Matthew 3:1-12

John the Baptist, his mission, character, and preaching. The section takes up the Old Testament prophecy (Matthew 3:3), and concludes with an announcement of the coming Messiah (Matthew 3:11-12), whose baptism is next recorded. John combines the characters of Moses and Isaiah, joins law and promise in his preaching; the last of the Old Testament and nearest to the New (comp. chap. Matthew 11:11). He decreases that Christ may increase (John 3:30); preaches the law (repentance), because the gospel is at hand (Matthew 3:2); stern in rebuke of sinners (Matthew 3:7), he is poor in spirit before the Saviour (Matthew 3:11). A herald of the kingdom (Matthew 3:2), yet not of it (chap. Matthew 11:11), he came in the spirit and power of Elijah (Luke 1:17; comp. Matthew 11:14), to be the connecting link between the Old and New Dispensations. His inspiration (comp. Luke 3:2: ‘the word of God came to John,' the Old Testament formula) was ‘more of a sudden overpowering influence, as in the prophets, than a gentle indwelling, manifested through the individual character, as in the apostles and evangelists' (Alford). His doubts about the mission of Christ (chap. Matthew 11:3) recall the impatience of Elijah, at Horeb (1 Kings 19). Yet his baptism had a greater significance than the Mosaic ritual washings, and his preaching was an advance on all previous teaching. The former culminated in the baptism of Christ (Matthew 3:15-17), the latter in the announcement, ‘Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world' (John 1:29) .