Matthew 2 – The Dangerous Baby
The second chapter of Matthew is when Jesus and Israel begin to clash. The wise men (astrologers who are perhaps descendants of Noah?) follow a star (angel) who sends them to the new king of the Jews. Naturally they go to Jerusalem and ask Herod where the new king is. Herod asks his scholars where the Messiah is going to be born. They answer Bethlehem. He send the wise men on and tells them to come back and let him know where he is.
True biblical religion is primarily historical. The nature and substance of the gospel is a story about what God has done on this planet. Jesus took on flesh, removing everything from the realm of abstract questioning (like Philosophy) to the realm of history. We know who God is by what He has done in History. Jesus said that you will know a tree by its fruit. Being precedes doing. Our actions are determined by our nature. Because of this we can be confident that when we look at what God has done, we can know who God is. So Gospel preaching is authoritative storytelling. Theology ought to be summaries of the story of the Gospel because that is how God has revealed himself to us. History ought to be seen as the working out of the covenant(s) that God has made with the world. With Adam as the would-be governor of the world who failed his covenant test and gave up his dominion to the Devil. And the new Adam (Jesus) who succeeded in his covenant test and destroyed the dominion of the Devil. These two mankinds, (one being dead and loving death, one being alive and loving life) have been at odds throughout history. But the new humanity, as it rules in humility and reverence for God, is prevailing by the power of the Holy Ghost to plunder the army of the dead, converting them to the army of life. Studying the Gospel according to Matthew, then, is studying the personal History of Jesus Christ as the climax of the wrestling of these two nations and the older will serve the younger, (even though it appears that Jesus loses the wrestling match) because God prefers the younger, His only begotten Son who waits patiently for His Father to fulfill all that He promise to His Son.
Vs 1-2 Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Judah (David’s City) about eight miles from Jerusalem, wise Asians (i.e. Astrologers) came to Jerusalem, (perhaps there were three, the text doesn’t say), and asked Herod (the unlawful king because he was not of the line of David) “Where is the new king of the Jews, our star chart has predicted that he was just born. And a Star/Angel has explained that he is the King of the Jews, so we came to Jerusalem to see him. We have brought gifts with which to worship him.”
These astrologers are the first Gentiles to come and worship Jesus and are a foreshadowing of the gentiles that are going to stream in. Isaiah (60:1-6) predicted that darkness would cover the earth and gross darkness would cover the people, but the glory of Yahweh would rise and his glory would be seen. Then gentiles, specifically kings, would come to the light, and the sons and daughters of God’s people would return from exile. The abundance of the sea of gentiles would be converted and eastern kings would bring gold and incense (like frankincense and myrrh). Baalam (who had the talking donkey) prophesied in his second prophecy (in Num. 24:17-19) that a star (symbolic of a king) will rise out of Israel, and that a scepter (symbolic of a ruler’s power to judge) will rise out of Israel and he will possess his enemies. “Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city.”
Vs 3-6 Herod the king was troubled and so was the rest of Jerusalem, who did not want anything to do with Jesus (revealing that Herod was the proper representative), so he gathered together the chief priests and scribes of the people to ask where the messiah would be born and they told him that the King of the Jews would be born in Bethlehem. The Prophecy from Micah (5:1-4) is that a governor will rise from the least city of Judah and rule Israel. The exile is going to end when the woman in labor has brought her child the remnant will return “And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.” This prophecy is another instance of the spiritual law that the least is the greatest. Humility leads to exaltation. This is not some sort of natural law that works “on its own,” instead it is a promise of how God will act toward us. As in Rev. 2:26-27 26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: 27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. The one that keeps the covenant (keeps my works) will receive power over the nations. Just as Jesus received this power over the nations From his Father after the cross resurrection and ascension (which is described in detail in Dan 7:9-14).
