that for which we are praying when we pray those words Jesus commanded us to pray, “thy kingdom come.”

Matthew 3:1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said,
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
make his paths straight.’”

Matthew 3:1-3

As has already been mentioned, Matthew 3:1-3 tells us that John the Baptist began preaching by saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” It may be obvious, but it is necessary to point out that repentance is not the same as confession or forgiveness. Repentance means that we think differently with regard to our behavior. As such, John is saying that in the face of the coming kingdom of heaven we need to change our way of thinking. Instead of indulging in thoughts leading to lust, materialism, and pride (I John 2:16), we need to learn to hate such sin. Setting aside any debates concerning free will or predestination, it is imperative that we realize this is something we must do; our thinking needs to change. Repentance means that we turn from our sinful mindset.

In that same sentence, John said the kingdom of heaven is “at hand.” By this, he means that it is near, it is in our grasp, it is about to become a reality, it is right here. John does not say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is coming sometime in the distant future after various prophecies about the gospel and the church are fulfilled.” Besides the fact that such a sentence wouldn’t make a good bumper sticker, that just isn’t what John was saying. John was speaking about the kingdom of heaven that is with us here and now. Jesus later said, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look here it is!’ or ‘There!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you” (Luke 17:20-21). The kingdom that John foretold and Jesus preached is at hand, here, right now, present in the midst of us. This was true for the disciples and it is true for us.

Before we move on, take note that John was the one who said, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” We usually think of Jesus as the one who first preached about the kingdom, but it was John. And John’s preaching was foretold by Isaiah. And, if I might add, following the ascension of Jesus, we are now the ones to proclaim the kingdom of heaven. John’s words, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” are applicable to us today.

4 Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, 6 and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

Matthew 3:4-6

Matthew uses language in Matthew 3:4-6 that causes me to wonder if he might be saying that the kingdom of heaven is not materially extravagant. John, the herald of the coming king, wore a camel’s hair cloak and leather belt, he ate locusts and wild honey, and he lived in the wilderness; John is not what I would call a typical herald of a coming king. It was probably unlikely for King Herod to just show up at the local Wal-Mart. Anyplace Herod went would be materially extravagant and preceded by finely dressed servants announcing his coming presence. But John, the herald of the coming king, probably hadn’t had a bath in a very long time and ate food he found in the wilderness. This makes very little sense unless the coming king and his kingdom are about something other than material extravagance.

We also read that John baptized people in the Jordan. You may recall that the Jordan was the river in which Naaman bathed so as to be healed from his leprosy. It’s possible that there are some wonderful postcards available covered with lovey pictures of the Jordan, but the fact of the matter is that the Jordan River was dirty. (It still is; google it!) And, after Naaman was told to bathe in the Jordan he went away angry because he knew it was not clean. This is the same river into which John was baptizing people so they could become part of this kingdom of heaven. The dirty Jordan River. But remember what happened to Naaman. He gave up his pride, immersed himself in the dirty Jordan, and came out clean. The kingdom of heaven is unlike any kingdom ever before; it purges filth and is not materially extravagant. But it is also good, clean, and spiritually rich.

I can’t help but think of the dirty Jordan River when Matthew wrote that when John baptized people they were “confessing their sins.” While repentance means that we change our ways, confession means that we don’t hide our sins in a closet; we open the door to let the light dispel the darkness. Or, as it is with the Jordan River, the dirty water carries away the filth of our sins leaving us clean. Confession between kingdom-citizens — open and honest communication about our very real sins — leaves us clean. James, Jesus’s brother, wrote, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed” (James 5:16). But let’s be reasonable, this doesn’t mean we Tweet every time we sin, but it does mean that kingdom-citizens should be confessing their sins one to another and pray together for healing.

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 10 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

Matthew 3:7-10

The next few verses, Matthew 3:7-10, seem like it would have been an awkward situation. John confronts those people everyone assumed were already part of the kingdom — the Pharisees and Sadducees — and tells them they aren’t given a free pass. Even the Pharisees and Sadducees needed to repent, confess their sins, and begin doing good. But John goes one step further and says that even the genetic children coming from Abraham aren’t guaranteed a spot in the kingdom. Just as God did in Genesis 2:7 when he took dust and created Adam, John says God could take rocks and make new children; position, knowledge, or genetics have nothing to do with it.

