Notes on the Gospel readings from Matthew

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Notes on Matthew 3.13-17 The Baptism of Jesus 12 January 2014

Jesus and his family returned from Egypt and settled in Nazareth, in Galilee (2.23). John the Baptist ministered in the wilderness of Judea and baptised people in the Jordan river (3.1,6). Jesus then came from Galilee to the Jordan (about 120 km) to be baptised by John (3.13). After the baptism Jesus was led into the wilderness to be tested (4.1). After the testing in the wilderness, when he heard that John had been arrested, he returned to Galilee (4.12). This seems to be a special trip south and focusses our attention on the two big events that happened there.

The baptism and testing of Jesus come at the beginning of Jesus ministry. This helps us understand what happened at his baptism. We have been told already that John was calling on people to repent, to confess their sins and to be baptised (3.2,5). Jesus wants to be baptised as well. But John has told the crowds that Jesus will baptise with the Holy Spirit and fire (3.11). John doesn’t think Jesus should be baptised in water by John. Especially since John’s baptism is about repentance.

This is one of our problems with it too. Why would Jesus, who did not sin, want to be baptised? What sins would he have to repent of?

There are two important things in this passage.

First, Jesus says his baptism is to “fulfill all righteousness” (3.15). John has already begun the task of bring the people back into the righteous ways of the kingdom (3.2-3). But true righteousness will need more than repentance and baptism. It will need what baptism points to: a death to the sinful life and a resurrection to a new life. And it will need a sinless person to take the whole race to that death and resurrection. Jesus is showing, in advance, by way of an acted picture, what he will do to fully bring God’s people to the righteousness of the kingdom of God.

Second, the baptism is the occasion when the Holy Spirit comes on Jesus. This is also a puzzle. The voice from heaven says, “This is my Son…” But if he is the Son of God, why does he need the Holy Spirit to come on him? From one point of view he doesn’t. However from the point of view of being the Messiah, he does. This could be understood as the anointing of the Messiah (Messiah, and Christ mean “anointed”). The Spirit will be the one who leads and gives power to his ministry. Straight after this we are told that the Spirit leads Jesus into the wilderness to be tested (4.1). In this case Father Son and Holy Spirit are all involved at the start of Jesus’ ministry. What he will do is being done together with Father and Holy Spirit.

Dale

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Notes on Matthew 2.1-12 Epiphany Sunday January 5

Five groups of people feature in this passage.

1. The Magi: They were astronomers and astrologers from somewhere east of Judah, maybe Persia, or Babylon, we don’t know. They are very impressed with a new star they see in the sky. They think it is connected with a new king of the Jews. So significant is it that they travel to pay their respects to the new king. They travel to the Jewish capital, ask directions and are told to go to Bethlehem. When they find the child they offer gifts and show their respect by bowing down and giving worship. The gifts are nit symbolic. They are just very good gifts appropriate to a foreign king.

Notice that the star does not provide them with enough information. It just starts them off on their search. They need help from the people in Jerusalem who know the story of the Messiah. The worship of the child is also very elementary. They don’t know much. There is much more to learn about this king. Later others will take the whole story of the King Jesus to their land, and from there it will be taken further east as far as China.

2. Herod the Great: was a great builder. He was also very cruel and ruthless. When he hears that the Magi are looking of a new king of the Jews, he connects this with the Messiah. He asks the scholars about where the Messiah is to be born. He does this privately. He also speak to the Magi privately. He wants them to find the child and tell him. He says he wants to worship the child, but he really wants to kill him (2.16). He is simply opposed to any rule but his own (like all human beings).

3. The Religious Scholars: the chief priests and the teachers of the law are asked where the Messiah is to be born. They know the prophecy of Micah. They also know what the Magi are searching for, because all of Jerusalem knows. But they don’t seem to have any interest in connecting the two things. They don’t seem to be interested in the birth of the Messiah. They seem happily caught up in their own religious world. As though their religious action and knowledge was an end in itself. They may be like the person who thinks, “What we know is all we need to know.”

