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¹³ “Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. ¹⁴ John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” ¹⁵ But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. ¹⁶ And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; ¹⁷ and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son,^[b] with whom I am well pleased.”(Matt. 3:13-17 ESV)

Matthew does not record for us the length of time between the narratives of Matt. 3:1-12 and today’s text. Eventually, Jesus came from Galilee in northern Israel and traveled south to the Jordan River Valley in order for John to baptize Him.

John was immediately reluctant to do so. He said, ““I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” John recognized that Jesus had no need for repentance. However, Jesus responded by saying, ““Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” What did Jesus mean by this statement?

“In order for all righteousness to be fulfilled, Jesus had to be identified with His people as the bearer of their sins (2 Cor. 5:21). Isaiah foretold that God’s righteousness servant would make ‘many to be accounted righteous’ as He was ‘numbered with the transgressors’ (Isaiah 53:11-12). Ultimately, John’s baptism points to Jesus, for only Jesus’ death on the cross, which He called a ‘baptism’ (Luke 12:50), can take away sins,” explains Dr. R. C. Sproul.  

It was at that moment that John consented and baptized Jesus. Matthew then stated, “And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; ¹⁷ and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son,^[b] with whom I am well pleased.”

The testimony from heaven, not only by the Holy Spirit but also God the Father confirmed Jesus Christ as the Messiah; the royal Son of God (Psalm 2:1-7; Ex. 4:22). Jesus was the Suffering Servant spoken of by Isaiah (Isaiah 42:1).

“God’s kingdom (His sovereign rule in salvation and judgment) is defined by His righteousness. Jesus teaches the perfect righteousness that God requires (Matt. 5:20, 48). He (Jesus) also secures God’s righteousness for sinners. His baptism points to His death as a ‘ransom for many’ (Matt. 20:28) and shows the perfect obedience in which he fulfills all righteousness (Jer. 23:5-6). Remission of sins and the gift of righteousness are received through faith in Jesus (Matt. 8:10; 23:23),” concludes Dr. Sproul.

Have you received the remission of your sins and the gift of righteousness by grace alone, through faith alone, in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone (John 1:12-13)? This is God’s gracious gift to sinners like you and me.

Soli deo Gloria!

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.” (Matthew 3:11-12 ESV)

John’s baptism was a baptism for repentance. Repentance (μετάνοια; metanoia) means a change within the inner man. It is God wrought change in the soul of the individual. Repentance may mean four things in Scripture.

First, repentance can refer to forsaking wickedness. Second, repentance may be synonymous with conversion. Third, repentance can refer to a way of life for the believer in Christ. Finally, repentance can refer to a time when a believer in Christ, or even a church, returns to God after a period of time of cold or lifeless faith.

Today’s text not only mentions John’s baptism of repentance but also two others; a baptism with/or by the Holy Spirit and with fire. In this preaching, John directed the crowd’s attention away from himself and placed it upon the coming Messiah; Jesus Christ. John strongly expressed that he was unworthy to carry Jesus’ sandals.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit involved those who God converts by grace alone, through faith alone in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone (I Cor. 12:13). The baptism of fire may well refer to the judgment of God upon unbelievers (Psalm 1:5-6).

The metaphor of the winnowing fork supports this concept of judgment, or separation. The winnowing fork was the tool farmers used for tossing grain so that the chaff was blown away (Matt. 13:24-30). Therefore, John was saying that the separation of the repentant from the unrepentant would begin with the advent of the Messiah.  

Believers in Christ are likened to wheat. Unbelievers are compared to the chaff that will be burned with fire. Chaff (ἄχυρον; achyron) is the dry, scaly protective casing of the seeds of cereal grains or similar fine, dry, scaly plant material. Chaff is indigestible by humans, but livestock can eat it. In agriculture it is used as livestock fodder, or is a waste material ploughed into the soil or burned.

I liken chaff to the residual dust in the air when farmers harvest their sow bean crops in northern Indiana. The beans are thrown into the truck containers but the chaff blows into the air.

The harvest has begun. Jesus is Lord of the harvest (Matt. 9:35-38).

Soli deo Gloria!

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.” (Matthew 3:11-12 ESV)

John’s baptism was a baptism for repentance. Repentance (μετάνοια; metanoia) means a change within the inner man. It is God wrought change in the soul of the individual. Repentance may mean four things in Scripture.

