Matthew, Chapter 3, the title of tonight's message, Prepare the
way for the King. We're introduced to a fellow
called John the Baptist. Maybe you've heard of him.
Maybe you're very familiar with his story.
As is true now, it was back then.
When someone truly important arrives into a town or a city,
everything, it seems, changes in preparation, in readiness for
them. Roads are cleared, obstacles
removed, security tightened if needs be, and every detail
prepared so that nothing would stand in the way of that guest,
that arrival, that significant person.
Now in the ancient world, when a king would head and plan a
visit, they would often send a herald, a collective group,
typically a voice announcing their arrival, making the path
straight, as we'll see. And this is exactly what God
does here, as we read in Matthew chapter 3, He sends a messenger
ahead of the king. And Matthew is all about
presenting Jesus as the king, the promised 1, the Messiah to a
Jewish audience primarily. And this herald comes not into
the temple. This herald comes not into the
city squares but out into the wilderness of Judea, And having
been there, it's a pretty barren area.
And his name is John the Baptist we know him as.
Imagine a man who shows up, as I reminded us this morning, in the
middle of nowhere, wearing camel's hair for his garments, a
leather belt around his waist, and eating locusts, perhaps
dipped in wild honey. It's part of his diet.
No marketing team, no social media in advance, no musical
instrumentation accompanying, no media hype, no convenient venue.
Just one wild looking prophet preaching and declaring a
message, standing by the Jordan River as we'll see it, shouting
Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.
And if a church growth consultant were to have a word
with John the Baptist back then, he would have laughed out loud
initially at what John was doing.
Probably declared, John, your ministry is doomed from the very
get go. Let me advise you, nobody's
coming out here to the desert. Put the temple in Jerusalem on
the agenda. That's where people congregate.
Alter your message. Change your tone a little bit.
I mean, you're very offensive in the way that you speak.
And let's do something about that wardrobe, mate, because
that's just not going to cut it with the elite.
But as we'll read and as we'll see, the crowds come anyway,
tells us that all from Jerusalem, Judea and the
surrounding areas flock. Many, many people come and they
hear the message of John the Baptist.
And they came because God was doing something fresh with the
arrival of John, the John the Baptist.
That preempts the arrival of Jesus as we see in the
commencement of his ministry as we advance ahead now in years
from where we last left off in Matthew chapter 2.
And it's something that people did not expect from the Script,
that they thought from the way that things they were
anticipating should happen. Jesus himself said of this man,
Matthew Chapter 11, verse eleven.
Among those born of women, there has not arisen anyone greater
than John the Baptist. That's Jesus word.
So think of all prior to what we understand with the gospels.
That means John greater than Abraham, John greater than
David, John greater than all of the prophets and kings combined
before him. Jesus said that he was greater
even than Moses, and yet his entire public ministry, as we're
introduced to John lasted maybe two or three years before he's
beheaded. So how is it that somebody with
such a a short seeming ministry can have such a a great impact
that Jesus declares it's the greatest life to have ever
lived? That's the question Matthew
chapter 3 will answer for us tonight, amongst other things.
And what we see is this. If God can use this eccentric,
uncompromising desert dwelling relative of Jesus to prepare the
way for the King, then perhaps, perhaps he can still use
ordinary people like you and I to prepare the way for his
second coming to prepare the hearts and lives of people who
are yet to hear the good news of Jesus Christ and that the
Kingdom of hem is coming. Let's open our Bibles.
If you haven't Matthew chapter 3.
Listen to this voice crying in the wilderness and it'll
confront us with this, this central question.
Are you ready for the king? I'm going to read 1st 6 verses
as we consider our first point. If you're the note taking type,
there's three that we'll go through in these three various
movements of this passage. Verse one to six, the
unconventional forerunner in those days, John the Baptist
came preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, repent for
the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.
For this is he, Matthew writes, who was spoken of by the prophet
Isaiah, saying the voice of one crying in the wilderness,
prepare the way of the Lord, make his path straight.
Now John himself 1st 4 was clothed in camel's hair with a
leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild
honey. And then Jerusalem, all Judea
and all the region around the Jordan went out to him and were
baptised by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.
Matthew wastes no time introducing us to John the
Baptist verse one in those days. In those days, John the Baptist
straight away and those days are ahead of where we last left off.
Like I mentioned, probably about 25 years now ahead from where we
last left in Matthew 2. But more particularly, those
days refer to the dark days spiritually speaking, of
Israel's climate. Over 400 years of prophetic
silence from the last prophet in Malachi in the Old Testament.
To hear where we begin in Matthew.
It seemed as though heaven had been quiet these 400 years.
