Matthew 3 ˙Commentary and Notes
3:2 John to Israel - Repent!
Topic = Time To Repent
The Kingdom = The time of The Promise of the Covenant, which is the conversion of Israel from the headship of Adam to the headship of the Son of Adam; this time now approaches = repent in preparation = prepare in returning to the faith of the promise = coming to maturation in the faith of the promise = comprehension of the prophecy of the promise.
Comments:
1 Why does John use this language? Kingdom = King = Mashiach, so what tis the significance of John saying, The Kingdom approaches and not Mashiach approaches (is coming) to his audience? There is no king without a kingdom.
2 What if the kingdom arrives and you have not repented? What if the kingdom arrives and Israel has not repented? How could such a thing be possible?
3:8 John to Israel - Repent!
= Produce fruits of repentance
(many) Pharisees and Saducees = (many) clearly religious = (many) observant and secular but yet official leaders.
vipers = we are all vipers = we must all own it = it is helpful for the least viperish to be called vipers, as Moshe to the children of Israel = the strength of language only reflects the occasion when there is a need for all Israel to be in unity before the fearsome mountain Sinai/Zion... = preparation for the kingdom. In other words, Why do you come for baptism? As those who know with the rest of us that you are a brood of vipers as we are a brood of vipers? But if some there would say only the teachers, rabbis and scribes, were a brood of vipers then what were they doing there themselves looking for baptismal repentance? Baptismal repentance is repentance representing severance from the head of Adam and resurrection from the dead united with the head of the Son of Adam. Did they not yet understand this? How so? They understood that life was promised to Abraham and his seed and not to Adam.
Comments:
To even the 'observant' and the 'leaders' John demands a better quality of fruit than what they presently yield.
In line with the example of John, the nature of their fruit should be prophetic.
It should be fruit that " prepares the way of the Lord."
