Introduction – 

One of the modern themes that is being drawn out in Reformed circles over the past 25 years or so, is the idea that much of the New Testament, especially the gospels and Revelation, are actually legal documents written as lawsuits against Israel. I agree. This is a helpful way of looking at the texts.

Peter Leithart writes:

In every one of the gospels, the beginning of Jesus’ ministry is John’s ministry. John is the forerunner, the first witness in God’s final prosecution of His lawsuit against Israel” (Leithart, The Gospel of Matthew, Vol. 1, p. 80).

I believe this is one way to think of the gospels. The gospels are lawsuits against those who should have accepted the One born King of the Jews, but rejected Him instead. God will raise up witness after witness, give sign after sign, and proclaim liberty to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind… yet the leadership will absolutely reject the Messiah.

Even with this understanding, we must not lose sight that the gospels serve a greater purpose that an indictment against the leadership. They serve as affirmation to those who didn’t reject the Messiah who was born King of the Jews. Matthew is giving those believers in the first century an account of Christ, showing how it is, that He is the long-expected Messiah.

Already, Matthew has shown that Jesus is the Messiah through a detailed genealogy, that Jesus was both tied to Abraham and King David. Matthew also took us through the birth narratives, showing us the worldly forces opposed to His coming, and opening our eyes to how God used a faithful man, Joseph, to help deliver THE Deliverer from the hands of Satan.

In our text before us this morning, we are seeing one of the first major witnesses of Christ: John the Baptist. Matthew will show us that John the Baptist was the fulfillment of prophecy, showing that God does indeed save His people.