Matthew 3

Introduction

Matthew 3 marks a dramatic shift in the Gospel's timeline. After the birth narratives and the family's return from Egypt at the end of chapter 2, Matthew leaps forward roughly thirty years to introduce John the Baptist, the prophetic forerunner of the Messiah. John appears in the Judean wilderness with a message of urgent repentance, declaring that "the kingdom of heaven" is at hand. His ministry draws crowds from Jerusalem and the surrounding region, but his sharpest words are reserved for the Pharisees and Sadducees -- the religious elite who assume their Abrahamic lineage guarantees them a place in God's coming kingdom. The Pharisees were a lay movement devoted to meticulous observance of the Torah and its oral traditions, while the Sadducees were a priestly aristocratic party centered on the temple, who rejected belief in the resurrection and in angels. Despite their theological differences, John addresses them together as a single group whose outward religiosity masks a lack of genuine repentance.

The chapter's climax is the baptism of Jesus himself, which functions as a kind of coronation scene. When Jesus insists on being baptized to "fulfill all righteousness," the heavens open, the Spirit descends like a dove, and the Father's voice declares Jesus to be his beloved Son. This threefold divine manifestation -- Father, Son, and Spirit -- inaugurates Jesus' public ministry and establishes his identity as the one whom John has been announcing: the Coming One who will baptize not merely with water but with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

John the Baptist's Ministry (vv. 1-6)

¹ In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea ² and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." ³ This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one calling in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.'"

⁴ John wore a garment of camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. ⁵ People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region around the Jordan. ⁶ Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

¹ In those days John the Baptizer arrives, proclaiming in the wilderness of Judea ² and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of the heavens has drawn near." ³ For this is the one spoken of through Isaiah the prophet, who said, "A voice crying out in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.'"

⁴ Now John himself had his clothing made 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 around the Jordan went out to him, ⁶ and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.

Notes

The phrase ἐν δὲ ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις ("in those days") is deliberately vague -- Matthew does not specify precisely when John appeared. The expression echoes Old Testament prophetic language (compare Jeremiah 3:16, Joel 3:1) and signals that a new era in salvation history is breaking in. The verb παραγίνεται ("arrives" or "appears") is in the present tense, a vivid historical present that gives the narrative a sense of dramatic immediacy, as though the reader is witnessing the event in real time.

The title ὁ βαπτιστής ("the Baptizer" or "the Baptist") is distinctive. The word comes from βαπτίζω, meaning "to dip" or "to immerse." While ritual washing was common in Judaism -- including proselyte baptism for Gentile converts and the purification rites practiced by groups like the Essenes at Qumran -- John's baptism was unprecedented in that it was administered to Jews, not just Gentiles, and was tied specifically to repentance in preparation for the coming Messiah.

John's core message is the imperative μετανοεῖτε ("repent"). This word means far more than feeling sorry; the noun form μετάνοια literally means "a change of mind," but in biblical usage it denotes a thoroughgoing reversal of one's direction of life -- turning away from sin and toward God. It is the same message Jesus himself will preach when he begins his own ministry (Matthew 4:17).

Matthew's unique phrase ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ("the kingdom of the heavens") appears here for the first time in the Gospel. Where Mark and Luke use "the kingdom of God," Matthew consistently uses "the heavens" (plural), reflecting the Jewish practice of avoiding direct use of God's name out of reverence. The two phrases are synonymous. The verb ἤγγικεν ("has drawn near") is in the perfect tense, indicating that the kingdom has already begun its approach and its effects are being felt in the present -- it is not merely future but is breaking into the present moment through John's ministry and, supremely, through the coming of Jesus.

The quotation in verse 3 comes from Isaiah 40:3, where the original Hebrew places the phrase "in the wilderness" with the action of preparing ("A voice cries out: 'In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD'"). Matthew follows the Septuagint's reading, which links "in the wilderness" with the voice itself ("A voice crying out in the wilderness"), making it a description of where the voice is heard rather than where the road is to be built. This Septuagint reading fits perfectly with John's literal location in the Judean desert. In Isaiah's original context, the passage announced God's coming to lead his people home from Babylonian exile; Matthew sees a deeper fulfillment -- God is now coming to his people in the person of Jesus, and John is the herald preparing the way.

The description of John's clothing in verse 4 -- camel's hair garment and leather belt -- deliberately echoes the description of Elijah in 2 Kings 1:8. This is not accidental. Malachi had prophesied that God would send "Elijah the prophet" before the great day of the Lord (Malachi 4:5), and Matthew presents John as this Elijah figure (see also Matthew 11:14, Matthew 17:12-13). His diet of locusts (permitted under Levitical food laws, Leviticus 11:22) and wild honey reflects an ascetic lifestyle lived entirely on what the wilderness provides, reinforcing his prophetic separation from normal society.