Vs. 7-8 Herod, in the true fashion of a stupid hypocrite, believes the first half of the verse, where the king will be born, but not the second half of the verse, that he will be King. So he sends the wise men to Bethlehem with the sly plan to have the astrologers find the Christ and then they could tell him (Herod) then he could go kill the baby (like a big strong man) and keep being king. (This also is the first hinting that Herod was a pawn of the Devil, which Jesus does more than just hint at later).
Vs. 9-12 We learn that the Star (angel) apparently had left them after telling them that the King was going to be born in Israel, which is probably why they went to Jerusalem, the capital city. The star now returns to them (probably from its position in the heavens) and it caused them to rejoice greatly. The star then leads them to Bethlehem, and then to the particular house (v.11) where Jesus was. Since Jesus was born in a manger, this was not on the night Jesus was born. It was probably after Joseph and the family (the Davidsons) went to Jerusalem to offer the gift at the Temple for a new baby boy, which was after Jesus’ circumcision. But Also, Jesus was less than three, since Herod is about to have the children under three killed. When they arrived, Mary was holding Jesus and the asian men worshiped Jesus, giving him gifts of gold and incense, which, of course, was prophesied in Isaiah 60:6. God then warned them in a dream that they should not return to Herod. So they went around Jerusalem on the return journey.
Vs. 13-15 When Joseph takes his wife and the young child Jesus and leaves Israel because of a dream, they are fulfilling the prophecy that God’s son will be called out of Egypt. Matthew is arguing throughout this section that Israel is the new Egypt. “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son”(Hosea 11:1). Matthew is beginning to argue that Israel is the new Egypt. This line of argumentation continues throughout the book. The other Gospels and the book of Revelation also pick up this theme of Jesus’ preaching and teaching and do everything that they can to make sure that we do not miss the point, so we, of course, miss the point. Not only is Jesus the son of a dreaming Joseph, like the one that brought Israel into salvation in Egypt, but Jesus is being called out of Egypt/Israel because Herod is about to pull a Pharaoh and kill all the children.
Vs. 16-18 Herod now pulls a Pharaoh and kills all the children under three, but God makes provision to save Jesus the same way he made provision to save Moses. This also was prophesied by Jeremiah (31:15) right in the middle of one of the high points of the Old Covenant Promises (Jer. 21:10-37:21). This is the promise of a new covenant, which is a recreation of heaven and earth and the glorification and proliferation of all that God has done for the people of God. God will redeem Israel from a stronger foe, establishing blessings and banishing sorrow. “Then shall the maidens rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old shall be merry. I will turn their mourning into joy, I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow. 14 I will feast the soul of the priests with abundance, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness”, says the LORD. But first there will be great weeping, but don’t mourn, because it is a sign that the exile has ended.
God will put a yoke on his people and turn them and because he has turned them with the yoke, they will repent. Israel, Yahweh’s son will go off into a distant land, but God the Father will watch the highway ready to show mercy. Yahweh will bring them out of captivity and give them rest for their weary souls. “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man, and with the seed of beast. And it shall come to pass, that like as I have watched over them, to pluck up, and to break down, and to throw down, and to destroy, and to afflict; so will I watch over them, to build, and to plant, saith the LORD”. This new covenant will be greater than the old covenant, for the law will not be written on stone, but on flesh, the flesh of our heart. The whole creation will be effectively destroyed and Israel will cease from being called a nation forever. And what was all the sign that this was at hand; Herod killing a bunch of babies in Bethlehem. This is why we must see by faith.
Vs. 19-23 After Herod’s death, Joseph gets another dream telling him to return to Israel, so they went. Archelus, Herod’s son, was now reigning and Joseph was afraid. His fear was confirmed by a dream, so they settled in Nazareth, which was prophesied. It was written that he would be called a Nazarene.
Matthew 3 - John the Baptizer
1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, - First off, John was gathering a multitude in the Jordan wilderness at a river calling them to come out from among the people of Israel. Circa 20AD John began preaching in the Judean wilderness gathering people in a new exodus. Israel (we learned in chapter 2) is Egypt and John in calling people to cross the red sea in baptism (1 Cor. 10:2) out of Israel.
