In Matthew 3:1-12, we meet John the Baptist. Please refer to this reading when reading the questions and answers below.
1. What does John mean by “the kingdom of heaven is at hand”?
Another translation of Heaven is “God.” And another translation of kingdom is “rule.” So then the Rule of God is at hand. This means the reign of Satan is coming to an end. That is what Jesus is accomplishing.
2. A statement was made that it doesn’t look like Satan’s reign has ended when you look around the world today.
Answer: Jesus won, the Fall was reversed, the gates of heaven have been reopened, and forgiveness is given freely to all who ask for it. In other words, the war is over. What remains are our individual battles, because we still have free will. We each need to make our choices now, for whatever we choose now will be exactly what we receive when we die. The only difference is that it will be permanent.
3. What does repent mean?
To turn around; a change of heart. Specifically, it means to turn away from rebellion against God (self-reign) and towards inviting in/partnering with God.
4. Where is the “desert of Judea”? Why is this location significant?
It was west of Jerusalem on the Jordan River just north of the Dead Sea. That is exactly where the Hebrews exited the desert (Moses/Exodus from Egyptian slavery) 1300 years before, into the Promised Land. Jesus represents the New Exodus, so it was only right that he begin his ministry here.
5. What reference in Isaiah spoke about “A voice of one crying out in the desert, prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths”?
Isaiah 40:3
6. What was the significance of John wearing a garment of camel’s hair, a leather belt, and eating locusts and wild honey?
This was the same description of the prophet Elijah, who was prophesied to return just before the arrival of the Messiah. John was fulfilling this prophecy. His fiery preaching style was just like Elijah, too.
7. How so we know John existed and how well-known was he?
First century historian Josephus, who assisted the Romans in besieging and destroying Jerusalem in 70 AD, spoke about John the Baptist and how large his following was. He was extremely popular because the Jews hadn’t seen a real prophet in several hundred years, and John fit the bill in every way, especially how he spoke about the Messiah and was unafraid to attack the current religious authorities.
8. What did John mean when he said to the Pharisees and Sadducees, “Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones. Even now the axe lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”
The Pharisees and Sadducees had become distant from the Hebrew people, using the Mosaic laws as a hammer instead of a helpful guide; especially on the weak and poor. They used their religious positions arrogantly and considered themselves the true/ideal descendants of Abraham, and therefore acceptable in the eyes of God. John’s response was bull****; God could make descendants out of stones if He wanted to. John’s reference to the axe was Jesus, who was about to pass judgement on the religious leaders of that time.
9. What did John mean when he said, “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”
Baptism after the Jesus conveyed the Holy Spirit to the individual being baptized; not so beforehand. Fire can both refer to warmth and purification (as in purifying gold with fire), or else destruction. Which one depends on the quality of the person entering into it.
10. What is wheat and chaff?
I showed a picture of this. The edible part of the grain (the wheat kernel) is the interior and the inedible husk around it is the chaff. When harvesting wheat, the grain of wheat is separated from the outer chaff and the chaff is burned. This is used as a metaphor for how John was referring to good and bad people. Those who hear God's word and help their fellow man are the kernels of wheat; and those who do not and are selfish and arrogant are the chaff.
11. What is a winnowing fan and threshing floor? A winnowing fan is a fork-like shovel. The threshing floor is where the wheat is threshed (repeatedly thrown into the air with the fork-like shovel. The kernels of wheat fall to the ground and are saved and the light husks (chaff) blown off by the wind are gathered up and burned.
We then talked about the Immaculate Conception but that will have to be another communication!
Ron
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