John Calvin Commentary Matthew 3
John Calvin Commentary
Matthew 3
John Calvin Commentary
Matthew 3
"And in those days cometh John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, saying," — Matthew 3:1 (ASV)
Now in those days. And in the fifteenth year. It could not be determined from Matthew and Mark at what age John began to preach, but Luke shows sufficiently that he was about thirty years of age.
The ancient writers of the Church almost unanimously agree that he was born fifteen years before the death of Augustus. His successor, Tiberius, had held the government of the Roman Empire for fifteen years when the same John began to preach. This accounts for the thirty years I have mentioned.
Therefore, it follows that he did not fulfill the office of teacher for long but, in a short time, gave way to Christ. For we will soon find that Christ also was baptized in his thirtieth year, when he was immediately installed in his public office. Now, as John, the morning-star, or dawn, was immediately followed by Christ, the Sun of Righteousness, (Malachi 4:2), it is no wonder that John disappeared, so that Christ might shine alone in greater brightness.
"Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." — Matthew 3:2 (ASV)
Repent, you. Matthew differs from the other two Evangelists in this respect: he relates the substance of John’s doctrine as uttered by John himself, while they relate it in their own words. Mark, though, has one word more than Luke, for he says, he came baptizing, and preaching the baptism of repentance. But in substance, there is the most perfect agreement, for they all connect repentance with the forgiveness of sins.
The kingdom of God among men is nothing else than a restoration to a happy life; or, in other words, it is true and everlasting happiness. When John says that the kingdom of God is at hand, his meaning is that men, who were alienated from the righteousness of God and banished from the kingdom of heaven, must be gathered again to God and live under His guidance. This is accomplished by a free adoption and the forgiveness of sins, by which He reconciles to Himself those who were unworthy. In a word, the kingdom of heaven is nothing else than “newness of life” (Romans 6:4), by which God restores us to the hope of a blessed immortality. Having rescued us from the bondage of sin and death, He claims us as His own, so that even while our pilgrimage on earth continues, we may enjoy the heavenly life by faith, for He
“hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ,” (Ephesians 1:3).
Though we are like dead men, yet we know that our life is secure; for it “is hid with Christ in God,” (Colossians 3:3).
From this doctrine, as its source, is drawn the exhortation to repentance. For John does not say, “Repent, you, and in this way the kingdom of heaven will afterwards be at hand”; but first brings forward the grace of God, and then exhorts men to repent. Hence it is evident that the foundation of repentance is the mercy of God, by which He restores the lost. In no other sense is it stated by Mark and Luke that he preached repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Repentance is not placed first, as some ignorantly suppose, as if it were the ground of the forgiveness of sins, or as if it induced God to begin to be gracious to us; but men are commanded to repent, so that they may receive the reconciliation which is offered to them.
Now, as the undeserved love of God—by which He receives into His favor wretched men, “not imputing their trespasses unto them,” (2 Corinthians 5:19)—is first in order, so it must be observed that pardon of sins is bestowed upon us in Christ, not that God may treat them with indulgence, but that He may heal us from our sins. Indeed, without hatred of sin and remorse for transgressions, no man will taste the grace of God. But a definition of repentance and faith may explain more fully how both are connected, which leads me to handle this doctrine more sparingly.
Regarding the meaning of the present passage, it is proper to observe that the whole Gospel consists of two parts—forgiveness of sins and repentance. Now, as Matthew denominates the first of these the kingdom of heaven, we may conclude that men are in a state of deadly enmity with God, and altogether shut out from the heavenly kingdom, until God receives them into favor. Though John, when he introduces the mention of the grace of God, exhorts men to repentance, yet it must not be forgotten that repentance, no less than the inheritance of the heavenly kingdom, is the gift of God.
As He freely pardons our sins and delivers us by His mercy from the condemnation of eternal death, so also He forms us anew to His image, that we may live unto righteousness. As He freely adopts us for His sons, so He regenerates us by His Spirit, that our life may testify that we do not falsely245 address Him as our Father. In like manner, Christ washes away our sins by His blood and reconciles our Heavenly Father to us by the sacrifice of His death; but, at the same time, in consequence of
“our old man being crucified with him, and the body of sin destroyed,” (Romans 6:6)
He makes us “alive” unto righteousness. The sum of the Gospel is that God, through His Son, takes away our sins and admits us to fellowship with Him, so that we, “denying ourselves” and our own nature, may “live soberly, righteously, and godly,” and thus may exercise ourselves on earth in meditating on the heavenly life.