And then this voice unders in the desert.
John the Baptist. And John was no ordinary
preacher. He was again Jesus relative.
You remember the story of his mother Elizabeth and of Jesus
mother Mary. And John was born to these
elderly, barren parents in a miraculous way.
He was a priest kid. His father, Zechariah, served in
the temple. But instead of climbing the
religious ladder, as perhaps might have been expected and
anticipated in his family, John, it seems, went rogue, went out
into the desert of Judea. In fact, if you'd, if we're able
to go on the tour of Israel in January, we'll go into an area
where they think that John might have joined with a group called
the Essenes. It's interesting, but it's an
aside. He headed out 30 to 45
kilometres into this and you'll see it.
Barren limestone wilderness of Judea near the Dead Sea, the
lowest place on Earth, 440 metres below sea level.
Hot, ugly in many respects empty, and yet exactly where God
wants John to be. Why the wilderness, you might
wonder? Why not Jerusalem, where all of
the spiritually elite are? Why not where more of the the
congregated areas and regions are for people to go and just
have an immediate audience with? Certainly for me.
Why not along the coast? The Mediterranean Sea is
beautiful. John could even take up surfing
if you wanted to. Because God loves doing the
unexpected. Jesus himself wasn't born in
Rome, wasn't born in Jerusalem. He was born in a backwater
stable in Bethlehem and raised and scorned Nazareth.
So much so that you know the words Nathaniel when he heard of
Jesus that can anything good come out of Nazareth.
God's patent is clear. And Paul writes of this in one
Corinthians chapter one, verse 27, where it says God has chosen
the foolish things of the world to shame the wise.
From John's location to John's clothes to his diet, all of it
screamed this is not about human strategy.
Camel's hair wasn't fashionable. It was practical.
But itchy locusts and wild honey weren't just some sort of fad,
trendy pelayo diet. They were what the land
provided. He looked and acted and lived
like Elijah the prophet and the people who revealed the prophets
instantly recognised this echo John was fulfilling.
We're told in Isaiah 40 verse 3 here, as Matthew quotes it, the
voice of one crying in the wilderness.
So there's a prophetic fulfilment here going on.
Prepare the way of the Lord, Make his paths straight again.
In ancient times, when a king planned a visit into a region,
into a town, an advance team often cleared the way, fixed up
any roads, filled up potholes, removed rocks, straighten
perhaps curves, and prepared the people for that royal chariot to
come on through, for that smooth travelling, but more
importantly, for the important one to be able to arrive and be
received. And John was like this one man
advance team for Jesus. The wilderness was a picture of
Israel's spiritual barrenness at the time in their condition,
dry, empty, in need of renewal and vibrancy.
And John was calling them to clear the obstacles of their
hearts away in readiness and in preparation for the King who has
to come, King Jesus calling Jews to repentance.
And the people came. Verse 5 tells us, read it again
for us. Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and
all the region around the Jordan went out to him.
This is thousands upon thousands of people coming to this region
here to hear John's message. And they came confessing their
sins and they were baptised in the Jordan.
Now again, if you're to join us on a tour of this region of the
Jordan, it may have been a little more attractive and
appealing back then, but it's certainly not today.
But it's probably not much better than it was back then.
Because even if you remember a few 100 years prior to this, a
fellow who came with leprosy was told the dunk in the Jordan
River. And he was like, I'm not putting
myself in that river. I've got far better rivers back
home. And yet they come on out and
they're baptised. We got a picture of us in this
area in April, standing in this part of the Jordan River, and
it's etched on her face how uncomfortable and how unpleasant
she's feeling in that moment. It was hot.
The water was just this dirty brown.
And there she is with a slut. Hurry up and take the photo and
Get Me Out of here. Look, but think about that
scene. Tax collectors, soldiers, even
housewives, and even we'll see some religious leaders trekking
out to this region, to this desert area, standing waist deep
in the river. Many publicly admitting and
confessing that they're sinners and that they're repenting and
wanting to turn away from their old lives and their old way of
doing things. And in readiness to receive the
one that John was preaching. Who is to come?
And after centuries of empty ritual and abiding by things
that they perhaps practise but didn't fully understand or
appreciate, real repentance was breaking out.
And could you imagine the relief?
Many of these people who'd only known dead religion suddenly
encountering a man who spoke with raw authority from God and
real confession poured out of them because they sensed the
Kingdom was near. Now if God used this camel hair
wearing desert preacher, then he can use you right where you are.
You don't need a platform, a polished image, a perfect
pedigree. You need to be available.
Maybe you feel tonight too ordinary.
