Matthew 3

¹ In those days, John the Baptizer came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying,

² “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!”

³ For this is he who was spoken of by Isaiah the prophet, saying, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, make the way of the Lord ready! Make his paths straight!”

⁴ Now John himself wore clothing made of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.

⁵ Then people from Jerusalem, all of Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him.

⁶ They were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

⁷ But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for his baptism, he said to them, “You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

⁸ Therefore produce fruit worthy of repentance!

⁹ Don’t think to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father,’ for I tell you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.

¹⁰ Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down, and cast into the fire.

¹¹ “I indeed baptize you in water for repentance, but he who comes after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit.

¹² His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing floor. He will gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire.”

¹³ Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him.

¹⁴ But John would have hindered him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and you come to me?”

¹⁵ But Jesus, answering, said to him, “Allow it now, for this is the fitting way for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed him.

¹⁶ Jesus, when he was baptized, went up directly from the water: and behold, the heavens were opened to him. He saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming on him.

¹⁷ Behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

Around Matthew 3

Book context

MatthewEditorial draft

Matthew opens by presenting Jesus as “the son of David, the son of Abraham” (1:1) and keeps connecting his life to the Hebrew Scriptures. Its teaching centres on the Kingdom of Heaven (4:17), gathers long blocks of Jesus’ teaching such as the Sermon on the Mount (chapters 5 to 7), and closes with the commission to make disciples of all nations (28:19). The book does not name its author; early church tradition attributes it to the apostle Matthew. Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897) dates it around AD 60 to 65 and holds that it was the first Gospel written. Many later scholars think Mark came first, so the order of the Gospels is debated.

Why we say this

HisFullGlory editorial · debated · not yet reviewed by a theological reader

From the text itself

Sources

Notes summarise their sources in our own words. Where Christians or scholars disagree, the note says so. Notes are not original-language evidence and do not replace the text.

AI explanation

Matthew 3 · Written by an AI model · Not reviewed by a theological reader

This explanation was written by an AI model to help you get started. It names no sources and can contain mistakes. Scripture comes first, and context with sources is shown separately on this page.

What this chapter says

A man in camel's hair, with a leather belt and a meal of locusts and wild honey, is preaching in the wilderness of Judea. “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!” Matthew says he is the voice Isaiah spoke of. And people come. From Jerusalem, all Judea and the whole region around the Jordan, they walk out to him, confess their sins and are baptized in the river.

When many Pharisees and Sadducees arrive, John does not soften. Produce fruit worthy of repentance, he says, and don't rely on having Abraham as your father. Someone mightier is coming, who will baptize in the Holy Spirit and sort wheat from chaff.

Then Jesus walks down from Galilee, asking to be baptized. John objects at first, but Jesus tells him it is fitting. Coming up out of the water, he sees the heavens open and the Spirit descend like a dove. A voice says, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

Background

John's clothing recalls the prophet Elijah (see 2 Kings 1), and his message follows Isaiah 40. Baptism in water was already used in Jewish life for washing and cleansing, but John's call to repentance in the Jordan was striking to those who came. The Pharisees were a lay movement known for careful observance of the law. The Sadducees were closely tied to the temple and its priests. The baptism of Jesus is a key scene in all four Gospels. Christians differ on why Jesus was baptized and on how baptism is best practiced today.

About this explanation

Written by Claude Sonnet 5.5, an AI model, on 22 October 2026. It draws on the WEB text and general knowledge and was not checked against sources by a person. Every quotation from Scripture is checked automatically against the WEB text.

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