2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. – The call to repent here is more than just a call to feel sorry for your sins. Repentance is a call to a change of allegiances. Give up your former allegiances, in this case, to the “physical” Israel, to your trust in your DNA (vs 9), and join the true Israel. He is preaching a new way to be Israel that involved a new exodus. Matthew just told us that Spiritually, Israel was Egypt and now John gathers a multitude in the Judean wilderness and teaching a new way to be Israel. This is much more than a renewal movement in the wilderness, this is the gathering of the true Israel, the one that Yahweh is truly going to vindicate and justify.
There is a reason that some people thought that John might himself be the messiah (Luke 3:15). His claim that the kingdom of heaven is at hand is an “eschatological” claim. It is a claim that Yahweh is about to come, that the Son of Adam (son of man) is about to establish a kingdom and authority that have no end. It is a claim that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is about to prove to the rest of the world that those that believed God’s promises were right to do so. The kingdom of heaven is the earthly rule of God through the coming son of David. It is a claim that the old order of always looking forward to what God was going to do someday, was about to become a thing of the past. God was about to reconstitute Israel, bring her out of Egypt, bring her home from Babylon. God’s son, who was sent up the road to the heathens, is coming home. This is a spiritual and political message. This is why John was being silenced by Herod
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. – this is a quote from the 40th chapter of (Isaiah 40:1-7)
4 And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.
Here we learn that John is dressed to look like Elijah (2 Kings 1:8) so apparently he knew that he was going forth in the Spirit and power of Elijah (Luke 1:17) and since he was Jesus’ cousin also apparently knew his mission. We also learn that he is keeping the purity laws while living in the dessert.
5 Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan, 6 And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins. - John (a legitimate priest’s son) was calling Israel to repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins, offering forgiveness apart from the temple. He is, in principle, setting aside the current institution of forgiveness, the temple, and replacing it with water baptism.
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: - We are also told why the temple needs to be laid aside, because the devil has taken up residence there. A generation of vipers, is the equivalent of saying “children of the devil” because serpents are beget by serpents. John also lumps in with the sadduccees the contemporary attempts at restoration (Phariseeism and the synagogue).
9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. – The temptation of the day (like the temptation of every day) is to claim justification based on anything besides God’s mercy. The Jews were basing it on physical descent. We are justified because we are not gentiles. Paul spilled an enormous amount of ink to combat this problem. The laws that separated Jews from Gentiles were never given as a ladder to heaven. To attempt to use it that way is not only an illegal use of the law, it is to make the law unrighteousness. The Jews are indicted over and over by Jesus for not being a light to the gentiles. They used the law as an excuse to break the law, which is unlawful. Their problem was never that they tried too hard to keep the law. It is that they refused to keep the law and tried (to no avail) to use the law as the excuse for why they did not keep the law. Paul, however, argues that the gentiles can be brought in without becoming Jews because the law was never meant to justify. Justification (in both the broad and narrow sense and in every other sense) has always been by faith.
10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. This is a spiritual and political message. There is a reason that John was being silenced by Herod. Herod, most likely, had been the topic of John’s invectives. John's claim is that Israel, because it is not producing the fruit that it was told to produce (gentile believers; the keeping of the law by faith; mercy and compassion; the honoring of Fathers and Mothers; the honoring of wives; meekness; peace), that Jerusalem is going to be cut down and thrown into the fire (a common theme of the book of Matthew). Herod didn’t like that idea much, not even when Jesus preaches it later in the book, but John’s call to repent before it happens was not heeded. His basic claim is that the devil has taken up residence in Jerusalem because of her sin. Repent or Jerusalem will be destroyed. It the mean time, all of you who believe my message, join me in the exodus out of Egypt, before the curses wreak havoc.