You have a heart and a desire to be used by God, but you think,
oh it'll never happen, or I'm too broken or I'm just too
different. How could why would God use such
a one as me? Remember how earlier I mentioned
of Jesus his declaration about John in Matthew Chapter 11 verse
11? Can I get you to turn ahead to
to that verse, Matthew Chapter 11 and let's read and consider
something else Jesus says because I only quoted the first
part of that verse, John Chapter 11, verse 11.
Jesus says assuredly I say to you, among those born of women,
there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist.
Look at the next part. But he who is least in the
Kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
Do you know who Jesus is talking about there?
That's you, that's me, that's us.
And Jesus says, though he declared of John the Baptist to
be far greater than any, that we have the privilege of being
greater. Why?
How is that so? Because you and I, we have seen
and understood things about Jesus that that John couldn't or
didn't. John later would even question
and wonder about Jesus. Are you the one?
Remember he had those questions. And you and I, with hindsight,
with Christ's salvation at work in US, we've seen the need for
the suffering Saviour that Jesus came to die, and what we
remembered and celebrated last weekend, that before Jesus would
come as the conquering glorious King, he would must first be a
suffering Saviour. But the path to that is through
the cross, through his death and through his resurrection 3 days
later. And what a privilege then you
and I now enjoy in understanding and in knowing that John's life
says that God specialises in using the unconventional.
So what wilderness has God placed you in?
And who in your world right now needs to hear a clear,
unpolished call to get ready for Jesus, because He is coming very
soon. Clear the path in your own heart
tonight and help others do the same.
Let's move ahead to our second consideration, the
uncompromising message. We see that in verses 7 to 12.
I'll read all of those verses now and come back and deal with
a few key phrases and components out of that.
Excuse me, but when he saw many of the Pharisees verse 7 and
Sadducees coming in His baptism, He said to them, brood of
Vipers, that's a pretty welcoming message.
Who warn you to flee from the wrath to come, therefore bear
fruits worthy of repentance. And do not think to say to
yourselves, verse 9, we have Abraham as our father.
For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to
Abraham from these stones. And even now the axe is laid to
the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does
not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Verse 11 Indeed I baptise you with water unto repentance.
But he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I
am not worthy to carry. He will baptise you with the
Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in his hand
and he will thoroughly clean out his threshing floor and gather
his wheat into the barn. He will burn up the chaff
unquenchable fire. John didn't soften his words for
the VIP section, verse 7 in his group, Pharisees, Sadducees,
religious leaders travel down from Jerusalem to come and hear
what is going on. And perhaps word has travelled
there. Have you heard of what's
happening out in the wilderness of this, this guy and he's
preaching this message and he's dressed like this and he looks
like that. And, and, and so they, they come
on down and, and maybe they came to listen, perhaps initially,
but perhaps to argue as well. And he challenges them.
And these Pharisees, the Pharisees were part of the
religious group. They were the legalistic
conservatives. We'll see a lot more of them
through our journey through the Gospel of Matthew.
And they prided themselves on keeping every detail of the law.
The Sadducees, interestingly, were another group in the
religious leadership who were at odds with the Pharisees.
And yet now they seem to come together with this common enemy
in John the Baptist, and later on they'll be doing the same
with Jesus. And the Sadducees were more of
the the wealthy kind of liberal aristocrats who ran the temple.
They denied the resurrection and they controlled the money and
the power. As I say, they typically hated
each other, but they came together to check out this
desert phenomenon. And John?
John looks both groups in the eye, calls them a nest of
rattlesnakes. Slytherin away from a grass fire
that's about to consume them and he doesn't let them hide behind
their pedigree. In verse 9, he says do not think
to say to yourselves we have Abraham as our father.
You see, ancestry meant nothing when it came to repentance.
God, John says, could raise up children from Abraham from these
very stones, and there's plenty of them out there in the
wilderness. Even Gentiles could be raised
up. And the axe, John says, is
already at the trees ready to chop them down, and every tree
not bearing good fruit will be cut and thrown into the fire.
And John's message was simple and urgent, and they heard it
and received it. Going back.
Verse 2, Repent. For the Kingdom of heaven is at
hand. Repent.
The language of Matthew, it's in the Greek Methanoa.
Perhaps you're familiar with it. It's not about just feeling
sorry to repent. Oh, I'm sorry.
I'm sorry, though that's a part of it.
It's a complete change of mind, a change of direction away from
the course that you thought was right and the direction that you
thought you should be going for your life and instead turning
unto God, away from your sin and turning to God and His Holiness.
And that's why John here is baptising in the Jordan.
Jewish baptism had elements for Gentiles in converting to
baptism. It was also a purpose for ritual
cleansing and something that was practised after defilement.