245 “Ce n'est pas a fausses enseignes ni par feintise.” — “It is not with false colors, nor by hypocrisy.”.” — “It is not with false colors, nor by hypocrisy.”
"For this is he that was spoken of through Isaiah the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make ye ready the way of the Lord, Make his paths straight." — Matthew 3:3 (ASV)
The voice of one crying in the wilderness.
Though this passage of the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 40:3) should not be limited exclusively to John, yet he is one of the number of those to whom it certainly refers. After having spoken of the destruction of the city and of the awful calamities that would befall the people, he promises a restoration that would follow. His words are:
Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God, (Isaiah 40:1).
When the temple had been thrown down, sacrifices abolished, and the people led away into captivity, their affairs seemed to be desperate. And as their ears had been deaf to the uninterrupted voice of the prophets, the Lord kept silence for a time.247
That pious minds may not be cast down during this melancholy silence, the prophet announces that other preachers of grace will yet arise to awaken in the people a hope of salvation. Such were Zechariah, Haggai, Malachi, and the like.248 But as the restoration promised is perpetual, and not for a time only, and as Isaiah refers chiefly to the redemption which was to be expressed at the coming of Christ, John the Baptist is justly considered the chief minister of consolation.
Next follows, in the words of the prophet, The voice of one crying. That voice is contrasted with the temporary silence249 which I have just mentioned, for the Jews were to be deprived for a time of the instruction which they had wickedly despised.
The word wilderness is here used metaphorically for desolation, or the frightful ruin of the nation, such as existed in the time of the captivity. It was so dismally shattered that it might well be compared to a wilderness. The prophet magnifies the grace of God.
“Though the people,” he says, “have been driven far from their country, and even excluded from the society of men, yet the voice of God will still be heard in the wilderness, to revive the dead with joyful consolation.”
When John began to preach, Jerusalem was in this sense a wilderness: for all had been reduced to wild and frightful confusion. But the very sight of a visible wilderness must have had a powerful effect on stupid and hardened men, leading them to perceive that they were in a state of death and to accept the promise of salvation which had been held out to them.
We now see that this prediction actually relates to John and is most properly applied to him.
Prepare the way of the Lord.
The prophet undoubtedly addresses Cyrus and the Persians, whose agency the Lord employed in this matter. The meaning is: by his wonderful power, God will open a way for his people through impassable forests, through broken rocks, through a sandy desert, for he will have at hand the ministers of his grace to remove all hindrances out of the way.
But that was a shadowy anticipation of redemption. When the spiritual truth is about to appear, John is sent to remove obstacles.
And even now the same voice sounds in our ears, that we may prepare the way of the Lord: that is, that we may take out of the way those sins which obstruct the kingdom of Christ and thus give access to his grace.
To the same purpose are the following words of the prophet: the crooked shall be made straight, (Isaiah 40:4).
All that these words mean is: there are intricate and crooked windings in the world, but through such appalling difficulties the Lord makes a way for himself and breaks through by incredible means to accomplish our salvation.
247 “Et pource qu'ils avoyent auparavant ferme leurs aureilles a la voix des prophetes, qui journellement et sans cesse, parloyent a eux, le Seigneur se teut, et laissa de parler a eux pour un temps.” — “And because they had formerly shut their ears to the voice of the prophets, who daily and unceasingly spoke to them, the Lord was silent, and ceased to speak to them for a time.”.” — “And because they had formerly shut their ears to the voice of the prophets, who daily and unceasingly spoke to them, the Lord was silent, and ceased to speak to them for a time.”
248 “Malachie, Esdras, et autres semblables personnages.” — “Malachi, Ezra, and other similar characters.”.” — “Malachi, Ezra, and other similar characters.”
249 “Anquel il n'y avoit personne qui parlast au nom de Dieu;” — “in which there was nobody who spoke in the name of God.”;” — “in which there was nobody who spoke in the name of God.”
"Now John himself had his raiment of camel`s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his food was locusts and wild honey." — Matthew 3:4 (ASV)
And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair. The Evangelist does not want us to consider it as one of John’s chief excellencies that he followed a rough and austere way of living, or even that he avoided a moderate and ordinary degree of elegance. Rather, having already stated that he was an inhabitant of the mountains, he now adds that his food and clothing were adapted to his residence. He mentions this not only to inform us that John was satisfied with the food and dress of the peasants and partook of no delicacies, but also that, under humble and contemptible attire, he was held in high estimation by men of rank and splendor.
