Prepare His Way Series

Matthew 3:1-12. [3:1] In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, [2]"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." [3] For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.'" [4] Now John wore a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. [5] Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, [6]and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. [7] But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? [8] Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. [9] And do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father,' for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. [10] Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. [11]"I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. [12] His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire." (ESV)

Before people meet for Christmas gatherings, it is not uncommon to send out an R.S.V.P. to determine who is coming. The host declares that there will be a party at such and such a time, and such and such a location. You tend to know generally who else is coming and what to do to prepare. This message is really a herald to proclaim the event and prepare for the arrival of guests.

In ancient times it was common for a herald to precede the arrival of the monarch, to announce his coming and to prepare for his safe and proper travel. With a group of servants, the herald would make sure that the roadway was as smooth and uncluttered as possible. Holes would be filled, rocks and debris would be removed, and unsightly litter would be burned or hidden. As the group traveled along and worked, the herald would proclaim the king’s coming to everyone he encountered. His twofold duty was to proclaim and to prepare. That is what John’s ministry did for God’s great King, Jesus Christ.

As we approach the Christmas season, we have this duty as well. Amidst all the generic and non-descript trappings, we need to proclaim who is coming and prepare ourselves and others to meet Him.

To Prepare the Way for the arrival of Christ, John the Baptist presented two things. He was calling for people to prepare for the coming of Christ, first in preparing for 1) His Ministry (Matthew 3:1-6) and 2) His Message (Matthew 3:7-12) in pointing to the coming King.

In Order to Prepare for the Coming of Christ, we need to prepare for:

1) His Ministry (Matthew 3:1-6).

In verses 1-6, Matthew focuses on the role of John the Baptist in regard to a) The Man (v.1), b) Message (v.2), c) Message (v.2) d) Motive (v.2-3), e) The Manner (v.4), all involved with f) The Ministry (v.5-6). We first see The Man himself. The time reference indicated with the phrase: “Now in those days” serves as a transition between chapters 2 and 3. It was a common literary phrase, indicating the general time in which the events being described occurred. The date at which he appeared is stated, in Luke 3:1, to have been “in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Cæsar; i.e. between August, A.D. 28, and August, A.D. 29” (The Pulpit Commentary: St. Matthew Vol. I. 2004 (H. D. M. Spence-Jones, Ed.) (66–67). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.).

John the Baptist was in Matthew’s day already well known as the forerunner of Jesus the Messiah (cf Acts 13:24; 19:4) (Hagner, D. A. (2002). Vol. 33A: Word Biblical Commentary : Matthew 1-13. Word Biblical Commentary (45). Dallas: Word, Incorporated.). Popular Jewish expectation anticipated a messianic forerunner. Deuteronomy 18:18, speaking of the prophet like Moses to whom all Israel should listen, became a seminal text in the development of this expectation. Some expected a literal Elijah to return from heaven, based on Mal 4:5. John comes fitting no one stereotype but fulfilling a variety of prophetic roles and themes (Blomberg, C. (2001). Vol. 22: Matthew (electronic ed.). Logos Library System; The New American Commentary (72). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.).