Article Manza - The Articles Directory | Biblical Baptism - Putting Baptism into Context through the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 3

This current verse is the earliest direct reference to baptism in the entire Scriptures. Through utilising the turn of phrase “In those days”, the author Matthew is placing his writing into it’s historical context. He is also informing his contemporaries about years that had recently passed, and was most probably writing to his audience a prolonged time subsequent to the actions that he records. To identify which days Matthew is writing to the reader concerning, we ought to examine the preceding chapters.

In the introduction of his gospel, Matthew brands it “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ” (Matthew 1v1). At this time Matthew tells us his aim - to put on view Jesus Christ as a factual human being that lived at a particular period, was born to particular mother and father, and had the ministry and eminence of “Christ”, the anointed Messiah or Saviour. The remainder of chapter one talks of the lineage of Jesus, and furthermore a brief explanation of how Mary got pregnant: “she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.” (Matthew 1v18)

It is in chapter 2 that we commence to perceive the precise events that Matthew makes use of in order to put his account into it's chronological timeframe. The historical events here include:
· Jesus was given birth to in Bethlehem (King David’s historical home) “in the days of Herod the king” (Matthew 2v1)
· Wise men came from the east in the direction of Jerusalem, asking “Where is he that is born King of the Jews?” (Matthew 2v1-2)
· The wise men travelled for the reason that, in their words, “we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him” (Matthew 2v2)
· Herod enquired of the wise men at what time the heavenly body did appear (Matthew 2v7) and discovered that it was up to two years before (Matthew 2v16). It is feasible nevertheless that he overcompensated in an effort to be sure that the baby Jesus was killed, thinking that the heavenly body had in fact appeared at His conception around 9 months earlier.
· Herod sent out an edict with the aim of every single one of the babies less than the age of 2 in Bethlehem in addition to all of the adjoining rural area must be killed. This was his effort to make sure that solely a single newborn, Jesus, was additionally killed. (Matthew 2v16)
· After the call of the wise men, Joseph took Mary as well as Jesus to Egypt in a hurry, because he had been warned regarding King Herod's strategy via an angel. (Matthew 2v13-14)
· Whilst Joseph, Mary and Jesus were in Egypt, King Herod died so Joseph was instructed to come back in the direction of Israel along with “the young child”. (Matthew 2v19-20)
· When Herod the king died, his son Archelaus ruled Judaea as the new king. (Matthew 2v22)

Plainly, the author Matthew locates the events in the life of Jesus inside the context of who was king of Judaea, as well as certain of their historical actions. This would almost certainly place the birth of the baby Jesus to within a couple of days or weeks of the order that king Herod had made to have him and all other children living in and in the vicinity of Bethlehem murdered. It is possible that a few of Matthew’s readers had lost a infant, brother or sister throughout this moment in time and might connect the account of Matthew directly to situations within their individual families. It was into these period in their recent past that John the Baptist had arrived, preaching as well as baptising.

John the Baptist was not ministering inside the temple or other places of worship, but in the wilderness. Maybe he was not wanted inside the temple for specific crimes - the most likely explanation was the message that he introduced. For other confirmation of this, notice additionally v7 3.

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

· Repentance was commanded to all (v2)
· The “kingdom of heaven” was at hand - almost to be revealed (v2)
· John the Baptist appreciated his specific office having the function of laying the foundations intended for the ministry of the Jesus, sowing the land, getting everything ready, and making His way a small amount less difficult. (v3)

Obviously, right from the foundation of the biblical writings of baptism, repentance from sinful ways was caught up inside the message of baptism. This communication of repentance and baptism was preparing each individual which received the preaching for the upcoming ministry of the Lord Jesus.