Jesus’ baptism shows us the character of God. Humility. Humility is the character of the kingdom. We should be astounded that Jesus got baptized at all. Matthew is now presenting Jesus, the living gospel and example of God’s nature and character.

What does true repentance, admission of sin, and confession look like? Matthew 3 will give us, through John the law; the holiness and fire of God which requires us to turn from sin and live a different kind of life. Through Jesus we see the gospel; the love and grace we need to be able to turn toward God.

Matthew Chapter 2 gives us a picture of what humanity coming to Christ in faith or in rebellion looks like. In Jesus we see God’s vision for humanity and what it looks like when the kingdom of God reigns in the person and world that he made.

If we want to live with the yoke and rest of Jesus we have to see the reality of God that He sees. Much of our heaviness, anxiety and lack of peace come from a limited or even faulty view of God. The way into the “yoke” of Jesus is not only knowing what he did about God but living like he did in light of that reality.

The Gospel according to Matthew is the outline for how to live the way of Jesus in real life. How to experience his reality in our lives from moment to moment. Matthew is a manifesto for followers of Jesus.