Thy Strong Word – Matthew 3. Unbelievable mercy to unbelievable sinners: So it begins

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Rev. Scott Adle, pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church & School in Collinsville, IL joins host Rev. Brady Finnern to study Matthew 3.

The work of salvation begins. God begins this kingdom, through a humble prophet John, to begin with turning back in the right direction in repentance. This repentance is needed for all people, including Pharisees and Sadducees, but clearly His forgiveness is for all by faith. Slowly we are able to understand Jesus more fully by His own baptism. He not only submits to our level to receive the baptism we receive, but the Father shows us that He is the Son of God. Not only is He the Son of God, but by His work on the cross, we are considered His child and He is well pleased. “Lord, keep us from the unquenchable fire and keep us with Christ. Lead us to repent and bear the fruit of faith in You. Thank you that by the blood of Christ, we are pleasing in God’s sight, now help us to bear fruit by faith in our daily vocations. In Christ, Amen”

Thy Strong Word reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God’s Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations.

Thy Strong Word is hosted by Rev. Brady Finnern, pastor of Messiah Lutheran Church in Sartell, MN, and graciously underwritten by the Lutheran Heritage Foundation.

Matthew 3

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

3 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”[a] 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said,

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare[b] the way of the Lord;
make his paths straight.’”

4 Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, 6 and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 10 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

11 “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

The Baptism of Jesus

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him,[c] and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son,[d] with whom I am well pleased.”

Footnotes

Matthew 3:2 Or the kingdom of heaven has come near

Matthew 3:3 Or crying: Prepare in the wilderness

Matthew 3:16 Some manuscripts omit to him

Matthew 3:17 Or my Son, my (or the) Beloved

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. esv.org