11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: 12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. Fire baptism and/or refining and purging by fire baptism is prophesied (Is. 4:4, 44:3, Mal. 3:1-3, 4:1). This is not a new idea, this is the kind of idea that John would get reading his Old Testament’s messianic promises.
13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. 14 But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? 15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. 16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: 17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. This is the point at which Jesus begin’s his ministry. This is when he step’s into the role of covenant representative of Israel (making the old into new by a process of purging) The Holy Spirit resting upon Jesus was prophesied (Is. 11:1-11, Is. 42:1-6) as the first sign that salvation has come to the gentiles and that peace on earth is here. And one last thing that is of utmost importance, Jesus here begins recreating the world (The Spirit again hovers over the water [like Noah’s dove], with the Father speaking and the Word creating, and of course v. 4:16-17 tells us that then there was light)
But Jesus’ baptism is also the new Moses passing through the red sea. In the exodus, Israel went down into the water, there was a shout from the skies (Ps. 77:17), and the purpose of the passover and exodus was to show that Israel was God’s son (Ex. 4:22-23). Jesus’ baptism, besides just looking similar (going down into the water at the edge of the new Egypt) God the father shouts from the sky (3:17a) that Jesus is His Son (3:17b). Paul also makes the connection in Corinthians (1 Cor. 10:2). Then Jesus, just like Moses, passes through the water to head out into the wilderness for 40 days of temptation, which, of course corresponds to the forty years of testing in the wilderness. But, so that we don’t miss it, the three instances of temptation that Matthew reports to us correspond to three temptation that Israel faced and failed to overcome while in the wilderness.
Matthew 4 - The Wilderness Temptation
1 Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. – Jesus, having been anointed with the Holy Spirit, Goes to battle the enemy
3And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
The devil is tempting Jesus in the same way that Israel was tempted concerning the Manna. Israel forgot that they were God’s son and that God would take care of them. Jesus did not forget. (see Deut. 8:1-3). Jesus answered the temptation the way that the Israelites should have answered.
5Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,
6And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
7Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
Jesus quotes Deuteronomy again (6:16) In Massah they tempted or tested God because they complained that they had no water. Jesus is also tempted to not trust in God’s provision and protection.
8Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
9And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
10Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
Jesus quotes Deut. 6:13 and 10:20, both passages about Egypt. Jesus was tempted to gain all of the kingdoms of the earth by worshipping the devil which is a temptation to worship the gods of the nations round about Israel, the Israelites where overcome by this temptation. (Deut. 6: 12-14)
Then the devil leaves Jesus and angels come and minister unto him, just like when the Israelites leave the wilderness, angels come to Joshua.
Jesus begins his preaching ministry which is the plundering of the new Egypt by binding the strong man.
12 Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee; 13 And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: 14 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, 15 The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; 16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up. 17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. -
Jesus moves to Galilee and begins preaching the gospel of the kingdom, which is his coming rule of earth, and Matthew points out that this was what the Messiah was going to do, live in Galilee and preach a recreating word (where there was great darkness covering the face of the deep, Jesus spoke and then there was light.) and begins his healing ministry and in the process gathers a great multitude.
25And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan.
1And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:
2And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,
So Jesus gathers this multitude at the bottom of a mountain and goes up and turns around and opens his mouth. Does this remind you of anything? Moses had a multitude gathered at the bottom of Sinai, he went up and from the mountain God delivered the law. Jesus is reenacting this scene and placing himself in the role of Moses and his followers in the role of the Israelites of the exodus, Herod in the role of Pharaoh and The scribes and Pharisee in the role of the hard driving taskmasters. Jesus has come as the new Moses to offer freedom from slave drivers (including the Devil), rest for weary laborers, a land in which to worship God in spirit and truth, and a new kingdom law.