First, repentance can refer to forsaking wickedness. However, turning from one’s sins does not necessarily mean you turn to God.

Second, repentance may be synonymous with conversion. This is the sense in Isaiah 55:7 when the prophet announces that the wicked is to forsake his way and his evil thoughts. When such a man turns (repents) to the LORD, He will have mercy on him.

Third, repentance can refer to a way of life for the believer in Christ. For all believers, there is a gradual recognition of not only sins past, but also sins present. “If repentance is a way of life, we search for and then forsake out sins one by one, as the Spirit gives us grace to recognize them,” explains commentator Dr. Daniel M. Doriani.

Finally, repentance can refer to a time when a believer in Christ, or even a church, returns to God after a period of time of cold or lifeless faith. This is the sense when the Apostle John encouraged the Church at Ephesus to “Repent and do the things you did at first” (Rev. 2:4-5).  

“The symbolism of John’s baptism likely had its roots in OT purification rituals (cf. Lev. 15:13). Baptism had also long been administered to Gentile proselytes coming into Judaism. The baptism of John thus powerfully and dramatically symbolized repentance. Jews accepting John’s baptism were admitting they had been as Gentiles and needed to become the people of God genuinely, inwardly (an amazing admission, given their hatred of Gentiles). The people were repenting in anticipation of the Messiah’s arrival. The meaning of John’s baptism differs somewhat from Christian baptism (cf. Acts 18:25). Actually, Christian baptism altered the significance of the ritual, symbolizing the believer’s identification with Christ in his death, burial, and resurrection (Rom. 6:3–5; Col. 2:12),” explains Dr. John MacArthur.

“This passage calls us first to repent of our sins and to turn to God. It urges every man, woman, and child to be reconciled to God by repenting of sin and turning to Christ. The biblical message of repentance further summons every Christian to live a life of daily repentance. This applies both individually and corporately. Given the range and depth of our sins, penitence must be a way of life, for sin departs slowly,” explains Dr. Doriani.  

What sin do you need to repent of and to continually repent? Take the opportunity today to do so.

Soli deo Gloria!

4 I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave,¹ though he is the owner of everything, 2 but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. 3 In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles² of the world. 4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” (Galatians 4:1-5 ESV).

God sent His Son at the right moment in human history. God’s providential oversight of the events of the world directed and prepared peoples and nations for the incarnation and ministry of Christ; and for the proclamation of the Gospel.

Editor’s Note: The origin and author of The Man and the Birds Christmas Story is unknown.

The man I’m going to tell you about was not a scrooge, he was a kind decent, mostly good man. Generous to his family and upright in his dealings with other men. But he just didn’t believe in all of that incarnation stuff that the churches proclaim at Christmas time. It just didn’t make sense and he was too honest to pretend otherwise. He just couldn’t swallow the Jesus story, about God coming to Earth as a man.

He told his wife I’m truly sorry to distress you, but I’m not going with you to church this Christmas Eve. He said he would feel like a hypocrite and that he would much rather just stay at home, but that he would wait up for them. So he stayed and they went to the midnight service.

Shortly after the family drove away in the car, snow began to fall. He went to the window to watch the flurries getting heavier and heavier and then he went back to his fireside chair and began to read his newspaper.

Minutes later he was startled by a thudding sound. Then another … and then another. At first, he thought someone must be throwing snowballs against the living room window. But when he went to the front door to investigate he found a flock of birds huddled outside miserably in the snow. They’d been caught in the storm and in a desperate search for shelter they had tried to fly through his large landscape window. That is what had been making the sound.

Well, he couldn’t let the poor creatures just lie there and freeze, so he remembered the barn where his children stabled their pony. That would provide a warm shelter. All he would have to do is to direct the birds into the shelter.

Quickly, he put on a coat and galoshes and he tramped through the deepening snow to the barn. He opened the doors wide and turned on a light so the birds would know the way in. But the birds did not come in.

So, he figured that food would entice them. He hurried back to the house and fetched some bread crumbs. He sprinkled them on the snow, making a trail of bread crumbs to the yellow-lighted wide-open doorway of the stable. But to his dismay, the birds ignored the bread crumbs.

The birds continued to flap around helplessly in the snow. He tried catching them but could not. He tried shooing them into the barn by walking around and waving his arms. Instead, they scattered in every direction … every direction except into the warm lighted barn.

