This current verse is the opening direct mention of baptism within the entire Scriptures. Through utilising the turn of phrase "In those days", Matthew is locating his writings into it's chronological framework. He is furthermore revealing to his audience about days that had recently gone bye, and was most likely giving his account to his readers a long spell later than the dealings that he notes. So that we can discover which days Matthew is telling the reader about, we will want to examine the previous chapters.
In the introduction of his gospel, Matthew calls it "The book of the generation of Jesus Christ" (Matthew 1v1). Here Matthew tells us his ambition - to display The Lord Jesus Christ as a actual person that lived at a definite time, was born to particular parents, and had the ministry and prominence of "Christ", the anointed Messiah or Saviour. The remainder of the first chapter tells us about the genealogy of Jesus, and furthermore a concise description of how Mary got pregnant: "she was found with child of the Holy Ghost." (Matthew 1v18)
It is within chapter 2 that we begin to perceive the exact events that Matthew makes use of to position his writings 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 headed for Jerusalem, wondering "Where is he that is born King of the Jews?" (Matthew 2v1-2)
· The wise men travelled since, in their words, "we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him" (Matthew 2v2)
· King Herod enquired of the wise men at what instant the heavenly body did appear (Matthew 2v7) and found that it was as much as two years prior (Matthew 2v16). It is feasible nevertheless that he overcompensated in an effort to be certain that the baby Jesus was killed, thinking that the star had in fact appeared on His conception roughly nine months earlier.
· King Herod dispatched the directive with the intention of all of the babies less than the age of 2 within Bethlehem in addition to the whole of it's surrounding realm should be murdered. This was his effort to make certain that exactly one infant, Jesus, was additionally killed. (Matthew 2v16)
· Following the visit of the wise men, Joseph escorted Mary and the newborn child toward Egypt in a rush, seeing that he had been warned regarding Herod the king's strategy by means of an angel. (Matthew 2v13-14)
· Whilst they had been in Egypt, Herod died and Joseph was advised to go back in the direction of Israel together with "the young child". (Matthew 2v19-20)
· When King Herod had died, his son Archelaus ruled Judaea as the new king. (Matthew 2v22)
Clearly, the author Matthew places the events during the years of Jesus within the situation of who was king of Judaea, as well as a number of of their achievements. This would almost certainly locate the birth of Jesus Christ to within a few days or weeks from the directive that Herod the king had given to have him and all further babies in and in the region of Bethlehem killed. It is likely that several of Matthew's audience had lost a child, brother or sister during this instance and could correlate the report of Matthew straight to situations inside their particular families. It was into these period in the reader's past that John the Baptist had arrived, preaching as well as baptising.
John the Baptist was not ministering in the temple or synagogues, but in the wasteland. Perhaps he was banned in the temple for specific crimes - the most likely reason was the preaching that he gave. For additional confirmation of this, see moreover v7 3.
Let's study the message that he preached, as found in the few verses that follow the current one:
· Repentance was commanded to all (v2)
· The "kingdom of heaven" was at hand - just about to be exposed (v2)
· John the Baptist saw his individual office in the role of laying the groundwork intended for the ministry of the Lord, sowing the soil, getting everything geared up, and making His route a small amount simpler. (v3)
Obviously, well from the foundation of the scriptural writings of baptism, repentance from sinful behavior was entwined in the meaning of baptism. This message of repentance and baptism was preparing each person which received the teaching for the future ministry of the Lord Jesus.
Author Resource:-
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 http://www.91witnesses.com
MJ Anderson also produces custom Bumper Stickers, Sticky Labels and Food and Drink stickers through his website at http://www.labels4me.co.uk
Natural Thyroid Treatments and articles at Natural Thyroid Treatment dot Org and Thyroid Booster dot Net
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