Matthew 3:16-17

| Matt 3 |

16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, o the heavens were opened to him, [1] and he p saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, q a voice from heaven said, r “This is my beloved Son, [2] with whom I am well pleased.”

Matthew 28:19

| Matt 28 |

19 j Go therefore and k make disciples of l all nations, j baptizing them m in [3] n the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

2 Corinthians 13:14

| 2 Cor 13 |

14 i The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and j the love of God and k the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

1 Peter 1:2

| 1 Pet 1 |

2 according to b the foreknowledge of God the Father, c in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and d for sprinkling with his blood:

May e grace and f peace be multiplied to you.

Translation Notes

[1] 3:16 Some manuscripts omit to him
[2] 3:17 Or my Son, my (or the) Beloved
[3] 28:19 Or into

My Notes

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Matt. 3:1–17 John the Baptist Prepares for the Appearance of the Messianic Kingdom. John now appears, preaching in the Judean desert. It is more than 25 years since Joseph and his family moved back to Nazareth. The focus of Matthew's Gospel now shifts to Jesus' public ministry.

Matt. 3:16 The Spirit of God anoints Jesus as Israel's King and Messiah and commissions him as God's righteous “servant” (cf. Isa. 42:1).

Matt. 3:17 The voice from heaven confirms the eternally existing relationship of divine love that the Son and Father share as well as Jesus' identity as the messianic Son of God (Ps. 2:7). This beloved Son is the triumphant messianic King, yet he is also the humble “servant” into whose hands the Father is well pleased to place the mission to bring salvation to the nations (Isa. 42:1–4).

Matt. 28:1–20 The Resurrection and Commission of the Messiah. Matthew's concluding chapter recounts Jesus' resurrection from the dead. His resurrection confirms his identity and that his accomplishment at the cross was accepted by God the Father. Jesus now lives as the faithful companion, master, and Lord of those who respond to his great commission (vv. 16–20).

Matt. 28:16–20 The Risen Jesus' Great Commission. As the resurrected Lord, Jesus calls upon his followers to make disciples of all people groups through the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom.

Matt. 28:19 The imperative (make disciples, that is, call individuals to commit to Jesus as Master and Lord) explains the central focus of the Great Commission, while the Greek participles (translated go, baptizing, and “teaching” [v. 20]) describe aspects of the process. all nations. Jesus' ministry in Israel was to be the beginning point of what would later be a proclamation of the gospel to all the peoples of the earth, including not only Jews but also Gentiles. The name (singular, not plural) of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is an early indication of the Trinitarian Godhead and an overt proclamation of Jesus' deity.