But here John was calling Jews to repent and be baptised as a
public sign of heart change. And he pointed ahead to Jesus.
Verse 11 we read again that says, I indeed baptise you with
water unto repentance. But he who is coming after me,
Jesus is mightier than I, whose sandals I'm not worthy to carry,
and he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 3 baptisms
in one verse, water baptism for repentance.
The baptism of the Holy Spirit we see in the book of Acts to
unite believers into Christ's body, that identification that
we're also a part of, and the baptism of fire, of this
unquenchable judgement that would consume the chaff as it
separated from the wheat. You see, genuine faith, genuine
repentance, turning unto God produces fruit life change.
And John wasn't impressed with the religious credentials,
particularly of the Pharisees and the Sadducees or their
outward appearances. Well, they had the guard, they
had the paraphernalia, they had all of the the head knowledge
and could could quote scripture. They had the religious activity.
They were respected in their positions, but no real
repentance going on in their hearts.
These men trusted in their heritage.
We have Abraham as our father, and John cut straight to the
heart, bear fruit. In keeping with repentance and
using nature as a metaphor, he says that a tree can look
healthy, can have all of the appearance of being vibrant, a
strong trunk, luscious leaves, full branches.
But if it produces no fruit, John says, it's useless.
And the farmer has his axe handy.
And John warned, even now the axe is laid to the root of the
trees. It's a pivotal moment in the
time of Israel. Therefore every tree which does
not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
It doesn't mince his words. John, you know likewise, you and
I, we can have the tendency to trust in something other than
Jesus, our family, church membership, our moral track
record, our achievements, our finances.
And John's rebuke here exposes not only the self righteousness
of the Pharisees and the Sadducees, but any of us who
cling to anything other than Jesus.
And the question presses in for us to consider in this, the
uncompromising message is just as real tonight as it was back
then. Is there evidence of real
transformation in our lives? Are we growing in holiness,
becoming more like Christ? Or are we maintaining a
religious appearance on the outside while our heart remains
unchanged from within? And what John preaches and would
remind you and I tonight is this, that repentance that
produces no fruit is no real repentance at all.
Where is God maybe pressing in your heart now?
What sin have you excused or delayed dealing with?
Have you brought it to Jesus? Have you confessed it to Him?
Look honestly at the fruit in our life.
Are we turning away from sin in tangible ways?
And on the flip side are a Lovejoy, peace, patience, self
control the fruits of the Spirit growing in our lives.
Ask the Holy Spirit to produce what you cannot manufacture on
your own. The same Jesus who baptises with
the Spirit is ready to empower you and I for a life that bears
lasting fruit. So John's message rings true
tonight. But here's the good news.
Lastly, the unparalleled Saviour.
We all need Jesus and Jesus comes.
Verse 13. Then Jesus came.
Oh man, I love that. Then Jesus came from Galilee,
it's been up in the north, Nazareth.
Later we'll see the majority of his time in the area of
Capernaum. But now he travels down to John
the Jordan to be baptised by him.
And John tried to prevent him, saying I need to be baptised by
you and are you coming to me? But Jesus answered and said to
him, Permit it to be sown now, for thus it is fitting for us to
fulfil all righteousness. And he allowed him stop there.
Jesus had no sin to repent of. So why was Jesus here baptised?
Why was he coming to John here? And John's been preaching of
repentance and of the need for baptism as a consequence For
that. Firstly, consider Jesus was
identifying fully with sinners, stepping into the place that you
and I, we deserve to stand. Second, Jesus own words, he's
obeying the Father perfectly, fulfilling all righteousness
where we have failed. And 3rd in this moment, moving
forward, going down into the water pictured Jesus coming,
death, the picture Jesus rising out in his resurrection.
And even here at the start of Jesus ministry, Jesus was
already moving towards the cross.
That's his focus, that's his goal.
What we just came out of last weekend celebrating and
remembering when he had been baptised.
Verse 16, Jesus came up immediately from the water and
behold the heavens were open to him.
He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and a
lighting upon him. Suddenly a voice came from
heaven saying, this is my beloved son in whom I am well
pleased. Wow, what a scene, what a
moment. The entire Trinity showed up,
God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, and this is
God's authenticating seal at the commencement of Jesus ministry.
And it's this most impressive testimony and declaration to all
and to you and I. The sun in the water, the Spirit
as a dove, the Father, a voice speaking from heaven declaring
truth. And the same three persons who
are present at creation are now present at the launching of
redemption here on earth. The Father's words would echo
those spoken at the transfiguration.
This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.
