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Intermediate Sunday School Lesson 12 : The Ministry of John the Baptiser III

Text: Matthew 3:11-12
20 March 2022

INTRODUCTION

1. The Ministry of John the Baptiser had many aspects

a) He was to prepare the way of the Lord
b) He preached repentance from sin
c) He offered the baptism of repentance
d) He also bravely confronted the religious sects of the Pharisees and Sadducees

2. The Effectiveness of John’s ministry

a) Many flocked to hear him preach
b) People came from all over Judea, beyond the Jordan, Syria etc

3. John was wisely aware of the limitations of his ministry

a) His was a temporary ministry
b) His was a preparatory work
c) He will not draw disciples to himself
d) He is but a messenger of the Lord

POINTING PEOPLE TO THE COMING OF THE MESSIAH

I indeed baptize you with water unto 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.
Matthew 3:11

1. The Baptism that John offered

“I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance” Matthew 3:11a

a) Baptism of water unto repentance
i) Water to represent cleansing
ii) Repentance must be genuine
iii) There must be fruit of repentance
b) A Preparatory Baptism
i) It is not the same Baptism that the Lord Jesus will speak of
Matthew 28:19-20
ii) It is still of some significance

2. The Person of the Lord Jesus Christ

“But He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry.” Matthew 3:11b

a) He will come after John
b) He is mightier
c) John says he is not even worthy to carry His sandals

3. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire

“He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” Matthew 3:11c

a) Baptism of the Holy Spirit
i) The Lord has the authority to give the Holy Spirit
ii) This is a reference to the anointing of the Holy Spirit
b) A Clear example of this is recorded in Acts 2
i) The Disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ were anointed by the Holy Spirit
ii) The emblem of the Spirit is Fire
iii) It represents a divine power and authority

4. The Ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ Explained Briefly

a) There is a Beginning Part of the Ministry
b) There is a Concluding Part of the Ministry

5. The Beginning Part

a) Preaching
b) Teaching
c) Healing
d) Fulfilling God’s Plan for salvation
e) Building the Church

6. The Concluding Part

His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Matthew 3:12

a) Harvesting Imagery employed
i) Winnowing Fan
ii) Threshing floor
iii) Gathering wheat into the barn
iv) Burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire
b) The Significance of this statement
i) There is a Concluding Stage
ii) This is a reference to the End Times
c) Those who are saved will be like the wheat that will be gathered safely
Into the barn
d) Those who are chaff will also be gathered and be burned with
unquenchable fire
e) The Lord will be able to separate the wheat from the chaff
f) This is called the winnowing process that will separate the:
i) Genuine believers
ii) False believers

CONCLUSION

1. The right focus given to all the followers of John

a) They must not be overly attached to him
b) They must look forward to the Messiah
c) The right focus is always the Lord Jesus Christ

2. The things that they may look forward to:

a) The Anointing of the Spirit
b) The fire that represents great power and authority

3. The reality that is double-sided

a) To be careful of not ending up as chaff
b) To be challenged to be wheat that would be gathered into the barn