As John winds down his invective against the religious leaders, he indicates that the new kingdom replaces the old kingdom. Some 800 years before John said the words, “even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees” (Matthew 3:10) Isaiah wrote, “Like a terebinth or an oak, whose stump remains when it is felled. The Holy seed is its stump” (Isaiah 6:13). The tree of Israel was not bearing fruit so it was to be felled; in its place, a new kingdom would rise. Isaiah also wrote, “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him” (Isaiah 11:1-2). The old tree of the old kingdom (Israel) was cut down and a new shoot of the new kingdom will grow and bear fruit. This new kingdom of heaven that is at hand is a fruit-bearing kingdom.

But, there is also a warning in John’s words; just because you are a tree growing up in the new kingdom, doesn’t mean you get a free pass either. Those not bearing fruit will be cut down and cast into the fire. I don’t think it is too much of a reach to say that while the old kingdom lived and died as a whole, the new kingdom holds each citizen responsible for their own fruitfulness.

11 “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 will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

Matthew 3:11-12

John, in Matthew 3:11-12, explains how the lord of this new kingdom baptizes its citizens. While John had baptized with water, the coming lord of the kingdom of heaven will baptize with the Holy Spirit. While John does not explain Holy Spirit baptism, we know from Paul’s writings that the Holy Spirit is the one who produces fruit in our lives (Galatians 5:22-24). Following Spirit-baptism, John says that the coming lord of the kingdom of heaven will also baptize with fire. John then provides the image of a thresher separating the wheat from the chaff; wheat is gathered for later use, but the chaff is burnt with fire. John seems to be saying that fire-baptism is focused on whether a kingdom-citizen has produced fruit. I realize that sentence could fill volumes of discussion, but for the time being, we will just trust what John said when he said that those who don’t bear fruit are burnt with unquenchable fire. The kingdom of heaven is one of bearing fruit, but it is also a kingdom of judgment.

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

Matthew 3:13-17

Finally, Matthew introduces us to the lord of the new kingdom. In Matthew 3:13-17 we read of Jesus coming to be baptized by a reluctant John. But Jesus insists and says, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15). Jesus did not need to repent or confess his sins. But because this king is righteous, he fulfills righteousness by submitting to it. This might be better understood by looking at how other kings and rulers often see themselves as being above the law and do whatever they want. We even once had a President who said, “When the President does it, that means that it is not illegal.” But he is not alone; history records countless Presidents, Kings, Monarchs, and other rulers who have acted the same way. But this king is different. He does not expect of us anything he does not expect of himself. Holiness and righteousness are not arbitrary concepts to be applied only to the kingdom-citizens; holiness and righteousness describe the very character of the king of this new kingdom.

After Jesus was baptized, he rose up out of the water and the Holy Spirit descended upon him and the Father spoke and said, “This is my beloved son with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). Jesus was baptized with water and then the Holy Spirit descended upon him. In the next chapter of Matthew, we read of how Jesus was tempted, and in the rest of Matthew, we see how he was continually tested before finally being crucified. These temptations and trials were Jesus’s fire-baptism, and he came through unscathed. The kingdom of heaven is a kingdom in which the king passes through the fires unscathed. And, because he passed through unscathed, so can we. But this isn’t the first time Jesus passed through the fire unscathed, nor the first time for his kingdom-citizens. After those kingdom-citizens stepped out of the fire, we are told that “The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them” (Daniel 3:27). What a king! What a kingdom!

Hopefully, you can see that Matthew chapter 3 helps us understand the prayer “Your kingdom come” is actually, on one level, a prayer for “Your kingdom come — with repentance, in this moment, as prophesied by John and Isaiah, not with material extravagance but with spiritual riches, with confession of sins, in unexpected ways, replacing the old kingdom, with fruit-bearing lives, with water baptism, with Holy Spirit baptism, with fire baptism, and with a Lord who is righteous; the Lord Jesus — in me.” — in me.”

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