The sinless Son of God humbled himself to stand in the sinner's
place. And the voice that spoke the the
world into being into existence now speaks pleasure over his
Son. This is my beloved Son, the
Father said of Jesus. And the Spirit who hovered over
the waters at the beginning of creation in Genesis, now
descends like a gentle dove. This is the God who saves
Father, Son and Holy Spirit, working together for your
rescue, for my rescue. Have you identified with Jesus,
the baptism being a practise, a part of your experience as a
believer, as a Christian? And baptism is that beautiful
picture. We were able to celebrate some
three weeks ago, 15 people being baptised down there at the beach
and just hearing of God being at work in their lives, of publicly
declaring that I'm identifying with Jesus Christ, that just as
Jesus was baptised, now I'm being baptised and the symbolism
of what Jesus went through, of him having died in my place and
rising again three days later, later, I am now coming out of
the water, a brand new creation. Behold, old things have passed
away, all things have become new and I make that public
declaration before all. Have you done that?
Have you repented in your heart? Have you trusted in Jesus the
Lamb of God, as John would declare about him who takes away
the sin of the world? If you have, then live like it,
and many of you have. I know that to be true.
So daily identifying with Jesus in his death by saying I am dead
to sin. Romans chapter 6 And now I am
alive in him, in his resurrection.
I have new life. I'm no longer mastered by sin.
I have the freedom and the liberty to say no.
And the power of Jesus is available to me to pursue the
things of God. And if you've already trusted
Christ tonight, then hear this John.
John was the voice preparing the way for Jesus first coming
today. Jesus has given that same
privilege for you and I with respect to His Second Coming in
the Great Commission our risen King commands us.
Let me read it to you. Go, therefore make disciples of
all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of
the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all
that I have commanded you. Matthew 2819 to 20.
And so just as John called people to repentance back then
and to be baptised in preparation for the king, repent
for the Kingdom is at hand. You and I, we are now called to
go and to make disciples and to baptise and to teach and to
clear the the spiritual obstacles in in people's hearts
and to prepare the way for them to meet Jesus.
For Jesus is coming soon. And who in your world has God
called you to reach? Who needs to hear the same
urgent message? Repent, for the Kingdom of
heaven is at hand. Will you be a voice crying in
the wilderness, pointing people to the Lamb who takes away the
sin of the world? I pray and hope it to be so well
John the Baptist as we close and finish Matthew chapter 3.
He was unconventional, uncompromising in his message,
and utterly focused on Jesus. He prepared the way he
confronted sin, and then he stepped aside so that the
spotlight would fall on Jesus. It was John the Baptist who said
of Jesus that he must increase. Prior to that he said about
himself, I must decrease. 2000 years later the same king is
coming again, and soon. The question is, Are you ready?
And Matthew 3 leaves us with this very clear message.
The king has come, the Kingdom is near, and the call remains.
Repent, receive the King, bear fruit.
To summarise, if you forget anything else about tonight, let
me try and wrap it all up succinctly before we finish.
Get ready for King Jesus by repenting of sin, bearing real
fruit in your life and fully identifying with the humble
Saviour who has already identified with you, and then
join him in preparing others for his soon return.
Some heard John's message and responded with confession and
changed lives. Others resisted, especially
those who thought they were already fine.
And that same tension exists today.
But let me ask you honestly, are you prepared or just familiar?
Are you transformed or just informed?
Are you bearing fruit or just leaves?
God has done everything necessary.
He sent the messenger, John the Baptist.
He sent the Son, Jesus the Christ.
He has opened the way and now the response is yours.
The King has come. Prepare your heart today and
help prepare others hearts that don't yet know him.
Let's pray our Father God in heaven, You are the great God
and Lord above all. There is no one, no thing that
can compare to you. And we're so grateful and
thankful, Jesus, that you came, that you died in our place, that
you rose again, that you defeated our sin.
But now in repentance, we can come to you and we can
experience and enjoy forgiveness and freedom from sin and your
resurrection power at work in our lives as you sanctify us.
And ultimately, you will glorify us as we're fully and completely
transformed. And until that time, may we,
Holy Spirit, with your help, be faithful to declare the good
news of Jesus the Christ, for it is a message that needs to be
heard in the wilderness, in the streets, in our homes, in our
workplaces, amongst our friends, in our schools, everywhere that
we find ourselves. May we be messengers of you,
Lord Jesus Christ. And now God, I thank you for
each person here. I pray that you would pour out
your grace and your mercy abundantly upon them.
Bless them not only for being here tonight, but for desiring
to seek you more, to receive and hear from your Word and help us
to live it. And to apply this we pray in
Jesus mighty name God's people said Amen, Amen.
Just to know you.