Introduction
Today we continue our series Matthew: Discover the Kingdom. Last week we explored the amazing and humble beginnings of Jesus. We learned that he is not only the eternal King of the universe but also Immanuel, God with us.
The arrival of Jesus on earth was joyfully foretold through the prophets in the Old Testament. The Jewish people eagerly anticipated the Messiah’s arrival, looking forward to the establishment of His kingdom on earth. John the Baptist shared a wonderful announcement for all to hear: The Kingdom of Heaven is near. Repent and believe! He was the first to prepare the way for Jesus’ coming, and his message has resonated through the ages. Repent and believe, for the Kingdom of Heaven is indeed near!
As the rightful King and savior of mankind, one might expect His Kingdom to be introduced with grand celebrations, lavish banquets, and spectacular displays of wealth for everyone to enjoy.
However, it’s uplifting to realize that the Kingdom of Heaven embraced a different kind of joy. God chose to announce this incredible news through Jesus’ own relative—a humble, free-spirited man dressed in camel hair who lived on locusts and honey. His message was simple yet powerful, reminding us that the extraordinary can come from the most unexpected places…
In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea,“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’”
- Matthew 3:1-3
I. The Announcement Brings Good News to Everyone.
John the Baptist was a remarkable figure with an important message that aligned with Old Testament prophecy: the Messiah would come to establish a new Kingdom.
The good news was that, with Jesus’ arrival, this Kingdom was near. However, it was different from what many expected. Most Jewish people hoped for a political overthrow of Rome, while Jesus intended to address the deeper issue of sin.
John’s announcement was clear: Repent! For the Kingdom of Heaven is near! This same call echoes today, urging everyone to turn from sin towards the abundant life found in Christ.
“And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.’” Luke 2:10-11
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” Romans 1:16
“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’” Isaiah 52:7
This is news worth getting excited about!
II. The Announcement Was “Off The Chain!”
A few years back, the younger generation coined the phrase, “Off the chain.” It is a slang phrase meaning, “something is extremely good, impressive, or exciting; essentially, it’s used to describe something that is so great it’s “beyond the limits” of what’s considered normal or expected.”
Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
- Matthew 3:4-6
In order to effectively communicate a message, sometimes it is necessary to attract attention, as exemplified by John the Baptist, whose unusual appearance and lifestyle drew people to him. His striking presence led many to confess sins and seek baptism in light of Jesus Christ’s impending arrival. The text questions whether people find the gospel of Jesus compelling enough to take bold actions and make sacrifices. Despite agreeing with these ideas, many fail to act in alignment with their beliefs.
III. The Announcement Was Loud and Clear.
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? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. 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. 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.
- Matthew 3:7-10
It is universally recognized that actions speak far louder than words; in essence, talk is cheap. In Matthew 3:7-10, John the Baptist delivers a powerful rebuke to the religious groups of his time as they come to be baptized. He boldly refers to them as a brood of vipers and commands them to produce fruit in keeping with repentance. This interaction clearly reveals that their motivations were not rooted in genuine heart change but rather a superficial commitment to maintaining their outward appearance.
“What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?”
- James 2:14
What James is saying is that this faith changes you. The Kingdom of Heaven transforms lives. King Jesus invites us to live differently—holy, redeemed, and empowered by the Holy Spirit.
This is not the faith that the Pharisees and Sadducees had in Matthew 3, and John the Baptist was calling them out for it. To be fair, these religious groups hadn’t met Jesus yet. But John was telling everyone that someone greater than him was coming, someone whose sandals he wasn’t worthy to carry.
The coming King was bringing a kingdom like nothing they had ever seen before.
IV. The Announcement of John Brought Water; Jesus Brought Fire!
“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. 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.”
- Matthew 3:11-12
John the Baptist powerfully proclaims that his baptism by water serves as a profound symbol of cleansing—a call for the people to repent and turn away from their past transgressions. But that’s not all; he fervently anticipates a baptism to come, one bestowed by none other than Jesus Christ! This baptism promises to unleash an extraordinary spiritual power, igniting the soul with the Holy Spirit and fire, transforming individuals from the inside out.
In a moment of breathtaking humility, John declares that he is unworthy to even carry the sandals of the one who is to arrive. This statement captures the essence of a service reserved for the lowliest of servants, illustrating the staggering truth of Jesus’ monumental significance and divine authority. John highlights that the greatness of Jesus is so overwhelming that he feels unfit to serve him, not even in the smallest measure. What a testament to the power and majesty of the one who is to come!
The announcement of Jesus’ arrival should stir in us a sense of his eternal importance. s to change the world today.
Conclusion
I’d like to close today with a story from the book of Mark. In Mark 5:1-20 we encounter another peculiar fellow who is often called the demoniac. He is afflicted by evil spirits and driven by his neighbors into caves where he spends his life in torment and agony. Verse 5 says,
“Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.”
- Mark 5:5
When Jesus arrives he runs to Him and falls at His feet. Jesus eventually heals the man and the townspeople come out to witness this formerly possessed man sitting in his right mind at the feet of Christ. The townspeople are terrified of the power that Jesus must possess and ask him to leave. Naturally, the man wants to go with Jesus and continue to experience life in the Kingdom, but instead, Jesus says,
“Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.
- Mark 5:19-20
The man didn’t just stop with his family. He went on to announce to the entire Decapolis – a region of land that included 10 cities – about Christ who set him free. His testimony was so powerful that when Jesus returns to the Decapolis in Mark 7:31-37 the people in the region are coming to Him in droves to receive miracles and healings.