The verb ἐξομολογούμενοι ("confessing") in verse 6 is a present participle, suggesting that confession was an ongoing part of the baptismal process -- the people were confessing their sins as they were being baptized. The word combines the prefix "out" with "to agree," conveying the sense of openly acknowledging or publicly declaring one's sins.

John's Warning to the Pharisees and Sadducees (vv. 7-12)

⁷ But when John saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his place of baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? ⁸ Produce fruit, then, in keeping with repentance. ⁹ And do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. ¹⁰ The axe lies ready at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

¹¹ I baptize you with water for repentance, but after me will come One more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. ¹² His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and to gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

⁷ But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "Offspring of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? ⁸ Therefore produce fruit worthy of repentance, ⁹ and do not think you can say among yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. ¹⁰ Already the axe is laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

¹¹ I baptize you in water for repentance, but the one coming after me is mightier than I -- I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you in 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 storehouse, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."

Notes

John's address γεννήματα ἐχιδνῶν ("offspring of vipers") is shockingly harsh. The word γεννήματα means "offspring" or "brood" -- literally, "things begotten." By calling them the offspring of snakes, John inverts their claim to noble ancestry from Abraham. They are not children of Abraham in any meaningful sense; they are children of vipers. The image may also carry an echo of the serpent in Genesis 3:1-15, suggesting that these leaders are aligned with the enemy of God's purposes rather than with God's people. Jesus will use the same epithet against the Pharisees in Matthew 12:34 and Matthew 23:33.

The phrase τῆς μελλούσης ὀργῆς ("the coming wrath") refers to the future divine judgment that John sees as imminent. The participle μελλούσης (from μέλλω, "to be about to") conveys that this wrath is not distant but approaching. This is the prophetic expectation of the "Day of the LORD" from the Old Testament prophets (see Isaiah 13:9, Zephaniah 1:14-18, Malachi 4:1).

In verse 8, John demands καρπὸν ἄξιον τῆς μετανοίας ("fruit worthy of repentance"). The singular καρπόν ("fruit") is noteworthy -- it is not "fruits" (plural) as in Luke's account (Luke 3:8), but a singular noun suggesting that genuine repentance produces a unified, comprehensive change of life, not merely isolated good deeds. The word ἄξιον ("worthy" or "fitting") implies that the fruit must match the repentance in weight and quality.

John's wordplay in verse 9 between λίθων ("stones") and τέκνα ("children") may reflect an underlying Aramaic pun, since the Aramaic words for "stones" (avnayya) and "children" (bnayya) sound very similar. The theological point is devastating: ethnic descent from Abraham confers no automatic privilege before God. God's power to create is not limited by human lineage -- he can raise up a covenant people from the very rocks of the Jordan riverbed. This anticipates a major theme of Matthew's Gospel: that membership in God's kingdom depends on faithful obedience, not on birth (see Matthew 8:11-12, Matthew 21:43).

The image of the axe already lying at the root of the trees (v. 10) conveys extreme urgency. The verb κεῖται ("lies" or "is laid") is in the present tense -- the axe is not approaching but is already positioned. Judgment is not a distant threat but a present reality waiting to fall. The metaphor of trees being assessed by their fruit and then cut down for the fire will recur in Jesus' teaching (Matthew 7:19).

In verse 11, the preposition ἐν (used with both "water" and "Holy Spirit and fire") can mean either "in" or "with," creating a translation difficulty. "I baptize you in water" captures the literal sense of immersion, while "He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and fire" suggests being immersed in or overwhelmed by the Spirit and by fire. The contrast between John's water baptism and the Coming One's Spirit-and-fire baptism is the heart of this passage. John's baptism is preparatory; the Messiah's will be transformative and final.

John's claim that he is not ἱκανός ("worthy" or "sufficient") even to carry the Coming One's ὑποδήματα ("sandals") draws on a well-known cultural practice. Carrying or removing a master's sandals was considered so menial that Jewish tradition held it was a task too degrading even for a Hebrew slave -- it was reserved for Gentile slaves. By saying he is unworthy even of this lowliest task, John places the Coming One immeasurably above himself. Mark's parallel (Mark 1:7) has "untie the strap of his sandals"; Matthew's "carry" may be even more servile.

The πτύον ("winnowing fork") in verse 12 is a large wooden shovel used to toss threshed grain into the air. The wind would carry away the light chaff while the heavier wheat fell back to the ἅλωνα ("threshing floor"). The verb διακαθαριεῖ ("he will thoroughly clear") is an intensive compound -- not merely cleaning but thoroughly clearing. The imagery divides humanity into two categories: wheat gathered into the ἀποθήκην ("storehouse" or "barn"), and chaff burned with πυρὶ ἀσβέστῳ ("unquenchable fire"). The adjective ἄσβεστος (from which the English word "asbestos" derives) means "inextinguishable" -- this is a fire that cannot be put out, signaling the permanence of divine judgment.

