Sermon Tone Analysis

Sermon

Good morning and welcome back!

This morning we are going to be continuing our Journey Through Matthew, looking at chapter three.

If you would like to start finding it in your Bible, we are going to be in this morning.

If you have been keeping up, you will know that we started this journey last week and we primarily looked at the time right before Jesus’ birth and then the first few years after his birth.

And the main focus last week was really to establish Jesus’ divinity as the Messiah by looking at the early events and how they coincided with many of the prophecies about the coming Messiah.

And we saw how every single one of them were fulfilled.

And when I say they were fulfilled, I am not talking about some loose fulfillment that is sort of ambiguous in that it could have or could have not been the Messiah.

No, these were very specific prophecies and Jesus fulfilled them in a very specific way.

There really is no question as to whether or not Jesus is who he later claimed to be.

This morning though we are going to move forward and chapter three serves somewhat as a transitional point in the Scripture.

Now, that does not mean that the prophecies about Jesus ended in chapter two, but rather the focus is now going to shift to Jesus’ earthy ministry.

In fact, right off the bat in chapter three we see the fulfillment of another prophecy with the coming of John the Baptist . . .

Matthew 3:1-

Further evidence that John was the one that Isaiah spoke of is actually John’s appearance in addition to his message . . .

Matthew 3:4-

His appearance was important because he bore a very striking resemblance to Elijah, who was the one that for centuries the Jews had thought would return to announce the coming of the Messiah.

And another thing that John did that was very similar to Elijah, was the tone of his message.

Remember in the opening verses it says . . .

Matthew 3:1-

And when we think back to Elijah, and all the other prophets what was their central message?

It was always for Israel to repent because God’s judgment is imminent.

This is really no different from what John is saying.

John’s primary audience was the Jews but the reality is that all people need to repent because God’s kingdom is imminent.

They did not know when or how but John knew things were close and that the only way to avoid God’s judgment was repentance.

And God’s kingdom is even closer now.

So he preached it loud and clear and we should do the same thing.

And people responded . . .

Matthew 3:

And John’s actions here set the entire tone for what would become the central practice of Christianity.

And we sometimes miss the actual significance of what baptism is.

In John’s day, the Jews would use baptism as a way to accept Gentiles into the Jewish religion.

Baptism itself means “to dip” or “to plunge” and also means to “be drowned” or “to sink” and was often used to describe when a ship sank.

Josephus also used it to mean “to be flooded.”

So the term was a term that symbolized violence and death in one sense.

However, when Gentiles were baptized into the Jewish religion what it symbolized was their dedication to putting death their entire way of life when they went under the water but coming back up again, they were saying they had been raised to life in this new way of life, Judaism.

And it SHOULD mean the same thing for us as well.

People have this notion that baptism in itself saves a person.

It does not save us but only symbolizes our dedication that when Jesus saves us through the confession of our sins and repentance that Christ has put to death our old selves, our old way of life and we have been raised to a new life in Jesus Christ.

We have “put off the old man and put on the new.”

We have offered ourselves fully to God as the “living sacrifice.”

So, while baptism does not save us, it is a very significant confession to the world of who we now are.

It is our sign to the world that we are now part of God’s kingdom.

But here is the catch here.

The people coming to be baptized by John were not Gentiles wanting to enter the Jewish religion.

The Jews had a very long and drawn out process for someone to be baptized into Judaism.

These people were hearing John’s message and were coming to be baptized based on that message.

And his message was this . . .

Matthew 3:11-

John’s message was about Jesus.

John’s message was about the coming Messiah, who would save the world from its sins.

These people who were listening were Jews who were coming and repenting as a sign that they believed in the one who was to come.

As a sign that they were putting to death their old life and wanted to be part of this new life in the one to come.

The one who would baptize them with the Holy Spirit and fire.

The one who would endue them with power from on high.

And the reality was, they were saying that “our Jewish traditions are not enough.”

The Law and traditions could not save them, only the Messiah who was to come.

But not everyone was happy.

Not everyone thought what John was doing was proper.

Which should be no surprise.

Think about how they treated all the other prophets.

And apparently there had been some back and forth between the Pharisees, Sadducees, and John over his actions.

Because . . .

Matthew 3:

Not the most welcoming thing John could say.

He is basically calling them “snakes sprung from snakes” or “offspring of serpent.”

They were snakes and so were their fathers.

And of course the reference to serpents is a reference to the devil.

They were children of the devil in John’s mind.

He calls them out because they were not coming to repent, but rather they were coming to cause trouble.

And we see this in the church today as well.

From time to time there are people who wander in every church for no other reason than to cause trouble.

At first you try and give them the benefit of the doubt but there is something, a discerning that you know to be careful.

And sooner or later they reveal themselves and if their goal is to do nothing but cause trouble, you do just like John did, tell them to repent and call them out for what they are.

John goes on to tell them . . .

Matthew 3:8-

In other words he is saying, repent and bear fruit.

Let there be some evidence that you are following God.

Remember, Jesus tells us that “you will know them by their fruit.”

Which is another point for us.

Are we bearing any fruit?

The answer to that question is, we are.

But is the fruit good or is it rotten?

If we are not bearing good fruit for God then there is something wrong with our relationship with God.

So, ask yourself this morning what type of fruit you are bearing.

Also, listen to what John says here.

Your family heritage cannot save you.

Only Jesus can save you and only when you put your entire faith and trust in Jesus Christ.

Listen to what John says here.

Because the reality is, your traditions cannot save you.

Your family heritage cannot save you.

Only Jesus can save you and only when you put your entire faith and trust in Jesus Christ.

The Jews thought they had some special place with God and they got a pass on their sin because of it.

The reality is God is the creator of the universe and he could create people out of rocks if he wanted to.

Yes, God loves the children of Isreal.

Yes, God loves all creation.

But the reality is SIN separates us from God.

God wants a relationship with each and every one of us, but if we have unrepented sin WE ARE NOT GOD’S CHILD and we are doomed.

God’s children are those that belong to God’s kingdom.

And the only way into God’s kingdom is through Jesus and through repentance.