The Blog Hill

1. Structural Diagram

2. Surrounding Context

Invitation to you Sermon Writers or bible study prep's!

the king of the hill

Advent 2 – Mt 3:1-12- Surrounding Context

2004-11-20T23:20:00.000-08:00

Preceding Passage Notes –

The Visit of the Magi - Matt 2:1-12

Summary – The Magi travel to see Jesus. They meet with Herod, who asked them to report to him when they found Jesus. The Magi find Jesus, and worship Him. They do not go back to Herod.

Similar themes – Worthiness - The Magi bear gifts worthy of a king, bow down and worship 2:11/John the Baptist says, "whose sandals I am not fit to carry" 3:11

The Escape to Egypt - Matt 2:13-18

Summary – Angel appears to Joseph, and tells them to go to Egypt, to escape the massacre of children which Herod undertakes. They do so and remain there until Herod dies.

Common Words - 3:9 children v18

Similar themes – none?

The Return to Nazareth - Matt 2:19-23

Summary – After Herod dies, they travel back to Israel, and settle in Galilee at Nazareth.

Similar themes – none?

Following Passage Notes -

The Baptism of Jesus - Matt 3:13-17
Summary – Jesus meets John the Baptist at the Jordan, John asks Jesus to Baptize Him, but Jesus asks John to do so. Jesus is Baptized and heavens open, Holy spirit descends as dove, and a voice speaks from heaven, announcing Jesus as Son, Whom is loved, and pleased...
Common Words - 3:2 heaven v16, 17

3:6 baptize v13, 14, 16
Similar themes – worthiness - John the Baptist says, "whose sandals I am not fit to carry" 3:11/John says, "I need to be baptized by you" 3:13

Holy Spirit - He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit 3:11/The Spirit of God descends on Jesus 3:16

1. Structural Diagram

2. Surrounding Context

Invitation to you Sermon Writers or bible study prep's!

the king of the hill

Advent 2 – Mt 3:1-12- Key Cross References

2004-11-20T23:19:00.001-08:00

Invitation to you Sermon Writers or bible study prep's!

Parallel Passages:

Mark 1:3-8

Luke 3:2-17

Citations:

v3 Isaiah 40:3

Idea Cross References:

v2 Kingdom of Heaven - This topic's link page

v3 prepare the way - Mal 3:1, Luke 1:76, John 1:23

v6 baptized - Mark 1:4, John 1:26, 33, Acts 1:5, 22, 11:36, 13:24, 18:25, 19:3-4

v7 brood of vipers - Matt 12:34, 23:33

v7 wrath - John 3:36, Rom 1:18, 5:9, Eph 5:6, Col 3:6, 1Thess 1:10, Rev 19:15

v8 in keeping with repentance - Jer 18:11, 35:15, Luke 3:8, Acts 26:20

v10 cut down...thrown into fire - Matt 7:19, Luke 3:9, 13:6-9, John 15:2, 6

v11 baptize with the Holy Spirit - Isa 44:3, Joel 2:28, Mark 1:8, John 1:33, Acts 1:5, 2:4, 11:16, 19:4-6

v11 ...and with fire - Isa 4:4, Acts 2:3-4

.
Word Cross References (selection):

repent - metanoeo - references

kingdom - basileia - references

heaven - ouranos - references

confess - exomologeo - references

baptize - baptizo - references

brood - gennema - references

vipers - echidna - references

wrath - orge - references

fruit - karpos - references

repentance - metanoia - references

powerful - ischuros - references

fire - pur - references

Introduction
1. Structural Diagram
2. Surrounding Context
3. Key Cross References
4. Key Questions
5. Thoughts and Meditation

the king of the hill

Advent 2 – Mt 3:1-12- Key Questions

2004-11-20T23:19:00.000-08:00

v11 What is meant by "He will baptize...and WITH FIRE"?

There does not seem to be another verse (apart from the parallel passage in Luke) which connects the idea of baptism with fire. Neither is there an apparent connection between the Holy Spirit and fire, elsewhere. What is meant by this statement by John? Scan through the verses in which the greek word fire appears, and one quickly finds that fire is connected many times with the idea of eternal damnation, and a burning up of something bad. Does that connection appear in this context? Yes, if we look at this passage, we fing John addressing the Pharisees and Sadducees with the words, "You brood of vipers. Who warned you of the coming wrath?" Wrath is connected with judgement - Rom 1:18, 13:4 as well as others. In this passage then, John is warning the Pharisees and Sadducees that fire and wrath are coming to destroy.