The Baptism of Jesus (vv. 13-17)

¹³ At that time Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. ¹⁴ But John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?"

¹⁵ "Let it be so now," Jesus replied. "It is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness in this way." Then John permitted Him.

¹⁶ As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. Suddenly the heavens were opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and resting on Him. ¹⁷ And a voice from heaven said, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!"

¹³ Then Jesus arrives from Galilee at the Jordan, coming to John to be baptized by him. ¹⁴ But John was trying to prevent him, saying, "I have need to be baptized by you, and yet you come to me?"

¹⁵ But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit it for now, for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he permitted him.

¹⁶ And when Jesus had been baptized, immediately he came up from the water, and look -- the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God coming down like a dove and settling upon him. ¹⁷ And look -- a voice from the heavens, saying, "This is my Son, the beloved, in whom I am well pleased."

Notes

The verb παραγίνεται ("arrives") appears again in verse 13, the same verb used of John's arrival in verse 1. Matthew uses the historical present tense for both figures, placing them on parallel narrative footing -- but the dialogue that follows immediately establishes that Jesus is the greater one. The verb διεκώλυεν ("was trying to prevent") in verse 14 is in the imperfect tense, indicating a continuous or repeated action -- John did not merely object once but kept trying to stop Jesus. The prefix δια- intensifies the verb, suggesting John was strenuously resisting.

Jesus' reply in verse 15 is unique to Matthew and contains one of the most theologically dense phrases in the chapter: πληρῶσαι πᾶσαν δικαιοσύνην ("to fulfill all righteousness"). The word πληρόω ("to fulfill") is the same verb Matthew uses throughout his Gospel for the fulfillment of Scripture (see Matthew 1:22, Matthew 2:15). Here, however, Jesus is not fulfilling a specific prophecy but fulfilling "all righteousness" -- that is, completing everything that God requires. The word δικαιοσύνη ("righteousness") is a key term in Matthew, appearing seven times in the Sermon on the Mount alone (Matthew 5:6, Matthew 5:10, Matthew 5:20, Matthew 6:1, Matthew 6:33). By submitting to a baptism of repentance even though he had no sin to repent of, Jesus identifies himself fully with sinful humanity and models complete obedience to the will of God. The word ἄφες ("permit" or "let go") comes from ἀφίημι, the same verb used elsewhere for "forgiveness" -- a subtle irony, since the sinless one asks to be "released" into a baptism designed for sinners.

The opening of the heavens in verse 16 uses ἠνεῴχθησαν ("were opened"), a divine passive -- God is the one opening heaven. The image recalls Isaiah 64:1, where the prophet pleads, "Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down!" At Jesus' baptism, that prayer is answered. Some manuscripts add αὐτῷ ("to him"), suggesting the vision was directed specifically to Jesus (and perhaps to John; see John 1:32-33).

The Spirit descends ὡσεὶ περιστεράν ("like a dove"). The comparison is to the manner of descent -- gentle, gliding -- rather than indicating the Spirit took the literal form of a bird. The dove carries rich symbolism in the Old Testament: it was the bird Noah released that returned with an olive branch signaling the end of judgment (Genesis 8:8-12), and in the Song of Solomon it is a symbol of beauty and gentleness. The Spirit's descent upon Jesus recalls the anointing of kings and prophets in the Old Testament and fulfills Isaiah 42:1: "I will put my Spirit upon him."

The voice from heaven in verse 17 declares Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ Υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητός, ἐν ᾧ εὐδόκησα ("This is my Son, the beloved, in whom I am well pleased"). This statement weaves together at least two Old Testament texts. "My Son" echoes Psalm 2:7, a royal coronation psalm in which God declares the Davidic king to be his son. "In whom I am well pleased" echoes Isaiah 42:1, the first Servant Song, where God speaks of his chosen Servant on whom he has put his Spirit. By combining these texts, the Father identifies Jesus simultaneously as the Davidic King and the Suffering Servant -- the one who reigns and the one who suffers. The adjective ἀγαπητός ("beloved") carries overtones of "only" or "unique" and recalls the binding of Isaac, where Abraham is told to sacrifice "your son, your only son, whom you love" (Genesis 22:2).

It is significant that in Matthew's account the voice speaks in the third person -- "This is my Son" -- addressing the bystanders, whereas in Mark (Mark 1:11) and Luke (Luke 3:22) the voice speaks directly to Jesus: "You are my Son." Matthew's formulation makes the declaration a public announcement, fitting his emphasis on Jesus' identity being revealed to others. The verb εὐδόκησα ("I am well pleased") is in the aorist tense, which could be read as a timeless statement ("I have always been pleased") or as pointing to a specific moment of divine approval. The baptism scene thus presents all three persons of the Trinity in a single moment: the Father speaks, the Son is baptized, and the Spirit descends -- one of the clearest Trinitarian moments in the entire New Testament.