And that’s when he realized they were afraid of him. To them, he reasoned, I am a strange and terrifying creature. If only I could think of some way to let them know that they can trust me. That I am not trying to hurt them, but to help them. But how? Any move he made tended to frighten them and confuse them. They just would not follow. They would not be led or shooed because they feared him.

He thought to himself, if only I could be a bird and mingle with them and speak their language. Then I could tell them not to be afraid. Then I could show them the way to the safe warm … to the safe warm barn. But I would have to be one of them so they could see … and hear … and understand.

At that moment the church bells began to ring. The sound reached his ears above the sounds of the wind.

He stood there listening to the bells, Adeste Fidelis, listening to the bells pealing the glad tidings of Christmas.

And he sank to his knees in the snow … Merry Christmas.

Soli deo Gloria!

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.” (Matthew 3:7-10 ESV)

“If you please God, it does not matter who you displease. And if you displease Him, it does not matter who you please.” – Dr. Steven J. Lawson

It is apparent that John the Baptist was not an orator, like many actors in the ancient Greek theater. An orator was comparable to a motivational speaker or actor. Their purpose was/is to appeal to their audience. They are consumer driven. They seek applause and approval.

Contrast that with the herald. A herald was a servant/slave of a king or monarch. His responsibility was to faithfully announce the king’s edicts and commandments. The herald did not change the message in order to make it more acceptable by the audience. The herald was not audience driven in order to gain their acceptance. Rather, the herald was obedience driven for the king’s pleasure and approval.

John the Baptist was not an orator. He was God’s herald. Consequently, he did not care if the Pharisees and Sadducees hated him. John sought God’s approval and not theirs.

John attacked the Pharisees and Sadducees self-righteous confidence that because they were Jewish and generationally related to the Patriarch Abraham that God accepted them. National ancestry is insufficient for justification (Rom. 2:12-29).

“They (the Pharisees and Sadducees) believed that merely being descendants of Abraham, members of God’s chosen race, made them spiritually secure. But Abraham’s real descendants are those who share his faith (cf. Rom. 4:16). And “those of faith . . . are the sons of Abraham” (Gal. 3:7, 29),” explains Dr. John MacArthur. 

John continued by saying that those who do not repent of their sin, including the self-righteous and religious, are in imminent danger of God’s judgment. The image of an axe cutting down an unfruitful tree speaks of the Lord’s irreversible and imminent judgment upon the unrepentant.  

Have you repented of your sin in order to flee from the wrath of God (Romans 1:18-32)? Deliverance from sin’s penalty, power and eventual presence is only by grace alone, through faith alone, in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone. May the Lord grant to you not only repentance (2 Tim. 2:25), but also saving faith (Eph. 2:1-9).

Have a blessed day in the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!

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.” (Matthew 3:7-8 ESV)

John the Baptist confronted the hypocritical Pharisees and the Sadducees who came to him. He called them snakes. He also announced to them that they were facing the judgment of Almighty God.

John them commanded the religious leaders to “bear fruit in keeping with repentance.” What did this statement mean?

The command to bear (ποιέω; poieō) means to construct or accomplish something. What was to be accomplished was the bearing of spiritual fruit (καρπός; karpos). John used the word fruit to refer to the religious leaders’ actions, deeds, or works.

That this fruit John spoke of was godly in nature and behavior is found in the word repentance (μετάνοια; metanoia). Repentance meant a change within the inner soul of an individual. It meant to regret, and feel remorse for what one has done, or what has not been done but should have been.

Repentance, then and now, refers to a change of thinking, feeling and choosing regarding sin. True believers in Christ are to turn from their sin. Concurrently, they are also to turn to God with a trust in, commitment to, a dependence upon and a worship of Him alone through the person and work of Jesus Christ.  

“The call for repentance on the part of man is a call for him to return to his creaturely and covenant dependence upon God,” writes one commentator. “Repentance is not just a feeling sorry, or changing one’s mind, but as a turning around, a complete alteration of the basic motivation and direction of one’s life.”

This was why John demanded baptism as a sign of this repentance. Repentance was not only for obvious sinners, but also for the self-righteous Jews. John’s baptism was an act of turning from sin and placing oneself at the mercy of the Lord of heaven and earth (Matt. 3:1-2; Mark 1:4; Luke 3:1-8; Acts 13:24; 19:1-4). Like John, Jesus also called for sinners to repent of their sins (Matt. 4:17; 11:20; 12:41; Mark 1:15; Luke 5:32; 10:13; 11:32; 13:1-5; 15:1-10; 16:30; 17:1-3; 24:47). Their message was the same.

