Proclaimed in Baptism

January 3, 2010

Background Scripture: Matthew 3
Lesson Passage: Matthew 3:1 – 6, 11 – 17

The Sunday School lessons for this month center around the evidence that points to Jesus as the promised messiah of Israel. No other gospel account is more appropriate for this than Matthew. Matthew’s account of the gospel is biased towards the Jewish recipient. It contains many references to Old Testament messianic prophecy along with Matthew’s exposition of how Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophecy. The genealogy of Matthew presents Jesus as a descendant of Abraham through the royal lineage of Judah.

In today’s lesson, Matthew presents the historical account of the water baptism of Jesus. Chapter three opens with the ministry of John the Baptist and he is immediately linked to Isaiah’s prophecy concerning the forerunner of the Messiah. Isaiah’s prophecy is found in chapter forty and verse three. Here, the fulfillment of the prophecy is found in the fortieth book of the bible and chapter three. Matthew presents the ministry of John the Baptist as that fulfillment. John preached the need for repentance in order to be prepared for the coming of the Lord. Where Isaiah speaks of valleys being lifted up and high places being brought down, Matthew says that all Judea went out to John and responded to his preaching. Those who responded included both the downcast and the high and mighty. John even mocked the religious leaders for coming to repent and asked them mockingly, “Who has warned you snakes to run?” Then he demanded of them true signs of repentance as he warned them that being born a Jew was not sufficient to save them from God’s wrath. He went on to warn them that God would judge their lifestyles and punish the unfruitful wicked. From this point, John went on to point out the contrast between his ministry and that of the coming Messiah. After these things, Jesus came to the Jordan River to John to be baptized. This is remarkable when one considers how Jesus is a contrast to the message that John was preaching. John’s message of repentance would not apply to Jesus, who had no sin and needed no repentance. Yet Jesus insisted that he be baptized as an example to all who followed after him. (If Jesus accepted a baptism of repentance without having any sin of his own, how much more should we who were born in sin and shaped in iniquity submit ourselves to repentance and after having accepted Jesus, also to baptism.) As Jesus came up out of the water, the triune presentation of the godhead was in full expression: the submissive son was preparing for his ministry, the Holy Ghost descended on him as an expression of the power that he would walk in and the approving voice of the Heavenly Father falling from the heavens. All of these things are but evidence of Jesus as the Messiah.


Robert C. Hudson
December 22, 2009

Messiah’s Birth Causes Joy and Rage

December 27, 2009

Background Scripture: Matthew 2
Lesson Passage: Matthew 2:7 – 10, 16 – 23

From birth, the effects of Jesus’ ministry could be seen in the reactions of various people. Some worshiped while others worried. The news of his birth traveled far and wide and engulfed people in its wake. Some traveled from a distant country to worship him while others nearby sought him to work wickedness against him. Wise men (either philosophers or scientists) were in awe of him while a king trembled at the thought of the meaning of his birth. All recognized that he was born king. This is remarkable considering there was no “earthly kingdom” of the Jews at that time and there had not been one for almost six hundred years. Neither was he born heir to the throne of a reigning king though he was born in Israel’s royal lineage of Judah. In spite of these gaps in regal succession, prophecy had foretold of his much anticipated coming. Some who anticipated with joy brought expensive gifts to give him along with their worship and adoration. They remind us of the custom in this country of giving gifts as part of the celebration during the Christmas season. On the other hand, King Herod, who learned that this anointed child was prophesied to be the king over Israel, committed monstrous acts in a failed attempt to kill him and prevent his ascension to the throne. The most hideous of all of his actions was the ordered execution of all children in and around Bethlehem who were two years of age and younger. On the other hand, God’s providential actions were in accordance with human desires and intentions whether they were pure or not. For those from a far country who desired to see and worship the child, God provided a guiding star to lead them over the distance and directly to the house where the child and his mother were (And you thought these new GPS devices were amazing! This technology is at least two thousand years late.) For a nearby king who sought to take the child’s life, God frustrated his plans by rerouting the group he tried to use to gather intelligence as to the child’s exact whereabouts. God went a step further and removed the child from that hostile environment until the fearful king had died. It was years later during his ministry that Jesus talked about the challenges of discipleship. Jesus stated that he did not come to send peace on the earth but instead a sword upon the land. It is a sword that divides families and homes. It is a sword that separates children from their parents. It will divide co-workers and friends. To this day, we still see the partitioning effect of the gospel. The gospel challenges complacency and mediocrity. God demands hot or cold and rejects the lukewarm. Since the announcement of Jesus’ birth, Jesus has always and continues to cause both joy and rage.


Robert C. Hudson
December 11, 2009