Matthew 3:1

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Matthew 3:1
Chapter three is an obvious transition point in the book. Matthew has gone from Jesus being a young child to the days of John the Baptist just prior to Jesus’ baptism. Almost 30 years has transpired. For the most part, these are 30 silent years. But that does not mean they were years that were unimportant. Isn’t it interesting that Jesus came to be the Savior of the world and would die a relatively young man at age 33, and yet for 30 of those years he lives in obscurity in a little town of Nazareth? What is the significance of these years?First, Jesus was learning what it was like to be a working man. He earned money, dealt with customers, interacted with the social and religious life of the community, and was subject to his parents. Those things may seem to be mundane, but they are the foundations for productiveness in this life. Those who fail at these or who are robbed of the opportunity to develop themselves in these areas of life, rarely come to maturity. We live in a world where childhood is seen as a time primarily devoted to the pursuit of pleasure. Jesus pursued maturity, and so He has commanded for every person (Eph. 6:4).

Second, Jesus did not come into a protected, cushioned life. He came into a life that any man must live. Consider what a deficient savior He would have been if He had been born and raised in a king’s palace. For Jesus to help men, He had to first live as an ordinary man.

Third, Jesus prepared Himself spiritually. At age twelve, He told His parents, “Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” (Lk. 2:49). It was not that Jesus was odd or freakish, He was in favor with God and man (Lk. 2:52). One of the missed principles of Christianity is the ability of a Christian to unashamedly proclaim Christ while at the same time being held in high esteem among men (Acts 2:47; 5:13). No Christian is worth his “salt” who does not live the life he preaches to others.

How many young people today prepare themselves for a life of service to God? Where are the twelve year old who would say, “I must be about my Father’s business?” How many parents impress this upon their children to anywhere near the degree that they impress upon them the need to succeed in school and sports?
Berry Kercheville