1. Structural Diagram

2. Surrounding Context

4. Key Questions

Invitation to you Sermon Writers or bible study prep's!

the king of the hill

Advent 2 – Mt 3:1-12- Thoughts and Meditation

2004-11-20T23:18:00.000-08:00

A Politically Incorrect Sermon or AKA... You'll Burn in Hell!

One phrase in this passage stuck in my head as I was reading: '...and with fire' v11. As a Lutheran (...please don't leave!!!), I knew all about the "water together with the word", and the "Holy Spirit living in us" aspects of baptism, but never had I heard this. Jesus would baptize with fire? Maybe I skipped that confirmation class. I knew that this statement was not an idle add-on to this passage, but an essential part of understanding what John is stating.

Fire is most commonly used as a reference to destruction of something morally corrupt. John also refers to the 'coming wrath', which is also coupled with the idea of judgement. John would make a lousy modern day PC preacher. No-one told him that when you want to bring people to confession and true repentance, instilling fear in the listener, by mentioning fire and brimstone will produce a 'false faith'. One in which the idea of grace is not fully comprehended, but one lived out of fear of a God who supposedly will destroy us for stepping out of line at school. John was the atypical preacher of his time that is for sure. He goes out to the desert, and expects people to come to him. He dresses poorly, and eats even worse. What attraction did this Nothing have?

The message of doom.

There is no way to escape the content of v2 - "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." John was not saying, "Come and get your ticket - God's coming to get you!" Instead he says, "Repent - it is what you need to do, otherwise God's coming will burn you up." If you still are not so sure, then look for the answer in this passae to the question - "What is impending?" You'll find this list: 'kingdom of heaven' v2, 'coming wrath' v7, 'the ax' v10, 'the fire' v10, 12, 'the clearing of the threshing floor where a seperation of wheat and chaff will take place' v12. That to me sounds like judgement.

John was enraged by the Pharisees and Sadducees who were coming down to watch the goings on at the Jordan. Reading between the lines, it appears that they may have even wanted to be baptized by John. His statement in v8 seems to point to the possibility that they were "repenting" in some way - why otherwise would John say, "Who warned you to flee..." v7 (repentance being the act of fleeing), as well as, "produce fruit in keeping with...". It could refer to their repentance at the temple through sacrificial atonement. Either way, the hearts of the Pharisees and Sadducees were not right - there was no fruit v8.

There were two kinds of people coming down to confess at the Jordan. There was the person out of Jerusalem, Judea, or Jordan itself. Then there was the Pharisee and Sadducee. Both parties professed to be followers of God. Both had some measure of apparent repentance v6, 8. However, the Pharisee and Sadducee were claiming birthright (v9) as their way to salvation. John states that they are vipers - which essentially adds up to, "You are evil". The 'fruit' on their 'tree' was apparently bad -

Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit
will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. Matt 12:33

The leaders of the church were being held accountable. They were the people who should have had it right with God. Instead they were being shown up as corrupt.

Bonhoeffer wrote in, "The Cost of Discipleship", about cheap grace and costly grace. The Pharisees and Sadducees were advocates for cheap grace. Their faith was shallow and misdirected. Thinking that faith in God meant 'law-abidingness', they missed the deeper reality of faith in God - that it would cost them their lives. Their nature was still an evil tree producing bad fruit. They had not been transformed into trees that produce good fruit which is the essence of costly grace.

My wife and I have been looking for a church to join. we have settled on a major church in our area, which suits us fine. Yet one thing that has bothered me about this church, as well as with others that we have attended is the lack of confession during worship. As a Lutheran who grew up with this liturgical component every week, it is puzzling why it has been left out of the modern worship services that predominate the landscape in non-traditional churches. I long for a church with excellant preaching, a strong confessional foundation, and modern worship... oh, and it has to be Lutheran!

Introduction
1. Structural Diagram
2. Surrounding Context
3. Key Cross References
4. Key Questions
5. Thoughts and Meditation

Advent 2A - How did this study rate?

Current results

the king of the hill

Advent 1 – Mt 24:36-44 – Introduction

2004-11-20T23:16:00.001-08:00

Happy Church New Year!

Blessings to all of you during this advent season. Feel free to leave comments, or email. I do like to hear what you think... ESPECIALLY if you want to add some missed point, or if I blundered...