“Understandably, these Pharisees became concerned when John the Baptist came calling for all the Jews to be baptized for the forgiveness of sin (Mark 1:4). Surely at least some Jews, they thought, such as the Pharisees, would not need to be baptized because of their holiness. That explains why the Pharisees were associated with the group of people sent from Jerusalem to investigate John the Baptist’s practice. He would need divine authority to make such an audacious claim that even the Pharisees needed baptism (John 1:24–25),” explains Dr. R. C. Sproul.

Repentance is acknowledging that you do not have a claim upon God. It also means to submit yourself to God without excuse or attempted self-righteous justification (Luke 18:9-14).

Have you repented of your sins and by faith received Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord (John 1:12-13)? Are you evidencing your repentance by godly attitudes and behavior (Titus 2:11-13)?

Have a blessed day in the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!

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?”  (Matthew 3:7 ESV)

The common people flocked to see and hear John. They confessed their sins and submitted to his baptism of repentance (Matt. 3:4-6). But what about the religious leaders; the Pharisees and the Sadducees? How did they respond and react to John’s message and ministry? Who were the Pharisees and Sadducees?

The Pharisees were a fellowship of religious leaders who were popular with the common people and connected to local the synagogues. They originated approximately 150 B.C. Their chief characteristic was an adherence to extensive, extrabiblical traditions, which they rigorously obeyed as a means of applying the law to daily life. By adding to the Word of God, the were legalists.

The Sadducees were a small group who derived their authority from the activities of the temple. Like the Pharisees, they originated (173 B.C.) during the 400 silent years between the Old and New Testament. They carried out the priestly functions at Jerusalem’s temple and maintained the temple itself until Rome’s destruction of the temple in 70 A.D.

The Sadducees were removed from the common people by aristocratic and priestly influence as well as by their cooperation with Rome’s rule. They denied the existence of angels and the resurrection (Matt. 22:23; Acts 23:1-8). By taking away from God’s Word, the Sadducees were licentious.

“The Pharisees were a small (about 6,000), legalistic sect of the Jews who were known for their rigid adherence to the ceremonial fine points of the law. Their name means “separated ones.” Jesus’ interaction with the Pharisees was usually adversarial. He rebuked them for using human tradition to nullify Scripture (Matt. 15:3–9), and especially for rank hypocrisy (15:7–8; 22:18; 23:13, 23, 25, 29; Luke 12:1),” explains Dr. John MacArthur.  

“Unlike the Pharisees, the Sadducees rejected human tradition and scorned legalism. They accepted only the Pentateuch as authoritative. They tended to be wealthy, aristocratic members of the priestly tribe, and in the days of Herod their sect controlled the temple (see note on Matt. 2:4), though they were fewer in number than the Pharisees.”

Honestly, the Pharisees and Sadducees had little in common. Pharisees were ritualists; Sadducees were rationalists. Pharisees were legalists; Sadducees were liberals. Pharisees were separatists; Sadducees were compromisers and political opportunists. Yet, they united together in their hatred of Jesus Christ (Matt. 22:15–16, 23, 34–35).

John publicly addressed them as deadly snakes. The wrath to come was a particularly insulting rebuke to these Jewish leaders. Rather than acknowledging God’s wrath upon them, they imagined that divine wrath was reserved only for non-Jews.

Prior to your conversion to faith in Christ alone as Savior and Lord, with what group would you most associate yourself; the Pharisees or the Sadducees? Take time today to repent and confess any lingering legalism or license that either adds to, or takes away from, the Word of God.

Soli deo Gloria!  

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.” (Matthew 3:4-6 ESV)

One of the principles of proper, biblical interpretation is the maxim Scripture interprets Scripture. Therefore, the other three Gospels provide more information concerning John the Baptist; most notably the Gospel of Luke.

John was the son of the Jewish Priest Zachariah and his wife Elizabeth, They ministered in the time of Herod the King (Luke 1:5). They were both righteous people who sought to obey all the commandments and statutes of the Lord (Luke 1:6). However, they were old and without children because Elizabeth had not been able to conceive. This was perceived by many in the culture to be a sign of God’s disfavor.