The second chapter of Matthew is when Jesus and Israel begin to clash. The wise men (astrologers who are perhaps descendants of Noah?) follow a star (angel) who sends them to the new king of the Jews. Naturally they go to Jerusalem and ask Herod where the new king is. Herod asks his scholars where the Messiah is going to be born. They answer Bethlehem. He send the wise men on and tells them to come back and let him know where he is.
True biblical religion is primarily historical. The nature and substance of the gospel is a story about what God has done on this planet. Jesus took on flesh, removing everything from the realm of abstract questioning (like Philosophy) to the realm of history. We know who God is by what He has done in History. Jesus said that you will know a tree by its fruit. Being precedes doing. Our actions are determined by our nature. Because of this we can be confident that when we look at what God has done, we can know who God is. So Gospel preaching is authoritative storytelling. Theology ought to be summaries of the story of the Gospel because that is how God has revealed himself to us. History ought to be seen as the working out of the covenant(s) that God has made with the world. With Adam as the would-be governor of the world who failed his covenant test and gave up his dominion to the Devil. And the new Adam (Jesus) who succeeded in his covenant test and destroyed the dominion of the Devil. These two mankinds, (one being dead and loving death, one being alive and loving life) have been at odds throughout history. But the new humanity, as it rules in humility and reverence for God, is prevailing by the power of the Holy Ghost to plunder the army of the dead, converting them to the army of life. Studying the Gospel according to Matthew, then, is studying the personal History of Jesus Christ as the climax of the wrestling of these two nations and the older will serve the younger, (even though it appears that Jesus loses the wrestling match) because God prefers the younger, His only begotten Son who waits patiently for His Father to fulfill all that He promise to His Son.
Vs 1-2 Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Judah (David’s City) about eight miles from Jerusalem, wise Asians (i.e. Astrologers) came to Jerusalem, (perhaps there were three, the text doesn’t say), and asked Herod (the unlawful king because he was not of the line of David) “Where is the new king of the Jews, our star chart has predicted that he was just born. And a Star/Angel has explained that he is the King of the Jews, so we came to Jerusalem to see him. We have brought gifts with which to worship him.”
These astrologers are the first Gentiles to come and worship Jesus and are a foreshadowing of the gentiles that are going to stream in. Isaiah (60:1-6) predicted that darkness would cover the earth and gross darkness would cover the people, but the glory of Yahweh would rise and his glory would be seen. Then gentiles, specifically kings, would come to the light, and the sons and daughters of God’s people would return from exile. The abundance of the sea of gentiles would be converted and eastern kings would bring gold and incense (like frankincense and myrrh). Baalam (who had the talking donkey) prophesied in his second prophecy (in Num. 24:17-19) that a star (symbolic of a king) will rise out of Israel, and that a scepter (symbolic of a ruler’s power to judge) will rise out of Israel and he will possess his enemies. “Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city.”
Vs 3-6 Herod the king was troubled and so was the rest of Jerusalem, who did not want anything to do with Jesus (revealing that Herod was the proper representative), so he gathered together the chief priests and scribes of the people to ask where the messiah would be born and they told him that the King of the Jews would be born in Bethlehem. The Prophecy from Micah (5:1-4) is that a governor will rise from the least city of Judah and rule Israel. The exile is going to end when the woman in labor has brought her child the remnant will return “And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.” This prophecy is another instance of the spiritual law that the least is the greatest. Humility leads to exaltation. This is not some sort of natural law that works “on its own,” instead it is a promise of how God will act toward us. As in Rev. 2:26-27 26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: 27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. The one that keeps the covenant (keeps my works) will receive power over the nations. Just as Jesus received this power over the nations From his Father after the cross resurrection and ascension (which is described in detail in Dan 7:9-14).
Vs. 7-8 Herod, in the true fashion of a stupid hypocrite, believes the first half of the verse, where the king will be born, but not the second half of the verse, that he will be King. So he sends the wise men to Bethlehem with the sly plan to have the astrologers find the Christ and then they could tell him (Herod) then he could go kill the baby (like a big strong man) and keep being king. (This also is the first hinting that Herod was a pawn of the Devil, which Jesus does more than just hint at later).
