The Gospels · New Testament

Matthew 3

Matthew 3: John preaches in the wilderness and baptizes Jesus

General context

John the Baptist preaches in the wilderness of Judea and calls for repentance because the kingdom of heaven is at hand. The narrator identifies him with a saying of the prophet Esaias about a voice crying in the wilderness, then describes his camel's hair clothing, leather belt, and food of locusts and wild honey. People from Jerusalem, Judea and the Jordan region come and are baptized, confessing their sins. Seeing Pharisees and Sadducees arrive, John calls them a generation of vipers, tells them to bring fruit fit for repentance, warns them not to rely on Abraham as father, and says the axe is already at the root. He contrasts his own water baptism with one coming after him who is mightier and who will baptize with the Holy Ghost and with fire, and describes a fan, a floor, a garner and burning chaff. Jesus comes from Galilee to be baptized. John objects, Jesus answers that it is fitting to fulfil all righteousness, and John consents. After the baptism the heavens open, the Spirit of God descends like a dove, and a voice from heaven speaks of a beloved Son.

Cited passages: Matthew 3:1, Matthew 3:2, Matthew 3:3, Matthew 3:4, Matthew 3:5, Matthew 3:6, Matthew 3:7, Matthew 3:8, Matthew 3:9, Matthew 3:10, Matthew 3:11, Matthew 3:12, Matthew 3:13, Matthew 3:14, Matthew 3:15, Matthew 3:16, Matthew 3:17

Matthew 3 (KJV)

¹In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,

²And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

³For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

⁴And 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.

⁵Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,

⁶And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.

⁷But 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?

⁸Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

⁹And 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.

¹⁰And 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.

¹¹I 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:

¹²Whose 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.

¹³Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.

¹⁴But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?

¹⁵And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.

¹⁶And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:

¹⁷And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

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Historical context

The narrator, not John, applies the Esaias saying to him. Matthew prints it as The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight, while Isaiah 40:3 reads The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God, so the second half differs. The chapter names two groups coming to the baptism, Pharisees and Sadducees, and says nothing further about what distinguishes them. John does not name the one coming after him; he describes him only as mightier. At the baptism the narrator writes that the heavens were opened unto him and that he saw the Spirit descending, and does not say who else saw it. The voice speaks in the third person, This is my beloved Son, rather than addressing the one baptized. No date, ruler or season is given for these events, only the phrase In those days.

Cited passages: Matthew 3:1, Matthew 3:3, Isaiah 40:3, Matthew 3:7, Matthew 3:11, Matthew 3:13, Matthew 3:16, Matthew 3:17

Literary context

John's speech runs on two images, growing things and fire. Fruit is demanded, stones are set against descent from Abraham, an axe stands at the root, and every fruitless tree goes into the fire. The threshing picture then repeats the fire with a fan, a floor, a garner and unquenchable fire, so the word fire closes three consecutive verses of his address. The chapter turns on a reversal. The preacher who has just told a crowd to repent tries to refuse the one who comes to him, and the exchange is settled in a single sentence from Jesus. The last word belongs to neither man. After the two of them stop speaking, the narrator gives the open heavens, the descending dove and the voice, and the chapter ends there.

Cited passages: Matthew 3:8, Matthew 3:9, Matthew 3:10, Matthew 3:11, Matthew 3:12, Matthew 3:14, Matthew 3:15, Matthew 3:16, Matthew 3:17

Key moments

The call to repent (Matthew 3:2). John preaches repentance because the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Camel's hair and locusts (Matthew 3:4). The narrator describes John's clothing, belt and food.
Generation of vipers (Matthew 3:7). John addresses arriving Pharisees and Sadducees with a warning of coming wrath.
A mightier one coming (Matthew 3:11). John contrasts his water baptism with a baptism with the Holy Ghost and with fire.
John's objection (Matthew 3:14). John says he needs to be baptized by Jesus rather than the reverse.
The Spirit descends (Matthew 3:16). The heavens open and the Spirit of God descends like a dove.
The voice from heaven (Matthew 3:17). A voice from heaven speaks of a beloved Son in whom it is well pleased.

For reflection

John says the one coming after him is mightier, and then objects when that one asks to be baptized. What does his objection add to the reader's sense of the scene at the Jordan?