It was at this time that the angel Gabriel appeared to Zachariah when he was in the temple offering incense to the Lord (Luke 1:8-11, 19). The angel told Zachariah that he and Elizabeth would have a son and they were to call him John (Luke 1:12-13). John would be a source of joy and gladness; not only for them but also for the people of God (Luke 1:14).

Gabriel explained, “¹⁵ for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. ¹⁶ And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, ¹⁷ and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.” (Luke 1;15-17 ESV)

Matthew described John as wearing a garment of camel’s hair with a leather belt. His diet was locusts and wild honey. Locusts were a permissible food (Lev. 11:22). Living in the wilderness of Judea, John’s clothes were durable and practical; even though they were not fashionable or comfortable.

John attracted quite a crowd. Perhaps the people were curious because John was the next new thing. Or, perhaps they were identifying John as one who would come in the spirit and power of the Prophet Elijah (2 Kings 1:1-8). The Jews were expecting a prophet like Elijah before the Day of the Lord (Mal. 3:1; 4:1-6).

John’s ministry centered not only what he preached, but also what he did. He baptized. It was likely that this baptism of repentance had its roots in the Old Testament purification rituals (Lev. 15:13).

“John’s startling declaration of the nearness of God’s kingdom draws even city dwellers out into the wilderness. “Baptize” (Gk. baptizō) means “to plunge, dip, immerse,” and John was immersing people in the river Jordan. When people were baptized by him, going under the water symbolized both the cleansing away of sin and a passing safely through the waters of judgment and death (cf. Gen. 7:6–24; Ex. 14:26–29; Jonah 1:7–16; Rom. 6:1-4; 1 Pet. 3:21),” explains one commentator.

The common people flocked to see and hear John. What about the religious leaders; the Pharisees and the Sadducees? How did they respond and react to John’s message and ministry? That is what we will study when next we meet.

Soli deo Gloria!

“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.’” (Matthew 3:1-3 ESV)

All four gospels mention John the Baptist, or baptizer, who was present at the beginning of Jesus Christ’s earthly ministry (Mark 1:2-14; Luke 1:5-25, 57-80; 3:3-20; John 1:6-8, 19-39). It was John who identified Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).

John’s ministry occurred in the wilderness of Judea. If you have ever taken a trip to the Holy Land, you probably observed that this southwest geographic portion of Israel remains a wasteland and desert. It is dry and desolate. How fitting that God would produce spiritual fruit in a geographically fruitless region.

“The region to the immediate west of the Dead Sea—an utterly barren desert. The Jewish sect of the Essenes had significant communities in this region. But there is no biblical evidence to suggest that John was in any way connected with that sect. John seems to have preached near the northern end of this region, close by where the Jordan flows into the Dead Sea (Matt. 3:6). This was a full day’s journey from Jerusalem and seems an odd location to announce the arrival of a King. But it is perfectly in keeping with God’s ways (1 Cor. 1:26–29),” explains Dr. John MacArthur.

John’s message and preaching was clear and concise: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”The command from God to repent was no mere change of one’s thinking. It was not mere regret or remorse. Rather, it was an inward change to radically turn from sin. This change involved one’s thinking, emotions and will. Jesus’s first sermon contained the same command (Matt. 4:17).

Why did John command the people to repent? It was because God’s rule and reign, or kingdom, was near. It was about to appear in the person and work of Jesus Christ. John appealed for people to reject the sinful obstacles from their lives that would hinder their reception of the Messiah and his kingdom.

Repentance is an acceptance of the will of God and a resulting obedience evidencing that acceptance (Gal. 5:1-6; James 2:14-26). All true repentance occurs because of God’s sovereign grace (Acts 11:18; 2 Cor. 7:9-10; Eph. 2:5-7). Without such grace, repentance is futile and will not occur (Jer. 13:23). John was God’s instrument to bring about true repentance to Israel.

As is Matthew’s characteristic, he referred to Old Testament prophecy to validate John’s ministry. He explained that John was the individual of whom Isaiah the Prophet spoke of many centuries before (Isaiah 40:1-5). All four Gospels declare that this passage from Isaiah applied to John the Baptist. John was preparing the people while at the same preparing the way for the Messiah; Jesus Christ.

