B. Preparation of Jesus for Ministry: Baptism and Temptation (3:1-4:16)
A gap of several years exists between the end of ch. 2 and the ministry of John in ch. 3. Apparently it did not contribute to Matthew’s purpose in writing to include accounts describing the boyhood and adolescence of Jesus. But Matthew is very much interested in the baptism of Jesus, which contains the witness of John (3:1-12) and the witness of God (vv.13-17; 4:1-11).
John declares that Jesus is the coming one (ho erchomenos, a term that is essentially equivalent to “Christ”; cf. 11:2-3), whose power goes far beyond anything John could boast and who is infinitely majestic and glorious. John is unworthy even to be his slave (3:11). In this way John points to the incomparable greatness of Jesus and suggests that Jesus is much more than a prophet. In fact, to think of Jesus as a prophet in the line of the OT prophets is to miss entirely the true meaning and significance of Jesus (cf. 16:13-17). This is not business as usual; in Jesus God is doing something utterly new and extraordinary.
John proclaims that this coming one brings with him blessing and judgment. All persons will experience his baptism. For some it will be “baptism of the Spirit,” a pouring out of the Spirit that will enable the recipients to participate fully in the community of God that Jesus, as the Messiah, establishes. For others it will be “baptism of fire,” the eternal punishment that Jesus, as Judge, will dispense to those who reject God and the Christ whom he has sent (3:11b-12).
In light of this reality, what ought persons to do? John answers, “Repent” (3:2). It is only through repentance that one may escape the judgment of this mighty Christ and experience the blessings that he is able to give.
God gives his own testimony to Jesus in 3:17. Here the heavenly voice declares, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” Jesus is the Son of God in the sense that he has his origin in God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit (1:18-25). By virtue of this divine conception, Jesus experiences an intimacy and unity with God that is absolutely unique (cf. 11:25-30).
Moreover, the immediate context indicates that Jesus is the Son of God as one who perfectly obeys the will of his Father. In 3:15 Jesus submits to baptism, not because he has sin to confess, but to fulfill all righteousness. The obedience of Jesus as Son of God is especially prominent in the temptation story, which follows immediately. There Jesus is tempted precisely in his role as Son of God (4:3, 6), and as Son of God he refuses to yield to the temptations of the Devil (4:1-11).
One additional comment should be made regarding 3:1-4:11. Jesus' baptism and temptation serve to equip him for his ministry. The descent of the Spirit upon Jesus in 3:16 indicates that the entire ministry of Jesus is an expression of the power of the Spirit. Indeed, the work of the Spirit in the life and ministry of Jesus is manifested already in the temptation. It is through the might of the Spirit that Jesus rejects Satan’s urgings that he fulfill his messianic calling by the performance of great, spectacular signs rather than through God’s ordained path of suffering and death (see 16:21-23; 27:32-54). Hence, after his baptism and temptation Jesus is ready to position himself for messianic ministry in Galilee (4:12-16).