Superstitious persons view righteousness as consisting almost entirely of outward appearances and have commonly thought that abstinence of this kind was the perfection of holiness. Closely related to this is the error of supposing him to be a man who lived in solitude and who disdained the ordinary way of living, as the only superiority of hermits and monks is that they differ from other people. Indeed, gross ignorance has gone so far that out of camel’s hair they have made an entire skin.
Now, there can be no doubt that the Evangelist here describes a man of the mountains,252 far removed from all the refinement and delicacies of towns. He was not only satisfied with such food as was available, but ate only what was suitable for use in its natural state, such as wild honey, which that region supplies in great abundance, and locusts, with which it also abounds.
Alternatively, he may have intended to point out that when a man of humble appearance and without refined manners appeared in public life, it had the advantage that the majesty of God shone alone in him, and yet struck all with admiration. For we must observe what is added: that there was a great crowd of people from all directions, from which we infer that his fame was very widespread.253
Or the Evangelist may have indicated God's purpose: to present, in the person of John, a unique example of frugality, and, in this manner, to fill the Jews with reverence for his doctrine, or at least to convince them of ingratitude, according to that saying of our Lord, John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine (Luke 7:33).
252 “Montanum hominem;” — “;” — “un homme suivant les montagnes.”.”
253 “Qu il a ete merveilleusement grand bruit de luy par tout le pays.” — “That there was an astonishingly great noise about him through all the country.”.” — “That there was an astonishingly great noise about him through all the country.”
"and they were baptized of him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins." — Matthew 3:6 (ASV)
Matthew 3:6; Mark 1:5. And were baptized, confessing their sins: this confession was a testimony of repentance: for, as the Lord, in the sacraments, commits himself to us, as if he had given his own written pledge, so it is our duty, in turn, to respond to him. In Baptism, he declares that our sins are forgiven and calls us to repentance. So that people may come forward properly to be baptized, confession of sins is required of them; otherwise, the whole performance would be nothing but an idle mockery254.
It should be noted that we are here speaking of adults, who, we are aware, should not be admitted indiscriminately into the Church, or introduced by Baptism into the body of Christ,255 until they have first been examined.256
Therefore, it is obvious how absurdly this passage has been tortured by the Papists to support auricular confession. There were no priests present in whose ears each individual might privately mutter257 his sins; nor is it said that they listed all their sins; nor are we told that John gave his disciples a regular rule for confession. Even if we grant the Papists all that they ask, confession will belong to catechumens alone,258 and will have no place after Baptism. In any case, the law which they prescribe for confession after Baptism finds no support in John’s example.259
254 “Autrement, tout ce sainct mystere seroit tournee en mines et bas-tellerie.” — “Otherwise, all this holy mystery would be turned into grimaces and buffoonery.”.” — “Otherwise, all this holy mystery would be turned into grimaces and buffoonery.”
255 “En la communion de Christ;” — “into communion ;” — “into communion or fellowship with Christ.”fellowship with Christ.”
256 “Devant qu'ils n'ayent este examinez et interroguez de leur foy;” —”before they have been examined and interrogated as to their faith.”;” —”before they have been examined and interrogated as to their faith.”
257 “Il n'y avoit point 1a de prestres, devant lequel un chacun eust peu s'a genouiller l'un apres l'autre, pourbarboter ses pechez en leurs aureilles.” — “There were no priests there, before whom each individual might kneel down, one after another, to mutter his sins in their ears.”.” — “There were no priests there, before whom each individual might kneel down, one after another, to mutter his sins in their ears.”
258 “Ceste confession n'appartient droit qu'a ceux qui de nouveau se convertissent a la foy.” — “That confession would only belong to those who are recently converted to the faith.”.” — “That confession would only belong to those who are recently converted to the faith.”
259 “Pour le moins, quand ils commandent par leur loy de se confesser depuis le Baptesme, ils ne peuvent pas dire qu’ils ensuivent Jean, ny l’alleguer pour autheur.” — “At least, when they enjoin, by their law, to make confession after Baptism, they cannot say that they follow John, nor produce him as their author.”.” — “At least, when they enjoin, by their law, to make confession after Baptism, they cannot say that they follow John, nor produce him as their author.”
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