Vs. 9-12 We learn that the Star (angel) apparently had left them after telling them that the King was going to be born in Israel, which is probably why they went to Jerusalem, the capital city. The star now returns to them (probably from its position in the heavens) and it caused them to rejoice greatly. The star then leads them to Bethlehem, and then to the particular house (v.11) where Jesus was. Since Jesus was born in a manger, this was not on the night Jesus was born. It was probably after Joseph and the family (the Davidsons) went to Jerusalem to offer the gift at the Temple for a new baby boy, which was after Jesus’ circumcision. But Also, Jesus was less than three, since Herod is about to have the children under three killed. When they arrived, Mary was holding Jesus and the asian men worshiped Jesus, giving him gifts of gold and incense, which, of course, was prophesied in Isaiah 60:6. God then warned them in a dream that they should not return to Herod. So they went around Jerusalem on the return journey.
Vs. 13-15 When Joseph takes his wife and the young child Jesus and leaves Israel because of a dream, they are fulfilling the prophecy that God’s son will be called out of Egypt. Matthew is arguing throughout this section that Israel is the new Egypt. “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son”(Hosea 11:1). Matthew is beginning to argue that Israel is the new Egypt. This line of argumentation continues throughout the book. The other Gospels and the book of Revelation also pick up this theme of Jesus’ preaching and teaching and do everything that they can to make sure that we do not miss the point, so we, of course, miss the point. Not only is Jesus the son of a dreaming Joseph, like the one that brought Israel into salvation in Egypt, but Jesus is being called out of Egypt/Israel because Herod is about to pull a Pharaoh and kill all the children.
Vs. 16-18 Herod now pulls a Pharaoh and kills all the children under three, but God makes provision to save Jesus the same way he made provision to save Moses. This also was prophesied by Jeremiah (31:15) right in the middle of one of the high points of the Old Covenant Promises (Jer. 21:10-37:21). This is the promise of a new covenant, which is a recreation of heaven and earth and the glorification and proliferation of all that God has done for the people of God. God will redeem Israel from a stronger foe, establishing blessings and banishing sorrow. “Then shall the maidens rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old shall be merry. I will turn their mourning into joy, I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow. 14 I will feast the soul of the priests with abundance, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness”, says the LORD. But first there will be great weeping, but don’t mourn, because it is a sign that the exile has ended.
God will put a yoke on his people and turn them and because he has turned them with the yoke, they will repent. Israel, Yahweh’s son will go off into a distant land, but God the Father will watch the highway ready to show mercy. Yahweh will bring them out of captivity and give them rest for their weary souls. “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man, and with the seed of beast. And it shall come to pass, that like as I have watched over them, to pluck up, and to break down, and to throw down, and to destroy, and to afflict; so will I watch over them, to build, and to plant, saith the LORD”. This new covenant will be greater than the old covenant, for the law will not be written on stone, but on flesh, the flesh of our heart. The whole creation will be effectively destroyed and Israel will cease from being called a nation forever. And what was all the sign that this was at hand; Herod killing a bunch of babies in Bethlehem. This is why we must see by faith.
Vs. 19-23 After Herod’s death, Joseph gets another dream telling him to return to Israel, so they went. Archelus, Herod’s son, was now reigning and Joseph was afraid. His fear was confirmed by a dream, so they settled in Nazareth, which was prophesied. It was written that he would be called a Nazarene.
Matthew 3 - John the Baptizer
John the Baptist holds an incredibly important place if the life and work of Jesus are to be understood. Jesus self consciously begins his own ministry by aligning himself with John’s ministry, essentially saying that He has come to finish what John has started. Jesus begins his ministry in the pattern and style of John, baptizing (John 4:1) and preaching repentance (Matt. 4:17). Jesus’ own ministry was so similar to John’s that people thought that Jesus was John resurrected. But what had John started?
