Mateus 3

Mateus 3

Vincent - The picture is of a farmer at his threshing-floor, the area of hard-beaten earth on which the sheaves are spread and the grain trodden out by animals. His fan, that is his winnowing-shovel or fork, is in his hand, and with it he throws up the mingled wheat and chaff against the wind in order to separate the grain....The whole metaphor represents the Messiah as separating the evil from the good, according to the tests of his kingdom and Gospel, receiving the worthy into his kingdom and consigning the unworthy to destruction (compare Mt. 13:30; 39–43; 48–50). Winnowing fork (KJV = "fan") - A long wooden shovel used for tossing grain against the wind after threshing so that the lighter chaff would be blown away, leaving the kernels to settle in a pile. Shovels were also used for this purpose (Isaiah 30:24). Winnowing is a frequent figure for the Divine sifting and chastisement, Jer 4:11; Jer 15:7 etc. NET Note - A winnowing fork is a pitchfork-like tool used to toss threshed grain in the air so that the wind blows away the chaff, leaving the grain to fall to the ground. The note of purging is highlighted by the use of imagery involving sifting through threshed grain for the useful kernels. Winnowing fork (4425)(ptuon) denotes "a winnowing shovel or fan," with which grain is thrown up against the wind, in order to separate the chaff (Mt 3:12 ; Lk 3:17, no uses in the Septuagint). Winnowing - Wikipedia And He will gather His wheat into the barn - This pictures believers who bring forth the eternal fruit (cf Jn 15:16) of Good Deeds. Gather (4863)(sunago from sun = with + ago = to lead, ) means literally to lead together. To gather (in) or gather (up) (Mt 13:47; 25:24, 26; Lk 3:17; 15:13; Jn 6:12f; 15:6). To bring or call together, gather (Mt 22:10; 25:32; Mk 2:2; 7:1; Jn 11:47; 18:2; Acts 13:44; 14:27; 1 Cor 5:4). To invite or receive as a guest (Mt 25:35, 38, 43). This verb gives us our English word synagogue a place where Jews pray and worship. We see a gathering for judgment similar to Lk 3:17 in Joel 3:11+ where God is commanding a gathering of unholy (unsaved) Gentiles, not for the purpose of worship, but for wrath, in the Valley of Jehoshaphat, the Valley of Decision, for it is judgment time for the nations of the world is "ripe!" The picture in this passage reminds one of the eternal "separation" of the righteous from the wicked in Psalm 1... 1 How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. 3 He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers. 4 The wicked are not so, But they are like chaff which the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the wicked will perish. (Ps 1:1-6-note) But He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire - The wheat would be stored in the granary for later grinding into flour to make bread, but the chaff would be raked into piles and burned. Literal chaff refers to material consisting of seed coverings and small pieces of stem or leaves that have been separated from the seeds. It refers to anything regarded as worthless, in this case souls who are worthless and useless in regard to eternity. This is a tragic picture of the fate of men created in the image of God, but who steadfastly refuse His offer of salvation in Jesus, and end up eternally worthless! Oh my! This ought to break our hearts as believers and motivate us to share the Gospel with everyone we can while we still can! Will burn up (2618)(katakaio from kata = intensifies meaning of verb + kaio = to burn) means to burn up, to consume or destroy by fire. The word denotes a violent consuming heat. It means to burn utterly as of chaff (Mt 3:17, Lk 3:17), tares (Mt 13:30,40), magic paraphernalia after citizens of Ephesus had been saved (Acts 19:19), works believers do in their own strength, for their own glory (1 Cor 3:15), earth (here in 2 Pe 3:10), trees and grass (Rev 8:7), the rebuilt city of Babylon (Re 17:16+, Re 18:8+) Chaff (892)(achuron) refers to the husks and refuse of wheat separated by treading the grain followed by winnowing. This chaff (Wikipedia) or straw was used by the Egyptians to make bricks (with Jewish labor - Ex 5:7, 10-13). Chaff (straw) was also used as fodder and and notably, from the Ptolemaic period on, as fuel for fires. In the Lxx of Da 2:35 achuron describes what happens to the godless world kingdoms that become "like chaff" when the King returns as the "Stone" which crushes Nebuchadnezzar's statute. Achuron - 21x in 20v in the Septuagint - Ge. 24:25; 24:32; Ex. 5:7; 5:10; 5:11; 5:12; 5:13; 5:16; Exod. 5:18; Jdg. 19:19; 1 Ki. 4:27; Job 21:18; Job 41:27; Isa. 11:7; Isa. 17:13; Isa. 30:24; Isa. 65:25; Jer. 23:28; Dan. 2:35; Nah. 3:14; Unquenchable (762)(asbestos from a = without + sbennumi = to quench) means literally not extinguished, thus not able to be quenched. Asbestos is used only in Mt 3:12, Mk 9:43 (KJV also has Mk 9:45) and Lk 3:17 with no uses in the Septuagint. Fire (4442) see note above on pur Matthew 3:13 Then Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordan coming to John, to be baptized by him. NET Matthew 3:13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John to be baptized by him in the Jordan River. GNT Matthew 3:13 Τότε παραγίνεται ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἀπὸ τῆς Γαλιλαίας ἐπὶ τὸν Ἰορδάνην πρὸς τὸν Ἰωάννην τοῦ βαπτισθῆναι ὑπ᾽ αὐτοῦ. NLT Matthew 3:13 Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. KJV Matthew 3:13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. ESV Matthew 3:13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. NIV Matthew 3:13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. ASV Matthew 3:13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to the Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. CSB Matthew 3:13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. NKJ Matthew 3:13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. NRS Matthew 3:13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. YLT Matthew 3:13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee upon the Jordan, unto John to be baptized by him, NAB Matthew 3:13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. NJB Matthew 3:13 Then Jesus appeared: he came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptised by John. GWN Matthew 3:13 Then Jesus appeared. He came