3:1 In a those days came 1 John the Baptist, preaching in
the b wilderness of Judaea,
(a) Not when Joseph went to dwell at Nazareth, but a great
while after, about fifteen years: for in the 30th year
of his life Jesus was baptized by John: therefore "those
days" means the time when Jesus remained as an
inhabitant of the town of Nazareth.
(1) John, who through his singular holiness and rare austerity
of life caused men to cast their eyes on him, prepares the
way for Christ who is following fast on his heels, as the
prophet Isaiah foretold, and delivers the sum of the
gospel, which a short time later would be delivered more
fully.
(b) In a hilly country, which was nonetheless inhabited,
for Zacharias dwelt there, (Lu 1:39,40), and there
was Joab's house, (1Ki 2:34); and besides these,
Joshua makes mention of six towns that were in the
wilderness, (Jos 15:61,62).
3:2 And saying, c Repent ye: for the d kingdom of heaven is
at hand.
(c) The word in the greek signifies a changing of our minds
and heart from evil to better.
(d) The kingdom of Messiah, whose government will be
heavenly, and nothing but heavenly.
3:3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias,
saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare
ye the way of the Lord, e make his paths straight.
(e) Make him a plain and smooth way.
3:4 And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a
leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was f
locusts and wild honey.
(f) Locusts were a type of meat which certain of the eastern
people use, who were therefore called devourers of
locusts.
3:5 Then went out to him g Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all
the region round about Jordan,
(g) The people of Jerusalem.
3:6 And were baptized of him in Jordan, h confessing
their sins.
(h) Acknowledging that they were saved only by free
remission and forgiveness of their sins.
3:72 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come
to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers,
who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
(2) There is nothing that shuts up the way of mercy and
salvation from us so much as the opinion of our own
righteousness does.
3:83 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:
(3) True repentance is an inward thing which has its seat in
the mind and heart.
3:94 And i think not to say k within yourselves, We have
Abraham to [our] father: for I say unto you, that God is
able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
(4) The faith of the fathers does not benefit you unbelieving
children at all: and yet for all that, God does not play the
liar, nor deal unfaithfully in his covenant which he made
with the holy fathers.
(i) Think not that you have any reason to be proud of
Abraham.
(k) In your hearts.
3:115 I indeed baptize you with water unto l repentance:
but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes
I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy
Spirit, and [with] fire:
(5) We may neither dwell upon the signs which God has ordained
as means to lead us into our salvation, neither upon those
that minister them: but we must climb up to the matter
itself, that is to say, to Christ, who inwardly works that
effectually, which is outwardly signified to us.
(l) The outward sign reminds us of this, that we must
change our lives and become better, assuring us as by a
seal, that we are ingrafted into Christ; by which our
old man dies and the new man rises up; (Ro 6:4).
3:126 Whose fan [is] in his hand, and he will throughly m
purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but
he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
(6) The triumphs of the wicked will end in everlasting torment.
(m) Will clean it thoroughly, and make a full riddance.
3:137 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to
be baptized of him.
(7) Christ sanctified our baptism in himself.
3:15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer [it to be so]
now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil n all
righteousness. Then he suffered him.
(n) All such things as it has appointed for us to keep.
3:16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of
the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto o him,
and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and
lighting upon him:
(o) To John.
3:178 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved
Son, in whom I am p well pleased.
(8) Christ's full consecration and authorization to the office
of mediator is shown by the Father's own voice and a
visible sign of the Holy Spirit.
(p) The Greek word signifies a thing of great worth and
such as highly pleases a man. So then the Father says
that Christ is the only man whom when he beholds,
looking at what opinion he had conceived of us, he lays
it clean aside.
