START OF JESUS MINISTRY
Matthew 3 covers two major events: the "street preaching" of John the Baptist and the baptism of Jesus. Think of this chapter as the official "Grand Opening" of Jesus’ public ministry.
The Wild Man in the Wilderness (3:1–6)
The scene opens with John the Baptist preaching in the desert of Judea. He wasn't your typical polished speaker; he wore clothes made of itchy camel hair, a leather belt, and ate locusts and wild honey.
His Message: Was "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near!"
"Repent" basically means to do a U-turn—to change your mind and direction. He was telling people that God was about to do something big, and they needed to get their hearts ready.
Matthew points out that John Is the one that the prophet Isaiah talked about hundreds of years earlier—the "voice calling in the wilderness" to clear the way for the Lord.
We see that John Rebukes the Religious Leaders (3:7–12)
A bunch of Pharisees and Sadducees (the religious elite) came to see what John was doing. John didn’t roll out the red carpet; he called them a "brood of vipers."
He warned them that being "children of Abraham" (having the right family tree) wasn't enough to save them.
Then Matthew uses A Metaphor: He used farming imagery, saying that an axe is already at the root of the trees. If a tree doesn’t produce good fruit, it gets chopped down.
John clarifies that while he baptizes with water for repentance, someone much more powerful is coming. John says he isn’t even worthy to carry this person’s sandals. He predicts this New Leader will baptize with "the Holy Spirit and fire."
Jesus Gets Baptized (3:13–17)
Jesus travels from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. This creates a bit of an awkward moment.
John hesitates: John tries to talk Jesus out of it, saying, "I should be baptized by you, so why are you coming to me?" John knew Jesus didn't have sins to repent for.
The Reason: Jesus responds that it must be done to "fulfill all righteousness." Essentially, Jesus was identifying with humanity and setting the example for what was to come.
As soon as Jesus comes up out of the water, three things happen:
The heavens open up.
The Spirit of God descends like a dove and rests on Him.
A voice from heaven says: "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."
Why Does this matters
This establishes Jesus’ credentials. It moves Him from being a carpenter's son in a small town to being publicly endorsed by both the greatest prophet of the time and God Himself.
While Matthew 3 doesn't use the specific title "High Priest" (that’s the focus of the Book of Hebrews), the events at the Jordan River are exactly where Jesus is "ordained" for that role.
In the Old Testament, a High Priest wasn't just hired; they had to be washed, anointed, and recognized. Here is how Matthew 3 functions as Jesus’ "installation ceremony" for His priesthood:
The Ritual Washing (The Baptism)
You see Under the Law of Moses (Exodus 29), before a priest could begin his service in the Tabernacle, he had to be washed with water. By insisting that John baptize Him, Jesus wasn't "washing away sin" (since He had none); He was undergoing the formal washing required to begin His priestly work.
2. The Anointing (The Holy Spirit)
Old Testament priests were anointed with oil to show they were set apart by God. In Matthew 3:16, we see the "New Testament" version of this:
Instead of olive oil poured by a human, the Holy Spirit descends from heaven.
This was Jesus "anointing" to act as the mediator between God and man.
The Public Validation (The Father's Voice)
A High Priest had to be called by God, not just self-appointed. When the voice from heaven says, "This is my Son," it is God the Father publicly "hiring" Jesus for the job in front of the crowd.
Why the "Last" High Priest?
The reason we call Him the last or ultimate High Priest is based on a few key differences from the old system:
The Old Priests Jesus (The Last High Priest)
Had to offer sacrifices for their own sins first. Had no sin; His sacrifice was pure.
Offered animal blood that had to be repeated yearly. Offered His own blood once and for all.
Eventually died, and a new priest took over. Lives forever to advocate for people.
By being baptized, Jesus was "filling the requirements." He had to be "made like His brothers" in every way so that He could represent us perfectly. He stepped into the water as a man to eventually step into the presence of God as our representative.
The Book of Hebrews is essentially the "Instruction Manual" for how Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament system. It explains that while the old high priests were a shadow of what was to come, Jesus is the solid reality.
Here are the three most important ways Hebrews describes Jesus as our Great High Priest:
1. He Understands Our Struggle (Hebrews 4:14–16)
One of the most comforting points made in Hebrews is that Jesus isn't a "distant" priest. Because He lived as a human (and was baptized among sinners in Matthew 3), He knows what it’s like to be us.