from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. Mt 2:22 Mk 1:9 Lu 3:21 Matthew 3 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries THE INAUGURATION OF JESUS' PUBLIC MINISTRY Parallel Passages: Mark 1:9+ In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Luke 3:21+ Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened, R C Foster writes "The almost complete silence of the Gospel writers concerning the first thirty years of Jesus' life causes the reader to focus his attention on the first public appearance of Jesus. The scant but startling information furnished concerning the birth and infancy of Jesus and His visit to the temple at the age of twelve add profound emphasis to the question—How will Jesus begin His great work? What will be the first significant act which biographers will record?" (Studies in the Life of Christ) Then (5119)(tote) is an expression of time which means "At that time." When used as an adverb THEN is always worth pausing to ponder and query asking questions like "What time is it? What happens next? Why does this happen now?, etc". When then is used (as determined by the context) to be an expression of time or "time phrase", it usually indicates sequence and thus marks that which is next in order of time, soon after that, following next after in order of position, narration or enumeration, being next in a series (See English definitions or here). Observing then can be very useful in following the course of events in a chapter or paragraph, especially in eschatological (prophetic) passages John MacArthur on when is then - We are not told the exact time to which the then refers, and Matthew no doubt uses the term simply to show the general sequence of events. We do not know the precise length of John’s ministry, but according to Luke he began preaching “in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee … in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas” (3:1–2). The best assumption is that it occurred in the year A.D. 29, quite a few months, perhaps nearly a year, before Jesus’ baptism. John also continued to preach for a while afterward, causing his ministry to be ending as Jesus’ ministry was beginning. We know that John was about six months older than Jesus (Luke 1:26) and that Jesus began His ministry when He “was about thirty years of age” (Luke 3:23). If John began preaching at the same age, he would have been ministering for about six months when Jesus came to him for baptism. But we have no reason to believe that the two began ministering at the same age. And though we know how old Jesus was when He began, we are given no reason as to why He began at that age. (Matthew Commentary) Jesus arrived from Galilee (See map which shows Jerusalem or here) at the Jordan coming to John, to be baptized by him - Mark 1:9+ tells us Jesus came specifically from Nazareth in Galilee. To be baptized is aorist passive infinitive emphasizes purpose. Imagine John's reaction for he had been explaining that Jesus' baptism would be much greater than his, and now suddenly Jesus came to him and asked to be baptized! So Jesus comes to be baptized in public before the Jewish crowds, for Luke records "Now when all the people were baptized Jesus was also baptized." (Lk 3:21+) Came (3854)(paraginomai from para = beside + ginomai = to come to exist) means literally to become near and hence to come on the scene and in this context to make a public appearance, even as did the magi (Mt 2:1+) and John the Baptist (Mt 3:1+) Matthew 3:14 But John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?" NET Matthew 3:14 But John tried to prevent him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and yet you come to me?" GNT Matthew 3:14 ὁ δὲ Ἰωάννης διεκώλυεν αὐτὸν λέγων, Ἐγὼ χρείαν ἔχω ὑπὸ σοῦ βαπτισθῆναι, καὶ σὺ ἔρχῃ πρός με; NLT Matthew 3:14 But John tried to talk him out of it. "I am the one who needs to be baptized by you," he said, "so why are you coming to me?" KJV Matthew 3:14 But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? ESV Matthew 3:14 John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" NIV Matthew 3:14 But John tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" ASV Matthew 3:14 But John would have hindered him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? CSB Matthew 3:14 But John tried to stop Him, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and yet You come to me?" NKJ Matthew 3:14 And John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?" NRS Matthew 3:14 John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" YLT Matthew 3:14 but John was forbidding him, saying, 'I have need by thee to be baptized -- and thou dost come unto me!' NAB Matthew 3:14 John tried to prevent him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me?" NJB Matthew 3:14 John tried to dissuade him, with the words, 'It is I who need baptism from you, and yet you come to me!' John - Lu 1:43 Joh 13:6-8 I have - Joh 1:16 3:3-7 Ac 1:5-8 Ro 3:23,25 Ga 3:22,27-29 4:6 Eph 2:3-5 Rev 7:9-17 Matthew 3 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries JOHN ATTEMPTS TO HINDER JESUS John's resistance to baptizing Jesus is recorded only by Matthew. But John tried to prevent Him - It is interesting that John recognized Jesus immediately, but it is not clear how John had come to know Him (cf his recognition in Jn 1:29+ - and why would the One Who takes away sin need baptism?). Prevent is diakoluo (dia = intensifies koluo= hinder) used only here in the Bible and means he attempted to keep this from happening. The idea of the verb is to thoroughly impede or utterly forbid and in the imperfect tense indicates that he was persistent in efforts to keep this baptism from happening. Broadus says "The verb rendered ‘hinder’ is compounded with a preposition, which increases its force, ‘was completely hindering,’ ‘earnestly sought to hinder." Why is John trying to prevent Him? John somehow knew that Jesus had no need for a baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sins (cf Mt 3:2, 6, 11) so in effect Jesus did not meet the requirements for John's baptism! Jesus had no need to repent for he had never sinned. 2 Corinthians 5:21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Hebrews 7:26 For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; 1 John 3:5 You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin.