Matthew 3,4

January 2, 2011

Matthew 3,4
Overview:  John the Baptist preparing the way for Jesus in the Judean wilderness.  John baptizes Jesus.  Jesus goes into the wilderness where he is tempted by the devil.  Jesus begins his public ministry, calls a few disciples and begins working around the Galilee region.

Chapter 3 verse 1 announces that John "appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming 'Repent for the kingdom of heaven has come near.'"  Was reading from my William Barclay Daily Devotional book today and Barclay was working on John.  He identified three reasons that John had such great impact.  1)  "He was a man who lived his message."  2) "His message was effective because he told people what in their hearts they knew and brought them what in the depths of their souls they were waiting for." 3) "He was completely humble."  All good insights.
I like the way John "appears".  Certainly he didn't spring up out of nothing, but it reads like a movie unfolding.  One can visualize the camera focused on a spot in the wilderness from way back and then slowly moving in to reveal the figure of John. 
I love the account of Jesus in the wilderness for a couple of reasons.  First, I think it is an essential experience for Jesus at exactly that moment.  Jesus has been baptized.  Jesus has not yet begun his public ministry.  He faces these temptations in this direct confrontation with the tempter and it galvanizes him for whatever lies ahead as he goes about the work he has been sent to do.  Second, it can't be overstated how instructive it is that Jesus meets each temptation with Scripture.  The message to us to be familiar with Scripture so that we can draw on it when needed is abundantly clear.
In 4:17 Jesus speaks the same words we encountered earlier from John, "Repent, for the kindom of heaven has come near."  Has.  Not will.  Has.  It has the effect of dramatically announcing that Jesus public ministry has sprung into motion.  Jesus is on the move.  The kingdom has come near.
Any comments that any who are sharing this journey have on the passage are more then welcome - I'd love for this to be interactive.