Sermon Notes — Medina Community Church

Key Passage · ESV

Matthew 3:1–6 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’ Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Matthew 3:7–10 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our father,” for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Matthew 3:11–12 ‘I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’ Matthew 3:13–17 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?’ But Jesus answered him, ‘Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.’ Then he consented. And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.’

My Notebook

Part One

The King They Expected

Matthew 3:1–9

For centuries under one occupying power after another, Israel clung to a promise: a son of David who would reign forever.

When they pictured this King, they pictured ¹, with Rome finally humbled and Israel restored to glory.

Instead a wild man in camel’s hair appears out past the edge of civilization, dressed like Elijah, the prophet expected right before the Messiah.

His message is a call to ² and confess sin rather than a call to mobilize an army.

The Pharisees assumed their ³ secured their place. God can raise up children for Abraham from the stones on the ground.

They assumed the coming wrath was reserved for someone else. The axe was already laid at the root of their own tree.

Reflect · Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? What do you quietly assume puts you on the right side of God’s kingdom?

Part Two

The King Who Came Instead

Matthew 3:11–17

John points to One mightier: John is not worthy even of a servant’s lowest task, carrying His sandals.

His winnowing fork is in His hand. Everyone standing in that crowd was about to be ⁴, one way or another.

Then the King arrives without any army or conquest, walks into the same water as every repentant sinner, and asks for the same baptism.

Even John is stunned. I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?

Jesus has no sins of His own to confess, yet He steps into the water to fulfill all ⁵.

From the first public moment of His ministry, He identifies Himself with ⁶, though He is not one.

Heaven answers as the Spirit descends like a dove and the Father speaks: this is my beloved Son.

The kingdom is entered the way everyone in that river was entering it, through repentance and faith.

Reflect · The true King arrived identifying with the people He came to save. What should the Pharisees have done? Have you done it?

Part Three

Which Baptism?

Matthew 3:11

Baptism means ⁷, to be plunged into something and fully identified with it.

John’s baptism looked forward with water and repentance to a Messiah who had not yet died and risen, and it was never meant to be permanent.

The church’s baptism identifies a believer with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, in obedience to His command and as a public entrance into His visible church.

Spirit baptism is something Christ Himself does in you the instant you repent and believe.

The believer becomes a temple of the Holy Spirit, joined to Christ’s body, and ⁸, a guarantee that cannot be taken back.

Conclusion

There are two baptisms to choose from: the Spirit, or the fire.

Repent and believe, and be immersed in the Spirit of the King, sealed and joined to His body from the moment you trust Him.

Refuse, and cling to whatever you think secures you, and the fire John warned of is still waiting. The only question is which baptism will be yours.

“If you repent and believe, you are immersed in the Spirit of the King.”

My Response · One thing I am taking from this message

Prayer

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