Articles Directory | Free Articles | New Articles Daily | Biblical Baptism - Putting Baptism into Context through Chapter 3 of the Gospel of Matthew

This present verse is the initial direct mention of baptism in the whole Scriptures. By using the expression “In those days”, the Aposple Matthew is placing his account into it’s chronological framework. He is additionally informing his contemporaries about years that had recently gone bye, and was most likely writing to his audience a prolonged spell following the actions that he reports. In order to explore those days Matthew is writing to the reader concerning, we need to examine the earlier chapters.

In the beginning of his gospel, the Aposple Matthew brands it “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ” (Matthew 1v1). At this time Matthew states his aim - to put on view The Lord Jesus Christ as a actual human being that lived at a definite time, was born to particular parents, and had the ministry and prominence of “Christ”, the anointed Messiah or Saviour. The remainder of chapter one talks of the forebears of Jesus, and moreover a succinct explanation of how Mary got pregnant: “she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.” (Matthew 1v18)

It is within chapter two that we begin to witness the specific events that Matthew uses so that we can place his writings into it's historical timeframe. The historical events shown include:
· Jesus was given birth to in Bethlehem (King David’s historical home) “in the days of Herod the king” (Matthew 2v1)
· Wise men came from the east toward Jerusalem, wanting to know “Where is he that is born King of the Jews?” (Matthew 2v1-2)
· The wise men came since, in their words, “we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him” (Matthew 2v2)
· Herod asked the wise men at what instant the star had appeared (Matthew 2v7) and established that it had been up to 2 years prior (Matthew 2v16). It is feasible nevertheless that he overestimated in an effort to be sure that the newborn child was murdered, thinking that the star had actually appeared at His conception about 9 months earlier.
· Herod dispatched the edict that every one of the babies under the age of 2 in Bethlehem and all of the adjoining country will be killed. This was his attempt in order to make sure that precisely a single baby, Jesus, was additionally killed. (Matthew 2v16)
· Following the call of the wise men, Joseph escorted Mary as well as Jesus to Egypt in a rush, because he had been warned in relation to Herod's plans via an angel. (Matthew 2v13-14)
· While Joseph, Mary and Jesus were living in Egypt, King Herod died so Joseph was advised to go back in the direction of Israel with “the young child”. (Matthew 2v19-20)
· When King Herod died, his son Archelaus ruled Judaea in his place. (Matthew 2v22)

Undoubtedly, the aposple Matthew places the events during the time of Jesus inside the background of who was king of Judaea, as well as some of the things that they had achieved. This would most likely place the birth of Jesus Christ to within a handful of days or weeks from the command that king Herod had made in order to ensure him and all further babies in and in the vicinity of Bethlehem murdered. It is possible that a number of Matthew’s audience had lost a newborn, brother or sister throughout this moment in time and may possibly associate the description of Matthew immediately to events inside their own families. It was into these times in their recent past that John the Baptist had appeared, preaching and baptising.

John the Baptist was not ministering inside the temple or synagogues, but in the boondocks. Possibly he was not wanted within the temple for some reason - the most possible cause was the preaching that he produced. For more confirmation of this, notice as well v7 3.

Let us consider the message that he taught, which is found in a few scriptures that follow the present one:

· Repentance was commanded to each and every one (v2)
· The “kingdom of heaven” was at hand - about to be revealed (v2)
· John the Baptist appreciated his own ministry in the role of preparing the way meant for the ministry of the Lord, sowing the soil, getting the whole thing ready, and making His path a little quicker. (v3)

Obviously, precisely from the beginning of the biblical account of baptism, repentance from sinful habits was trapped inside the significance of baptism. This teaching of repentance and baptism was preparing each individual which received the preaching for the coming ministry of the Lord Jesus.