Focus:
kjv@Revelation:14:12 @ Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
(
FaithOfJesus thread begun by r
RandyP )
Today's Verse:
kjv@Matthew:3:1-12
kjv@Matthew:3:1 @ In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
kjv@Matthew:3:2 @ And saying, Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
kjv@Matthew:3:3 @ For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias (Isaiah), saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
kjv@Matthew:3:4 @ 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.
kjv@Matthew:3:5 @ Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,
kjv@Matthew:3:6 @ And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.
kjv@Matthew:3:7 @ 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?
kjv@Matthew:3:8 @ Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance;
kjv@Matthew:3:9 @ 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.
kjv@Matthew:3:10 @ 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.
kjv@Matthew:3:11 @ 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;
kjv@Matthew:3:12 @ 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.
Today's notes:
Context:
- Before - One Herod becomes three
- After - becometh us to fulfill all righteousness
What is man believing/doing?:
- John - preaching, calling to repentance and baptizing.
- citizens - confessing repenting
- Pharisees - investigating claims
What is making man to believe/do as he is doing?:
- John - anointing of Spirit to prepare way of the "promise one". Concern over present pastoral leadership's ability and intention and duplicity.
- public - awareness of national condition and remembrance of previous revivals, the hint of citizens taking religious matters into their own hands via this unauthorized means.
- Pharisees/Sadducee - inquiry into the source of John's authority
Notes:
How many of these repentant individuals were later repentant in the manner Jesus meant for it? It is likely that the repentance/baptism for the first alleviated the sense of need for the second or that the expectation placed around "kingdom now" was disappointed by the much different "kingdom is like" and "first Christ must suffer" details provided by Jesus.
Preparation of the Lord's way may better refer to the harding of many hearts. The mass heart may have to harden in order for the individual's to be truthfully broken through by it's redeemer.
Key Messages:
What does this say about our present condition?
- repentance for us is often better defined as remorse and not change of course, more people are willing to symbolically perform the one but not the other. It is also fairly easy to be critical of the course of the nation and be sanctimoniously judgmental presumably on God's behalf, be repentant as a means of showing/convincing others to do the same.
- Kingdom of Heaven is at hand means 100,000 different things to 100,000 different people. Expectations are placed upon what it is, what it looks like, what form it takes, where each person fits within that, etc... The kingdom is correctly centered as John's platform message, however the present state of listeners have very little conception of what is being spoken of spiritually, therefore the repentance and baptism being represented here is the sum of their multiplicity of vain un-centered expectation.
Further Resources:
Comment Board:Matthew:3:1-12
index:FAITHOFJESUSDEVOTION - Devotional Index
strkjv@Matthew:3:1-12 rwp@Matthew:3:1-12 mhcc@Matthew:3:1-12
FaithOfJesus2 - Devotion Index
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