“The ultimate fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy did not occur in 538 BC, when the exiled Judahites began returning to the Promised Land, but nearly six hundred years later, during the first century AD. As we will see, the initial returnees were not faithful to God, so the hard conditions of exile persisted until He finally visited His people in the person of Jesus Christ. Through Isaiah, the Lord called the people to prepare themselves, but they could not do so. A mightier move of the Holy Spirit through John was needed to get the people ready for the Messiah,” explains Dr. R. C. Sproul.  

The Holy Spirit continues His work of bringing people to repentance by sovereign, monergistic regeneration (John 3:1-8; Titus 3:1-5). God commands believers in Christ to herald the Gospel (Matt. 28:16-20) while He alone brings spiritual life to those who are spiritually dead (I Cor. 3:5-9; Eph. 2:1-7).

Soli deo Gloria!

^19 “But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, ²⁰ saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” ²¹ And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. ²² But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. ²³ And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene” (Matthew 2:19–23 ESV).

We do not know how long Joseph, Mary and Jesus remained in Egypt following King Herod’s slaughter of the boy children in Bethlehem and the surrounding area. We do know that it was around 4 B.C. because that is historically when Herod the Great died.

When Herod died, an angel of the Lord again appeared to Joseph in a dream. The purpose was for God’s messenger to give Joseph new revelation in light of the king’s death.

The angel said to Joseph, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” ²¹ And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel.” The young family’s sojourn was over.

However, when Joseph heard that Herod’s son, Archelaus, was reigning over Judea he was afraid to go there and settle. Perhaps this was because Archelaus was as evil as his father.

“Archelaus was Herod’s son by Malthace, a Samaritan woman. He was educated along with his brother Antipas at Rome. He inherited from his father a third part of his kingdom viz., Idumea, Judea, and Samaria, and hence is called “king” (Matt. 2:22). It was for fear of him that Joseph and Mary turned aside on their way back from Egypt. Till a few days before his death Herod had named Antipas as his successor, but in his last moments he named Archelaus,” explains one commentator.

Once again, God warns Joseph in a dream not to dwell in Judea but rather settle in the district of Galilee. Joseph, Mary and Jesus settled in a small town called Nazareth. God the Father’s providence is evident because settling in Nazareth would fulfill the Old Testament prophecy from Isaiah 53:1-3 which describes the Messiah as despised and rejected. Most people from Nazareth were despised and rejected. See John 1:43-51.

“Nazareth, an obscure town 70 miles north of Jerusalem, was a place of lowly reputation, and nowhere mentioned in the OT. Some have suggested that “Nazarene” is a reference to the Hebrew word for branch in Isa. 11:1. Others point out that Matthew’s statement that “prophets” had made this prediction may be a reference to verbal prophecies nowhere recorded in the OT. A still more likely explanation is that Matthew is using “Nazarene” as a synonym for someone who is despised or detestable— for that was how people from the region were often characterized (cf. John 1:46). If that is the case, the prophecies Matthew has in mind would include Ps. 22:6–8; Isa. 49:7; 53:3,” Dr. John MacArthur writes,

Dr. R. C. Sproul writes, “Note how the evangelist (Matthew) has taught us about God’s providence. First, we should see that Herod’s hatred of Jesus and slaughter of the young boys in Bethlehem (vv. 16–18) parallel Pharaoh’s attempt to kill Moses (Ex. 1:8–2:10). Moses was the mediator of the old covenant, and in ordaining the circumstances of the birth of Christ to be so similar to Moses’ birth, our Father has prepared His people to receive Jesus as a new and greater Moses, the mediator of a new and better covenant (Heb. 7:22).”

“Secondly, the dreams of warning that Joseph and the magi experience (Matt. 2:12–13, 19–20, 22) show that God has sovereignly overruled man’s attempt to destroy His Son. Herod’s attempt to kill Jesus has been unsuccessful. In fact, it is Herod who dies (in 4 B.C., dating the Savior’s birth therefore between 6 and 4 B.C.), enabling Joseph and his family to return to Palestine (v. 21). After learning that Archelaus is ruling in Judea, Joseph takes Jesus and Mary to Nazareth in Galilee (v. 22). This is wise, for Archelaus can be as ruthless as his father Herod and might very well be a threat to Jesus.”

As we have seen, God the Father was in complete control of the events surrounding Jesus’ birth and early childhood. He is also in complete control of our own lives. May each of us rest in God’s sovereign providence.

May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here.

Soli deo Gloria!