But John forbade him--rather, "was (in the act of) hindering him," or "attempting to hinder him." We need 2 cookies to store this setting. Please see our Privacy Policy for cookie usage details. And Herod being tetrarch of and his brother Philip--a very different and very superior Philip to the one whose name was Herod Philip, and whose wife, Herodias, went to live with Herod Antipas tetrarch of Ituræa--lying to the northeast of Palestine, and so called from Itur or Jetur, Ishmael's son ( 1 Chronicles 1:31 ), and anciently belonging to the half-tribe of Manasseh. If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain. 1:22, beginning from the baptism of John, for then Christ began first to appear in him, and then to appear to him, and by him to the world. Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight--This prediction is quoted in all the four Gospels, showing that it was regarded as a great outstanding one, and the predicted forerunner as the connecting link between the old and the new economies. God Honors His Humble Son. Though the stem speaker may have pointed as he spoke to the pebbles of the bare clay hills that lay around (so STANLEY'S Sinai and Palestine), it was clearly the calling of the Gentiles at that time stone-dead in their sins, and quite as unconscious of it--into the room of unbelieving and disinherited Israel that he meant thus to indicate (see Matthew 21:43 , Romans 11:20 Romans 11:30 ). Jesus was baptized so to be identified with sinful man, but He was also baptized to be identified to sinful man. Click to enable/disable Google Analytics tracking. But we incline to think that our Lord meant more than this. Then he suffered him--with true humility, yielding to higher authority than his own impressions of propriety. We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. The verb μετανοεω is either compounded of μετα, after, and νοειν to understand, which signifies that, after hearing such preaching, the sinner is led to understand, that the way he has walked in was the way of misery, death, and hell. This is called "the coming wrath," not as being wholly future--for as a merited sentence it lies on the sinner already, and its effects, both inward and outward, are to some extent experienced even now--but because the impenitent sinner will not, until "the judgment of the great day," be concluded under it, will not have sentence publicly and irrevocably passed upon him, will not have it discharged upon him and experience its effects without mixture and without hope. John the Baptist has a significant role in the Gospels because he anticipates Jesus. He was a kinsman of Jesus––a cousin, perhaps––or an uncle (Luke 1:36). Luke 3:15 : And as the people were in expectation--in a state of excitement, looking for something new and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not--rather, "whether he himself might be the Christ." Commentary on Matthew 3:1-12 View Bible Text . Even our Lord's own age is determined by it ( Luke 3:23 ). And was not such that "holy, harmless, undefiled One," the "separate from sinners?" The English here, at least to modern ears, is scarcely strong enough. He would be "separate from sinners.". Matthew says nothing of the conception and birth of John the Baptist, which is largely related by St. Luke, but finds him at full age, as if dropt from the clouds to preach in the wilderness. Check to enable permanent hiding of message bar and refuse all cookies if you do not opt in. BAPTISM OF CHRIST AND DESCENT OF THE SPIRIT UPON HIM IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER. We may take this, say WEBSTER and WILKINSON, as a warning against mutiny, which the officers attempted to suppress by largesses and donations. But why in this form? Here we see the love relationship and cooperation between the Persons of the Trinity, in one occasion when the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit were all manifested at the same time. No such elaborate chronological precision is to be found elsewhere in the New Testament, and it comes fitly from him who claims it as the peculiar recommendation of his Gospel, that "he had traced down all things with precision from the very first" ( Matthew 1:3 ). “As he was praying; for prayer is the key of heaven, wherewith we may take out of God’s treasury plentiful mercy for ourselves and others.” (Trapp), ii. 2. The Scripture use of this emblem will be our best guide here. Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refuseing them will have impact how our site functions. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. is in his hand--ready for use. Let the Spirit of the Lord God come upon Me, and I will preach the Gospel to the poor, and heal the broken-hearted, and send forth judgment unto victory." Matthew 3 Commentary, One of over 110 Bible commentaries freely available, thoughts of Ryle regarding the Gospels is considered among the best practical and devotional commentaries … But John and Jesus were close in age, and would be close friends (Matthew 3 Commentary) THOUGHT - And just in case you are wondering wild honey is basically devoid of protein, so John would have had to depend solely on his locust intake. Luke ( Luke 3:21 ) has this important addition--"Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus being baptized," &c.--implying that Jesus waited till all other applicants for baptism that day had been disposed of, ere He stepped forward, that He might not seem to be merely one of the crowd. I indeed baptize you with water unto but he that cometh after me is mightier than I--In Mark and Luke this is more emphatic--"But there cometh the Mightier than I" ( 1:7 , Luke 3:16 ). (Compare the similar representation in Malachi 3:1-3 ). Click to enable/disable _gat_* - Google Analytics Cookie. The Pharisees laid their chief stress on outward observances, neglecting the weightier matters of the moral law, and the spiritual meaning of their legal ceremonies. and he saw the Spirit of God descending--that is, He only, with the exception of His honored servant, as he tells us himself ( John 1:32-34 ); the by-standers apparently seeing nothing. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene--still more to the northeast; so called, says ROBINSON, from Abila, eighteen miles from Damascus. The idea is that every obstruction shall be so removed as to reveal to the whole world the salvation of God in Him whose name is the "Saviour." And saying, Repent ye--Though the word strictly denotes a change of mind, it has respect here (and wherever it is used in connection with salvation) primarily to that sense of sin which leads the sinner to flee from the wrath to come, to look for relief only from above, and eagerly to fall in with the provided remedy. The third Gospel here adds the following important particulars in Luke 3:10-16 . The relation that they ought to hold towards the religion of the day, of which the Law was the accepted standard (Matthew 5:17 - 6:18). They were familiar enough with the baptism of proselytes from heathenism; but this baptism of Jews themselves was quite new and strange to them. Father, glorify Thy name. The emphasis of this most remarkable speech lies all in the pronouns: "What! Matthew 3 - IVP New Testament Commentaries . The structure of this clause implies that they could hardly think it, but yet could not help asking themselves whether it might not be; showing both how successful he had been in awakening the expectation of Messiah's immediate appearing, and the high estimation and even reverence, which his own character commanded. After holding it for about ten years, he was summoned to Rome to answer to charges brought against him; but ere he arrived, Tiberius died (A.D. 35), and soon after miserable Pilate committed suicide. Luke 3:13 : And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you--This is directed against that extortion which made the. The following may serve as a brief summary. Thus, as He rode into Jerusalem upon an ass "whereon yet never man sat" ( Luke 19:30 ), and lay in a sepulchre "wherein was never man yet laid" ( John 19:41 ), so in His baptism, too. Click to enable/disable _gid - Google Analytics Cookie. Here evidently commences his proper narrative. "My dove, my undefiled is one," says the Song of Solomon ( Solomon 6:9 ). For the proper introduction to this section, we must go to Luke 3:1 Luke 3:2 . with unquenchable fire--Singular is the strength of this apparent contradiction of figures:--to be burnt up, but with a fire that is unquenchable; the one expressing the utter destruction of all that constitutes one's true life, the other the continued consciousness of existence in that awful condition. A kingdom for which repentance was the proper preparation behooved to be essentially spiritual. Matthew 3, Spurgeon's Verse Expositions of the Bible, One of over 110 Bible commentaries freely available, this commentary is from the most widely read and often quoted preacher in history, Charles Haddon Spurgeon And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now--"Let it pass for the present"; that is, "Thou recoilest, and no wonder, for the seeming incongruity is startling; but in the present case do as thou art bidden." Nor are the words which follow to be overlooked, "I have put My Spirit upon Him; He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles." 3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Never heard of John Gill not opt in through our website and to use some of its features awaken! Holes and knock down the hills that are in the Gospels because he anticipates Jesus his other testimonies to fully. 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