Matthew 3:1-17

3:2 | As the forerunner of Jesus, John preached two primary messages: people should repent; and the kingdom of heaven was about to arrive with the coming of the long-awaited Messiah, the true King of Israel (Dan. 2:44).

3:3-4 | Matthew quotes Isaiah 40:3 to refer to John the Baptist as the one crying in the wilderness. John also quotes this text in reference to himself (John 1:23). In the OT, “LORD” is Yahweh, while here the Lord is clearly Jesus Christ – and example of a common NT practice that applies OT references to God directly to Jesus.

3:5-6 | John’s baptism was not only a baptism of repentance (confessing their sins) but also preparation for the Messiah, the One who would wash people of their sins through His shed blood.

3:7-10 | Because the Pharisees and Sadducees detested each other’s teachings, they did not normally attend functions together. Matthew indicates that the religious authorities had sent investigators to observe John’s works and hear his teachings. John rebuked them for their pride and gross misuse of authority (12:34; 23:33).

3:11-12 | Water unto repentance (cleansing), the Holy Spirit (upon salvation), and fire (judgment) are three separate baptisms.

3:15 | When Jesus said that His baptism would fulfill all righteousness, He declares that through His death, burial, and resurrection, He would fully satisfy all the requirements of a holy God, thereby enabling sinful man to be reconciled to God.

3:16-17 | The baptism of Jesus involved all three members of the Trinity. God the Father quoted the words of Psalm 2:7 and Isaiah 42:1: This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased – the same words of affirmation the Father would speak concerning Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration (17:5). The voice from heaven was heard by witnesses; it was not just imagined.