I may miss something vitally crucial to seeing a passage in a new light, I do not read commentaries (although I will sneak a peak at footnotes in my Study bible) as I prefer to get my own fresh look at the passage... with all the wealth of the church fathers and teachers throughout the years, I am sure there is something else I do not catch when I look at a passage... please let me know, by using the comments section preferably...

Introduction
1. Structural Diagram
2. Surrounding Context
3. Key Cross References
4. Key Questions
5. Thoughts and Meditation

Invitation to you Sermon Writers or bible study prep's!

the king of the hill

Advent 1 – Mt 24:36-44 – Structural Diagram

2004-11-20T23:16:00.000-08:00

Passage Structure

v36-39 Jesus coming will come as surprise

v40- 41 Illustrations on what Jesus coming will be like

v42-44 Admonitions

³⁶"No one knows

.....about that day or hour,

..........not even the angels in heaven,

..........nor the Son,

..........but only the Father.

³⁷As it was

.....in the days of Noah,

..........so it will be

...............at the coming

....................of the Son of Man.

³⁸For in the days

.....before the flood,

..........people were eating

...............and drinking,

...............marrying and

...............giving in marriage,

....................up to the day

.........................Noah entered the ark;

³⁹and they knew nothing

..........about what would happen

.....until the flood

..........came and took them all away.

That is how it will be

.....at the coming

..........of the Son of Man.

⁴⁰Two men

.....will be in the field;

..........one will be taken

..........and the other left.

⁴¹Two women

.....will be grinding with a hand mill;

..........one will be taken

..........and the other left.

⁴²"Therefore keep watch,

.....because you do not know

..........on what day

...............your Lord will come.

⁴³But understand this:

.....If the owner of the house

..........had known

...............at what time of night

....................the thief was coming,

..........he would have kept watch

...............and would not have let his house

....................be broken into.

⁴⁴So you also

.....must be ready,

.....because the Son of Man

..........will come at an hour

...............when you do not expect him.

Repeating words or ideas

Day - hemera - v36, 37 , 38

Hour - hora - v36, 42, 44

Coming - parousia - v37, 39

Coming - erchomai - v39, 42, 43, 44

Watch - gregoreuo - v42, 43

knew/understand - ginosko - v39, 43

One taken/other left v40-41

Explanations/Reasons

v38ff at the coming it will be like the days of Noah - for in days before...

v42 keep watch because you do not know the day or hour

v44 be ready because hour will come when least ready

Comparison

v37 as it was in the days/ so it will be

Illustration

v40, 41 Two men in field..., Two women grinding...

v43 onwer of house knowing the time of thief's arrival

Lists

v38

1. eating

2. drinking

3. marriage

4. giving in marriage

Admonition, Warning, or Instruction

v42 Keep Watch

v44 Be ready

Prophecy

v37 So it will be...

1. Structural Diagram

2. Surrounding Context

the king of the hill

Advent 1 – Mt 24:36-44 – Surrounding Context

2004-11-20T23:15:00.000-08:00

What I noticed in the context of this passage is a strong connection of the idea regarding the future, as well as Jesus return. The idea of readiness and not being idle is very strong in the passage that follows on from this passage.

Preceding Passage Notes –

Signs of the End of the Age - Matt 24:1-35

Summary – Jesus is asked about the temple and it's fall. Jesus prophesies regarding the coming

tribulation, and the end of the world.

Common words

days - hemera - v19, 22, 29

angels - aggelos - v31

heaven - ouranos - v29, 30, 31, 35

coming - parousia - v3, 27

coming - erchomai - v5, 30

know - ginosko - v32, 33

Similar themes –

future events are discussed in both of these passages.

Following Passage Notes -

The faithful and Wise Servant and the Wicked Servant - Matt 24:45-51

Summary – Jesus uses an illustration to contrast two types of followers, the one who is doing God's will, and the other who does not. Describes the punishment that is coming to those who are not doing His will.

Common Words -

days - hemera - v50

hour - hora - v50
coming - erchomai - v46, 48
know - ginosko - v50

Similar themes –

'Timeframe' The wicked servant becomes lazy because time is going by, Day or hour not known

two contrasting archetypes - two men in field one taken, other 'abandoned', and same with women is similar to the two servants. One faithful, and the other worthy of punishment.

'readiness' - need to be ready at all times/ need to be ready when master returns

1. Structural Diagram

2. Surrounding Context