# Matthew Chapter 3
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## Summary
Matthew recalls the arrival of John the Baptist preaching repentance and baptising all who came to the river Jordan. John is openly hostile towards the Pharisees and Sadducees who come to be baptised and he charges them to bear fruit in keeping with repentance. John then advises that one will come after him who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.

Jesus arrives from Galilee to be baptized by John. John initially refuses but Jesus persuades John to act noting that this is to *'fulfill all righteousness'*. Jesus is baptized and the Holy spirit descends like a dove on Jesus. A voice from Heaven is heard affirming Jesus' son-ship.

## Imagery and Theme's
John called the Baptist was a figure of influence within Israel at the time. Josephus writes how John held significant enough sway over the people such that Herod ultimately had him killed[^1]. Matthew's account presents John as the way maker heralded in [Isaiah 40:1-5](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+40%3A1-5&version=ESV). Jesus is then positioned as the successor to John with John's work considered preparatory for the life Jesus would come to embody.

I've often reflected upon why John was necessary and the only conclusion I have found fractionally satisfying is the knowledge that John and Jesus were meant to embody the pattern. John's message is one of repentance and baptism. The turning away from an old lifestyle toward a new. Jesus then embodies the ongoing pattern modeling for all humanity what it means to live a life in keeping with repentance. Taken together this makes sense. The life of the believer begins in repentance and proceeds into reduplication of the pattern. Without John we would just have the pattern not the starting point; with only John we have the start but not the pattern. Perhaps such a view offers insight into the otherwise opaque verse 15.

We know that Jesus favorite title for himself was the *'son of man'* but perhaps what is less talked about is that this is a Jewish idiom that was in common usage at the time. For example *'son of the quiver'* is an arrow [Lam 3:13](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Lam+3%3A13&version=ESV), *'son of the herd'* is a calf ([Gen 18:7](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Gen+18%3A7&version=ESV)) and the *'sons of oil'* are Joshua and Zerubbabel ([Zech 4:14](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Zech+4%3A14&version=ESV)). The *'son of man'* or *'ben \`adam'* perhaps more clearly put *'son of adam'* is essentially Jesus calling himself *'the human being'*. Jesus is the template of the new life; he is the pattern[^2].

Returning to Josephus we are also treated to how Christian thought is divergent. Josephus (a Jewish historian) recalls how Baptism here was not seen as being for the forgiveness of sins but for the cleansing of the body. Distinctions between the Jewish interpretation and the Christian[^3] appears to have been a *thing*, given there are several places where the New Testament reiterates the purpose of baptism[^4]. The New Testament unhelpfully does not consistently draw a distinction between repentance and Baptism[^5], which has lead some to conclude baptism and repentance are the same thing. Whilst others might adopt a more symbolic perspective that Baptism is the outward expression of internal reality.

One final area of interest relating to this scripture is the notion of worthiness and unworthiness. Of those attending John for Baptism the Pharisee and Sadducee's desire to flee the *'coming wrath'* is contrasted with those that bear fruit in keeping with repentance. John's worthiness is also contrasted with that of Jesus worthiness. This is keeping with the theme of repentance for the forgiveness of Sins and Baptism as a key part of the process. For it is the forgiveness of sins that makes one acceptable to God.

[^1]: [Josephus, Ant XVIII, Chapter 9 (Para 1-2)](https://penelope.uchicago.edu/josephus/ant-18.html)
[^2]: Wink, W (2002) The Human Being, Jesus and the enigma of the son of man. Mineapolis: Augsburg Fortress;
[^3]: I use the term loosely here given there are equally divergent perspectives among those that call themselves 'Christian'.
[^4]: [1 Peter 3:21](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Peter+3%3A21&version=ESV), [Mark 1:4](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+1%3A4&version=ESV)
[^5]: [Matthew 3:11](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+3%3A11&version=ESV), [Acts 2:38](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+2%3A38&version=ESV)