The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible New Testament (24 page)

3:6 the river Jordan:
Runs along the eastern side of Palestine. Its headwaters begin north of the Sea of Galilee, and it flows southward into the Dead Sea. • In the OT, the Jordan is associated with God's deliverance. Like the Red Sea, it parted so that the Israelites could cross over on dry ground and inherit the Promised Land (Josh 3:14-17). Naaman the Syrian was cleansed from leprosy at this location when he "dipped" (LXX:
ebaptisato
) seven times in the river at the command of Elisha (2 Kings 5:14). Both OT events prefigure the saving power of the Sacrament of Baptism (CCC 1222). 
Back to text.

3:11 I baptize you:
John's baptism differed from sacramental Baptism, which confers forgiveness and the regenerating grace of justifying faith (Acts 2:38). His was a visible token of repentance and preparation for the Messiah (cf. Is 1:16; Heb 9:10; CCC 718).
with water:
John administered a baptism by water alone as a sign of purification. But as was shown in Noah's day, water alone cannot cleanse the soul; the sinfulness of man's heart remained unchanged even after the flood (Gen 6:5; 8:21). Only the Sacrament of Baptism infuses the
Holy Spirit
(Jn 3:5) and marks one's adoption into God's family (28:19) (CCC 1265).
with fire:
A symbol of God and his purifying judgment (Deut 4:24; Sir 2:5; Is 4:3-5; Acts 2:3-4; CCC 696). 
Back to text.

Word Study

Righteousness
(
Mt 3:15
)

Dikaiosune
(Gk.): denotes the uprightness and faithfulness of God and his people (Deut 6:25; Is 48:18). The word is part of a distinctive covenant vocabulary found throughout the Bible. It is used seven times in Matthew and 85 times in the rest of the NT. (1) God's
righteousness
is characteristic of his being (holy) and revealed through his saving deeds and care of Israel (Deut 32:4; Is 5:16; 42:6). God is righteous because he perfectly fulfills his covenant with Israel as a divine Father. The NT builds on this foundation: God now demonstrates his
righteousness
through the saving work of Jesus Christ. The New Covenant is ratified by Jesus' obedience to the Father (Mt 3:15; Rom 3:21-26) and is proclaimed in the gospel (Rom 1:16-17). (2) For God's people,
righteousness
is a New Covenant gift from Christ. It is first given in Baptism and received by faith (Rom 5:17). It denotes one's restored relationship with God as an adopted son or daughter. This gift of
righteousness
can increase through love and obedience to God's covenant Law (Mt 5:6; 6:33; Rom 6:16; Eph 4:24; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Jn 3:7).

3:15 it is fitting:
Jesus is sinless and has no need for John's baptism (Heb 4:15; 1 Pet 2:22). He nevertheless submits to the rite to identify with sinners and align himself with God's plan. Jesus performs Old Covenant regulations to fulfill and perfect them in the New (5:17; cf. Lk 2:21-28; CCC 536). •
Mystically
(St. Thomas Aquinas,
ST
3, 39, 8), Jesus' baptism prefigures the Christian sacrament. The water, Spirit, and divine voice signify the effects of Baptism whereby the soul is cleansed (Acts 22:16), the grace of the Holy Spirit is imparted (3:11; 1 Cor 12:13), and the recipient is adopted as a beloved child of God (3:17; Gal 3:26-27; CCC 537). 
Back to text.

3:16 the heavens:
The episode reveals the Blessed Trinity: the Father speaks, the Son is baptized, and the Holy Spirit descends as a dove. 
Back to text.