The Verse: "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin."
The Result: Because He "gets it," we are told we can approach God's throne with boldness rather than fear.
Now we A Better Covenant (Hebrews 8:1–6)
In the old days, the High Priest worked in a physical tent (Which was the Tabernacle) or a stone Temple. Hebrews argues that Jesus is a minister in the "true tabernacle" in heaven.
We needed an Upgrade: The old system was based on rules and animal sacrifices that could never actually change a person's heart.
The Result: Jesus mediates a "better covenant" because He writes God's laws on our minds and hearts, not just on stone tablets.
Jesus was our"Once and For All" Sacrifice (Hebrews 10:11–14)
In the Old Testament, the priest's job was never done. They stood day after day, offering the same sacrifices.
Type of Offering Frequency Animals per Year 40-Year Total (Approx.)
Daily (Tamid) 2 lambs per day 730 lambs 29,200
Sabbath 2 extra lambs 104 lambs 4,160
New Moon Monthly (Bulls/Rams/Lambs) ~132 animals 5,280
Annual Feasts Passover, Shavuot, etc. ~150 animals 6,000
Feast of Tabernacles 8-day festival ~200 animals 8,000
TOTAL ~52,600+
Hebrews 10:12 says, "But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God."
The Significance: In the ancient Temple, there were no chairs. Why? Because a priest's work was never finished. Jesus sitting down is a powerful symbol that the "bill has been paid" in full.
Let’s look at the Comparison of the Priesthoods
Feature Levite Priests (Old System) Jesus (Last High Priest)
Access Only the High Priest, once a year. Everyone, anytime.
Sacrifice Bulls and goats (temporary). Himself (permanent).
Succession Many priests (because they died). One Priest (lives forever).
Effect Covered sin. Removed sin.
By being baptized in Matthew 3, Jesus "signed up" for the job. By dying and rising again, He "completed" the job. Now, Hebrews says, He lives forever to intercede (speak up) for us.
The story of Melchizedek is one of the most fascinating "mysteries" in the Bible. He appears for only three verses in Genesis, vanishes for a thousand years, and then becomes the key to explaining why Jesus is the ultimate High Priest.
Here is why Melchizedek is so important to the "Last High Priest" conversation:
You see The Problem was: Jesus Wasn't a Levite
In the Old Testament, you could only be a priest if you were from the Tribe of Levi. But Jesus was from the Tribe of Judah (the royal line of King David).
Legally, under the old Law, Jesus couldn't be a priest.
This is where Hebrews points back to Melchizedek to show there is a "higher" kind of priesthood that predates the Law of Moses.
Who was Melchizedek? (Genesis 14)
Long before Moses or the Law existed, Abraham met a man named Melchizedek.
His Name: Means "King of Righteousness."
His Title: He was the King of Salem (which means "Peace").
His Role: He was both a King and a Priest of the Most High God.
I want you to see Abraham gave him a tenth (a tithe) of everything, and Melchizedek blessed Abraham.
Why Jesus is "In the Order of Melchizedek"
The Book of Hebrews (Chapter 7) explains that Jesus’ priesthood is patterned after Melchizedek’s for three main reasons:
King + Priest: In Israel, you were either a King (Judah) or a Priest (Levi). You couldn't be both. But Melchizedek was both. Jesus, as the "King of Kings" and our "High Priest," combines these two roles perfectly.
No Beginning or End: Genesis doesn't list Melchizedek’s birth or death. Hebrews uses this as a "type" or a symbol to show that Jesus’ priesthood doesn't depend on a family tree—it is eternal.
Since Abraham (the great-grandfather of Levi) gave tithes to Melchizedek, it shows Melchizedek’s priesthood is "greater" than the Levitical priesthood that came later.
The Final "Switch"
Hebrews 7:12 says something bold: "For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed also."
Because Jesus is a priest like Melchizedek—eternal, sinless, and appointed directly by God’s oath—the old system of animal sacrifices is officially retired. Jesus didn't just join the line of priests; He became the end of the line by being the perfect one.
I want you to see the difference between the two
Feature Order of Levi (Aaron) Order of Melchizedek (Jesus)
Source Based on Ancestry/DNA Based on God’s Appointment
Duration Temporary (until death) Eternal (lives forever)
Requirement Animal Sacrifices Self-Sacrifice
Scope For the Nation of Israel For the Entire World
So we see this is how Jesus started his ministry.
