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We now come to another section of this Gospel which has three connected events,
(1) the preaching of John the Baptist, (2) the baptizing of the Messiah and (3) the
temptation in the wilderness.
Chapter 3: commences with the words "in those days". Matthew does not intend any
precise date. In fact he is passing over a period of some thirty years. But at last an event
had taken place that produced excitement throughout the nation. After the long period of
the prophets of the O.T., God had been silent for four long centuries since the time of
Malachi. But this silence had been broken and a new prophet had appeared which stirred
the interest of many in the nation. Doubtless this brought joy and expectancy, but when
he delivered his message, some of this ardour must have cooled, for this prophet did not
teach that because they were physically descended from Abraham the kingdom was
automatically theirs and belonged to no-one else. He stressed the need for a change of
heart, confession of sin and deeds which matched this change of mind (repentance).
Every tree that did not produce such good fruit was in peril of being cut down.
This was not what Israel expected or wanted to hear, but the true messenger of God
always gives the people what they need, not what they want.
John's name means "gift of Jehovah" and is a shortened form of Johanan. He was
indeed a gift from God, giving Israel God's message which exactly suited their condition,
preparing the way for the King and His kingdom. His first word was "repent" and here
we have a difficulty, for there is no English word which exactly matches the Greek
metanoeo. The English word repent means "to be sorry again" from the Latin repoenitet.
To make matters worse it gets confused with "penitence" and "penance". The Latin
Vulgate has "do penance" which unfortunately Wycliff followed. Dr. A. T. Robertson
says that the Greek word has been hopelessly mistranslated. It does not basically mean
"to be sorry" for the Greek already has a word for that, namely metamelomai which is
used of Judas (Matt. 27: 3). The Syriac Version is better, "turn ye" for "turning" was
the constant word of the Old Testament for Israel when they wandered away from God
(e.g. Zech. 1: 3).
John was to be a herald for the coming Messiah and King, and so he called the chosen
people Israel to make themselves ready for this supreme event. He is called "the
Baptizer" for it was this rite that distinguishes his ministry. This would not have been
strange to his hearers who were Israelites, for the ritual of washing and cleansing was
firmly entrenched in the law of Moses, both for the priests and also in connection with
the offerings. To Israel had been committed the divine types and shadows of spiritual
realities and water baptism was intended to signify among other things the need of
purification and was accompanied by confession of sins:
"Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the regions round about
Jordan, and were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins" (3: 5, 6).
All this was in view of the near coming of the Messiah:
"His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will clear His threshing floor, gathering
wheat into His barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire" (3: 12, N.I.V.).