4:1-11
Matthew's temptation narrative recounts 5 Jesus' spiritual preparation for ministry. • The event contrasts the disobedience of ancient Israel with the obedience of Jesus, representative of the new Israel:
(1)
Israel and Jesus are both called God's son (3:17; Ex 4:22);
(2)
the temptations of both Israel and Jesus are preceded by a baptism (3:13-17; 1 Cor 10:1-5);
(3)
Israel was tested for 40 years, Jesus is tempted for
forty days and forty nights
(4:2);
(4)
Israel failed its wilderness testing, while Jesus triumphs over Satan through obedience and self-abasement (4:11). These parallels are supported by Jesus' three responses (4:4, 7, 10) to the devil taken from Deut 6-8. These texts (Deut 8:3; 6:16; 6:13) warned the Israelites against disobedience and reminded them of God's provisions in the wilderness (CCC 538-39). •
Morally
(St. John Chrysostom,
Hom. in Matt.
8): Jesus' victory sets an example for Christian obedience. Earthly life is a wilderness trial for God's people en route to the land of heaven. Through this probationary period, God wills the faithful to overcome temptations from the world, the flesh, and the devil. Triumph is possible through penance and obedience to God's word. Rather than earthly bread and power, the faithful must desire the food of God's will and the humility of Christ (11:29; Jn 4:34). The battle successfully won merits heavenly comfort in the company of angels (4:11). The Church annually reminds us of this life-long vocation during the 40 days of Lent (CCC 540, 2849). 
Back to text.

4:1 tempted:
Having witnessed the Father's declaration (3:17), Satan tests Jesus' identity as the Son of God. He tempts Jesus to embrace an earthly and political mission (4:89) and seeks to divert him from suffering and death. Peter is later rebuked as "Satan" (16:23) when he refuses to accept Jesus' path of suffering (16:21). • The Second Council of Constantinople (
A.D.
553) condemned the view that Jesus was impeccable only after his Resurrection (can. 12). On the contrary, Christ is a divine Person and so could not have sinned at any time during his earthly life (Jas 1:13; 1 Jn 3:5). Furthermore, his temptations came entirely from the suggestions of the devil and had nothing to do with the inner struggles and disordered desires of fallen human nature that we experience (Jas 1:14-15). 
Back to text.

4:6 it is written:
Both Jesus (4:4, 7, 10) and Satan (4:6) quote from Scripture. Whereas Jesus handles Scripture with reverence and sensitivity, Satan misconstrues its meaning. • Satan's use of Ps 91:11-12 violates its original meaning. The psalm encourages trust and faith in God's protection; it does not advocate testing him. Jesus' proper interpretation of Deut 6:16 (4:7) excludes the possibility of twisting Ps 91 to justify testing God. 
Back to text.

4:12 Galilee:
The uppermost region of Palestine, north of Judea and Samaria. In ancient Israel, Galilee was home to several of the nation's 12 tribes. After military devastations by the Assyrians in the eighth century
B.C.
(2 Kings 15:29), Galilee was ruled separately from Judea and Samaria for most of its history extending into NT times. While some Jews resided in Galilee when Jesus lived there, many were descendants of the northern tribes of Israel who lived alongside Gentile immigrants. Even after the NT period, the Jewish Mishnah (
A.D.
200) consistently refers to Galileans as "Israelites", as distinct from southern "Jews" or "Judeans" (cf. 10:5-6; Jn 1:47). Jesus chose Galilee as the place to restore the "lost sheep of the house of Israel" (15:24), regather his scattered disciples (26:31-32), and send them on a worldwide mission (28:7, 10, 16-20). 
Back to text.

4:15-16 The land of Zebulun . . . dawned:
A citation I from Is 9:1-2 concerning the land allotments of two Israelite tribes, Zebulun and Naphtali. Since these Galilean regions were the first to be ravaged by Assyrian invasions from 733 to 732
B.C.
(2 Kings 15:29), Jesus targets Galilee as the place to begin reversing the tragedies of Israel's history by restoring the 12 tribes in the New Covenant (cf. 15:24; 19:28; Rev 7:4-8). • Isaiah foresees a "latter time" (Is 9:1), when God will restore hope to Galilee. Matthew links this with Jesus' residence in "Capernaum" (4:13), a town north of the Sea of Galilee where the tribal territories of Zebulun and Naphtali intersect. Matthew's sustained interest in the Davidic kingship of Jesus suggests that the fuller context of this oracle is also significant. Isaiah 9:1-2 prefaces an Immanuel prophecy of the birth of a new king who will sit "upon the throne of David" (Is 9:7) and restore this light of hope to Galilee (cf. Lk 1:32-33). 
Back to text.