Baptism in The Bible - Putting Baptism into Context through Matthew Chapter 3

This present scripture is the earliest direct reference to baptism in the complete Bible. Through utilising the turn of phrase “In those days”, Matthew is placing his writing into it’s chronological context. He is also recounting to his contemporaries about time that had since gone bye, and was most probably giving his account to his readers a long stretch later than the events that he reports. So that we can learn those days Matthew is telling his audience about, we will want to consider the earlier chapters.

In the beginning of his gospel, Matthew names it “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ” (Matthew 1v1). At this time Matthew states his target - to prove Jesus Christ as a bona fide human being that lived at a specific time, was born to particular mother and father, and had the ministry and prominence of “Christ”, the anointed Messiah or Saviour. The remainder of chapter one talks of the ancestors of Jesus, and also a brief account of how Mary became pregnant: “she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.” (Matthew 1v18)

It is within chapter two that we start to witness the precise events that Matthew makes use of in order to position his gospel into a historical timeframe. The historical events here include:
· Jesus was born in Bethlehem (King David’s historical home) “in the days of Herod the king” (Matthew 2v1)
· Wise men came from the east toward Jerusalem, wanting to know “Where is he that is born King of the Jews?” (Matthew 2v1-2)
· The wise men came because, in their words, “we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him” (Matthew 2v2)
· Herod asked the wise men at what time the heavenly body had appeared (Matthew 2v7) and established that it had been as much as two years beforehand (Matthew 2v16). It is feasible nevertheless that he overestimated in an attempt to ensure that the newborn child was slaughtered, thinking that the heavenly body had actually appeared on His conception about nine months earlier.
· Herod the king dispatched the edict that every single one of the babies below the age of 2 within Bethlehem along with the whole of the surrounding realm should be slaughtered. This was his attempt to make certain that scarcely a single infant, the baby Jesus, was also slaughtered. (Matthew 2v16)
· Following the visit of the wise men, Joseph transported Mary and Jesus in the direction of Egypt in a hurry, because he had been warned about Herod's strategy by means of an angel. (Matthew 2v13-14)
· Whilst the family had been living in Egypt, King Herod died so Joseph was advised to go back toward Israel along with “the young child”. (Matthew 2v19-20)
· When King Herod died, his son Archelaus ruled Judaea instead. (Matthew 2v22)

Clearly, the author Matthew places the events in the life of Jesus inside the context of who was ruling Judaea, as well as some of their achievements. This would almost without doubt locate the birth of the newborn child within a few days or weeks from the order that Herod the king had made to ensure him and any other children living in and in the neighborhood Bethlehem murdered. It is possible that a number of Matthew’s readers had lost a child, brother or sister at some stage in this time and might connect the description of Matthew immediately to situations from their own families. It was into these times in their past that John the Baptist had arrived, preaching in addition to baptising.

John the Baptist was not teaching in the temple or synagogues, but in the wilds. Possibly he was not wanted in the temple for some reason - the most likely reason was the preaching that he delivered. For other evidence of this, notice in addition v7 3.

Let us consider the message that he preached, which is established in a small number of scriptures which go after the present one:

· Repentance was commanded to every one (v2)
· The “kingdom of heaven” was at hand - about to be exposed (v2)
· John the Baptist saw his peculiar ministry being laying the foundations for the ministry of the Lord, sowing the land, getting the whole thing ready, and making His way a small amount simpler. (v3)

Undoubtedly, well from the foundation of the scriptural writings of baptism, repentance from sinful conduct was entwined inside the message of baptism. This message of repentance and baptism was laying the groundwork for every person which received the teaching for the upcoming ministry of the Lord Jesus.

Article Source: http://www.newsarticlessite.com

MJ Anderson All quotations from the Good News Bible unless otherwise indicated. MJ Anderson writes on Baptism, and has also written a book studying each of the 91 verses of scripture about baptism. The book is called "Baptism's 91 Witnesses", and further information can be found at www.91witnesses.com MJ Anderson also writes on Natural Health Treatments and Nutritional Supplements. Thyroid websites include NaturalThyroidTreatment.org/ and ThyroidBooster.net/

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