Posted: 8/29/07
Explore the Bible Series for September 9
God’s sinless son
• Matthew 3:1-4:16
Hardin-Simmons University, Abilene
“A voice of one calling: ‘In the desert prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God’” (Isaiah 40:3). Matthew, Mark and Luke each use this well-known verse to introduce John the Baptist and the story of the baptism of Jesus. In order to understand the significance of this verse for Jesus’ baptism and the beginning of his ministry, the words of the voice crying out in Isaiah should receive close attention.
In 587 B.C., the Babylonians, led by King Nebuchadnezzar, destroyed Jerusalem. They besieged the city, demolished the city walls and tore down the temple Solomon had built. The Babylonians captured Zedekiah (Judah’s king), gouged out his eyes, bound him in bronze fetters and led him back to Babylon as a captive. Several of the ruling class and the elite in the city of Jerusalem also were captured and taken into exile. Needless to say, the Babylonians were victorious that day.
The Babylonian exile was an extremely painful formative period for the Jewish people. What would you do if you thought all was well, only to discover the next day the world had been turned upside down? Everything seemed relatively stable before Nebuchadnezzar made an appearance outside the walls of Jerusalem. Most of the Judean citizenry believed God dwelt in the house Solomon built, the Davidic messiah was securely positioned on the throne and all was well.
Then came the exile. Where was God in the midst of such destruction? Isaiah answered this question by insisting God had not deserted his people, but was using the Babylonians to bring judgment upon his people. Israel had committed outrageous crimes against God and humanity, and God was bringing justice. The Jewish people remained enslaved about 50 years. All seemed lost. Hope seemed a word forgotten. Until a voice cried out.
Hope cries out
“Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins” (Isaiah 40:1-2). This verse proclaims the end of the exilic period. The Persians had conquered the Babylonians, permitting all captives to return home if they desired. Many chose to do so. They set out to “prepare the way for the Lord.” Instead of following the usual roads and byways located along the Fertile Crescent, they envisioned a return to their homeland that would take them directly across the desert from Babylon. Those arriving in Judah initiated plans to rebuild the city, its walls and the Jerusalem temple. It was the beginning of something new.
So what does the exilic background of Isaiah’s day have to do with the New Testament? Matthew’s Gospel announced God beginning something new with the coming of Jesus. A first-century Jewish audience would certainly have known the historical context behind Isaiah’s message. They would have been very familiar with passages about God’s judgment in Isaiah 1-39, about how the Lord was preparing to punish their ancestors for their sins.
They also would have been equally familiar with Zephaniah’s “day of the Lord.” The exile was a day of “wrath, a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness” (Zephaniah 1:15). Utilizing the mighty armies of the Babylonians, God took Israel’s liberty away, made Jerusalem’s people slaves and imprisoned the Jewish messiah. But now—with the coming of Jesus—Matthew, Mark and Luke testified about the commencement of a new day.
Drawing upon the inspiration of Isaiah 40-55, the Gospel writers understood the life of Jesus as one where God was offering hope, life and salvation to both Jew and Gentile. The words from Isaiah, chapter 40, not only applied to the returning exiles from Babylon, but also spoke to those bearing witness to the life of Jesus. Matthew, Mark and Luke, each using the words of Isaiah, were crying out about the good news of God’s grace offered by the one baptized by John in the Jordan: “You who bring good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, ‘Here is your God!’ See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power, and his arm rules for him, and his recompense accompanies him. He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young” (Isaiah 40:9-11).
Baptism/wilderness
Baptism and wilderness. As far as Scripture is concerned, the two often go hand-in-hand. Baptism marks a change in one’s identity or character, and usually the wilderness follows. The word “wilderness,” when it appears in the Bible, often is misunderstood as a place of lush, plentiful vegetation. This definition, however, is inadequate because the “wilderness” of the Old Testament and the New Testament is just the opposite. It is desert region where water and vegetation are scarce, a place where sustaining life is difficult, where survival is a constant struggle.
Several obstacles present themselves to travelers crossing the desert. Where does one find food and water? How does one live? In the wilderness, life’s basic necessities become more important, the superfluous loses its attraction, and priorities come into sharper focus. The Christian life offers a transformed and abundant life (baptism) but also is not exempt from trials and temptations (wilderness). The wilderness prepares us; it makes us stronger.
Moses and the Israelites fled from Egypt by way of crossing water into the desert. They wandered in the wilderness 40 years. Under the leadership of Joshua, the Israelites crossed the Jordan to take possession of the Promised Land. Jesus was baptized in the Jordan by John and then immediately led by the spirit into the wilderness, where he was tempted by Satan.
Water is essential. It brings things to life. In the stories about Moses, Joshua and Jesus, passing through water indicated a change of identity. Moses and the Israelites were slaves on one side of the water and a free-wandering people on the other. Joshua and the Israelites were free-wandering people on the east-side of the Jordan and became a nation on the other. Jesus’ baptism marks a similar change; it is only after Jesus “passes through” the water that he is prepared for the wilderness. The baptism initiates the beginning of his ministry: “As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending upon him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased’ (Matthew 3:16-17).
Establishing the kingdom of God
As the Christ (the Greek word for the Hebrew word “messiah”), Jesus became a new Zedekiah. God’s Davidic king returned to Jerusalem to establish his kingdom. His kingdom, however, did not concern itself with political strength or military might. Instead, his domain was ruled with the most authentic and absolute power—the love of God.
We often look upon love as weak and believe brute strength, physical might and a stubborn will is the only way true power can, or should, be exhibited. Nevertheless, this assumption runs counter to the witness of the Gospels. Their pages record time and again that love is the only force able to turn our world upside down. Only love is able to make saints out of sinners. The kingdom of God is not like our world. In the kingdom of God, neighbors are loved and forgiveness always is granted. In God’s kingdom, the path to the throne is worn down by the hooves of a donkey. There a servant is the Messiah, because there Jesus is king.
Discussion questions
• What does it mean to say that Jesus is king?
• Did you experience the “wilderness” after you became a Christian?
• How does baptism change a believer?
• How does Jesus offer us hope today?
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