4. The child Jesus (and Mary his mother): although he doesn’t say anything the child is the centre of the story. He attracts:

respect and worship from the foreigners
deadly opposition from Herod the ruler
passive non- interest from the religious leaders

But according to Micah, he is the ruler who will shepherd God’s people. The Messiah, God’s anointed ruler and saviour.

5. The readers: We are part of this story too. As we hear the story, we need to decide what we will do about it. Will we:

passively ignore it, leave it in its Christmas box
be hostile to this king, even in a polite way
pay our respects, but keep our independence
do what the Magi pointed us to: to worship him with our life

Dale

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Notes on Matthew 2.13-23 Sunday after Christmas 29 December 2013

This story follows the story of the Magi. Unfortunately the Lectionary has changed the order of the stories to fit the Church Calendar. The story of the Magi is connected to the Epiphany. We will read it next week.

This story shows the danger that Jesus and his parents were in. Herod ordered that all the boys in Bethlehem less than two years old were to be killed. He did not want any rivals to his rule. The grief reminds Matthew of the reference to grief in Jeremiah 31. His readers might also remember what else was said in Jeremiah 31. God made great promises of salvation and rescue in that chapter. Promises that came true in the life of Jesus.

Jesus and his parents fled to Egypt. They stayed there until Herod died. Matthew links this with the time when Israel was in Egypt. In both cases God called his son out of Egypt. Jesus will have his own “exodus” at the cross when he rescues his people from sin and death.

The second part of the passage is about Jesus’ return from Egypt. The family does not want to go back to Judea because of Herod’s son, Archelaus. So they head to Nazareth. Jesus is therefore known as a “Nazarene”. In this case it has the idea of an unimportant place. An out-of-the-way place. A person who came from there would not be famous. They would be despised.

This fits the whole of these early chapters of Matthew. The Messiah is despised and rejected right form the start.
Dale

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Notes on Matthew 1.18-25 Advent 4 22 December 2013

The beginning of Matthew’s gospel is more interesting than it looks. Matthew gives 8 verses to tell about the birth of Jesus from the point of view of Joseph (the actual birth is described in just one verse). He gives 17 verses to explain that Jesus descended from Abraham.

The genealogy does not seem very interesting. It seems to be a long list of names. But there are two things we should note. One is to notice the five women who are mentioned, and to remember their stories. The other is to see that Matthew organises his list of ancestors into three sets of fourteen generations. He makes Abraham, David and the exile the significant starting points for the story of God’s people.

Matthew wants us to see that Jesus comes from the line of Abraham and David. In this way he comes as the one who fulfills the promises of the Old Testament.

The story of Mary’s pregnancy fits the stories of the women in the genealogy. Joseph is very embarrassed that Mary has become pregnant before they have been married. Although they are engaged, or pledged to each other, the marriage had not yet taken place. Until they were married they were not allowed to have sexual relations.

The fact that Mary was pregnant meant that Joseph could divorce her. It could have been a very bad event for Mary. Joseph decided to divorce her quietly so that she would not suffer public shame.

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Notes on Matthew 11.2-11 Advent 3 15 December 13

This passage tells us about three people.

The first is Jesus. John the Baptist has been preparing the way for the Messiah. But is Jesus the Messiah? John is now in prison. Perhaps he is not sure about Jesus. His messengers ask Jesus, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” This reminds us that Jesus didn’t act in the way that many expected the Messiah to act.

Jesus’ answer is to remind the messengers about some prophecies from the Old Testament (11.5). Isaiah 35.4-6 and Isaiah 61.1 are two places to look. Jesus says he is doing what the Old Testament said would happen when the Lord came to save his people. John is to understand that Jesus is the Messiah they were expecting.

The second person is John the Baptist. Jesus explains who John is. The crowds went out into the wilderness to see someone who was different. A prophet. But more than a prophet. This was the special messenger sent to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord. Malachi 3 tells about this messenger. At the end of Malachi, he is named as Elijah. Elijah has been dead a long time by the time Malachi writes. The prophecy means that someone like Elijah will come to prepare for the Lord’s coming. John is that one, says Jesus (11.14).

Together Jesus and John the Baptist are very important signs that God is doing what he said he would. He is about to redeem his people.

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Notes on the Gospel readings from Matthew