1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, - First off, John was gathering a multitude in the Jordan wilderness at a river calling them to come out from among the people of Israel. Circa 20AD John began preaching in the Judean wilderness gathering people in a new exodus. Israel (we learned in chapter 2) is Egypt and John in calling people to cross the red sea in baptism (1 Cor. 10:2) out of Israel.
2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. – The call to repent here is more than just a call to feel sorry for your sins. Repentance is a call to a change of allegiances. Give up your former allegiances, in this case, to the “physical” Israel, to your trust in your DNA (vs 9), and join the true Israel. He is preaching a new way to be Israel that involved a new exodus. Matthew just told us that Spiritually, Israel was Egypt and now John gathers a multitude in the Judean wilderness and teaching a new way to be Israel. This is much more than a renewal movement in the wilderness, this is the gathering of the true Israel, the one that Yahweh is truly going to vindicate and justify.
There is a reason that some people thought that John might himself be the messiah (Luke 3:15). His claim that the kingdom of heaven is at hand is an “eschatological” claim. It is a claim that Yahweh is about to come, that the Son of Adam (son of man) is about to establish a kingdom and authority that have no end. It is a claim that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is about to prove to the rest of the world that those that believed God’s promises were right to do so. The kingdom of heaven is the earthly rule of God through the coming son of David. It is a claim that the old order of always looking forward to what God was going to do someday, was about to become a thing of the past. God was about to reconstitute Israel, bring her out of Egypt, bring her home from Babylon. God’s son, who was sent up the road to the heathens, is coming home. This is a spiritual and political message. This is why John was being silenced by Herod
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. – this is a quote from the 40th chapter of (Isaiah 40:1-7)
4 And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.
Here we learn that John is dressed to look like Elijah (2 Kings 1:8) so apparently he knew that he was going forth in the Spirit and power of Elijah (Luke 1:17) and since he was Jesus’ cousin also apparently knew his mission. We also learn that he is keeping the purity laws while living in the dessert.
5 Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan, 6 And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins. - John (a legitimate priest’s son) was calling Israel to repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins, offering forgiveness apart from the temple. He is, in principle, setting aside the current institution of forgiveness, the temple, and replacing it with water baptism.
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: - We are also told why the temple needs to be laid aside, because the devil has taken up residence there. A generation of vipers, is the equivalent of saying “children of the devil” because serpents are beget by serpents. John also lumps in with the sadduccees the contemporary attempts at restoration (Phariseeism and the synagogue).
9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. – The temptation of the day (like the temptation of every day) is to claim justification based on anything besides God’s mercy. The Jews were basing it on physical descent. We are justified because we are not gentiles. Paul spilled an enormous amount of ink to combat this problem. The laws that separated Jews from Gentiles were never given as a ladder to heaven. To attempt to use it that way is not only an illegal use of the law, it is to make the law unrighteousness. The Jews are indicted over and over by Jesus for not being a light to the gentiles. They used the law as an excuse to break the law, which is unlawful. Their problem was never that they tried too hard to keep the law. It is that they refused to keep the law and tried (to no avail) to use the law as the excuse for why they did not keep the law. Paul, however, argues that the gentiles can be brought in without becoming Jews because the law was never meant to justify. Justification (in both the broad and narrow sense and in every other sense) has always been by faith.
10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. This is a spiritual and political message. There is a reason that John was being silenced by Herod. Herod, most likely, had been the topic of John’s invectives. John's claim is that Israel, because it is not producing the fruit that it was told to produce (gentile believers; the keeping of the law by faith; mercy and compassion; the honoring of Fathers and Mothers; the honoring of wives; meekness; peace), that Jerusalem is going to be cut down and thrown into the fire (a common theme of the book of Matthew). Herod didn’t like that idea much, not even when Jesus preaches it later in the book, but John’s call to repent before it happens was not heeded. His basic claim is that the devil has taken up residence in Jerusalem because of her sin. Repent or Jerusalem will be destroyed. It the mean time, all of you who believe my message, join me in the exodus out of Egypt, before the curses wreak havoc.
11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: 12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. Fire baptism and/or refining and purging by fire baptism is prophesied (Is. 4:4, 44:3, Mal. 3:1-3, 4:1). This is not a new idea, this is the kind of idea that John would get reading his Old Testament’s messianic promises.
13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. 14 But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? 15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. 16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: 17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. This is the point at which Jesus begin’s his ministry. This is when he step’s into the role of covenant representative of Israel (making the old into new by a process of purging) The Holy Spirit resting upon Jesus was prophesied (Is. 11:1-11, Is. 42:1-6) as the first sign that salvation has come to the gentiles and that peace on earth is here. And one last thing that is of utmost importance, Jesus here begins recreating the world (The Spirit again hovers over the water [like Noah’s dove], with the Father speaking and the Word creating, and of course v. 4:16-17 tells us that then there was light)
But Jesus’ baptism is also the new Moses passing through the red sea. In the exodus, Israel went down into the water, there was a shout from the skies (Ps. 77:17), and the purpose of the passover and exodus was to show that Israel was God’s son (Ex. 4:22-23). Jesus’ baptism, besides just looking similar (going down into the water at the edge of the new Egypt) God the father shouts from the sky (3:17a) that Jesus is His Son (3:17b). Paul also makes the connection in Corinthians (1 Cor. 10:2). Then Jesus, just like Moses, passes through the water to head out into the wilderness for 40 days of temptation, which, of course corresponds to the forty years of testing in the wilderness. But, so that we don’t miss it, the three instances of temptation that Matthew reports to us correspond to three temptation that Israel faced and failed to overcome while in the wilderness.
Matthew 4 - The Wilderness Temptation
1 Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. – Jesus, having been anointed with the Holy Spirit, Goes to battle the enemy
3And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
The devil is tempting Jesus in the same way that Israel was tempted concerning the Manna. Israel forgot that they were God’s son and that God would take care of them. Jesus did not forget. (see Deut. 8:1-3). Jesus answered the temptation the way that the Israelites should have answered.
5Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,
6And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
7Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
Jesus quotes Deuteronomy again (6:16) In Massah they tempted or tested God because they complained that they had no water. Jesus is also tempted to not trust in God’s provision and protection.
8Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
9And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
10Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
Jesus quotes Deut. 6:13 and 10:20, both passages about Egypt. Jesus was tempted to gain all of the kingdoms of the earth by worshipping the devil which is a temptation to worship the gods of the nations round about Israel, the Israelites where overcome by this temptation. (Deut. 6: 12-14)
Then the devil leaves Jesus and angels come and minister unto him, just like when the Israelites leave the wilderness, angels come to Joshua.
Jesus begins his preaching ministry which is the plundering of the new Egypt by binding the strong man.
12 Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee; 13 And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: 14 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, 15 The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; 16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up. 17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. -
Jesus moves to Galilee and begins preaching the gospel of the kingdom, which is his coming rule of earth, and Matthew points out that this was what the Messiah was going to do, live in Galilee and preach a recreating word (where there was great darkness covering the face of the deep, Jesus spoke and then there was light.) and begins his healing ministry and in the process gathers a great multitude.
25And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan.
1And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:
2And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,
So Jesus gathers this multitude at the bottom of a mountain and goes up and turns around and opens his mouth. Does this remind you of anything? Moses had a multitude gathered at the bottom of Sinai, he went up and from the mountain God delivered the law. Jesus is reenacting this scene and placing himself in the role of Moses and his followers in the role of the Israelites of the exodus, Herod in the role of Pharaoh and The scribes and Pharisee in the role of the hard driving taskmasters. Jesus has come as the new Moses to offer freedom from slave drivers (including the Devil), rest for weary laborers, a land in which to worship God in spirit and truth, and a new kingdom law.
